"You really are something..."
As they raced through the forest toward the Land of Grass, Haori glanced helplessly at Might Guy, whose face was alight with excitement.
For a moment, he almost couldn't take it.
When he'd spotted Guy at the mission assembly first thing that morning, he'd known they were in trouble.
Sure enough, Namikaze Minato had assigned Guy to his team.
Life had its ups and downs, and sometimes you just had to sit back and watch other people put on a show. If you couldn't talk them out of it, that was. It could be entertaining.
But when it involved him, it wasn't so great.
"Didn't you say your teammates hadn't been decided yet?"
Guy shrugged, unconcerned, and grinned. "We're good friends, after all. You didn't have a team yet, and we worked well together in the Land of Whirlpools.
"So yesterday, I applied to Lord Hokage for a mission. It took quite a bit of effort, but I finally got him to agree."
I'd rather you stayed in Konoha, smoking and staring at the sky. One comfortable day at a time!
Haori glanced at Guy. He wasn't worried that Guy would get hurt. He was worried Guy would drag him into trouble!
Back in the Land of Whirlpools, he'd seen Guy's skill and professionalism as a ninja.
He was dependable and capable—a fine ninja.
But there was one problem: Guy could get carried away in the heat of the moment, turning an ambush into a head-on fight.
Was that why even Danzo's Root hadn't dared recruit him?
"Anyway, we should talk about the mission."
The third member of their team spoke up.
"This mission probably won't be simple.
"They've sent out so many teams, and the front line is covering our entry into enemy territory from several different areas. I doubt they just want us to raid supply routes."
He wore dark goggles, and his hair stuck up just like Kakashi's.
But his hair was black. He was Haori and Guy's classmate, Yamashiro Aoba.
Aoba was a formidable ninja, skilled in Fire Release and summoning crows.
For a moment, Haori had even wondered if he was a member of the Uchiha.
He also possessed an exceptionally rare ability in the Shinobi World: he could infiltrate another person's mind and read their thoughts without using any equipment!
Those abilities were probably why he'd been assigned to such an important mission.
And since Haori had rotated through Aoba's squad in the Land of Whirlpools, the three of them had ended up on the same team.
As it happened, Haori really did owe him one.
That stint with Aoba's squad had completed a side quest.
It had let Haori pick up certain abilities related to Yin Release from Aoba, successfully upgrading his Sharingan.
"Aoba's right. This mission really isn't simple."
Haori nodded, his expression turning serious.
"I even suspect the mission's real objective is to end this war!"
"End the war?"
Guy's eyes lit up with excitement.
"If we can end the war, that would be wonderful!"
Come on, you're focusing on the wrong thing!
Haori and Aoba exchanged a look, both feeling a little deflated.
They'd only wanted Guy to keep his head and not get carried away.
A mission this dangerous called for caution, but Guy was focused entirely on ending the war.
Aoba glanced at Haori, too. Even if he wanted to caution Guy, couldn't Haori at least avoid making such grand claims?
"Guy."
Aoba shook his head and turned to him helplessly. He knew Guy's personality well.
"We mean this mission is extremely difficult and exceptionally dangerous."
"So we hope you can stay calm."
Haori nodded. He was starting to wonder whether they'd brought along such a hot-blooded Guy because he really was a good fit for this mission.
"Haori, what do you think?" Aoba asked, turning to him instead of trying to reason with Guy.
"I do have a few half-baked ideas."
Haori kept moving and answered casually.
He knew exactly what this mission entailed. Right now, he was thinking about only two things.
First, how to survive on this battlefield, where life surged and all things flourished.
Second, how to build up some prestige for himself during the mission.
If he didn't have a main quest, and his teammates were just a couple of no-name extras, Haori would absolutely find a way to lurk along the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire.
You never lift a finger until trouble starts, then expect me to charge in? Dream on!
Namikaze Minato's mission was bound to succeed. Haori just had to sneak in and out, ambushing a few supply teams, and that would count as completing the mission, wouldn't it?
And if his extra teammates got carried away and got themselves killed, all the better!
But now his teammates were his own "upright and principled" old classmates.
On top of that, he had a main quest, so he couldn't do that.
For one thing, he couldn't let his reputation in Konoha take a hit.
For another, if he wanted to "replace Bi Ke Qu Er Dai Zhi," he needed to build up his prestige.
Uchiha Fugaku had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, while Haori had been born a workhorse. There was no comparing them.
If he wanted to rise from the bottom and gain real influence, he had to build up his prestige!
So the priority on this mission was to survive. Next came completing it in style and earning prestige.
With that in mind...
"Like I said, I suspect the mission is meant to end the war."
Haori glanced around and lowered his voice.
"And Aoba was right: this mission isn't just about ambushing supply teams.
"We already did that in the Land of Whirlpools, and it helped us win."
The Land of Whirlpools had thrown Kirigakure into chaos with that very tactic. Then, with Konoha's army bearing down on them, Kirigakure had collapsed.
After he finished speaking, Haori glanced at Guy, and Aoba patted Guy on the shoulder.
If Guy's father hadn't dealt with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, who were causing trouble in the rear, the fighting in the Land of Whirlpools might not have ended when it did.
"Iwagakure will probably learn from that, so this mission will be even more difficult."
Haori looked away and continued.
"That doesn't mean they'll do nothing, but they'll react faster.
"Still, Iwagakure has a serious problem of its own: the Third Raikage died at their hands."
The Third Shinobi World War was a free-for-all across the Shinobi World. Konoha had been attacked from every side in turn because of its unique location.
But while Konoha was taking a beating, the other villages were weighing their options, too. Iwagakure and Kumogakure had a history of hostility, so neither side could simply sit by.
Now a Kage had been killed, deepening the hatred even further. The Fourth Raikage, whose father had been killed, had turned his full attention to Iwagakure.
That left Iwagakure facing pressure from both Konoha and Kumogakure.
"So our job is to delay them as much as possible?" Aoba immediately caught on and asked quietly.
"Exactly, but that's not all."
Haori shook his head, a smile appearing on his face.
"If we can cut off their supply line—even for just a few days—wouldn't that end the war?"
Aoba and Guy both froze. A moment later, their faces lit up.
That was right. Iwagakure was already in a bad position. If their crucial supply line were cut...
"So that's the mission..." Aoba asked, excitement creeping into his voice.
"For this mission, the main force is Jonin Minato's team."
Haori had been waiting for this moment. Under the admiring gazes of Guy and Aoba, he could finally start talking nonsense.
"Our job is to cause as much damage as possible while staying alive. That way, we can keep the enemy tied down!"