Probing Mission

Morning dew, shimmering with the dawn's first light, refracted a dazzling spectrum of colors. This was already the border of the Land of Fire, with the Land of Wind just a short distance away.

Konoha's army was currently stationed in the Land of Rivers, planning to force a decisive battle against the Sand Shinobi there. The Sand Shinobi had also placed their forward positions in the water-rich Land of Rivers rather than their own Land of Wind. The biggest reason was that the Land of Wind was plagued by unpredictable sandstorms year-round, which would not favor the development of the battle.

Furthermore, neither side wanted war to rage within their own borders, so the Land of Rivers became the sacrificial pawn between the two great nations. During wartime, small countries had no autonomy whatsoever, unless they could produce a 'Demi-God' of the Shinobi World like Hanzo.

Konoha and the Sand Shinobi faced each other across the Rift Valley in the Land of Rivers, with only a single Rope Bridge connecting the two sides, a few wooden planks laid across it.

Although the atmosphere on both sides was restless, each eager to strike the other, the high commands remained relatively restrained. So far, no large-scale battles had broken out.

The Sand Shinobi wanted revenge for their Kage, while Konoha aimed to crush the Sand Shinobi and claim the first victory of the Third Great Ninja War.

This was Konoha's standard approach, and also its standard confidence. The trio in their camp, whose mere presence could overwhelm the enemy, was the source of that confidence for all Konoha shinobi.

The Sannin, operating as a special squad, had not split up. Konoha had no shortage of capable commanders besides them—for instance, the brilliantly clever Nara Shikaku was currently stationed along the Land of Iron defensive line, guarding against an invasion from the Land of Lightning. So there was no need for them to separate yet. Together, they were the sharpest spear on the battlefield.

Kaede stood at the very front of the defensive line, gazing across at the Sand Shinobi on the other side. He felt that with the front lines so far apart and natural barriers in between, neither side had any real intention of a decisive battle, or even of starting a fight.

It made sense, he supposed. The Sand Shinobi had just lost their Kage, and whether a new one had been established was still unknown. They had also been ground down by the Land of Lightning not long ago. Facing the current state of the Shinobi World, they were holding on fueled by the fire of revenge.

The Sand Shinobi's high command should also understand that they couldn't vent that rage. They had to rely on that momentum to survive the Third War. For the Sand Shinobi, the Third War had barely begun before it was already over.

"Kaede-kun, do you want to have a go at the Sand Shinobi?" A sinister voice came from behind Kaede.

He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. No one else had that kind of tone except for that snake, Orochimaru. Kaede turned, intending to greet him.

"Jiraiya-sensei, you came too." Kaede addressed Jiraiya awkwardly.

Jiraiya pinched his nose and nodded with a look of distaste.

He had no choice. He had originally thought Kaede wouldn't be able to learn the Flying Thunder God technique and had wanted to take a little advantage. But he never expected to run into a freak like Kaede, who actually mastered such a forbidden space-time jutsu. He had to grit his teeth and accept Kaede as his disciple, or else his student Minato would cause trouble for the Third Hokage.

Tsunade, clad in a green flak jacket, had her chest bound tightly—presumably for ease of combat. "Kid, I never expected you to become that idiot Jiraiya's disciple."

"Tsunade-sama, who can truly understand the twists of fate?" Kaede joked with her.

"Tch, kid, you want to taste my fist?" Daring to mess with her? Tsunade rolled up her sleeves, ready to teach Kaede a lesson with an iron fist.

Tsunade acted without hesitation, no delay. Her fist carried a howling gale, showing she wasn't holding back at all.

"[Flying Thunder God]"

At the critical moment, Kaede activated the Flying Thunder God and instantly appeared beside Jiraiya, who was at the back of the group. He knelt on one knee and gave Tsunade a cheeky grin.

Tsunade withdrew her fist, cracking her knuckles as she eyed Kaede dangerously. "You think the Flying Thunder God can dodge all my attacks?"

"Hm!" Kaede shrugged noncommittally, as if daring her to try.

A diamond-shaped [Yin Seal] mark had already appeared on Tsunade's forehead, storing her excess Chakra every day. He just didn't know if techniques like Creation Rebirth had been perfected yet.

Her combat strength lay in her monstrous strength. Although her speed increased when she released the [Yin Seal], compared to his current self, she was still lacking.

As long as she couldn't hit him, what use was all that power?

The sly smirk on Kaede's face infuriated Tsunade, and she was about to punch him again.

"Tsunade, stop. We're here on business. Testing Kaede-kun's abilities ends here." Orochimaru blocked the agitated Tsunade.

This showed the difference in how Tsunade treated the two. If Jiraiya had tried to stop her, the master and disciple might have both gotten beaten. But when Orochimaru stopped her, Tsunade just glanced sideways and put her fist away.

The difference in closeness was obvious.

"Kid, don't let me find an opportunity to catch you. When I do, I'll..." Tsunade crushed a stone in her hand into dust, the threat clear.

Jiraiya leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Kid, you'd better be careful. Tsunade holds grudges. If she's got it in for you, the next time you need something from her, it won't be easy."

Jiraiya was reminding him: never offend a medic, especially the best medic in the Shinobi World.

Kaede sucked in a cold breath. He'd been too focused on getting back at her from before and had forgotten that Tsunade also played the role of a healer. Even if she was sometimes a poison healer, she was still reliable in a pinch.

Was it too late to apologize now?

"We came here to ask Kaede-kun to infiltrate the Sand Shinobi camp and gather intelligence. The three of us are too conspicuous, and Minato has already left for the Land of Lightning front. So you're the only suitable candidate." Orochimaru said to Kaede with a smile.

Kaede felt that Orochimaru was definitely targeting him. There were at least a few thousand Sand Shinobi on the other side. If each one threw a single Kunai, it would be a rain of ten thousand blades. This wasn't gathering intelligence—it was suicide.

"You've learned the Flying Thunder God. If you're careful, there's no real danger. You can retreat from this mission at any time." Jiraiya explained when he saw Kaede looking at him.

This was the feasible plan they had come up with after discussing it yesterday. They had to find out the Sand Shinobi's true strength. They couldn't afford to waste time here anymore.

The Third Hokage had already sent word that the battle between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth was fierce and nearing a conclusion. So the conflict between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind here also needed to be resolved.

After that, the ninja forces brought here would be reassigned to other battlefields. Jiraiya knew that Konoha was thinking of taking the initiative. The village's higher-ups wouldn't want to see a large amount of combat power tied down in the Land of Wind, a place with no profit to be gained.

Great. So the famous Sannin didn't come to chat with a mere Genin like me for nothing. They were setting me up. No matter how fast the Flying Thunder God is, I still have to activate it. What if I get sealed the moment I arrive? A free kill?

"After this mission is complete, with the merit of turning the tide, you should be able to smoothly advance to Chunin." Orochimaru tempted Kaede again. Promotion in rank was a fatal lure for naive kids his age.

Unfortunately, Kaede wasn't an ordinary child. He just kept staring at Orochimaru. As the frontline commander, if he didn't offer something good, there was no way Kaede was going to risk his life for him.

He was the messenger appointed by the Third Hokage to relay battlefield information. That was his real mission. What Orochimaru was asking now wasn't an order—it was a negotiation. Kaede had a lot of autonomy.