The Same Path

Sanshao's words plunged Hanyu into a long, deep contemplation. There was a simple truth he had stubbornly refused to consider or acknowledge until now—as an outsider, since he was fundamentally incompatible with this world, the only thing he could do was change himself to adapt and integrate, rather than demanding the entire world revolve around him.

How could that ever be possible?

His unwillingness to change for the sake of integration exposed the conservative side of Hanyu's personality, but he realized now that this was wrong; perhaps it was time for him to make a change... at the very least, he should possess more of the vitality expected of a young man.

"Lady Sanshao, the enemies are from Iwagakure. Their mission was standard infiltration and sabotage, including but not limited to harassing the rear, destroying supplies, and targeted assassinations—routine wartime tasks with no special objectives." Kagami Uchiha quickly finished interrogating the captives, finding no intelligence worth noting. In a sense, this was good news, as it suggested Iwagakure had no specific designs on the Land of Fire for the time being.

No one asked what happened to the four enemies, for everyone knew their fate.

"After the Hidden Leaf Village and the Cloud Village suffered heavy losses, Iwagakure seems to have become exceptionally active," Sanshao remarked after hearing the report. However, Iwagakure's activity was an inevitable outcome. In war, as one side wanes, the other waxes; when one is weak and the enemy is strong, they naturally take more frequent action... seizing the opportunity while the Hidden Leaf and Cloud Village were leaderless, Iwagakure would naturally aim to gain a strategic advantage.

"Most of the conflicts on our defensive lines recently have been with Iwagakure. I must admit, they have now seized the initiative, both on the battlefield and strategically," Mitokado Homura said, his face etched with worry over the current state of the war.

"That is why our mission is to minimize the number of our enemies and resolve some of our rear-guard concerns," Sanshao replied.

In the current landscape of the war, Iwagakure's primary offensive was directed at the Cloud Village and the Hidden Leaf, while they maintained a defensive posture against the Sand Village. The Sand Village was primarily attacking the Hidden Leaf and Iwagakure. The Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire, located in the center of the continent, had begun a comprehensive strategic contraction, adopting a defensive stance after repelling the Cloud Village's invasion. The Cloud Village, having just lost the Raikage, was forced to follow the Hidden Leaf's lead and consolidate its forces. The Mist Village, isolated overseas, was dealing with the Cloud Village and the more distant Iwagakure; in this Great Ninja War, they had no intention of making major moves against the Hidden Leaf for now.

Add in the smaller ninja villages caught between the great powers, and the entire world had long since descended into chaos, which was why there were so many people like Hanyu whose homes had been destroyed by the flames of war.

Hanyu, of course, could not interject in such discussions about global affairs, and after what had just transpired, he had little desire to speak anyway. However, he felt no sleepiness, so he rekindled the campfire, hoping to dry his damp clothes before dawn.

A flicker of light appeared in the night, and soon the younger ninja sat down beside the fire. He removed the headgear he had been wearing and tossed it into the flames, revealing a head of white hair that stood out starkly against the darkness.

Seeing Hanyu looking at him with surprise, he explained, "It was stained with blood and couldn't be used anymore; otherwise, it would be easy for enemy scouts to spot me."

He did not realize that the reason for his explanation and the reason for Hanyu's surprise were not the same thing.

"Ahem, thank you for saving me earlier. I haven't asked... what should I call you?" Hanyu withdrew his gaze, asking as if merely out of courtesy.

"Hatake."

"And your given name?"

"Hatake Sakumo."

"...I see."

"What?"

"Nothing." Hanyu, of course, could not say that he understood why someone so young was already so proficient at killing.

But still... so this is how geniuses emerge at such a young age? What was the phrase?

Right, standing out from the crowd.

"I have a question. At your age, how did you manage those physical movements?" Perhaps to mask his own awkwardness, Hanyu continued.

The taijutsu and swordsmanship Hatake Sakumo had just displayed were clearly practical skills that required countless life-or-death battles to master, yet how could someone his age have such combat experience?

Hatake seemed unaccustomed to such praise; he rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed, and after thinking seriously, he said, "Nothing special. I just practiced until I could do it."

"..."

Retract the previous statement; this person didn't seem to have the capacity for "embarrassment." Listen to that—practiced until he could do it—was that even human language?

"What about you? How were you suddenly able to use Water Release ninjutsu, and a high-level B-rank one at that? I heard you only awakened your chakra recently," Hatake countered.

Hanyu opened his mouth to speak, only to find he had no way to explain it. After a moment of thought, he could only force out, "I also just practiced until I could do it."

This answer made Hatake Sakumo clap his hands, then look at Hanyu with an expression that said, Isn't that just how it is?

Yet, could these really be the same? Whether it was becoming a ninja or using Water Release, Hanyu owed it all to the Second Hokage. These were external factors, not the same as someone like Hatake Sakumo, who was born with extraordinary talent.

"Perhaps if I keep practicing, I'll learn other elemental releases soon, too," the boy said, seemingly unaware of how fortunate he was.

Hanyu glanced at him and gave an imperceptible shake of his head. Young people were just young people; after all, Hatake was not yet the White Fang of the Leaf he would become. He was being a bit greedy.

Hanyu really wanted to ask him why he wanted to learn elemental releases—what was the point? Could even the most flashy ninjutsu withstand his single, decapitating strike?

Amidst the elders' anxiety over the situation and the youth's ignorance of the world, the night passed quickly. As dawn arrived, the well-rested ninja squad set out once more.

Yet, the fatigue in Hanyu's body had not dissipated. Since yesterday, his chakra had been in a constant state of depletion, especially after unleashing a B-rank Water Release. His chakra had not recovered much, but he still had to grit his teeth and follow the others.

Because they were not on a combat mission, but rather a diplomatic and political one of greater significance, the squad did not make contact with the Hidden Leaf's frontline troops when crossing the border. Instead, they deliberately took a secret route where neither their own forces nor the enemy would appear.

"This is... the Land of Fields?" Once they left the Land of Fire, the surrounding geography became familiar to Hanyu, for he had lived here for a long time... their current route was very similar, perhaps even identical, to the one he had taken after leaving the Land of Fields following his encounter with the Second Hokage.

"Does it look familiar? We didn't choose the shortest route to the Land of Lightning through the Land of Iron in the south specifically so we could pass through here. Now it's your turn to lead the way... You secured the Second Hokage's remains, but you didn't move the enemy corpses, did you? I hope they are still there," Sanshao said to Hanyu as the forest ahead grew denser.

"Finding them is our best bargaining chip for the negotiations with the Cloud Village."

Hanyu still remembered this path. Even if he only remembered it vaguely, as long as he found that burnt-out tree, everything would become clear.

And so, he was moved back to the very front of the squad.