Guardian

The moon was dark and the clouds were heavy; occasionally, the cry of a crow drifted through the dense forest.

A black shadow crept through the woods. He suddenly crouched down, tilting his head to carefully discern the direction of the sound.

The sense of danger in his heart had vanished.

The man stood up and continued to walk cautiously, each step falling exactly in sync with the crow's cry, silently melting back into the darkness.

As a spy for Sunagakure, Nishikawa Jiken had been lurking in Konoha for ten years.

He could no longer clearly remember how old he was when he arrived in Konoha; it seemed he was still just a child.

For the first year, he had lived in constant fear, often jolted awake by nightmares.

He was terrified that one day he would wake up to find the terrifying Anbu standing at his bedside.

The thing he feared never happened, and he truly remained safely hidden.

One year, two years...

Without any missions, he was like an orphan forgotten in a corner, remaining silent all the while.

Gradually, he had adapted to life in Konoha, even growing into a ninja.

Just when he thought life would continue this way forever, an order from Sunagakure suddenly descended.

The dormant piece was awakened.

Nishikawa Jiken looked up, his gaze piercing through the gaps in the branches, seeing only the ink-black night.

The images of his former homeland had yellowed in his memory, becoming somewhat blurred.

He had been away for so long that he didn't know if the home in his memories still existed.

His father had sacrificed himself, and the vow the young boy once made to pay blood with blood still echoed in his ears.

If he hadn't chosen this path back then, he could have stayed by his mother's side all along.

Thinking of his mother, Nishikawa Jiken smiled for a fleeting moment.

Perhaps after completing this mission, he could return home to reunite with his mother.

The night remained long.

The sound of light footsteps hitting the ground seemed to grow distinct in the silent forest.

Nishikawa Jiken was suddenly startled.

Something was wrong!

It was too quiet.

Even the chirping of insects had vanished.

When did it start?

A chill crawled up his spine, and he drew the long blade from his waist.

"Jiken, come back with me. It's not too late to turn back now."

Tono Kojiro stepped out from behind a large tree, blocking his path.

Nishikawa Jiken's mood was complicated, and his gaze toward Tono Kojiro held a hint of reluctance.

The two had been close friends since they were boys.

They had grown up, graduated, and fought together; their friendship had been tested in blood and fire.

He remembered Tono Kojiro carrying him for a day and a night when he was injured, finally shaking off their pursuers.

He, too, had once used his own body to block a kunai flying from the shadows.

Perhaps this was the bond that Konoha often preached about.

The hand gripping his blade trembled slightly, but the next moment, the reluctance in his eyes was replaced by a firmer conviction.

"You shouldn't have come tonight. You know... of everyone in Konoha, you are the one I least want to kill."

His voice was low, and as the last word fell, his hand stopped trembling.

"Shing!"

The sound of the sharp blade leaving its sheath carried far into the distance.

Once-intimate companions now stood with blades drawn against each other.

"I didn't want you to die at someone else's hands, so I came."

Tono Kojiro's expression was sorrowful, a faint, bitter smile hanging on his face.

"Perhaps we were both born in the wrong era."

"Caw—"

A crow's cry shattered the silence of the long night.

Sparks from clashing metal suddenly flashed within the dark forest.

Land of Wind, Sunagakure.

Outside a secret conference room, guards were stationed every ten steps, with sentries every five.

Further out, several ninja squads patrolled in intersecting patterns.

The walls of the conference room were covered in inscribed runes to prevent any form of ninjutsu-based surveillance.

Inside the room, only four people sat in silence around the table.

"Intelligence has come back from the front lines; our deep-cover agents have successfully stolen the layout plans for the Konoha encampment. Now, the two of you must decide who will infiltrate behind enemy lines to retrieve them."

As soon as Elder Chiyo finished speaking, the two young people sitting opposite her immediately made their stance known.

"I'll go!" X2

Rasa and Pakura spoke almost simultaneously, the competitive intent between them self-evident.

Chiyo nodded in satisfaction, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at the two youngsters.

"This mission is extremely dangerous. Orochimaru is no ordinary foe, and you should both be aware of Sunagakure's current predicament. Therefore, this operation must succeed."

As for what would happen if they failed, Chiyo did not say, but everyone present knew it all too well.

"Please rest assured, Elder. Even if I have to lay down my life, I will bring the intelligence back."

Pakura stood up and solemnly declared her position to Elder Chiyo, her determination beyond doubt.

"What use is just throwing your life away? The key is who has the better chance of bringing the intelligence back."

"You!"

Rasa ignored Pakura, looking toward Elder Chiyo with a resolute gaze.

"Let me go. My abilities are better suited for combat in complex environments than Pakura's, and I have a greater chance of bringing the intelligence back."

"No, I disagree! Are you saying you're stronger than me? Why don't we fight it out, and whoever wins goes."

Elder Chiyo raised a hand to cut off their argument.

"Let Rasa lead the team. His abilities are indeed better suited for behind-enemy-lines operations than yours."

Then, Chiyo assigned a task to Pakura.

"After Rasa infiltrates, you will lead the main assault on the front lines. The harder you strike, the higher the chance of Rasa's success. So... your position is also critical."

With the matter settled, even if Pakura had complaints, she could only accept the order.

"That's all. You two go and prepare."

"Yes!"

After the two left, Ebizo, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up to offer a reminder:

"Sister, the position of Kazekage should not remain vacant for too long."

"Are you suggesting we choose a Kazekage from these two young people?"

"Is there any other choice?"

Chiyo was startled, then gave a wry, shaking smile.

"You, you can always see through things at a glance, yet you refuse to be the Kazekage yourself."

Ebizo tucked his hands into his sleeves, looking like an ordinary old man from next door.

"Leave the position to the young. We are old and lack the ability to steer this war chariot."

"Indeed. The young people of today are truly remarkable. Sometimes I am truly envious of Konoha; they always have geniuses emerging."

Ever since the Third Kazekage went missing, Chiyo and Ebizo had been tasked with shouldering the burden of Sunagakure.

At that time, the interior of Sunagakure was like a powder keg filled with explosives, in danger of detonating at any moment.

Going to war with Konoha was a desperate, last-resort measure.

Sunagakure at the time desperately needed an outlet, and there was no target more suitable than Konoha.

Chiyo knew that as long as she initiated the conflict, there would be those who followed.

The greatest crisis had already passed, and now it was time to prepare to resolve the second one.

"Ebizo, who do you think is more suitable for the position of Kazekage, Rasa or Pakura?"

"Rasa!"

Her brother's answer did not surprise Chiyo, but she did not understand why he was so certain.

"Why? Tell me your thoughts."

Ebizo still maintained his sleepy appearance, answering lazily:

"Rasa is ruthless enough. Pakura is an excellent ninja, but not an excellent Kage."

As he spoke, he lifted his drowsy eyes to glance at Chiyo.

"Sister, in truth, you have long had a candidate in mind. Make your decision; Sunagakure cannot withstand a second upheaval."

How could Chiyo not know the truth in her younger brother's words?

"Indeed, Sunagakure truly cannot withstand such upheaval."

It was precisely because of Rasa's ruthlessness that Chiyo had been unable to make up her mind.

Once Rasa inherited the position of Kazekage, he would never tolerate the presence of Pakura, who held the title of Sunagakure Hero and commanded immense popularity.

For the sake of the future of Sunagakure, Chiyo, swayed by her brother's persuasion, finally made her choice.

Mo Jingxian wiped the blood from his blade and sheathed it.

A wild boar lay dead in a pool of blood.

He could no longer remember how many times he had been attacked.

It had been nearly a week since they departed from Konoha, and they had already covered the majority of the journey.

Far from the Konoha ninja village, the constant harassment from small bands of bandits and wild beasts kept one's nerves from relaxing for even a moment.

Tossing the boar onto the cart, the team continued their advance.

After spending several days together, he had grown familiar with the other ninjas in the squad.

Take, for instance, this Genin beside him, Haruki Den.

"Jingxian, are you really just a Genin? You took down something this big with a single strike..."

Haruki Den was two years his senior; he leaned in close to Mo Jingxian, gesturing as he spoke, clearly a bit of a chatterbox.

"Be careful, or the captain will see you and scold you. Get back to your position."

"What's there to fear? We'll reach the main camp in two days. We'll be safe then; the enemy wouldn't..."

"BOOM!"

An explosion echoed from a few miles away. Mo Jingxian was all too familiar with that sound—it was an explosive tag.

Instantly, his blade was in his hand, his body adopting a defensive stance before his mind had even registered the thought.

Haruki Den remained standing there, foolishly stunned.

"Where did that explosion come from?"

"Go back. Guard your position."

"O-oh!"

Haruki Den finally snapped out of it and scrambled toward the front of the convoy in a panic.

After the single explosion, there was no follow-up.

The convoy waited in place for a moment until the scouts patrolling the perimeter returned to report.

"There are traces of an explosive tag detonation three miles out. No suspicious individuals were found."

The captain, Yamashiro Baiyun, immediately issued an order:

"Everyone, advance at full speed. Aside from Chunin Haneda, all other ninjas are to maintain a five-kilometer perimeter alert."

Upon receiving the order, Mo Jingxian immediately stepped onto the tree trunks and sped away.

Four Genin spread out to patrol the perimeter of the convoy, with Yamashiro Baiyun leading the way, as the team pushed toward the Land of Rivers base at full speed.

Leaves slapped against his body with a rhythmic patter as Mo Jingxian activated the Mist of Vitality, extending his sensory range to fifty meters.

The team ran at full speed for nearly ten minutes.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of weapons clashing not far behind him.

Immediately following, a blurred shadow appeared within the perception of his mist.

He did not choose to rush in blindly; instead, he immediately pulled out a signal flare and fired it into the sky.

"Do you think you can wait for reinforcements?"

The enemy's intimidation did not move him in the slightest; he turned and fled with clean, efficient movements.

Mo Jingxian had not forgotten that the Jonin Yamashiro had told him to close in on him the moment danger arose.

With the enemy's strength and numbers unknown, he would have to be insane to stubbornly charge in head-on.

The enemy clung to him like a shadow, biting at his heels.

In Mo Jingxian's perception, two figures were closing in rapidly, moving a fraction faster than he was.

"Da-da" sounds rang out.

Before he could understand what was happening, the attack arrived abruptly.

It was a puppet!

Relying on the Mist of Vitality, he sensed the attack a split second before it landed.

His body leaped between the trees in a Z-shaped pattern.

Countless thin needles grazed his heels and embedded themselves into the trees; if one looked closely, they would notice the tips occasionally flashing with a cold, eerie blue light.

The hidden weapons were clearly coated in lethal poison.

Mo Jingxian, mid-sprint, suddenly came to a halt.

Not far ahead, another puppet blocked his path...