In early January of Konoha's 46th year, the new year had arrived, but most Jonin were still busy with missions.
Conflicts had erupted repeatedly along the Land of Fire's borders. The only ones who might have benefited were the neutral Land of Iron merchant caravans, as demand for ninja tools continued to grow.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, still hadn't shown any hardline stance toward the outside world. The village remained stationed along the border and hadn't demanded that the neighboring small countries choose sides.
Caught between the great nations, Amegakure and Kusagakure already sensed trouble. If war really broke out, they would most likely become battlefields once again.
At dusk, at a secret border outpost, a squad of Kusagakure shinobi had just leaped down from the trees when they suddenly found themselves unable to move.
"Get out of here!"
The three Chunin shouted a warning. The round-faced Jonin at the rear hurriedly dodged, narrowly avoiding the shadow pursuing him.
He leaped back onto a tree branch and turned to look. His subordinates had already been engulfed by a mass of black insects, and all sound from them had ceased.
The round-faced Jonin tried to flee faster, Chakra flaring beneath his feet. But the moment he reached a branch, he instinctively drew a kunai to block.
"Clang!"
The short blade and kunai clashed again and again, sending sparks flying. Kakashi, his body enhanced, swung his blade at incredible speed. Once his strength was suppressed, the Jonin quickly retreated.
The round-faced Jonin hadn't let hatred cloud his judgment. Taking advantage of the opening, he tried to speed away again, but a shadow silently swept toward him from below.
"Damn it..."
He hurriedly dodged onto a tree trunk. When the swarm of black insects closed in, he had no choice but to give up on escaping and return to the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Shu Furukawa, concealed behind a tree, seized his chance and launched a surprise attack.
The cracking earth forced the round-faced Jonin to dodge. After evading the flying rocks, his eyes immediately turned murderous. The moment he landed, he decisively formed Hand Seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Rock Spikes!"
Stone spikes erupted. Dust billowed as the wide-ranging attack spread, and the round-faced Jonin seemed to drop his disguise. His right fist was now covered in thick rock, and he launched a reckless assault.
His speed increased again, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Shu Furukawa. He twisted around and swung his right fist straight at Shu's face.
Shu blocked with his left arm. Ignoring the other man's startled expression, he caught the "giant fist" and suddenly surged forward with a point-blank elbow strike. With a thud, the Kusagakure Jonin's pained expression vanished as he turned into mud.
"Give it up!"
The usually taciturn Shibi Aburame spoke up, directing his Kikaichū to surround the enemy, who was making one last desperate stand.
The black swarm surged forward like a great wave. When the round-faced Jonin faced Kakashi as he closed in, he stopped dodging and landed a heavy blow at the cost of taking a spray of blood to the chest.
Kakashi grunted and was sent flying. He landed clutching his left shoulder, pain written across his face.
The insects took the chance to swarm around the Jonin. Shikaku Nara also leaped out of the shadows as the shadow on the ground suddenly sped up.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu successful."
"It's a clone!"
Shibi Aburame hurriedly warned them, but the enemy in the distance had already started fleeing.
A piercing birdsong suddenly rang beside the round-faced Jonin's ear. He instinctively twisted around.
A slender, brilliant-blue Lightning Release blade pierced through his back and out of his right chest. His body went numb, and he dropped to his knees. Then the blade burst out through his chest in a spray of light.
"Ugh... ah!"
After letting out a scream, the exhausted round-faced Jonin stopped struggling. Shu Furukawa, standing beside Shikaku Nara, vanished in a puff of white smoke, while the real Shu dispelled his jutsu nearby.
"Nice work, Shu!"
"Jonin really are a pain. That was our last squad today."
Shikaku Nara, completely drained, sat down and let out a weary sigh. Shu Furukawa checked the mission target lying on the ground, realized the man was still barely breathing, and immediately suggested, "We've captured him. Let's rest here for a while, then go find Captain Inoichi."
Shibi Aburame, who had absorbed Chakra from the three Chunin, was in good shape. He nodded in agreement, then turned to Kakashi and asked, "Kakashi, how's your shoulder?"
"It's just a scratch."
Kakashi, at the limit of his stamina, quietly said he was fine. He noticed that the Kikaichū had covered the Jonin, then sat down on the ground.
"He's probably a shinobi from Iwagakure in disguise. Kusagakure seems to have a backup plan."
Shu Furukawa quietly gave his assessment. As a medic, he had naturally stayed behind everyone during the fight, and he still showed no sign of fatigue.
"If war breaks out, the village will need to take control of several supply routes right away."
"Clearly, Iwagakure is prepared. The friendship has fallen apart. Perhaps that's why the 'hawks' want to strike first."
"The village can't wait until its opponents join forces before responding."
Shikaku Nara rarely stated his opinion so plainly. Shu Furukawa didn't pick up the thread; anything he said might be taken as Tsunade's position.
"The Anbu acted quickly, and the Intelligence Department also uncovered these outposts."
"Give Lord Hokage some time. Don't discuss this stuff in the village."
Shibi Aburame, ever cautious, waited until Shu Furukawa nodded to indicate there were no enemies nearby before quietly advising them. His mask hid his expression. Shikaku Nara stared at him for a moment, then finally agreed.
"You're right. There'll be more A-rank missions in the future."
"Don't worry. When I get back to the village, I'll stay home and behave. Clan meetings and all that are such a pain."
War would naturally require the ninja clans to mobilize. They were the backbone of Konoha, and even now, differing opinions could be heard among the major clans.
Night fell. As several squads arrived at the agreed meeting point one after another, the mission was complete, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
After finishing his treatment, Shu Furukawa received a flood of thanks. He went over to Kakashi and saw him holding his short blade, lost in thought. Shu immediately offered reassurance.
"Chidori Sharp Spear. It's a change in form, but it's not as powerful as the high-frequency vibrations of the Chidori Blade."
"Once your body keeps growing, the Chakra problem will resolve itself. There's a huge difference between being eight and eighteen. It's perfectly normal to be held back by your age."
Even a tired Jonin had managed to strike back and injure him while surrounded. Kakashi couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
"You don't need to comfort me. I know what I'm capable of. I can't draw as much Chakra at once as Guy, but at least my control is decent."
"It'll be hard to solve this problem even when I'm older. From now on, I can't waste Chakra in battle, and I'll have to get better at using my jutsu."
Shu Furukawa didn't try to persuade him further. He was already used to Kakashi's strict standards for himself. Seeing Yamanaka Inoichi approach, Shu took the initiative and asked, "Captain, did you get anything useful?"
"It went well, Shu. You all performed exceptionally on this mission. I'll recommend you to Lord Hokage when we get back. You deserve more trust."
Yamanaka Inoichi's usually serious face broke into a satisfied smile. Ordinary Chunin truly couldn't compare to the two of them; the gap in ability was too great.
Noticing Kakashi's gaze, Yamanaka Inoichi paused thoughtfully before speaking again.
"Iwagakure and Kusagakure really are working together, but we have to follow Lord Hokage's orders."
"Kakashi, don't get involved in pointless discussions. You're still at the age where you need to build a solid foundation. When you lead a team, pay more attention to your subordinates."
"..."