Mission Start!

Unlike Kusama Shigeo, who stood arrogantly in the first row, I followed the line and kept moving toward the back.

As I walked, every time I turned my head, I could see several sturdy shoulders. Streamlined muscles rippled beneath their arms, disappearing into their black uniforms; beneath their seemingly lean frames lay immense power.

I looked at my own "boiled chicken" physique and felt my fighting spirit soar!

Sooner or later, I'll become like that too! Muscle-bound hunk Akatsuki!

Standing at the tail end of the formation, the crowd around me completely blocked my view. Amidst the solemn, heavy black, cold gazes occasionally shot over, scanning me up and down.

Unlike the malice and mockery of students, these ninjas who had fought and bled on the battlefield had long since learned to restrain their emotions. Even the youngest among them already had hands stained with blood.

To them, I was nothing more than the title "Uchiha Akatsuki." Genius, eldest son, number one—all of that was complete crap.

They didn't acknowledge me at all, let alone consider me a comrade.

In a unit that walked on the edge of a blade every moment, who would entrust their back to a six-year-old child?

I stood motionless, letting these knives cut into me.

I at least had that much composure.

Just then, a heavy cloud drifted over, and a thick shadow instantly enveloped the entire squad, hiding everyone's faces in darkness. Accompanied by a shout like a thunderclap: "Move out!" the unit instantly sprang into action. The personnel scattered like a flock of black swallows skimming across the forest, impossibly fast!

Fortunately, I had my daily morning runs, so I wasn't left behind. I trailed at the very back, using every ounce of strength to keep up.

In a blur of panicked gray, my military life had begun.

"Shisui, Uchiha Shisui?"

Crossing the Land of Fields and nearing the border of the Land of Lightning, an elite squad was moving at high speed across the rocky terrain. Their goal was to coordinate with the main Konoha force to complete an assassination mission; the stakes were high, and there was no room for error.

Yet today, a key member of the squad was clearly distracted, leading the captain to reprimand him for the first time.

"Uchiha Shisui!"

"...To the northwest, there are bloodstains in the sand. A wounded person passed by about a quarter of an hour ago. I have already left a mark and contacted the unit to intercept along the diverging paths." The absent-mindedness in Shisui's eyes vanished in an instant as he methodically stated the detailed information.

The observation was accurate, the report was flawless, and he had even anticipated the captain's outburst.

Facing such a genius, the captain couldn't say anything more. He only furrowed his brows and said sternly, "We are approaching enemy territory. Listen to my orders closely; there can be no moment of carelessness. Because this mission must succeed—failure is not an option!"

"Yes!"

"Shisui-senpai, are you alright?"

Zi Luochun was a Jonin who had been promoted just this year. Because of her outstanding medical ninjutsu, she had been transferred to the elite border squad.

Facing this genius boy who was a year younger than her but calm and powerful, Zi Luochun felt a ripple of admiration beneath her respect.

Admiration for the strong was an instinct; no one was exempt from it.

"Shisui-senpai?"

"Is something the matter?" Uchiha Shisui looked at the young girl.

"Are you... troubled by something? It, it's just that! Since I am a medical ninja, caring for squad members is my duty..." Zi Luochun spoke very quickly, and her excuse was well-crafted, but unfortunately, her bashfulness and blush were about to overflow from her face, and her footsteps became erratic, drawing a few inquisitive gazes.

"Apologies, this is my own affair. You cannot help me."

Shisui's tone was devoid of fluctuation, slowly pushing the young girl's heart away.

If Uchiha Akatsuki were here, he would surely be surprised that the Uchiha Shisui who always smiled so gently could have such a side.

The kid could change his face, too!

Zi Luochun's heart tightened, and she explained, "Sorry... I just wanted to..."

"Focus on the mission."

Once those words were out, the light in Zi Luochun's eyes dimmed.

"Yes..."

Her voice turned timid, and she finally fell silent.

The sun was high today, yet Shisui felt a chill.

Akatsuki... must have gone to the military department today.

He looked up at the gullied rocky terrain before him, imagining the child running and fighting across it, and his brows slowly furrowed.

But that person is also at the military department, isn't he?

I had originally thought the first mission would be beginner-level, but a whole day had passed, and we hadn't even reached the destination yet. I was already exhausted to the point of death!

It was because the squad's speed was just too fast!

Kusama Shigeo, who had been in the first row earlier, had already fallen back to my side, panting like a dying dog.

Even though he was panting like a dying dog, he didn't retreat another step; as if competing with me, he gritted his teeth and ran side-by-side with me.

Just as I reached my own limit, a shout of "Halt!" from the front caused my heartstrings to slacken, and I collapsed directly into the grass on the side, gasping for air, dizzy and lightheaded.

"You, you really are... trash. To be worn out like this after such a short distance... you should just go back to the academy and repeat your training!" Kusama Shigeo's face was pale, yet his mockery continued, buzzing like a mosquito.

I ignored him, simply wiping away my sweat while pulling out my canteen to take a careful sip, seizing the time to rest.

However, looking around, not a single one of the seniors showed any signs of fatigue, nor did any of them drink water; they were all in a half-crouched, standby state, which immediately made my face fall as I silently tucked my canteen away.

This stop seemed to be nothing more than Orochimaru-sensei studying the route.

"Hey, do you know what this mission is?" Kusama Shigeo was still buzzing away. Seeing that I didn't speak, he leaned in close, as if trying to scare me, and lowered his voice: "It's—a mission to kill!"

This sentence made my heart skip a beat. My expression remained indifferent, but my hand tightened around Murasame, my palm slick with cold sweat.

"You, have you ever killed anyone?"

He was almost pressing against my face, staring firmly into my eyes.

And for the first time, I looked away.

Born in an era of peace, I instinctively avoided this subject.

Yet no matter how I avoided it, from the day I became a ninja, I could not escape this day.

Before the team reached the mission location, this sentence kept lingering in my heart, sinking deeper and deeper, dropping down like a stone in a well.

It wasn't until the cold, biting rain hit my face that I realized the team had stopped!

After a day and a night of arduous trekking, we had arrived at—

The border of the Land of Fire!

Because it bordered the Land of Rain, the area was filled with mist and torrential rain; behind the hazy curtain of water lay an endless stretch of rolling mountains.

Our team was gathered halfway up the mountain, crouching in the forest, overlooking the plains below.

"Remember, the order from above is: anyone who enters the Land of Fire from here is to be killed without exception. Leave no survivors."

Orochimaru-sensei's voice came from the front, hoarse and raspy. I froze, looking around in a daze, but everyone else appeared completely unfazed.

What was he saying?

Everyone... crossing the border?

Including civilians?

Thunder tore through the sky. I watched as the seniors around me entered the deep forest one by one, instantly vanishing into the ink-like curtain of rain. Even Kusama Shigeo had left.

Only I remained standing where I was.

After the screams and the scent of blood began to permeate the air, I wiped the rain from my eyes, walked to Orochimaru-sensei's side, and reached out to tug gently on his sleeve.

"Sensei."

"What is it, Akatsuki?" He shifted his gaze from the slaughter on the battlefield to me. His voice was very gentle, his snake-like pupils opening and closing in the rain.

"Sensei, must we kill everyone? Even the civilians?" I swallowed hard, wearing a stiff smile as I looked up at him.

Orochimaru seemed to pause for a moment, then his eyes and brows relaxed, blooming into a smile I couldn't understand amidst the rain.

It was as if my question had pleased him.

"Akatsuki, you must understand: anyone who appears here at this time is not a civilian."

He leaned in close, like a mother, stroking my head and whispering softly to me.

Yet the words from his mouth held not a shred of hesitation, each one dripping with blood.

"Execute the mission."

My heart began to pound wildly.