Sunlight Again

I followed Shiyan for several dozen minutes until, at a sharp turn, I finally saw sunlight streaming down from above.

"Go on up."

Shiyan pressed a button on the wall, and a lift-like platform descended. Once I stepped onto it, it carried me straight upward, surging toward the surface!

When I was enveloped by the blinding sunlight, I was astonished to find that I had emerged at the top of a mountain! Beneath my feet lay the vast base of the Military Headquarters!

So, I hadn't been underground at all; I had been inside the mountain itself!

The Military Headquarters—what an incredible feat of engineering!

"Keep moving. Orochimaru is already waiting for us." Shiyan finished speaking and walked off without looking back, leaving me to scramble to keep up.

Once I entered the familiar forest, I ran without stopping, heading toward the West Training Ground.

Just as I was sprinting at full speed, a rush of footsteps suddenly approached from my side. Before I could react, a figure lunged out and tackled me to the ground!

I was sent spinning, my head reeling, and I had already half-drawn Murasame before I realized it was someone I knew!

Kusama Shigeo was grinning at me with a wide, smug expression, looking down at me from above—

"Caught you, didn't I!"

"Are you insane? Get off me!" I flipped him over and sent him flying, then spent a long moment brushing off my clothes, restraining myself with great effort before grumbling and sheathing my blade!

To run into this jinx the moment I stepped out—I should have just cut him down!

"Where have you been these past few days?" Kusama Shigeo looked as energetic as ever. "I went to your place to look for you so many times; I thought you were dead!"

"Don't worry, even if you are a medical ninja, I certainly won't die before you do." I rolled my eyes, crossed my arms, and sneered, "What do you want with me? Haven't you been beaten enough?"

"We are rivals, after all. If we don't fight to the death, wouldn't it be a bit improper?" Kusama Shigeo didn't back down. He stared at me and took a step closer, leaning in until the distance was uncomfortably short, clearly intending to intimidate me.

He was already taller than me to begin with, so now, it felt as if I were the one at a disadvantage.

Under normal circumstances, I might have retorted, but I couldn't be bothered to deal with him now and simply brushed past him.

"I don't have time for you; I have a mission to carry out."

"Do you really think Orochimaru would have his two disciples carry out a mission separately?" Kusama Shigeo stuck to me like glue. "I suggest you just give in. We are already members of the same squad; showing me some respect will only benefit you."

I frowned, feeling a headache coming on.

I truly didn't understand why Kusama Shigeo was always trying to get the upper hand over me, as if he had held a grudge against me from the very moment we met. It was incomprehensible.

No, it wasn't just me; he was the same way toward Kuixing.

I frowned, thinking: Could it be that what he actually hates is the Uchiha clan?

But how had our clan ever offended him?

Forget it, why should I care what he thinks!

With someone like Kusama Shigeo, the more you confront him, the more excited he gets. It's better to just give him the cold shoulder.

I said nothing and accelerated toward the West Training Ground.

"Hey, stop right there!" Sure enough, after a brief moment of surprise, he chased after me.

When I finally reached the West Training Ground, I was surprised to find that the troop size was even larger than last time!

Good grief, this is a major mission!

I was carefully observing the people in the ranks, trying to see if there were any familiar faces, when I heard someone call my name.

"Akatsuki, over here."

I looked up to see Orochimaru, draped in his black traveling cloak, beckoning me over with a crook of his finger.

I walked over, and he looked down at my face, suddenly letting out a low, raspy chuckle as he asked, "Recovered well, have you? Had your fill?"

My heart tightened the moment he said that!

How did he know I stole his food?! QAQ

Fortunately, the teacher was only joking. Shiyan was standing beside him, and the two of them appeared to be in the middle of an intimate conversation.

"My lord, the troops have finished assembling." Seeing that we had arrived, Shiyan spoke up immediately: "You may give the order."

Orochimaru nodded, swept a glance over the troops, and then said in a loud voice:

"Akatsuki and Shigeo are to remain behind. The rest of you, follow the orders I gave last night and head to the border of the Land of Rain to stand by. I will arrive shortly."

Huh? We aren't going together?

"Teacher, are we not going with them?" Watching our teammates, who looked like a flock of black swallows, disperse and vanish without a trace, I felt a bit strange. Kusama Shigeo also wore a look of confusion.

"Your mission is not in the Land of Rain," Orochimaru smiled, pulled something from his robes, and unfolded it. It was a scroll, and the complex lines on it made it clear that it was a map.

"Then where are we going?" I blinked.

"Heh heh... you two..." Orochimaru gestured for us to lean in, his expression becoming inscrutable.

"You are going to make a trip to Kirigakure for me."

Kirigakure? I froze.

Kirigakure of the Land of Water?

My eyes flickered as I recalled the descriptions from books.

"A ninja village located deep within the mountains, its territory covered in dense fog year-round, completely isolated from all other nations."

Kirigakure, known as the most mysterious ninja village.

That is a very distant village; one must not only cross the Land of Fire but also traverse the open sea.

Furthermore... I frowned and hesitated, "Teacher, isn't Kirigakure currently in a state of war with us?"

"It is merely a matter of minor friction." Orochimaru pressed down on my shoulder and pointed to the map: "What I want you to do is go to Snow One Village, located south of Kirigakure, and bring a child back for me."

"What?" I was stunned: "Bring a child back?"

"Teacher, what do you mean?"

"I need you to go to Snow One Village and bring back a young child; it is as simple as that."

He looked at me and repeated it, without any evasion.

"As for why he must be brought back, or what will be done with him, that is not for you to worry about."

I lowered my head, frowning, my heart tightening once again.

Bringing back a small child—what does this mean? What is the teacher planning?

No matter how I think about it, it cannot be anything good.

"Teacher, is this an order?" I asked: "Will you be coming with us?"

"This is not only an order, but also a favor to me." Orochimaru said: "I have more important matters to attend to; it is impossible for me to go with you."

My heart sank as I considered the feasibility of this mission.

This mission is fraught with difficulties. First, crossing the sea between the two nations is extremely dangerous, whether by boat or by walking on water using chakra. The wind and waves are one thing, but the real difficulty lies in the enemies on the shore. Kusama Shigeo and I, both mere genin, could never face them head-on; we would have to avoid them and sneak into the Land of Water, which in itself is incredibly difficult.

Second, entering Snow One Village, a strange village so close to Kirigakure, is also highly dangerous. Once large-scale hostilities break out, it will surely alert the ninjas of Kirigakure, and then we would be in trouble—it is even questionable whether we could return at all!

Third, even if we found the child, bringing him back unscathed is another hurdle. The return journey is even more perilous than the trip there; it is no exaggeration to say it is a life-or-death gamble!

Is the teacher really not joking?

Or is he using this mission to test our courage?

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you hesitating for? Don't tell me you're too scared to even accept our first independent mission!" Before I could sort out my thoughts, Kusama Shigeo had already started clamoring.

"Isn't it just going to a neighboring country to bring back a kid? What are you afraid of?" He squinted at me, looking smug: "Or did you inherit the cowardly nature of the Uchiha clan, to the point where you dare not even execute an order from your superior?"

"If you don't even have that much guts, you should just go home early and play house with your little brother!"

Damn it, you can insult me all you want, but what does Itachi have to do with this?

A nameless fire surged in my heart, and I immediately retorted: "I don't know where you heard that the Uchiha clan is cowardly, but does the fact that you were defeated by someone like me suggest the incompetence of the Kusama clan?"

"You!"

As soon as these words left my mouth, Kusama Shigeo's eyes turned red. I hadn't expected the impact to be so great—so great that he disregarded the teacher's presence and attacked me directly!

I dodged his fist, then his kick, and just as I was about to counterattack, he was grabbed by Orochimaru.

The teacher's voice was hoarse yet extremely clear, carrying an irresistible authority.

"If you continue to argue, I will consider that you have voluntarily abandoned this mission."

Once those words were spoken, there was dead silence.

"Rest assured, I am not asking you to bring a child back to do anything to him." Orochimaru, sensing my resistance, actually offered an explanation.

"Due to Kirigakure's Bloody Mist policy, those with Kekkei Genkai in the Land of Water are being slaughtered en masse. Those who remain have either fled the Land of Water or are children too young to have awakened their Kekkei Genkai yet. But if they are allowed to continue growing, they will eventually awaken their bloodlines, and their ultimate fate will still be death."

"Therefore, I am actually sending you over to save lives."

Orochimaru smiled, speaking bluntly.

"No matter what circumstances he faces after he returns, it is still better than him staying in the Land of Water, is it not?"

So that was it!

I lowered my head, feeling somewhat relieved, yet even more anxious!

Because this mission is truly too difficult!

"If you have no objections, pack the necessary supplies and set off now."

I had originally wanted to push back, but seeing Teacher Orochimaru issue the order without hesitation, I knew he was likely serious.

I gave a bitter smile, the absurdity of it tinged with a bit of reality.

Everyone else's first mission is catching kittens, finding puppies, weeding, or watering fields.

And me?

I have to go to a hostile ninja village to find someone!

This isn't just "hard mode"—it's "purgatory mode"!

With a mission of this difficulty, can I really survive and make it back?

"Teacher, Teacher!"

Kusama Shigeo became unexpectedly excited, leaning in to say, "Teacher, even if it's a two-man operation, there has to be a captain to decide who listens to whom!"

To think that even at a time like this, Kusama Shigeo still wanted to compete for superiority—I was almost amused to the point of laughter.

"Indeed, there must be a captain." Orochimaru, conversely, patted Kusama Shigeo's head as if in agreement and smiled, "In that case, I shall appoint someone to be your temporary captain."

A single sentence silenced everyone.

I looked up in surprise, only to hear footsteps approaching from behind.

Light, rhythmic, yet steady.

The gait was neither hurried nor slow, moving with a cadence that felt like something between stillness and motion.

I turned my head, and my eyes widened in an instant.