Hyuga Makoto!

The person before us had a slender build, clad in the tight-fitting uniform of the Military Headquarters. Their long hair was tied back, their gaze indifferent, and a black mask covered their face completely, leaving only a pair of frost-like eyes exposed, standing before us like a sharp blade.

I froze, feeling a sense of profound familiarity.

This person, this person seems to be—

"To ensure the completion of this mission, you shall all go together." Orochimaru curled his lips, clearly satisfied with our expressions of surprise.

"The Hyuga Clan should be able to guarantee that you avoid all enemies."

Hyuga? The Hyuga Clan?

I understood in an instant!

The Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan possesses a 360-degree field of vision, and their observational prowess can even perceive things within a radius of one kilometer!

It could be said that the Hyuga Clan is the unparalleled choice for battlefield reconnaissance!

If someone from the Hyuga Clan were leading the team, perhaps we really could complete the mission!

I widened my eyes, looking the person up and down, and finally remembered—isn't this the fierce senior who told me to "let go" when I returned from my first mission?

What a small world!

It seemed my emotional shift was too obvious, drawing the attention of Orochimaru-sensei. He looked at the two of us and suddenly asked, "What, do you know each other?"

I didn't answer, looking at the man first, but he remained incredibly quiet, standing there as if he hadn't even noticed my existence, eyes fixed straight ahead.

Hey! Why don't you dare speak in front of the teacher!

I looked at Orochimaru's probing gaze and had a flash of inspiration, grinning as I said, "Teacher, of course I know him!"

"Oh?" Orochimaru seemed quite interested.

I was secretly delighted, keeping a straight face as I said, "Teacher, you don't know, but during our first mission, I accidentally bumped into him, and he very gently let me lean on him for a while longer."

Orochimaru chuckled: "Is that all?"

"Mm," I nodded, hugging the teacher's sleeve, my eyes shining with exceptional sincerity: "Senior is a very kind person!"

Heh heh, that'll teach you to be fierce to me! Taste the Yin-Yang techniques of my Uchiha Clan first!

"Teacher... who is he?" Kusama Shigeo frowned, seemingly very dissatisfied with this suddenly appearing captain.

Orochimaru glanced at Shiyan beside him and instructed: "He is your man, so you should be the one to introduce him."

"Yes, my lord." Shiyan stepped forward, looking somewhat smug: "His name is Hyuga Makoto, he is my subordinate, and he will serve as your temporary captain for this mission."

Hyuga—Makoto?

My eyes lit up, finding it quite interesting.

Is it... the "Makoto" for honesty?

For someone so fierce, his name is actually quite pleasant.

"Hyuga?" Kusama Shigeo frowned, "Tsk, another person from a big clan. How come I haven't seen him before?"

Hearing this, I rolled my eyes internally, knowing he was bound to be scolded.

"You performed a collective mission together just a few days ago; do you lack even that much observational skill?"

A cold, serpentine gaze swept over him, and Kusama Shigeo shut his mouth.

After reprimanding Kusama Shigeo, Orochimaru turned back to us and lectured: "Although you haven't worked together in depth before, you must remember that in any country, on any battlefield, a three-man squad is the standard for ninjas—one for offense, one for defense, and one for medical support. This is something accumulated through lessons written in blood. Even if there are cases where two people execute a mission, it is only permitted if a teammate has already fallen in battle. Do you understand?"

This was the organizational structure established by Senju Tsunade, which had greatly reduced the casualties of Konoha ninjas during the Great Ninja War, and thus it had been passed down to this day.

"Yes." I was listening intently, but Kusama Shigeo couldn't help but speak up again: "Teacher, are you saying he is our captain?"

Kusama Shigeo leaned in, looking Hyuga Makoto up and down with a look of disdain, clearly dissatisfied, but he didn't act out due to Orochimaru's presence.

Orochimaru noticed this as well, his tone instantly turning cold.

"Given your ranks, being equipped with a Chunin was already the limit. However, considering the high difficulty of the mission, I have dispatched someone from the Hyuga Clan to serve as your captain."

The meaning of this sentence was already obvious—don't look a gift horse in the mouth!

"My lord is truly wise," Shiyan suddenly interjected, "I believe that with the reconnaissance power of the Hyuga Clan, combined with the strength of Jonin Hyuga Makoto, he is fully capable of handling this mission." As he added this, his eyes remained fixed on Hyuga Makoto.

"One could even say there is basically no possibility of failure."

I blinked, thinking how strange that sounded. A Jonin leading two Genin to an isolated island in the sea to rescue someone while bypassing a heavily guarded ninja village—who would dare guarantee the mission wouldn't fail?

I quietly observed the person standing straight as a ramrod, thinking: Is this person really that strong?

"Hmph..." Orochimaru glanced at Shiyan, something flashing in his serpentine eyes; he seemed to approve of him, but said nothing.

Then, he donned his black cloak, and that scent of blood began to spread once more.

"Remember, follow your captain closely along the way, and obey his orders just as you would obey mine. For the sake of your own lives, do not make any unauthorized decisions."

"Do you understand, Akatsuki?"

Hearing the teacher call my name specifically, I quickly stood at attention and replied:

"Yes!"

When it comes to being obedient, I am second to none!

He nodded in satisfaction, his expression suddenly turning stern.

"Before the mission begins, I have one final requirement, and it is the most important point."

"Five days from now, Kirigakure will conduct a massive purge of those with Kekkei Genkai, and the scope naturally includes Snow One Village."

"The journey from here to Kirigakure takes approximately four days. This means that once you reach the southern part of Kirigakure, you must locate the children and make a swift return within a single day. Therefore, I am giving you only ten days."

"Ten days... is it?" I frowned, thinking: As expected, there's a deadline!

After Orochimaru finished speaking, he turned his gaze toward Hyuga Makoto. His tone was condescending, lacking the amiability he showed us, and instead carried the weight of a superior's command.

"As for you, as the captain of this operation, your most important task—beyond the mission itself—is to ensure their safety and bring them back here completely unscathed."

"Remember, you must protect them at all costs."

Upon hearing this, Kusama Shigeo became visibly arrogant; if he had a tail, it would surely be wagging in the air!

"Big deal, he's just a bodyguard~" I heard him mutter contemptuously, and I couldn't help but frown.

Before us, Hyuga Makoto knelt on one knee and lowered his head, responding, "Yes, my lord."

His demeanor was incredibly submissive, almost to the point of servility—a stark contrast to how he treated me.

"Akatsuki."

I was lost in thought staring at Hyuga Makoto when I suddenly felt a chill approach. The next moment, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, as if I were being watched by a snake.

"Teacher?"

I didn't need to turn around to know that Orochimaru's hand had landed on my shoulder.

"This mission can already be classified as S-rank. Even with an elite Jonin assigned to it, failure, injury, or even death remains a possibility."

"Are you afraid, Akatsuki?"

I didn't understand his intention, but under that pair of serpentine eyes, lying was nearly impossible.

I was about to answer, but my vision blurred for a moment, flashing to the image of me embracing my teacher under the candlelight. I smiled calmly and said in a clear voice, "Teacher, I am not afraid."

I lifted my head and stared intently into his eyes.

"You once said that a teacher would never harm his own disciples."

"So, I trust in the strength of Hyuga Makoto-senpai, I trust in myself, and I trust in you."

"You would never lead us into danger."

Upon hearing this, something seemed to flicker in Orochimaru's eyes. His smile deepened, and his hand moved to my face, his fingers brushing against my temple, bringing a trace of steadying coolness.

"What a good child."

With that, he stepped back and retreated into his black robes.

"Then, I wish you all a smooth journey."

As the last sentence ended, in the blink of an eye, the black figure vanished from where he stood.

Along with the teacher, Shiyan-senpai, who had been by his side, also disappeared.

In an instant, the vast training ground was left with only the three of us.

"..."

I stared in the direction they had departed, feeling somewhat dazed.

Teacher really is busy...

I don't know what they are going to Amegakure for this time. But such a large-scale movement makes me feel as if... I have forgotten something.

What could it be?

In the original story, did something major happen in Amegakure during this period?

I was just recalling the plot of the original work when I heard an annoying voice from behind me.

"Hey, you're called Hyuga Makoto, right?" Kusama Shigeo snorted and immediately launched an offensive: "Let's negotiate. How about you hand over the position of captain to me?"

My heart skipped a beat. I turned my head and saw the figure in front slowly rise. A pair of white eyes swept over us with indifference, and with just one look, they pinned us to the spot.

"What, what are you glaring at? We are the teacher's precious disciples, and you are just someone he sent to protect us! If you know what's good for you, listen to my commands and use your Byakugan to scout the path properly, you hear me!"

Kusama Shigeo's bravado clearly faltered, but he continued to shout and bluff. Hyuga Makoto had been staring at us in silence, but upon hearing these words, he suddenly stood up and took a step toward us.

"You... what do you think you're doing?"

Kusama Shigeo took two steps back and actually hid behind me, clamoring, "I'm telling you, I was recommended by the Hokage himself! I'm a medical genius of the Kusama Clan! Are you going to act presumptuously toward me?"

Seeing Hyuga Makoto continue to approach unmoved, he took advantage of my distraction and shoved me forward—!

"This person here is the young clan head of the Uchiha, the successor of the Uchiha Clan! You must have heard of him!"

I was pushed out, feeling bewildered. Before I could even lift my head, I was already shrouded in his shadow!

Damn it, that piece of shit Kusama Shigeo!

Recalling our previous friction, my heart tightened. Suppressing my anxiety, I said, "Senpai... no, Captain, greetings."

"I am Uchiha Akatsuki. We have met before."

The shadow before me remained motionless. Gritting my teeth, I raised my voice and shouted, "I apologize for my previous offense. It was not my intention to act that way. I am sorry, please forgive me!"

He still gave no reaction, so I simply poured out everything I had to say in one breath.

"For the upcoming mission, I will certainly obey your orders and execute them properly! I will absolutely not hold you back!"

"Please, believe in me!"

The wind died down.

The surroundings became miraculously quiet. I cautiously lifted my head, but within the shadow cast by the sunlight, I could not see his eyes clearly.

Yet, strangely, the pressure vanished in that very moment.

Hyuga Makoto bypassed me, brushing past my shoulder as he walked toward the forest ahead.

"Gather at the clearing ahead."