Departure

The next morning, at dawn.

"This kid is your disciple? And he's joining our squad for the mission?"

Looking at the somewhat slender Hozuki Mangetsu before him, Kisame asked Uesugi Shinji, who stood to the side, with a look of deep confusion.

He couldn't fathom it; he had only gone to sleep, yet upon waking, he had inexplicably gained a new teammate.

As a member of Kirigakure, Kisame had always been aware of Hozuki Mangetsu's existence and knew the boy possessed remarkable talent. However, he still didn't believe a child of that age could be a qualified ninja, fearing he would be more of a burden to the team than anything else.

Although Kisame didn't show any overt disdain in his words, the sharp-witted Hozuki Mangetsu still caught the underlying implication.

"Senior Kisame, please rest assured, I won't hold you back," Hozuki Mangetsu said with a smile.

Rin, who was standing nearby, uncharacteristically refrained from arguing and nodded as well. "Though this kid isn't very old, his strength is actually quite decent."

Seeing someone as critical as Rin acknowledge Hozuki Mangetsu's strength, Kisame nodded in surprise, thinking to himself that the rumors of a genius in the village were clearly not just empty talk.

Just then, the Kirigakure ninjas at the encampment began to assemble, awaiting further instructions from their commander, Terumi Mei, and the four members of Uesugi Shinji's squad headed toward the gathering point.

"Although I have reached an agreement with Terumi Mei to teach you how to master Ice Release, this type of ninjutsu, which requires the fusion of disparate chakra natures, is not simple. You must prepare yourself for failure," Uesugi Shinji said, pouring cold water on Hozuki Mangetsu as they walked.

The smile on Hozuki Mangetsu's face faded, replaced by a look of solemnity. He nodded and replied, "I understand, but this is my last chance!"

The Ice Release Kekkei Genkai is formed by the fusion of Water Release and Wind Release; this was no secret in the ninja world, and Hozuki Mangetsu had long since attempted to fuse them himself.

It was only because his attempts had consistently ended in failure that he had been forced to seek help from Uesugi Shinji.

"Teacher, based on your experience, what are my chances of success?" Hozuki Mangetsu looked up at Uesugi Shinji, his voice trembling slightly.

The answer to this question concerned his very life, so he couldn't help but be nervous.

Uesugi Shinji pondered for a few seconds before speaking slowly: "Fifty percent."

Hearing Uesugi Shinji's words, a light of confidence ignited in Hozuki Mangetsu's eyes. "If that is the case, then I will surely succeed!"

Geniuses are always arrogant; in their eyes, the evaluations others give them never reach the level of their own true potential.

Hozuki Mangetsu was convinced that the fifty percent chance Uesugi Shinji mentioned was merely the standard for an ordinary ninja. When applied to someone as gifted as himself, the odds would naturally increase significantly—even if not ten out of ten, it had to be at least eight!

Regarding the confidence of his first disciple, Uesugi Shinji simply nodded without further comment. It wasn't until much later, when he truly began the training for Ice Release, that Hozuki Mangetsu realized how overly optimistic he had been!

When the four of them arrived at the assembly point, all the Kirigakure ninjas were already standing by, and Hozuki Mangetsu's appearance drew the gazes of many in the village.

Terumi Mei scanned Uesugi Shinji and his group, then walked to the center of the crowd to announce the upcoming operation plan.

"Since this mission involves a large number of personnel, I plan to divide everyone into three squads, each led by a captain, with the three captains reporting directly to me," Terumi Mei said with a stern expression.

Terumi Mei then deployed the personnel for the three squads on the spot. Two of the squads consisted of the subordinates she had brought with her, while the third squad remained the Assassination Squad originally led by Suikazan Fuguki.

Of the three squads, Terumi Mei led one herself, while Ao and Suikazan Fuguki led the other two, with Suikazan Fuguki remaining in charge of his original Assassination Squad.

However, what displeased Suikazan Fuguki was that Terumi Mei had pulled Uesugi Shinji's squad out of the Assassination Squad and placed them under her own direct command.

Although Suikazan Fuguki had already grown suspicious of Uesugi Shinji, there was no denying that Uesugi Shinji's squad was his trump card; losing them meant the Assassination Squad had lost its sharpest blade.

Yet, what Suikazan Fuguki did not know was that Terumi Mei's original plan had been to have Uesugi Shinji lead the Assassination Squad, while he, as the former commander, would be sidelined with the title of "Military Advisor," allowing Terumi Mei to completely isolate and control him.

It was only because Uesugi Shinji himself had not agreed to this that Terumi Mei had been forced to abandon the plan.

After finalizing the personnel deployment, Terumi Mei led the squads as they advanced rapidly toward the Forest Fortress. Uesugi Shinji and his team acted as her lieutenants, following closely behind her.

At this moment, what Terumi Mei did not know was that back in Kirigakure, the Fourth Mizukage—controlled by Uchiha Madara—had already begun quietly arranging forces. Under the guise of providing her with support, he had set up an ambush within the borders of the Land of Fire, waiting for the conflict between Kumogakure and Sunagakure to erupt so he could strike the Land of Fire and ignite a much larger war.