Setting Out

The next morning, at dawn.

"This kid is your student? And he's joining our team on this mission?"

Looking at Hozuki Mangetsu, whose build seemed rather slight, Kisame asked Uesugi Shinji beside him in confusion.

He couldn't understand how he'd gone to sleep and woken up with a new teammate out of nowhere.

As a member of Kirigakure, Kisame had always known of Hozuki Mangetsu and his remarkable talent. Even so, he didn't believe a child that young could be a capable ninja. He'd be more of a burden to the team.

Kisame hadn't shown any contempt in his words, but clever Hozuki Mangetsu still sensed the implication behind them.

"Don't worry, Senior Kisame. I won't hold you back," Hozuki Mangetsu said with a smile.

Rin, who rarely passed up a chance to argue with someone, surprisingly didn't pick a fight. She nodded as well. "He's young, but he's still pretty capable."

Seeing that even someone as picky as Rin approved of Hozuki Mangetsu's abilities, Kisame nodded in surprise. It seemed the village rumors about the boy being a prodigy weren't just hot air.

The Kirigakure shinobi at the encampment began assembling, waiting for their commander, Terumi Mei, to give them their next orders. The four members of Uesugi Shinji's team headed for the gathering point as well.

"Terumi Mei and I have agreed that I'll teach you how to master Ice Release. But techniques that combine different types of chakra aren't easy. You need to be prepared to fail," Uesugi Shinji said, dashing Hozuki Mangetsu's hopes as they walked.

The smile vanished from Hozuki Mangetsu's face, replaced by a grave expression. He nodded. "I understand. But this is also my last chance!"

It was no secret in the Shinobi World that the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai came from combining Water Release and Wind Release. Hozuki Mangetsu had already tried to develop Ice Release on his own.

But he'd failed every time, leaving him no choice but to seek help from Uesugi Shinji.

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

The answer could determine whether he lived or died. He couldn't help being nervous.

Uesugi Shinji thought for a few seconds before replying, "Fifty percent."

Hearing this, Hozuki Mangetsu's eyes lit up with confidence. "In that case, I'll definitely succeed!"

Prodigies were always conceited. In their eyes, other people's assessments of them never came close to their true abilities.

Hozuki Mangetsu was certain that the fifty percent Uesugi Shinji had mentioned was based on an ordinary ninja. Given his own exceptional talent, his chances would be far higher—at least eighty percent, if not a hundred!

Seeing his first student's confidence, Uesugi Shinji simply nodded without saying more. It wasn't until Hozuki Mangetsu began training in Ice Release that he realized how overly optimistic he'd been.

By the time Uesugi Shinji and the others reached the assembly point, all the Kirigakure shinobi were already waiting. Hozuki Mangetsu's arrival drew the attention of quite a few villagers.

Terumi Mei looked over Uesugi Shinji and the others, then stepped into the middle of the group and began outlining their next moves.

"There are a lot of people involved in this operation. I plan to divide everyone into three teams, each led by a captain. The three captains will report directly to me," Terumi Mei said sternly.

Terumi Mei assigned the members of the three teams on the spot. Two teams consisted of shinobi she'd brought with her, while the third was the Assassination Squad, still under Suikazan Fuguki's command.

Terumi Mei would lead one team herself. Ao and Suikazan Fuguki would lead the other two, with Suikazan Fuguki remaining in charge of the Assassination Squad he'd already commanded.

What displeased Suikazan Fuguki was that Terumi Mei had transferred Uesugi Shinji's team out of the Assassination Squad and placed them under her own command.

Suikazan Fuguki already suspected Uesugi Shinji, but he couldn't deny that Shinji's team was his trump card. Without them, the Assassination Squad had lost its sharpest blade.

What Suikazan Fuguki didn't know was that Terumi Mei had originally planned to put Uesugi Shinji in charge of the Assassination Squad, while removing its former commander and giving him the title of "marching adviser." That way, she could strip him of his authority and keep him under her control.

But Uesugi Shinji hadn't agreed to the plan, so Terumi Mei had been forced to abandon it.

After assigning everyone to their teams, Terumi Mei led the group toward the Forest Fortress at a rapid pace. Uesugi Shinji and the others served as her aides, following close behind.

What Terumi Mei didn't know was that, far away in Kirigakure, the Fourth Mizukage—under Uchiha Madara's control—had begun secretly assembling forces. They were lying in wait in the Land of Fire under the pretext of supporting her. Once the battle between Kumogakure and Sunagakure began, they would attack the Land of Fire and ignite an even greater war.