At dawn, before the sun had risen, a thin, gauzy mist shrouded the forest.
Several figures darted swiftly from treetop to treetop. Leaves drifted down from the branches, slowly settling on the ground.
"Captain Hatake, we're about to reach the border of the Land of Rivers. Do we need to disguise ourselves?"
The people weaving through the woods were Hatake Sakumo's squad, on their way from Konoha to Sunagakure to investigate why a large force of Sunagakure shinobi had mobilized. The squad had six members, led by the Anbu Captain Hatake Sakumo, the man Hiruzen Sarutobi trusted most. Also on the mission with Hatake Sakumo was the newly promoted Anbu squad leader, Uzumaki Kuming.
The others were several of Konoha's most promising young shinobi: Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Choza, and the Insect User, Aburame Shibi.
The six of them made up the reconnaissance team. They had left Konoha five days earlier, bound for the Land of Wind. Now they had reached the border of the Land of Fire and were about to enter the country between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind: the Land of Rivers.
"In the Land of Rivers, we don't need any special disguises. Put away your Forehead Protectors and weapon pouches, and change into ordinary clothes. No one will be able to tell the difference."
The leader, Hatake Sakumo, replied without looking back, then focused on the road ahead.
The Land of Rivers was a small country wedged between the great nations of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. It was rich in fresh water, with rivers running throughout the land; that was how it got its name. The map of the Naruto world might not look very large, but even here, different ethnic groups existed.
The most distinctive