Even the Weak Have a Reason to Exist (Third Update)

Half an hour later, Hyuga Senso came to a stop in an open clearing, his legs aching and weak.

He looked at Gong Yi up ahead, who wasn't even breathing hard, and his expression turned serious.

This rookie was even stronger than he'd imagined. No wonder he was the top student who'd beaten a Chunin and graduated early!

Even Kakashi, who'd been his teammate, didn't seem much stronger than Gong Yi.

A minute after Hyuga Senso arrived, Ogawara came huffing over, drenched in sweat.

"Captain, why are you running so fast?"

"Whew, I'm exhausted. At this rate, I'll be dead from running before we even start the mission."

Faced with Ogawara's complaints, Iga Kawaji smiled. His smile was a little less stiff than before, and somewhat warmer.

He was gradually getting used to being a captain.

"We're still in the Land of Fire, but if we keep going, we'll reach the border. It won't be this safe then."

"Rest here for now! Regain your strength, recover your Chakra, and prepare for any danger!"

Ogawara gulped down a large mouthful of water. Too tired to say anything, he sat down to rest.

Hyuga Senso did the same, but he was skilled in Taijutsu and was a Hyuga. He was in much better shape than Ogawara and wasn't nearly as worn out.

"Gong Yi, you still look like you've got energy to spare. Go keep watch around us! If you run into an enemy, you know what to do, right?"

Gong Yi gave a quiet acknowledgment and vanished into the forest in a flash.

At the sight, Hyuga Senso's pupils contracted.

"He really is strong. Not only can he keep up with Captain Iga, he still has energy left!"

Iga Kawaji leaned against a tree, playing with a Kunai in his hand. Seeing Hyuga Senso's expression, he suddenly smiled and said:

"Senso, you're pretty capable. Once this mission is over, I think you can apply for the Chunin Exams."

"Thank you, Captain!"

Hyuga Senso wasn't just being polite. In the village, the treatment of ninja differed greatly from one rank to another.

The higher a ninja's rank, the higher their base pay and the better their benefits.

They also had an advantage when it came to taking missions.

Genin couldn't apply for some missions ranked B or higher at all. Only Chunin were eligible.

Although this was an A-rank intelligence-gathering mission, its danger level was only around C-rank once the work was divided up, making it just barely suitable for Genin.

Besides, Iga Kawaji, a Jonin, was leading this mission. The three of them, all Genin, were just there to assist.

Now that the captain had acknowledged his abilities, Hyuga Senso felt more confident about his prospects.

Once he became a Chunin, his standing in the clan would rise accordingly, and he'd receive more attention.

"Captain, Captain! What about me?"

After resting for a while, Ogawara looked much more alert.

Now that he'd heard Iga Kawaji assess the team, he was eager to hear what the captain thought of him, too.

Iga Kawaji smiled. "You're younger than Senso, Yuan. You still need a couple more years of training."

"Oh."

Ogawara wasn't discouraged. He just scratched his head and grinned foolishly.

That was the clever way Iga Kawaji handled things.

Ogawara really was weak, but he didn't say so outright. That would have damaged the boy's confidence.

Instead, he pointed out that Ogawara was younger, making it only natural that he was a little weaker.

Seeing Ogawara's foolish grin, Hyuga Senso gently shook his head.

The boy keeping watch for them now was much younger than Ogawara!

Whoosh—

A breeze swept past, followed by a heavy thud as someone landed.

"Captain, I'm back."

Gong Yi looked calm. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell across his face, making him look almost dazzling.

"How did your first time keeping watch feel?"

"I didn't feel anything."

Iga Kawaji shrugged. "That's how it should be. If you felt something, it would mean we weren't safe."

After speaking, Iga Kawaji looked at the three of them.

"Rested enough? Then let's move out!"

After the Second Shinobi World War, the great shinobi villages enjoyed many years of peace.

Even now, though tensions were high and minor clashes kept breaking out, the situation remained under control.

Ordinary civilians, in particular, barely noticed anything.

The Land of Rain, a country long ravaged by war, had enjoyed years of recovery and regained some of its strength. Its people lived in peace, and life was much better than before.

The overcast sky and steady drizzle made the atmosphere oppressive, giving the impression of dark clouds pressing down on the city.

At that moment, four figures—one large and three small, all clad in black raincoats—walked slowly along a street in the Land of Rain.

The four entered a noodle shop, ordered four bowls of noodles, then sat quietly in a corner.

"Ninja squads usually consist of three or four people. Traveling together makes us too conspicuous!"

Iga Kawaji spoke in a low voice. Gong Yi and the other two listened intently.

"The Land of Rain isn't very large. It has just one big city, surrounded by three small towns."

Ogawara had been on missions in several of the Land of Fire's big cities, so he was a little puzzled. He leaned over and asked in a curious whisper, "It's that small? Then how has it managed to survive all this time?"

Iga furrowed his brows, but Gong Yi beside him quietly explained:

"It's precisely because it's small that it can survive."

"Huh? I don't get it, Gong Yi. What are you getting at?"

His teammate was a little slow on the uptake!

Gong Yi explained helplessly, "When two great nations share a border, there are constant clashes, so they need a buffer zone. The countries in that area can't be too strong, or they might end up dominating the others. The Land of Rain is small and weak, so it's ideal as a buffer zone."

Ogawara still didn't quite understand, but he didn't dare ask more. He pretended that he did.

Iga Kawaji gave Gong Yi an approving look, then continued, "I checked out this town last night, so all that's left is the city and the other two towns. I'll investigate how the ninja are distributed in the big city of the Land of Rain. As for the one to the east..."

At this point, Iga Kawaji looked uncertainly at Hyuga Senso and Gong Yi.

There were three teammates, so they would have to split into two groups: two people together and one alone.

By rights, with the Byakugan's excellent scouting ability, Hyuga Senso should be sent alone.

But Gong Yi was clearly stronger, and Iga couldn't get a good read on him. Sending Gong Yi alone would surely be more effective.

Then again, Gong Yi was on his first mission, and the Hokage had clearly taken a special interest in him. If Iga assigned him that way—

As Iga Kawaji hesitated, Gong Yi spoke up.

"I'll handle the town to the east by myself!"

"Uh..."

"Gong Yi, you rookie, what are you talking about? Obviously, Senso and I, your seniors, should be the ones doing this."

Ogawara snorted, his pride as a senior showing, though he also wanted to look after Gong Yi.

Iga Kawaji felt the same way. After all, Gong Yi was still new.

Gong Yi said calmly, "Senso's Byakugan is excellent for scouting, but he's still only a Genin. Someone needs to protect him while he's using it. Besides..."

At this, Gong Yi lowered his voice and said to Iga Kawaji, "The great shinobi villages have coveted Konoha's Byakugan for a long time, Captain!"

Iga Kawaji's expression instantly turned grave!

He quickly realized the Byakugan's advantages—and its risks.

Sending Hyuga Senso out alone would be effective, but if anything happened, the consequences would be much worse.

Even though Hyuga Senso, who possessed the Byakugan, was only a Genin!

But then Iga Kawaji looked at Gong Yi with concern.

Gong Yi lifted his head confidently, his eyes bright.

"Captain, I'm a genius who's defeated a Chunin. Please trust me!"