Kitsuchi, Rasa, Kazama Heitetsu!

The night was deep, the drizzle sparse.

In the pitch-black twilight where one could not see their own fingers, Hyuga Senso moved forward with extreme caution.

Beside him, the usually lively Ogawara had also fallen silent.

In the missions he had participated in before, most were dominated by Genin, with Jonin merely acting as supervisors and mentors.

This time was different!

Although the mission's danger level was only C-rank, it was an A-rank intelligence mission overall.

Especially since the Jonin leading the team had infiltrated the large city, they had to rely solely on themselves.

Oh no, Ogawara could still look out for his companion, Hyuga Senso.

Thinking of this, Ogawara felt a sense of relief, yet he also worried about the other guy.

"Senso, do you think that guy can successfully complete the mission the captain assigned him?"

Hyuga Senso gave a simple grunt, neither confirming nor denying.

"Senso, why did the captain insist on pairing me with you, but let that guy act alone?"

Hyuga Senso stopped in his tracks; this was a high point, quite suitable for him to activate his Byakugan.

Glancing at Ogawara, Hyuga Senso let out a breath, his gaze softening slightly.

"Because Gong Yi is strong!"

"Uh."

"Stronger than me!"

Having said that, he offered no further explanation, and Hyuga Senso formed hand seals.

Byakugan, activate!

His originally distinct black and white pupils instantly turned a vast, misty white, and the veins around his eye sockets bulged out in a terrifying display!

"It was supposed to be me acting alone. Sigh, I hope he returns safely!"

A black raincoat wrapped around the youth, and the pitch-black night sky enveloped everything.

Only the orange lights of the town scattered a touch of warmth.

The nightlife in the world of Naruto was not as lacking as one might imagine; no matter the era, humans would always find ways to embellish their leisure time.

Gambling, bathing, drinking, and various activities fueled by hormones.

Gong Yi walked slowly along the street. He did not possess the Byakugan, nor did he have the rich experience in identifying ninjas that elite Jonin like Iga Kawaji possessed. To figure out the distribution of ninjas in this town, he had to rely on the knowledge he had acquired over the years.

Clothing, speech, forehead protectors, ninja tools, chakra fluctuations, personnel composition, suspicious behavior.

The duration for this solo operation was three days; after three days, he would return to the original town to rendezvous.

Gong Yi had three days to collect the relevant intelligence, and after that, regardless of what he found, he had to return.

In fact, none of this was troublesome for Gong Yi.

Ninjas of this era placed great importance on their identity; they rarely took off their forehead protectors, never let their ninja tools leave their side, and their concealment of chakra was quite mediocre.

He was confident that, relying on his own outstanding mental power, he could distinguish the difference between ordinary people and ninjas.

Even if a ninja deliberately disguised themselves!

Of course, at the end of the third day, as he was about to return, Gong Yi still felt a bit of a headache.

"If only I had a pair of eyes!"

The eyes Gong Yi spoke of were certainly not ordinary ones; eyes like the Sharingan, Byakugan, or even the Rinnegan—such special eyes were what he truly meant.

Gong Yi hid in the coal shed of a bathhouse, organizing the intelligence he had collected over the past three days.

"Rain ninjas are not within the scope of intelligence gathering; what needs to be investigated this time are ninjas from other countries."

"As a buffer zone between major powers, it is actually a gathering place for commerce, so the number of Genin from various countries is within the normal range."

Gong Yi thought quietly, and the information he had organized in his hand seemed quite normal.

Looking at the coal shed beside him, Gong Yi frowned slightly.

Hot springs were not everywhere, but the Land of Rain was shrouded in rain year-round, making it easy to catch a cold, so bathhouses specifically for heating water to bathe in had emerged.

It was just after the bathhouse had closed, and the people inside had basically all left.

However, the water in the bathhouse should still be warm. Taking advantage of the lack of people, he could sneak in and wash up.

With this thought, Gong Yi tucked the intelligence documents into his chest.

This mission had not had many twists and turns; he had prepared himself to face danger, yet he had encountered nothing.

Gong Yi did not feel regret; he was even a little happy. Who would want to fight to the death with others?

He preferred to stay in the village and safely improve his own strength.

But improving strength required corresponding resources. The fact that the Scholar System had not issued a mission for so long, nor provided any new research topics, showed the importance of resources.

Whether it was Ninjutsu resources, financial resources, or human resources!

Sensing his surroundings, Gong Yi found it safe enough. He slipped into the bathhouse, intending to wash away the chill from his body with hot water before rushing back to rendezvous with his captain and the others.

However, the moment his foot stepped into the most secluded bathing pool, Gong Yi instinctively held his breath.

Someone was there!

A ninja!

And not just one!

Gong Yi quietly retreated. In the rainy night, he leaped nimbly onto the roof and pressed his ear against the blue tiles.

"I hate discussing business in a bathhouse, especially with you Sand ninja!"

"Heh heh, Lord Kitsuchi, please calm your impatience. The commander will be here shortly."

Gong Yi, on the roof, bit his lip. Kitsuchi! The son of the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki!

Then who could it be that would make Kitsuchi wait so long?

Kitsuchi's deep, annoyed voice came again: "If you want to talk business, come to the Land of Earth. Meeting specifically in the Land of Rain, in such a remote town, acting so timidly—it truly is the typical style of you Sand ninja."

What was the style of the Sand ninja?

Capricious, indecisive, cowardly yet arrogant.

Not talking in the Land of Earth, but choosing such a remote location in the dead of night—it certainly fit their style.

The person speaking with Kitsuchi gave an awkward laugh but offered no explanation.

Who would dare run to the Land of Earth to talk business? That old man, the Third Tsuchikage who had survived the First Shinobi World War, was still alive, after all.

Kitsuchi snorted coldly, "Don't think I don't know what you're planning. It's just that Konoha is too powerful, snatching up mission resources from the Sand, so you want to seek cooperation with our Iwagakure to oppose the Konoha ninja. There's nothing to hide about such things; my Iwagakure is not lacking in mission resources."

A sharp voice came from outside the door.

"Kitsuchi, don't think that just because you are the Tsuchikage's son, you can point fingers at us Sand ninja!"

The door was pushed open, and Kitsuchi looked surprised.

"Why is it you? Wasn't Rasa supposed to meet me?"

"Rasa has gone to Amegakure to visit Hanzo of the Salamander. What, is the commander of the Third Kazekage's personal guard, Kazama Heitetsu, not worthy of speaking with you?"

No sooner had those words been spoken than the sharp voice suddenly cut off, followed by a thunderous roar.

"Who's there? Sneaking around!"

Gong Yi leaped off the roof and sprinted into the pitch-black night.

Behind him, a massive wind blade sliced through the roof, and cold rain spilled into the warm bathhouse.

"The son of the Third Tsuchikage, Kitsuchi! The future Fourth Kazekage, Rasa! The current commander of the Third Kazekage's personal guard, Kazama Heitetsu!"

Gong Yi's body trembled slightly; he was in big trouble.

Ding!

Mission Issued: Bring the intelligence from the Land of Rain back to Konoha!

Success Reward: 100 Scholar Points, one low-level Scholar Skill!

Failure: