Early the next morning, Sosuke arrived at Root Base. He wore a deep blue mask, since he was traveling on this mission in his capacity as Aizen of the Root.
On the way, Sosuke had carefully considered the nature of the mission, but unfortunately, there was far too little information to determine its specific objective.
As for Might Duy, Shimura Kazumi would probably make her move today. Sosuke had complete confidence in Might Duy's abilities.
When it came to the team members, Might Duy was certainly a reliable partner. That was why he had recommended him to Shimura Kazumi.
Besides, only with a companion he knew so well could Sosuke feel at ease doing other things.
He had only been waiting at the base for a short while when Root shinobi soon brought the other two members of the team over.
They were both young men.
Each of them wore a mask.
However, after a brief introduction, Sosuke was able to tell which one belonged to the Uchiha Clan and which to the Hyuga Clan.
The Hyuga wore a bird-faced mask and went by the codename Shackle.
The other, from the Uchiha Clan, wore a mask with a distorted pupil and went by the codename Pupil.
After the three of them briefly introduced themselves,
the Root shinobi began explaining the mission.
When Sosuke and the other two Genin heard what the mission entailed, they couldn't help staring in surprise!
It turned out that Tamako, beloved daughter of Shijimi Nobuo, the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire, wanted to find a group of shinobi her own age to spar with!
Given such a request, Konoha certainly couldn't treat it carelessly.
Besides, this mission had been issued personally by the Feudal Lord. The shinobi chosen to be her sparring partners would surely have duties beyond simply training with her.
They would probably also be responsible for protecting Tamako's safety. That was why this special Genin team had been authorized.
"That's the mission. Once you reach the Royal Capital of the Land of Fire, someone will be there to receive you. They'll explain the specific instructions then. Lord Danzo said that Aizen is to lead the team as captain this time."
With that, the Root shinobi turned and left.
Sosuke and the others remained behind, still taking in the details of the mission.
Sosuke furrowed his brow slightly as he considered the role Danzo was playing in this mission.
If it were simply a matter of protecting the Feudal Lord's daughter, Danzo would never have agreed, given his nature. He must have reached some kind of agreement with the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire.
As Sosuke understood it, each Hokage election required votes from six Feudal Lords, and Shijimi Nobuo undoubtedly wielded the greatest influence among them.
Thinking of the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans participating in this mission, along with the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire, Sosuke narrowed his eyes slightly. Things were becoming more and more interesting.
He glanced at the two young men beside him. Neither seemed interested in talking any further, so the team set off at once for the Royal Capital, the central city of the Land of Fire.
This was also Sosuke's first time leading a team.
Land of Fire, Royal Capital.
In a luxurious palace, a spacious training ground had been laid out with wooden flooring.
A stern-looking young woman stood ready, holding a wooden sword as she faced several adult samurai.
She wore training clothes, and sweat had dampened the hair clinging to her slender, pale neck.
"Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!"
The towering samurai roared as they charged at her!
In an instant!
A yellow blur flashed from the girl's hand!
"Crack!" "Crack!"
The wooden swords in the samurai's hands snapped one after another. They clutched their injured limbs and fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
The girl let out a long breath and slowly lowered her wooden sword.
A young woman standing nearby saw what had happened and immediately brought over a clean towel, ready to help her wipe away the sweat.
The girl gently wiped the sweat from her body as she gave a quiet order.
"Tell Father to dismiss these men. They couldn't even withstand one of my strikes. What use are they to me?"
Her voice was cool and clear, and quite pleasant to hear.
Her dark eyes fixed on a distant point as if she had thought of something. She tossed the towel to the maid beside her and spoke again.
"Have the Konoha shinobi Father arranged still not arrived? I'm becoming more and more interested in them. They say samurai are no match for powerful shinobi. I wonder if that's really true."
"Princess Tamako, the Konoha shinobi should arrive soon. And even if shinobi are strong, could they really stand against the Feudal Lord's army? They still have to obey Your Highness. That makes you the most formidable of all."
Tamako showed not the slightest smile at her attendants' flattery. She recalled the helpless look on her father's face whenever he spoke of shinobi.
An unusual light flickered in Tamako's eyes. She knew that a shinobi might truly be powerful enough to take on an entire army alone.
Such an ability was almost beyond her imagination, and she was desperate to learn what made shinobi so different.
On the road to the Land of Fire,
Sosuke and the others had not stopped once. They continued hurrying toward the Royal Capital.
Just then, Shackle suddenly spoke up from within the team.
"Captain Aizen, it looks like we've reached the Royal Capital's territory!"
Hearing this, Sosuke immediately stopped and glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
Looking ahead from where they stood, he saw only a stretch of forest. How had Shackle realized they were nearing the Royal Capital?
It seemed this was some kind of ability belonging to the Hyuga Clan. That was all well and good. From his words, Shackle seemed to be leaning toward him. It appeared the boy had also been told about killing the Uchiha.
The Uchiha boy, Pupil, looked at Shackle with some suspicion, but said nothing.
Both of them turned to Sosuke.
Sosuke spoke quietly.
"Then let's keep moving. The sooner we meet the shinobi in the Royal Capital, the sooner we can carry out our mission."
With that, the three of them set off again.
Of course, each of them had their own thoughts.
Sosuke couldn't help smiling at the thought.
What an interesting mission. There was no deadline, and no trust between teammates. What would happen during the mission? Would it only end once this member of the Uchiha Clan was killed?
Teacher Danzo, what kind of path have you set me on? And what role will you play in all this?
Before you continue