Land of Rain

Senju Genma's attitude was excellent; he lacked any sense of arrogance or condescension, which Sakumo Hatake found very agreeable.

Sakumo Hatake nodded and said, "This will be your ninja squad from now on. Due to the current tense situation, Lord Hokage has ordered me to operate alongside your team."

"Go ahead and introduce yourselves."

"Hello, I am the squad leader, Shin."

"I am Cloud."

"I am Mountain."

They all reported using code names, as it was standard practice in the Anbu not to disclose one's real name to others.

"What about my code name?" Senju Genma tilted his head to look at Sakumo Hatake.

"You can choose your own code name, or simply use your real name. I, for instance, use my own name."

After speaking, Sakumo Hatake produced a scroll. With a puff of white smoke, a cat-faced mask, a set of Anbu combat gear, and a black cloak appeared.

Senju Genma took the clothes and the mask. Too lazy to come up with a new alias, he said, "I'll just use my name as my code name, then."

"Understood. I will report it for you and pick up our mission at the same time. Go ahead and change," Sakumo Hatake said, turning to leave the room.

Although the members of the Anbu were powerful—boasting a Jonin like Captain Shin and a combatant like Senju Genma who could defeat a Jonin head-on—the missions assigned to Team Shin were not particularly difficult, as Senju Genma had just joined and had never been part of a squad before.

They were all simple tasks, such as guarding prisoners at the Konoha prison or conducting reconnaissance outside the village or along the borders.

Senju Genma did not shirk these duties; in fact, he performed them quite happily.

Even these basic Anbu missions allowed him to accumulate a great deal of experience, as he hadn't been a ninja for very long. Techniques for stealth and tracking proved incredibly useful to him at this stage.

Of course, Sakumo Hatake did not participate in these simple missions. He would only operate alongside Senju Genma when they were truly on the battlefield.

After spending some time together, Senju Genma grew to understand the other three squad members better.

Shin, whose real name was Sarutobi Shin, was a Jonin from the Sarutobi Clan who had been transferred to the Anbu shortly before Senju Genma.

Cloud, whose real name was Hyuga Yosuke, was a Special Jonin and a member of the Hyuga Clan's branch family.

Mountain, whose real name was Murayama Akihiko, was a Special Jonin of civilian origin.

With one member from the clan behind the current Hokage, one from a conservative major clan, and one of civilian origin, Senju Genma couldn't be bothered to overthink the composition of this squad.

The squad members treated Senju Genma well. They didn't look down on him for his youth; instead, they helped him understand the state of the war every day.

Furthermore, Captain Sarutobi Shin would occasionally analyze the current geopolitical situation and potential battlefield developments for him.

Senju Genma did not refuse their kindness, fully absorbing everything they taught him.

And so, Senju Genma spent his time performing missions, and when he wasn't working, he played games with Mikoto and Kushina. The days passed one by one.

A year later, Senju Genma finally received his first mission to enter the Land of Rain battlefield.

Originally, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been reluctant to send him to the front lines, but reports from the front indicated that Orochimaru's forces had already pushed deep into the Land of Rain, and the war was nearing its end.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to miss this opportunity to temper Senju Genma, so he decided to send him out.

This time, the mission for Senju Genma and his team was to infiltrate the Land of Rain and scout the deployment of the Rain Ninja.

Sakumo Hatake teased, "This should be your first time on the battlefield, right, Genma?!"

"Not exactly. I've used Wood Clones on the battlefield before and have experience killing Rain Ninja," Senju Genma said with a proud look.

Sakumo Hatake patted his small head and said sternly, "It's fine if it's just a Wood Clone, but if something happens to you while you're there yourself, we'll be in serious trouble!"

"We are about to enter the Land of Rain. We will report to the front lines once the mission is complete."

A flash of disappointment crossed Senju Genma's eyes; he hadn't seen Tsunade in a long time.

One was busy with Anbu missions, while the other was occupied with the war on the front lines. They could only communicate remotely through Katsuyu when time permitted.

Even so, Senju Genma didn't say much. Since he had chosen to accept the mission, he would complete it properly. He would reach the front lines sooner or later, and he would surely see Tsunade then.

The five of them pulled up the hoods of their black cloaks and infiltrated the Land of Rain via a secret route through the forest.

The Land of Rain was located at the intersection of the Earth, Konoha, and Sand territories. Its climate was characterized by a perpetual rainy season, with the water flowing into the inland lake surrounding the Hidden Rain Village.

After two and a half days of rapid travel within the Land of Rain, Senju Genma began to frown.

During this time, it had been raining constantly wherever they went; it had never stopped once.

Although Senju Genma liked rainy days, being soaked in rain for so long was bound to make one feel uncomfortable.

Moreover, this weather made survival difficult. While there was plenty of water, there was a severe lack of sunlight, making it impossible for crops to grow. Most of their food had to be imported.

This was the reason Hanzo wanted to expand. The Land of Rain could not be called wealthy, and in such an environment, people couldn't even solve the problem of basic sustenance. There was no way to fix it internally; they had to seek out land with a better environment.

Senju Genma planned to hire people to grow mushrooms and bean sprouts here once the war ended; selling them locally would surely be highly profitable.

"Everyone, be careful. We are approaching a town in the Land of Rain!" Sakumo Hatake signaled.

They continued to move stealthily, and after about half a day, they finally arrived at a town.

Along the way, they had encountered quite a few Rain Ninja patrolling the area, but they had managed to avoid them all successfully.

Looking ahead, it was less of a town and more of a fortress made of steel.

The town's architecture was primarily composed of steel, with a significant portion of stone as well, and countless steel pipes of various sizes rose up inside and out, forming a unique landscape.

Sakumo Hatake pondered for a moment before speaking, "This is the target of our mission. According to intelligence, the recent movements of the Rain Ninja have been strange; they may be gathering forces here. Our objective is to ascertain the enemy's true strength and troop deployment."

"Genma, you and I will infiltrate for reconnaissance. Shin, the three of you will be responsible for providing support from the outside."

"This mission concerns the next target of our main force, so everyone must be extremely careful. We cannot afford any mistakes."

"Understood!" the others replied immediately.

Sakumo Hatake took Senju Genma by the hand and entered the town. The two had merely changed their attire and did not even use the Transformation Technique; their identical hair color made them look like brothers.