The Land of Rain

Senju Genma had a very pleasant attitude. He showed none of the arrogance or disdain one might expect, which made Hatake Sakumo like him a lot.

Hatake Sakumo nodded and said, "This will be your ninja squad from now on. The situation is tense, so Lord Hokage has ordered me to act alongside your team."

"Go ahead and introduce yourselves!"

"Hello, I'm the squad leader, Shin."

"I'm Cloud."

"I'm Mountain."

They all used code names. It was normal for Anbu not to know one another's real names.

"What's my code name, then?" Senju Genma tilted his head and looked at Hatake Sakumo.

"You can choose one yourself, or just use your own name. I use mine."

After saying that, Hatake Sakumo took out a scroll. A puff of white smoke vanished, revealing a cat-faced mask, an Anbu combat uniform, and a black cloak.

Senju Genma accepted the clothes and mask. He couldn't be bothered to come up with a new code name, so he said, "Then I'll just use my name as my code name too."

"Understood. I'll report it for you and pick up our mission while I'm at it. Go change first." After saying that, Hatake Sakumo turned and left the room.

Although the Anbu members were powerful, with a Jonin like their squad leader, Shin, and a fighter like Senju Genma, who could defeat Jonin head-on, they had only just been joined by Genma, who had never been part of a ninja squad before. As a result, Team Shin's missions were not particularly difficult.

They were all relatively simple tasks, such as guarding prisoners at Konoha Prison or gathering intelligence outside the village or along the border.

Senju Genma didn't shy away from them. In fact, he enjoyed doing them.

Even these basic Anbu missions gave him, though he had only recently become a ninja, a great deal of experience. Some of the skills involved in infiltration and tracking were very useful to him.

Of course, Hatake Sakumo didn't take part in these simple missions. He would only act alongside Senju Genma once they were on the actual battlefield.

After spending some time together, Senju Genma also got to know the other three squad members better.

Shin's real name was Sarutobi Shin. He was a Jonin from the Sarutobi Clan and had been transferred into Anbu shortly before Senju Genma.

Cloud's real name was Hyuga Yosuke. He was a Special Jonin and a member of the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family.

Mountain's real name was Murayama Akihiko. He was a Special Jonin from a civilian background.

One was a ninja from the clan behind the current Hokage, one belonged to a powerful conservative clan, and one was a ninja from a civilian background. Senju Genma couldn't be bothered to think too deeply about the makeup of the squad.

The other squad members treated Senju Genma well. They didn't look down on him for being young; instead, they helped him learn about the war every day.

Not only that, but squad leader Sarutobi Shin would often analyze the current situations in the various countries for him, as well as the changes that might occur on future battlefields.

Senju Genma didn't refuse their kindness. He eagerly absorbed everything they taught him.

And so, Senju Genma spent his days taking on missions and, whenever he had no work, playing games with Mikoto and Kushina. Day after day went by.

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

Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't wanted to send him to the battlefield, but reports had come in from the front lines: Orochimaru and the other two had already led their troops deep into the Land of Rain, and the war was nearing its end.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't want to miss the opportunity to give Senju Genma some battlefield experience, so he decided to send him after all.

This time, Senju Genma and the others were tasked with infiltrating the Land of Rain to scout the Rain ninja's troop deployments.

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

"Not really. I've used Wood Clones on the battlefield before, and I've even killed Rain ninja." Senju Genma looked quite proud.

Hatake Sakumo patted his little head and said sternly, "It's fine if it was just a Wood Clone. If you went to the battlefield yourself and something happened to you, we'd be in serious trouble!"

"Next, we'll enter the Land of Rain. Once we finish the mission, we'll report to the front lines."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Senju Genma's eyes. He hadn't seen Tsunade in a long time.

One of them was on missions with Anbu, while the other was busy with the war at the front. They could only talk remotely through Katsuyu when they had time.

Even so, Senju Genma didn't say much. Since he had accepted the mission, he would do it properly. He would make it to the front lines sooner or later, and he was sure to see Tsunade again.

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

The Land of Rain lay at the junction of the Land of Earth, Konoha, and the Land of Wind. Its climate was marked by an endless rainy season, and the rainwater flowed into the inland lake surrounding Amegakure.

After they had raced through the Land of Rain for two and a half days, Senju Genma furrowed his brow.

It had rained everywhere they went during that time. It never stopped.

Although Senju Genma liked rainy days, being soaked all the time still made him uncomfortable.

The weather also made it hard for people to survive. There was plenty of water, but a severe lack of sunlight. Crops couldn't grow, and most of the food had to be imported.

That was also why Hanzo wanted to expand. The Land of Rain wasn't wealthy, and in such an environment, people couldn't even meet their basic needs. There was no way to solve the problem except by seeking out land with a better climate.

Senju Genma planned to have someone grow mushrooms, bean sprouts, and the like there once the war was over. Selling them locally would surely make him a fortune.

"Everyone, be careful. We're nearing a town in the Land of Rain!" Hatake Sakumo said.

They traveled in stealth, and after about half a day, they finally reached a town.

They had encountered quite a few Rain ninja patrolling the surrounding area along the way, but they had managed to avoid them all.

At a glance, it looked less like a town and more like an iron fortress.

The buildings were mostly made of iron, with a considerable amount of stone as well. Countless steel pipes, large and small, rose up both inside and outside the town, creating a unique sight.

Hatake Sakumo thought for a moment and said, "This is our destination. According to the intelligence, the Rain ninja have been acting strangely lately and may be gathering their forces here. Our objective is to find out the enemy's strength and troop deployments."

"Genma, you and I will infiltrate the town and scout it out. Shin, the three of you will wait outside and provide support."

"This mission will determine the main force's next target. Everyone must be extremely careful. We can't afford any mistakes."

"Yes!" the others replied at once.

Hatake Sakumo led Senju Genma into the town. They had only changed their clothes and hadn't even used the Transformation Technique. With their matching hair color, they looked like brothers.