Border Line

Just then, an Anbu ninja appeared at the door and said directly, "Li Yi, the Hokage wants to see you!"

Li Yi was taken aback. He hadn't expected the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, to summon him. He had only just become a chunin; surely he wasn't being called in for congratulations?

Regardless, he quickly followed the Anbu's lead, heading toward the Hokage Building.

With the Anbu guiding him, Li Yi faced no obstacles and soon arrived at the office door. He knocked, and only after hearing a command to enter from within did he push the door open.

Stepping into the Hokage's office, Li Yi found the "Konoha F4" all present. He immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Hokage, Lord Advisor, and the two Elders."

Indeed, Shimura Danzo was currently the Hokage's advisor, while Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu served as Konoha's elders. These four individuals could be said to hold a firm grip on the power within Konoha.

As for his teacher, Uchiha Kagami, he held the title of elder in name only, possessing no real power. There was also Akimichi Kufū, who held considerable authority, but he knew his place and only concerned himself with the Ino-Shika-Cho families, never overstepping his bounds.

"Ah, Li Yi, you've arrived? Not bad, you're already a chunin!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a chuckle.

Shimura Danzo actually nodded, a rare occurrence, and seemed to approve of the Hokage's words. This surprised Li Yi; it seemed this old schemer held no malice toward him for the time being.

It couldn't be helped, though; the people behind them were the ones who truly lacked integrity.

"Thank you for your praise, Lord Hokage!" Li Yi replied quickly.

Sarutobi Hiruzen tossed a scroll over and said, "The reason I called you here is that Kagami has sent a scroll from the front lines requesting your presence. This will be considered a long-term mission, classified as S-rank!"

Li Yi caught the scroll, opened it to take a look, and said, "I will prepare to depart immediately."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and offered a word of advice: "Go and prepare. Remember, the battlefield is unlike anywhere else. Observe more, learn more, and do not be reckless!"

Li Yi acknowledged the order and left the Hokage's office. He had never expected his teacher to summon him to the front lines. It seemed Kagami wanted to help him adapt to the battlefield, which meant the war would likely continue for some time.

Returning to Kosuke's home, Li Yi briefly explained his mission and that he would be away for a long time. Kosuke nodded without saying much; there was little left for him to teach Li Yi, so he would have to learn for himself on the battlefield.

After dressing, Li Yi packed his ninja tool pouch, taking all one hundred Explosive Tags given to him by Uchiha Kagami. He checked his gear one last time, and finding everything in order, he slung his Ryujin Jakka over his shoulder and left.

After clearing the village gates, Li Yi took a deep breath and headed toward the border.

Two days of travel later, Li Yi arrived at the Konoha Base Camp on the border. After presenting his mission scroll, he was quickly admitted and reunited with his teacher, Uchiha Kagami.

"I brought you here to help you adapt to the environment while the border is still relatively quiet," Uchiha Kagami explained.

Li Yi, knowing his teacher's good intentions, nodded with a smile. Kagami arranged a tent for him, and after letting him rest for a day, he began taking Li Yi on patrols along the border.

At the same time, Uchiha Kagami began teaching Li Yi what to look out for on the battlefield, such as enemy corpses and various traps. In short, his advice was to avoid touching anything on the battlefield.

Li Yi carefully memorized every word Uchiha Kagami said; these were lessons that could save his life.

"Up ahead, what do you see?" Uchiha Kagami suddenly asked.

Li Yi looked in the direction his teacher was pointing but saw nothing. Uchiha Kagami said, "Watch your feet. Look at that soil—has it been disturbed?"

Li Yi was stunned. He focused intently and examined the ground. Now that he looked closely, it did look slightly different, but damn it, who could actually spot that?

He watched as Uchiha Kagami casually picked up a stone and tossed it forward. The ground collapsed, and a series of explosions erupted from within. Li Yi didn't even want to speak. Was this what the battlefield was like?

Back when he watched the anime, he had thought the death of the Senju prince, Nawaki, was a bit sloppy—dying to an Explosive Tag. But damn, if it were him, he'd probably be dead too. Such traps were everywhere on the battlefield.

"On the battlefield, even the smallest mistake can be fatal!" Uchiha Kagami said.

Li Yi nodded, warning himself to be careful, more careful, and then careful again. Damn this battlefield; it was far too dangerous.

At the same time, Li Yi felt fortunate to have a teacher like Uchiha Kagami; otherwise, he would have made countless unnecessary mistakes.

And that damn Mera Mera no Mi—how was he supposed to develop it? If he could turn his entire body into an element, he wouldn't have to fear these physical attacks.

Thinking of this, Li Yi suddenly asked, "Teacher, if someone has a certain Kekkei Genkai, how should they go about developing it?"

After all, Uchiha Kagami possessed the Sharingan and surely had insights into its development. Perhaps he could try to borrow some of that wisdom.

Uchiha Kagami looked at Li Yi in surprise and laughed. "Do you have a Kekkei Genkai?"

Li Yi smiled sheepishly and said, "Teacher, I'm not sure, but I feel like the power of my Fire Style is greater than others'. Among those at my level, my Fire Style is very strong. I was wondering if that might be a Kekkei Genkai?"

Uchiha Kagami hadn't really noticed before. He thought for a moment and said, "Show me a Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

As he spoke, Uchiha Kagami activated his Sharingan, staring at Li Yi.

Li Yi didn't hesitate. Even though they were at the border, with Uchiha Kagami watching, it was quite safe.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Li Yi spat a massive fireball from his mouth, burning the empty ground to the side.

The tomoe in Uchiha Kagami's eyes spun wildly before fading away. Seeing Li Yi looking at him with anticipation, Uchiha Kagami hesitated and said, "It is indeed significantly larger. It seems your constitution has some unique qualities. Perhaps someone in your previous generation was a possessor of a Kekkei Genkai. However, I have never heard of a fire-based Kekkei Genkai. I only know of the Scorch Style, a combination of fire and wind, or the Lava Style, a combination of fire and earth. But since yours is purely fire-based... well, the ninja world is vast, and anything is possible!"

Li Yi smiled. Since he had eaten the Mera Mera no Mi, it certainly counted as a Kekkei Genkai of sorts, but developing it was truly a headache.