Qingchuan Tianming vs. a Hidden Mist Rogue Ninja

When Team 8 returned to Konoha, they immediately sent Kakashi Hatake to the hospital.

Before long, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, entered the ward.

"Lord Third!"

The ninja hospital's doctor greeted him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a grunt and asked, "How is Kakashi?"

"He used the Sharingan, and his body couldn't hold up. But a few days of rest and recovery will be enough," the doctor explained.

"Then please take good care of Kakashi." Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to look at the three members of Team 8, along with Sakura Haruno.

"What happened to you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the more levelheaded Shino Aburame reported what had happened.

"What? A Hidden Mist chunin?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was startled, immediately regretting having recalled Kurenai Yuhi midway through the mission.

"Never mind. It's good that you're all safe. What about Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Qingchuan Tianming?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked again.

"Reporting to the Third Hokage, before Teacher Kakashi fell unconscious, he instructed Qingchuan Tianming to become our temporary captain. After discussing it, we decided that Team 8 and Sakura Haruno would bring Teacher Kakashi back, while the three of them continued the mission," Kiba Inuzuka explained.

"This is utter nonsense!" Hiruzen Sarutobi flew into a rage after hearing that. Three genin escorting Tazuna to the Land of Waves, against a Hidden Mist Village rogue ninja?

"Right now, which jonin is not on a mission?" Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly turned to ask his secretary.

"Lord Third, the only jonin currently without a mission is Might Guy."

"Might Guy..." Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment before saying, "Notify Might Guy at once. Have him go to the Land of Waves and bring them back."

"Yes!"

On the outskirts of Konoha Village, beside a cliff somewhere, waterfall water crashed down from the sky and slammed into the ground, producing a deafening roar.

"Ohhh, Rock Lee! This is the fiery passion of our youth! Can you keep going?"

"Yes, Teacher!!"

Within the rushing waters beneath the waterfall stood two bare-chested men. From behind, even their hairstyles matched, and their passionate lines were perfectly in sync.

Rock Lee, who had gradually been unable to endure the pounding water, found his spirit once more.

"Rock Lee, if you can't take it, then quit. Your teacher has only just finished burning with passion! Youth must also know its limits!" Might Guy said, flashing his signature gleaming white teeth.

"Neji, Tenten, don't you want to come down and try?" Rock Lee invited them.

"Idiot Rock Lee, I'm a girl!" Tenten immediately snapped.

As for Neji Hyuga, he refused to answer that fool's question.

At that moment, several sharp whistles of something cutting through the air sounded from the nearby woods.

The Hokage's secretary in charge of communications emerged from the forest and said, "Teacher Might Guy, there is a new mission that requires you."

"A new mission?" Might Guy leaped out from beneath the waterfall, took the mission scroll handed over by the Hokage's secretary, and casually glanced over it.

"The Land of Waves? Kakashi is injured? A rogue ninja? Interesting!" Might Guy said as he put away the scroll.

"Team 3, assemble! Let us experience youth together!" After saying that, Might Guy vanished from the spot.

Neji Hyuga and Tenten followed close behind. Only Rock Lee reacted a beat later, jumping up from beneath the waterfall. "Teacher, wait for me!"

"Hey! This mission wasn't assigned to Team 3!!"

The Hokage's secretary realized it too late, but everything was already too late.

Meanwhile, the three members of Team 7 and Tazuna finally emerged from the forest and entered the Land of Waves.

Along the way, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki had great difficulty even walking. Naruto Uzumaki even stumbled and fell from time to time...

"Huff... huff... This really isn't easy," Naruto Uzumaki complained as he walked.

Sasuke Uchiha said nothing, but the thin layers of sweat on his forehead showed that he was not having an easy time either.

Tianming merely smiled and said nothing. Along the way, Naruto had kept asking how to control chakra, so Tianming had taught them how to use chakra in place of normal walking.

They gathered chakra beneath the soles of their feet and used chakra control to move, training their ability to control it.

But after doing that, even walking became a problem. If they used too much chakra, they would stomp a crater into the ground. If they used too little, then while rushing through the woods, the slightest mistake would send them sprawling face-first into the dirt.

The three continued walking for a while before finally reaching a dock by the sea.

"It's Gato's ship!" Tazuna cried out the moment he spotted it.

The three raised their eyes and saw a luxurious cruise ship docked at the shore. The boats that had once traveled back and forth between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves had already been destroyed.

Ding! Approaching the mission check-in location.

The system's voice sounded again.

Just as Tianming was wondering about it, the cabin door of the luxury cruise ship opened, and more than a dozen figures leaped down from the vessel in rapid succession.

At their head was none other than Zabuza Momochi!

"Three genin, and you actually dared to come?" Gato, smoking a cigar on the deck, burst into laughter.

"Old man, get behind me!" Naruto Uzumaki shielded Tazuna behind him.

"Kakashi didn't come?" Zabuza Momochi mocked, "Looks like I won't get to experience the strength of a Konoha jonin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Hidden Mist ninja behind Zabuza Momochi charged out at the same time.

Tianming's gaze sharpened. Zabuza Momochi's force seemed to have only two chunin left.

Aside from the one who had fled earlier, there was only Haku, the masked one.

"I'll handle the chunin. The rest are yours." Tianming made his decision in an instant and took the lead in engaging them!