Setting Out! Land of Waves

When they turned in their last weed-pulling mission of the week, Naruto finally couldn't hold it in any longer.

At the mission counter in the Hokage Building, he leaned over the counter and complained to the clerk ninja inside. From finding cats to delivering letters, from hauling cargo to pulling weeds—he had been graduated for nearly three weeks and had not seen a single decent C-rank mission. Sakura stood beside him, tugging hard at his sleeve and quietly reminding him not to be disrespectful in front of the Hokage, though her eyes carried a trace of agreement.

Uchiha Rin leaned against a pillar by the door, his right hand resting lightly on the hilt of Chikura Blade, saying nothing. D-rank missions might have been tedious, but they had familiarized him with the terrain and routes around Konoha. More importantly, his morning taijutsu training and nightly chakra infusion had never stopped. In two weeks, Chikura Blade had completed two rounds of purification and feedback, increasing his chakra reserves by nearly twenty percent compared to graduation. The gains in physical endurance and explosive strength were even more tangible.

Just as Naruto's shouting reached its peak, an aged voice came from the stairway. The Third Hokage slowly descended with a bronze pipe in his mouth, followed by a roughly dressed middle-aged man. The man was broad and powerfully built, his skin darkened by years of sea wind. A faint scar ran across his left cheek. He carried a tool bag polished bright with wear, and his thick, protruding knuckles and nail beds were embedded with iron filings that would not wash away.

"Perfect. I have a C-rank mission for Team Seven." The Third Hokage tapped the ash from his pipe. "Escort Mr. Tazuna back to the Land of Waves and ensure his personal safety for the entire journey."

Naruto fell silent at once, his eyes shining as though they might glow. Sakura nervously clenched her forehead protector, her cheeks flushing slightly—this was their first mission outside the village since graduation.

But Uchiha Rin's gaze remained fixed on Tazuna's hands.

Those were not the hands of an ordinary bridge builder. The calluses on his thumb web and palms were thick and hard, while the insides of his wrists bore marks left by gripping a short blade for years. A faint rusty scent clung to him beneath the smell of sea salt. It was the lingering aftertaste left in clothing fibers after the scent of blood had completely faded. Having grown up fighting for survival in the slums, Rin knew that smell all too well.

His fingertips lightly tapped the hilt, the pads of his fingers pressing against its familiar warm patterns.

Almost at the same time, Kakashi, standing at the front of the group, turned his head. His single exposed eye swept over Rin, lingered on the hand resting on his weapon for half a second, then casually looked away. There was understanding in that gaze, as well as the faintest hint of approval.

No one objected. The mission was accepted quickly. That afternoon, after packing their ninja tools and a change of clothes, Team Seven followed Tazuna out through Konoha's gates.

They traveled southeast. The closer they got to the coast, the sparser the forests became and the stronger the salty, fishy smell in the wind grew. At first, Naruto eagerly raced ahead, bounding around to take in the scenery. But after walking for most of the day, he lost his energy, squatted by the roadside, complained that his legs hurt, and demanded a rest. Sakura's cheeks had reddened and her breathing had grown heavy, but she stubbornly endured without a word of complaint.

Uchiha Rin remained at the rear flank of the group, his steps steady without the slightest sway. His daily five laps around the village and hundreds of weighted physical exercises had not been for nothing. This level of long-distance travel did not even count as a warm-up to him. Chikura Blade rested against his waist, lightly knocking against his leg with every step. Its warm touch seeped through his clothes like a silent companion.

By the following evening, they reached a port town on the border of the Land of Fire. They found a fishing boat that regularly sailed the coastal routes, cast off at daybreak, and headed toward the Land of Waves.

At first, the sea was calm. Seagulls flew low over the wave crests, while the cold, damp sea wind struck their faces. Tazuna remained crouched at the bow, silently smoking his pipe and rarely speaking. Kakashi leaned against the railing, pulling his forehead protector lower and pretending to nap. He looked relaxed, but his chakra remained constantly alert, and even his breathing was kept exceptionally steady.

Uchiha Rin stood at the stern, one hand resting on the cold wooden railing as his gaze swept over the endless sea.

At some point, the light around them began to dim. A thin white mist rose over the water. At first, it merely curled around the wave crests in wisps, but it soon grew as thick as unmixed milk. Even Tazuna at the bow became a vague silhouette.

The wind stopped.

The sea fell eerily still. Even the sound of waves striking the hull softened, leaving only the splash of oars cutting through water, painfully conspicuous within the dense fog.

Uchiha Rin's brows drew together at once.

The cold, yin chakra that had slumbered in his lower abdomen for days suddenly stirred. Like a lurking beast catching the scent of its natural enemy, it sent a thread of chillness surging up his chakra pathways. At the same time, Chikura Blade at his waist abruptly grew hot. The pale blue patterns within its blade faintly lit up beneath the sheath, and an almost imperceptible sense of warning traveled through the hilt into his palm.

Killing intent.

And not from ordinary bandits or rogues, but ninja who had received formal training.

He stepped half a pace forward, tightening his left hand around the hilt. His voice was low but clear enough for everyone to hear. "Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi's eyes snapped open.

Deep within the mist, several cold, piercing gazes had already locked firmly onto the small fishing boat rocking on the water.