Assault

I truly hadn't expected that after being reborn into the Naruto world, the first time I met Jiraiya would involve me going to find him myself...

I had always liked this character, who sacrificed himself in the original story for crucial intelligence, and I had always wanted him to see Naruto after he grew up.

The Land of Hot Water... I could figure out why Jiraiya had gone there with my ass.

"So, Sakumo, should we go find Lord Jiraiya, or should the two of us head straight for the enemy's headquarters?"

"Jiraiya... he was a memorable ninja, and very strong. As help for this mission, he would be nearly flawless. A perfect fit for us."

His Summoning Technique could create panic, his Earth Release could divide the battlefield for us, and he had all sorts of techniques that could both support and deal damage.

If Jiraiya really joined us, it would indeed be reassuring. Even if both Rasa and Chiyo were there, it wouldn't feel like much of a problem.

But the Land of Hot Water...

"No. It's too far away. The Land of Hot Water is in the northeast. We would have to first reach the Land of Iron and take a ship from there, which would waste too much time."

That was true. In my memories, the Land of Hot Water seemed to be an island. We were currently at the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire. To reach the Land of Hot Water, we would first have to cross the Land of Fire, then pass through the Land of Iron and take a ship.

That round trip would take a long time, and once we got there, we would still have to find a way to persuade Jiraiya, who had already grown weary of war...

"Qingyue, are you confident that just the two of us can carry out this mission?"

The two of us... Sakumo was extremely strong. It would not be an exaggeration to say he possessed the strength of a Hokage. Rasa was a stationary type of ninja who used Magnet Release to control gold dust in battle. Like Gaara, he probably would not be strong in close combat.

That kind of fighting style was extremely unfavorable against Sakumo. Once Sakumo got close, Rasa would find it difficult to defend himself.

The problem lay with me. If we ran into a Puppet Technique master like Chiyo, I truly had no confidence that I could defeat her.

Even if I used the Mythical Zoan Fruit, my strength would not increase by much.

After all, I simply had no time to develop the fruit. I had never even used the powers of Wind and Snow, Lightning, or blazing flames.

Other people's Mythical Zoans could soar through the skies, burrow through the earth, and spew flames. Mine could currently only transform and enhance my strength and speed.

But on second thought, hidden weapons probably were not very powerful. They might not even be able to break through my Dragon Saint Battle Aura, so poison was naturally nothing to worry about.

"I think we can do it, Sakumo."

"Is that so? Then let's go. We're heading for the Sand Village's headquarters. As long as we destroy their resources or kill their leader, the mission will be complete."

The simplest approach would definitely be to kill Rasa two against one at the fastest possible speed before they could react.

Without their Kage holding the fort, this war would not be far from ending.

Once the decision was made, Sakumo led me in a rapid dash toward our destination. The intelligence gatherers in the village had traded their lives for this vital information.

In order to end the war sooner, we had to complete this mission successfully.

"By the way, Sakumo, I think I once heard that Magnet Release users have a very unusual technique."

"What technique?"

A third eye—the Sand Eye. Like a reconnaissance drone, it could observe the surroundings from the air and relay its vision back to its user.

I remembered Gaara using this technique to cheat when he was little. His father, Rasa, definitely knew how to use it too.

"It seems to use sand or something to scout the surroundings. We might be discovered before we even get close, so once we enter a certain range, we need to be careful to avoid it."

"Understood. We'll pay closer attention when the time comes."

Come to think of it, Gaara probably had not been born yet, right? He was quite pitiful too. From childhood, his father treated him as a tool, everyone kept their distance from him, and even his mother's love for him was altered by someone else.

Later, it was only after forming a bond with Naruto that he gradually got better and even became the Kazekage.

Perhaps never being born would be a kind of happiness for Gaara?

After all, in my version of the story, Minato definitely would not die, so Naruto would not have to become a jinchuriki.

Perhaps their bond would never come into being. Gaara might simply live out his life in pain and eventually die at the hands of Akatsuki.

Preventing the birth of a character like Gaara should count as a major change to history, right?

[Teacher Hill, do you think we can complete this mission?]

[In reply to Lord Qingyue, while your full strength is still below that of a Kage, it is sufficient for you to hold your own. It is nearly impossible for an ordinary Kage to keep you, so please rest assured, Lord Qingyue.]

That answer was rather ambiguous. It seemed even Hill was uncertain about our chances of completing this mission.

But at least I knew one piece of good news: even if the mission failed, I would not end up dying again.

Since I would not die, Sakumo certainly would not lose his life either.

Even in the worst-case scenario, I still had a trump card. The shop refreshed once every three months, and I had saved up a huge amount of Power of Fate without using it.

After two days of rapid travel, Sakumo and I finally arrived at a position where we could see the Sand Village's battle camp.

"That should be it, right, Sakumo? The place we're supposed to attack."

"That's right. That is the enemy's battle camp. As long as we create chaos, kill the highest-ranking commander inside, or destroy all the resources here, we can end the war sooner and reduce Konoha's casualties."

"Watch out for the Sand Eye. That thing should be floating in the sky. If our movements are discovered, our mission will fail."

While remaining vigilant for Rasa's Sand Eye, we slowly approached the battle camp.

We finally reached the limit of our range. Beyond this point lay open ground without any cover.

The battle camp consisted mostly of tents. Only one area was likely used for command, while the others should have been medical units and supply storage points.

After searching several times, we still could not find a position from which to launch a concealed attack.

"Looks like we can only break through head-on. Qingyue, do you have any ninjutsu that can draw attention?"

"I'm not very proficient in ninjutsu either. Most of what I know are techniques that assist swordsmanship in battle."

"Then we can only try explosive tags. I'll make some noise on the other side. Wait here for me to come back, then we'll charge in together and find their leader as quickly as possible."

Wasn't this tactic a little too hasty...? There were so many tents that searching alone would waste a lot of time.

By the time we found the tent where Rasa was, we would probably already be surrounded by Sand ninja.

"Sakumo, can this really work?"

Only after seeing it with my own eyes did I finally realize that two people trying to storm the enemy's headquarters and kill a Kage was basically a hell-level game!

"We can only do it this way. Are you going to prepare yourself mentally, or are we getting started?"

[Teacher Hill, what do you think?]

Unable to make up my mind, I ultimately chose to rely on Hill, hoping she could come up with a solution.

[Lord Qingyue, you can spend half of the Power of Fate you have accumulated so far in exchange for allowing me to temporarily possess you.]

Huh?

[Teacher Hill, you're possessing me?]

[That's right. As Lord Qingyue's cheat, I'm quite powerful too.]

There were far too many things to complain about, but I did not have time to slowly pick them apart. Since Hill had suggested it, that meant it was feasible.

[All right, then pay it! Come on, Teacher Hill, use some absurdly powerful super move to take them out!]

[Leave it to me, Lord Qingyue. I definitely won't disappoint you, but please persuade Sakumo Hatake first.]

[Got it!]

"Sakumo, please keep what happens next a secret. I'll create an opening for us."

After staring blankly for a moment, Sakumo nodded. He did not seem to intend to press the matter right now.

"Are you confident?"

"Absolutely. Trust me, Sakumo."

After successfully persuading Sakumo, I paid half the Power of Fate I had accumulated so far and received Hill's temporary possession.

"Thank you for your trust, Lord Qingyue. I definitely won't disappoint you. Now then... I'll begin."

--

"Great spirit of water, prince of the Thunder Emperor who ascends to the skies!"