Interception Mission

A week later.

"Asami Ri, your transfer orders are here."

A cold voice rang out in the woods without warning. It was the Anbu in the Dog-Faced Mask again, appearing abruptly on a tree trunk just a few steps from Asami Ri.

He drew a lacquer-sealed document from inside his clothes and flicked his wrist, sending the scroll flying toward Asami Ri.

"Orders: Chunin Asami Ri is to report to the Konoha Gate at seven tomorrow morning." The Anbu paused briefly. "Jonin Minato Namikaze will personally command this mission."

Asami Ri raised a hand to catch the orders, his fingertips brushing the cold scroll.

His heart jolted at that name, but his expression remained calm. "Understood."

Whoosh—

Without another word, the Anbu shifted slightly, became a blurred afterimage, and vanished deep into the dense foliage.

Asami Ri stood where he was, watching the direction in which the man had left.

Half a year ago, when these Anbu appeared, they had seemed like phantoms that vanished into thin air, leaving no trace he could follow.

Now, however, he could clearly track their movements as they departed using the Body Flicker Technique. In less than half a year, the gap between him and these elite Chunin was shrinking rapidly.

The next day, at the Konoha Gate.

As dawn began to break, Asami Ri arrived at the Konoha Gate ten minutes early, stepping through the first chill of morning.

To his surprise, Hyuga Shin and Uchiha Tekka were already waiting there. They leaned in the shadows of the pillars on opposite sides of the gate, one brooding, the other aloof.

Their gazes met. There were no unnecessary pleasantries, only a tacit exchange of slight nods in greeting.

Five minutes later, crisp footsteps broke the morning silence as Kakashi Hatake and Rin Nohara arrived together.

"Ri? I never expected to be on this mission with you." A flicker of surprise crossed Rin Nohara's eyes when she saw Asami Ri.

Kakashi, by contrast, was much colder. His dull eyes were half-lowered, but his gaze swept over Asami Ri as swiftly as a blade.

Neatly trimmed hair, an impeccably worn Chunin vest, well-maintained ninja tools, and a Forehead Protector that gleamed in the sunlight.

This was Asami Ri, the dark horse who had delivered the most surprising performance in the Chunin Ninja Exams.

Kakashi still remembered the mastery of Lightning Release he had displayed in the arena. It was the first time he had seen someone his own age refine lightning's Shape Transformation to such a degree.

That acknowledgment of his strength prompted Kakashi to do something unprecedented: he stopped as he passed Asami Ri.

"Yo."

Kakashi offered the single, flat word as a greeting.

Asami Ri froze briefly, then responded with some surprise. He truly had not expected Kakashi to speak first.

During the year they had spent together at the Ninja Academy before Kakashi graduated, they had been like parallel lines, never exchanging so much as a word.

After that, their paths had diverged even further. Had he not occasionally seen Kakashi through Might Guy, Asami Ri suspected the other boy would not even have remembered the name "Asami Ri."

Perhaps this polite greeting was Kakashi's silent acknowledgment of his strength.

Just as the minute hand reached the final minute before seven, a yellow flash tore through the morning mist and appeared before them with abrupt elegance.

"Looks like everyone's on time. I'm not late, am I?"

Minato Namikaze came to a stop, his blond hair looking especially warm in the dawn light. Wearing a sunny smile, he greeted his subordinates gently.

Yet as his gaze swept over them, he keenly noticed the gap in their ranks.

"Obito... isn't here yet?" Minato rubbed his hair helplessly.

"That loser probably got lost on the path of life again, or he's busy helping some old lady cross the street." Kakashi kept both hands in the pockets at the sides of his thighs. Undisguised disdain showed in his dull eyes, and his voice carried its customary sarcasm.

Asami Ri watched quietly from the side.

He noticed that when Kakashi mentioned an "old lady," Rin Nohara merely gave a troubled but gentle smile. Clearly, this was routine for their team.

Just as the last second before seven was about to tick past, hurried, uneven footsteps finally sounded from the far end of the street.

"W-wait for me! I... I'm not late yet, am I?"

A boy wearing orange Goggles rushed up to the Konoha Gate, drenched in sweat.

He skidded to a halt and braced both hands on his knees, panting heavily as he explained between breaths. "Huff... huff... I'm really sorry! Just now... I saw an old lady carrying something really heavy... I couldn't just leave her there..."

"Touching as that story is, Obito, you've used that excuse for being late several times already." Kakashi coldly twisted the knife.

Asami Ri watched the reckless Uchiha boy, silently comparing him to Tekka.

Both were Uchiha, yet the Obito before him and the cold, grim Tekka beside him seemed to live in entirely different dimensions.

"All right, now that everyone's here."

Minato Namikaze clapped his hands lightly, his previously gentle air turning sharp.

The pressure of a top-tier powerhouse lasted only an instant, but it still sent a slight jolt through Asami Ri's heart.

"Follow me."

Before Minato Namikaze had finished speaking, he had already become a streak of golden light and vanished deep into the forest.

The remaining six accelerated and followed without hesitation. Seven figures darted through the dense canopy like arrows loosed from a bow, leaving only the faint rustle of leaves behind them.

The high-speed forced march continued at that intensity for a full hour.

When Minato Namikaze landed steadily in a secluded Mountain Hollow ahead, the sounds of others cutting through the air followed in quick succession.

Kakashi Hatake landed first, his eyes cold as he steadied his slightly hurried breathing.

Asami Ri followed close behind. He landed soundlessly, his chest barely rising and falling. His physical conditioning had improved considerably through his recent training.

Next came Uchiha Tekka and Hyuga Shin, neither willing to yield as they landed at the same time. Last were a somewhat disheveled Obito Uchiha and the already breathless Medical Ninja, Rin Nohara.

Minato Namikaze stood quietly to one side. Rather than speak immediately, he waited patiently for the last two to recover.

His gaze lingered on Asami Ri for an extra moment. The speed the boy had shown during the forced march earned his silent approval.

Once Rin Nohara's breathing finally steadied, Minato Namikaze's expression grew serious. He took out a classified scroll bearing an Anbu Seal.

"I'll now brief you on the mission."

His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority. Everyone immediately gathered around him.

"According to top-secret intelligence from a spy embedded in the Land of Earth, Iwagakure is laying a massive trap within the Land of Iron. Their objective is clear: surround and kill Kumogakure's leader, the Third Raikage, who has pushed deep into enemy territory."

The news struck like a thunderclap, jolting every young ninja present.

"This is an excellent opportunity for Konoha to reap the benefits while they fight." Minato Namikaze pointed to the edge of the Land of Hot Water on the map. "But Kumogakure has a contingency. Another force from Kumogakure, led by the 'AB Combo,' is currently stationed in the Land of Hot Water. Once they receive word and return to reinforce him, they could very well tear a hole in Iwagakure's encirclement."

He raised his head and swept an intense gaze over everyone.

"Our mission is to intercept the 'AB Combo' along this unavoidable route and slow their return. We must ensure that the Third Raikage remains completely isolated in the Land of Iron."

"We'll use Iwagakure to deal Kumogakure a devastating blow and completely change the course of the war. That is the purpose of this mission."