"Very few ninja know the Summoning Technique to begin with, and even fewer are willing to summon ninja beasts that have no support abilities beyond delivering letters."
Hatake Sakumo seemed to be answering the ninja bird, but he was actually answering the question that had just puzzled Qianye Lan.
Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto, who did not know the full story, listened in confusion.
They merely thought he was explaining something about summoned beasts.
Kushina looked at the carriage and voiced the question that had puzzled her for some time.
"Sensei, why did we hire a carriage?"
Hatake Sakumo did not answer directly. Instead, he asked her, "What is the most basic rule for ninja on a mission?"
Kushina shook her head, indicating that she did not know.
Seeing this, Qianye Lan helped her out. "Ask fewer questions about why, and obey your superior's orders unconditionally."
"Oh," Kushina said at that, then stopped asking why and began whispering with Uchiha Mikoto beside her.
The Hokage Office.
A puff of white smoke appeared beside the Third Hokage's desk. The smoke cleared, revealing a ninja bird.
He noticed the letter tied to the ninja bird's leg and reached out to remove it.
When he saw the contents of the letter, his expression changed. "Go get the Analysis Division immediately."
An Anbu appeared. "Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Soon, someone from the Analysis Division arrived at the Hokage Office.
The Third Hokage handed him a portion of the scrambled secret letter and asked, "Can you crack it?"
After receiving the secret letter, the Analysis Division ninja grimaced and cautiously explained, "Lord Hokage, this is a cipher. Strictly speaking, it falls under the Intelligence Division's jurisdiction."
The Third Hokage's expression shifted slightly, but he still maintained a polite smile.
"So that's how it is. Go get the Intelligence Division, then. You're no longer needed here."
With that, he waved a hand, signaling for him to leave.
The Anbu who had been waiting beside him for orders also nodded and left.
A quarter of an hour later, a ninja from the Intelligence Division entered the Hokage Office.
He spoke respectfully. "Lord Hokage."
The Third Hokage took out a portion of the completely scrambled cipher and handed it to him. "Decipher this for me."
The ninja took it, glanced at it, and explained, "Lord Hokage, this is a Sunagakure cipher."
The Third Hokage asked, "Can you crack it?"
He nodded. "No problem, Lord Hokage."
He took out the paper and pen he had prepared and began deciphering it.
Finally, after about another hour, the Intelligence Division handed the deciphered letter to the Third Hokage.
"Lord Hokage, here is the deciphered content. Only about eighty percent has been deciphered."
Afterward, the Third Hokage brought in three more people and had most of the letter's contents deciphered.
The Third Hokage took the deciphered contents, pieced them together, and began reading.
The more he read this intelligence, the more alarmed he became.
Tsunade: hemophobia confirmed.
Main lead: stayed away from Konoha Hospital's emergency ward after the Second Shinobi World War.
List of Konoha prodigies under fifteen: priority targets to hunt down and kill.
What they had in common was that they had all displayed talent while still at the Ninja Academy.
The Third Hokage looked through the list. His son, Asuma Sarutobi, was conspicuously among the names.
His pupils contracted slightly. Without changing his expression, he set down the letter and said, "When Sakumo returns, have him come see me immediately!"
The Anbu nodded.
In the small town, the group of Sunagakure ninja finally obtained a reliable piece of intelligence after asking around through various channels.
A team of Konoha ninja had visited the town and stayed for a night.
But when they learned what those ninja looked like, their hearts sank.
White hair, a short blade on his back-wasn't that the White Fang of Konoha, who had slaughtered so many Sand Ninja during the Second Shinobi World War that they had begun questioning their lives?
According to the available intelligence, the White Fang of Konoha also had three Genin with him.
Their companions had probably been captured alive. The White Fang of Konoha could not have gone far.
They exchanged glances, their eyes wavering.
Should we pursue them or not?
If we did, we would be letting our parents down.
If we didn't, we would be letting the village down and would be held accountable afterward.
One of them, wearing goggles, raised his hand and said, "According to the village's rules, we can abandon a mission as long as we encounter the White Fang of Konoha. Why don't we..."
Another, who had a scar, said, "But we haven't encountered White Fang yet."
The last ninja, dressed in plain clothes, spoke up. "There's only one road from here to Konoha. Let's go take a look first. If it really is White Fang, we'll withdraw. That way, we'll have something to report."
The other two nodded helplessly. For now, that was all they could do.
They followed the only road in pursuit and finally spotted Hatake Sakumo's team an hour and a half later.
After confirming that it really was the White Fang of Konoha, they were just about to retreat when Qianye Lan, sensing that he was being watched, suddenly turned to look in their direction.
Qianye Lan exchanged a glance with Hatake Sakumo and nodded.
Qianye Lan formed hand seals with both hands.
[Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere]
The attack shot toward their hiding place.
They hurriedly dodged, then looked back at the loud crash.
The tree that had stood there had been snapped in half.
Their leader forced a stiff smile. "Everyone, we're simply passing through."
Hatake Sakumo sneered. "Passing through? Do all you people from Sunagakure like traveling through the trees?"
Hearing the word "Sunagakure," the man knew full well that this could not end peacefully.
He began regretting why he had followed them.
Wouldn't it have been better to go back, make up some lie, and put the Anbu off for the time being?
Qianye Lan's gaze was cold as he continued forming hand seals with both hands.
[Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves]
A sharp whistle pierced the air.
The barrage Qianye Lan spat from his mouth completely engulfed them.
At the sight, one Sand Ninja instinctively formed hand seals with both hands.
[Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall]
A violent collision rang out, and dust billowed into the air.
Their vision gradually became obscured as well.
Hatake Sakumo seized the moment and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind them.
The Sand Ninja looked astonished. "So fast!"
Before they could turn around and react, Hatake Sakumo drew out his scabbard and knocked them all unconscious.
He tossed all three onto the carriage and bound them tightly.
Once it was over, Hatake Sakumo gave Qianye Lan a thumbs-up.
"Well done."
Qianye Lan's proficiency with Wind Release far exceeded his expectations.
Although Hatake Sakumo could have easily dealt with them himself.
Capturing them alive would have been somewhat difficult, however-at least, it would not have been as easy as it had just been.
Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto were still staring blankly.
They had just been whispering together when Qianye Lan suddenly unleashed Wind Release in one direction.
Just as the two had prepared to fight, Qianye Lan and Hatake Sakumo dealt with the enemies outright.
Hatake Sakumo decided to tell them the whole story after all.
Only then did the two understand that these people were spies hiding in Konoha and the Land of Fire.
They had simply been unlucky and gotten caught.
After dealing with this final trouble, the four returned to Konoha without any further obstacles.
By then, an Anbu had already been waiting at the gate for some time.
When he saw Hatake Sakumo, he walked over and said respectfully, "Lord White Fang, Lord Hokage wishes to see you. You can leave these five to the Anbu."
After confirming that he was an Anbu directly under the Third Hokage, Hatake Sakumo handed the five over to him.
Then he told the three, "Dismissed. Take three days off."
This drew a round of cheers from the three.
Before you continue