A new mission notification arrived. Shira had just finished her morning training, fine beads of sweat still clinging to her forehead, when the Anbu silently appeared at the edge of the training ground, succinctly stating, " The Lord Kazekage summons you to the mission briefing room. Jonin Shira is requested to proceed immediately."
Shira thanked the Anbu, then wiped away her sweat, changed into a neat Jonin uniform, smoothed out the last wrinkle on her vest, and tied her Forehead Protector properly around her waist.
When he pushed open the heavy wooden door of the mission release room, there were already three people standing inside. Sunlight streamed in through the high window, cutting out bands of light and shadow on the gleaming long table and the dust particles floating in the air.
Hearing the Gate of Opening, all three turned around at the same time.
On the far left was a boy, who looked no more than two years older than Shira. He had neat black hair, and his eyes under his Forehead Protector were so bright they seemed to burn like two inextinguishable flames.
He stood tall and straight, wearing a well-fitting Chunin vest, with his ninja tool pouches bulging at his waist and legs, exuding a nimble air of readiness to act at any moment.
Shira recognized him; it Shūji, a fourteen-year-old Chunin, and a rising star in Sunagakure who had garnered considerable attention in the past two years. This was not only because he had mastered the three Chakra Nature Transformation wind, fire, and water at such a young age, but also because what was in his head was quite different from most of the village's ninjas.
Rumor has it that when this kid is on a mission and passes through border villages, he will share his rations with starving refugees, and stare intently at the ruins of houses destroyed by war, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes filled with a stubbornness that makes even the Jonin feel uneasy.
Some say he's naive, some say he's troublesome, but no one can deny his talent and that almost obsessive sense of righteousness.
Standing in the middle was a man who looked to be in his early thirties, of medium build, with a perpetually smiling face and eyes that were habitually slightly narrowed, as if he were always observing something.
He is Ishikawa, a veteran Chunin intelligence analysis and sensory perception, who has been in the reconnaissance team for almost ten years. Unlike most taciturn intelligence officers, he is a notorious chatterbox who can talk about anything from the weather to the current situation in the Shinobi World.
But it is said that the reports he submitted were so detailed and logically clear that even Baki could not find any fault with them. He was the kind of person who seemed casual but was actually very clear-headed.
The woman on the far right is about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with short brown hair, a delicate and serene face, and a gentle temperament.
She wore a well-fitting Chunin uniform, and what was most striking were the intricately structured sealing patterns that were faintly visible on her wrists, waist, and the scroll box on her back.
That's right, this person is Maki, Pakura's disciple, who has unique talent and skill in Sealing Jutsu.
In the original story, she was active in the Fourth Shinobi World War.
When Shira saw her, her memory was gently stirred.
Many years ago, when Shira was training alone at the training ground, this Chunin female ninja happened to be there as well, and she affirmed her own efforts at the time.
Unexpectedly, their formal reunion would take place here, and he had become her team leader Jonin. Maki saw Shira walk in, his gaze lingered for a moment on her young yet already angular face, especially on the brand-new Jonin Forehead Protector her waist.
A complex emotion flashed across her eyes—surprise, a touch of absurdity—but it quickly subsided into calm. She seemed to remember something else, her gaze drifting away for a moment before refocusing, and she nodded slightly to Shira.
" Shira Jonin." The three spoke almost simultaneously, their tones varying.
Shira nodded in return and walked to her seat at the long table.
He didn't speak, his gaze fixed on the head of the table.
The door was pushed open again, and Rasa walked in, followed by Baki. Kazekage was not wearing his usual clothes today, but a dark-colored Kazekage robe, and his steps were steady.
He sat down in the main seat, Baki stood to his side and slightly behind.
"Everyone's here," Rasa said, his voice low but instantly silencing the room. "Mission Level A, Objective: The Land of Snow."
He gestured for Baki Baki to come forward and spread a scroll on the table. It contained a map of the Shinobi World, with the Land of Land of Snow region marked in red.
"Mission Objective: Escort." Rasa pointed to the location of the Land of Snow. "Escort the renowned actress Fujikaze Yukie and her troupe safely to the Land of Snow Land of Snow and ensure their basic safety during filming there."
Hmm? Buddy!
Escort mission? Rank A? Escort an actress?
Shira's expression remained unchanged, but he was slightly taken aback. This mission description, combined with the name " Fujikaze Yukie," instantly activated a memory deep within his mind— the Land of Snow movie.
But in the original storyline, this mission was clearly taken on solely by Team 7 Konoha, and the client was Asama Sandayu, a former official disguised as a manager. How could this be...?
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the three people beside him —Shūji, Ishikawa, and Maki —although they all maintained the restraint of ninjas, a hint of surprise was more or less evident in their eyes.
A-level escort missions are rare enough, but escorting a female actress from the entertainment industry makes it even more unusual.
Rasa seemed to sense their confusion and continued, "The client who commissioned the escort was Fujikaze Yukie's agent, Asama Sandayu. He issued the escort request to both Konoha and Sunagakure through official channels and paid double the A-Rank Mission fee."
"Hiring two ninja villages at the same time?" Ishikawa couldn't help but mutter under his breath, scratching his head. "This big actress certainly has a lot of entourage. Or does she think she's so precious that she needs two major ninja villages to protect her?" His words carried the grumbling characteristic of an intelligence officer.
"This is indeed unusual," Baki interjected coldly, explaining Rasa's doubts. " Lord Kazekage and we all believe that this matter is far more complex than it appears on the surface."
"According to our preliminary intelligence, this Fujikaze Yukie is very likely the missing princess Kazahana Koyuki Kazahana Sōsetsu, who was killed in the coup in the Land of Snow six years ago."
" Asama Sandayu is very likely a remnant of the previous dynasty. Her return to the Land of Snow, ostensibly to film a movie, is actually to promote the princess's return, and may even involve a direct conflict with the current usurper Kazahana Dōtō."
Shira was a bit dumbfounded. "Dude, how did you find out this information that even Konoha couldn't get? How did you figure out the actress's identity so quickly? Does that make sense?"
Looking at the other three, Shūji's eyes suddenly lit up, and his body leaned forward almost imperceptibly.
Princess? Remnant of a fallen dynasty? Returning home to resist tyranny?
These words seemed to have precisely struck a nerve with him. But he didn't speak, only his breathing quickened slightly, and his fingers tapped lightly on his side.
Maki frowned slightly, more concerned with the practical aspects of the mission: "Is hiring both Konoha and us to share the risk and ensure everything goes smoothly? Or does the client not fully trust either Konoha or us, and need the other as a check or balance?"
Her thinking was very meticulous, and she directly pointed out the key point.
"Anything is possible." Rasa didn't deny it. " Konoha has already accepted the mission and is about to depart. The Konoha Jonin the team is Kakashi Hatake."
Kakashi Hatake? He definitely follows the original storyline.
At the same time, the name reassured Shira somewhat. If that Copy Ninja was equally matched with the others, was leading the team, then Konoha's fighting strength was reliable.
However, this also means that the plot may have been derailed by his butterfly effect.
What started as a solo operation by Konoha became a joint operation between Konoha and Sunagakure.
The variables involved need to be carefully observed.
"Your mission, ostensibly, is to cooperate with the Konoha Ninja to escort Fujikaze Yukie group, ensuring their safety during their stay in the Land of Snow."
Rasa abruptly changed the subject, his eyes sharpening and his voice lowering, "But there's another instruction."
Dear readers, the author starts school tomorrow and won't be back until next Friday night.
It's the evening of March 3rd, and I'm currently stockpiling manuscripts.
Sigh, I've been trying my best to speed things up, but unfortunately, I lack experience. Even though the timeline has jumped four years, I still feel like I can't finish writing it...