The Third ninja world War had yet to officially begin, but shinobi from other hidden villages had already started appearing around Konohagakure.
As for the smaller countries bordering the Land of Fire, most had already been infiltrated and brought under the influence of the major hidden villages.
As the dominant power in the region, Konoha had no intention of sitting back and watching its sphere of influence be slowly devoured.
For now, the village was still restraining itself from declaring war, but skirmishes were becoming increasingly frequent.
Many shinobi could already sense the coming storm.
It would only take a single spark to ignite the entire ninja world.
The mission Orochimaru had assigned them was simple, patrol the area surrounding Konoha.
It was also their first mission outside the village.
Unlike most jonin instructors, Orochimaru wasn’t accompanying them.
Konoha’s current situation didn’t allow him to devote too much time to a three-man genin squad.
As a result, they would be carrying out this mission without their teacher, making it far more dangerous than usual.
Just because they were patrolling within Konoha’s territory didn’t mean they were safe.
“Orochimaru-sensei really trusts us enough to patrol on our own?” Muzan had naturally taken charge of the team.
His abilities were well-rounded, and when it came to sensing enemies, all he needed was the faintest scent carried by the wind to detect someone nearby.
As for Mari, he was also an outstanding sensor shinobi.
Unlike Muzan, Mari relied neither on sight nor smell.
His specialty was hearing.
By detecting the slightest vibrations traveling through the ground, he could pinpoint an enemy’s location.
In dense forests like this, his ability was especially effective.
Anko lounged lazily on a tree branch, munching on dango to replenish her energy.
If there had been a bed in the forest, she probably would have fallen asleep already.
“I’m starving.
The front lines aren’t nearly as exciting as everyone says.
Who knows how long it’ll take before I earn a nickname?
I want to fight on the battlefield, not lie around here watching birds!” Fight on the battlefield?
Muzan smiled helplessly.
Genin were guaranteed to be sent to war sooner or later.
But killing enemies?
They’d be lucky if they didn’t end up as cannon fodder.
The Third ninja world War would be unimaginably brutal.
Every major hidden village would be dragged into it.
Behind the scenes lurked Uchiha Madara, manipulating everything from the shadows.
Not to mention the Akatsuki, which had already begun recruiting missing-nin from every village.
And then there were the Tailed Beasts, the ninja world’s equivalent of weapons of mass destruction.
“Take some advice from your big brother.
The battlefield’s a lot deeper than you think, Anko.
You can’t handle it.
Leave becoming famous to me.” “You jerk, Muzan!” She immediately flicked her bamboo skewer onto Muzan’s black cloak.
Just as she was about to continue chewing him out, she suddenly noticed something was wrong.
“…You’re not actually mad over something this petty, are you?
I didn’t mean—” Beneath the hood, a pair of crimson eyes stared into the distant forest.
The moment Mari noticed the change, he grabbed Anko and pulled her behind a nearby tree.
The two of them had detected the enemy at almost the exact same moment.
Only then did Anko realize…
There were enemies nearby.
“Get down.
Don’t make a sound.” Because they were downwind, Muzan caught a faint mixture of unfamiliar scents.
Taking advantage of his specialty, Mari pressed an ear against the ground, quietly listening to the subtle vibrations traveling through the earth before whispering, “There are three people not far away.
They’re moving toward us quickly.
There’s a high chance they’re enemy shinobi.” “They’re not ours.” Their scent was different.
There was an unmistakable smell of seafood clinging to them.
While part of the Land of Fire bordered the sea, Konoha itself sat deep inland.
No Konoha shinobi carried a scent like that.
“They’re from Kirigakure.” The Village Hidden in the Mist, the infamous Village of the Bloody Mist, was the cruelest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
At this point in history, it was still under Yagura’s rule.
“Awesome!
Our chance to make a name for ourselves!” Anko had long grown tired of endless patrol duty.
Eliminating enemy shinobi would be worth as much as a B-rank mission.
“Don’t rush in.
Charging blindly before we know what we’re dealing with is suicide.” “Mari, pinpoint their exact location.
Tell me once they’re close enough.” The three hid behind a large tree.
Fortunately, they held the advantage.
They remained concealed while Mari’s sensory abilities allowed them to locate the enemy first.
Still, these were Kirigakure shinobi.
Their combat experience was likely far greater than Mari’s or Anko’s.
If a fight broke out, Muzan would have to take the lead.
Shiraishi Kojiro raced through the forest.
He was the leader of this mission, a chunin.
Hearing one of the rookies marvel at Konoha’s prosperity, he spoke in a low voice.
“So this is Konoha…
No wonder it’s the wealthiest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
But mapping this region won’t be easy.” Its fertile land, coupled with access to ports near the Land of Rivers, gave it an exceptionally favorable geographical position.
Compared to that, the Land of Water consisted mostly of scattered islands.
Kirigakure’s development had always lagged behind Konoha’s because of its geography.
“Don’t let your guard down.
This is Konoha’s territory.
We could run into Konoha shinobi at any moment.
If either of you causes this mission to fail…” “I’ll kill you myself.” That was Kirigakure’s way.
The mission came before everything else.
Shinobi were tools.
Bonds and emotions were unnecessary.
“Yes, Shiraishi-sama!” To prepare for an eventual invasion of Konoha, Kirigakure had already dispatched numerous squads to scout the surrounding region.
There had been plenty of clashes with Konoha patrols.
Fortunately, they were only skirmishes between small teams.
Both sides were exercising restraint and had yet to deploy their true elite forces.
Muzan recalled how, in the future, the Seven shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist would infiltrate Konoha’s forest, only to encounter Might Duy.
What had once been the Seven shinobi Swordsmen was reduced to only three survivors, some dead, others crippled.
“One chunin…
two genin.” Hidden within the darkness, crimson eyes locked onto the three figures.
A trace of cruelty flashed through Muzan’s gaze.
“I’ll handle the chunin.
Once I finish him, I’ll support you two immediately.” “Remember, take your opponents down as fast as possible.” There was no telling if more Kirigakure shinobi were operating nearby.
The battle had to end quickly.
The instant Muzan made his move, Kojiro immediately sensed danger.
“Who’s there?!” “Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!” Several black snakes burst from beneath Muzan’s cloak, shooting toward Kojiro in an attempt to bind and kill him.
Clang!
Three kunai struck from different angles, pinning several of the snakes to the ground.
But one serpent slipped through and latched onto Kojiro’s ankle.
“Argh!” Its fangs pierced deep into his flesh.
A sharp pain spread from his ankle throughout his body as he finally got a clear look at the black-cloaked figure.
“Orochimaru…
No, one of Orochimaru’s disciples?” If it had really been Orochimaru, there would’ve been no need for an ambush.
Judging by the figure’s build, he was just a child, at most a genin.
Two more figures emerged from behind the trees, engaging his subordinates.
So they’d run into a Konoha genin squad.
“I never expected to run into one of Orochimaru’s disciples.” “Even if this mission fails…
even if I die here…” “As long as I can kill you, it’ll all be worth it.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Hidden_Quill Thank you so much for reading!