Early morning.
At the main gate of Konohagakure.
Matsuake and Tsukuyomi arrived here twenty minutes early.
And Hashirama also arrived at the meeting point before the agreed time.
On Matsuake’s back was a small bag containing some essential items.
Although this was his first mission and his first time leaving the village to carry out a task, the important points to keep in mind had actually been covered in the Ninja Academy’s curriculum.
As long as one paid attention in the Ninja Academy and had a decent memory, these crucial details wouldn’t be forgotten.
“It seems you’re both ready, so let’s set off.” Seeing the two well-prepared, Hashirama felt reassured.
In contrast, when Tobirama first took Hiruzen, Danzō, and Kagami on a mission, there had been quite a few embarrassing incidents.
Especially Hiruzen, who had carried a large backpack at the time.
When Tobirama curiously asked what was inside, Hiruzen stammered and hesitated.
In the end, it turned out he had not only overpacked every necessary item but also stuffed a few inappropriate magazines at the very bottom of the bag… He was sternly reprimanded by Senju Tobirama on the spot.
Looking back, the two students he had taken on were much more reliable.
“Uncle, what mission are we carrying out today?” Matsuake quickly caught up with Hashirama’s pace and asked curiously.
“Today’s mission is to accept a request from a village in the Land of Fire to eliminate a group of Missing-nin who have wandered into the Land of Fire.” “According to the request, the clothing and accents of these Missing-nin don’t resemble those of the Land of Fire.” “If they aren’t dealt with promptly, they will soon plunder the surrounding villages, leading to the deaths of many innocent people.” Hashirama’s expression turned serious.
After the establishment of Konohagakure, conflicts of all sizes within the Land of Fire had significantly decreased.
However, completely eradicating such incidents was impossible.
He had originally believed that founding Konohagakure would end the conflicts of the Warring States period and bring peace and stability.
But in recent years, he had come to realize that establishing Konohagakure might only be the first step toward peace.
Over the past few years, he had also pondered why Madara had insisted on leaving back then—perhaps because he believed that founding Konohagakure was not the ideal path to peace.
This was the root of their disagreement.
Hashirama believed that even if establishing Konohagakure couldn’t bring immediate peace, it was at least the first step toward it.
Madara, on the other hand, likely thought that founding Konohagakure wouldn’t truly bring peace and that another path should be sought.
Thinking of this, Hashirama’s mood couldn’t help but sink.
“Hashirama-sensei, are these Missing-nin from other countries?” Tsukuyomi asked curiously.
“Most likely.
Among them, there might be Missing-nin from other Hidden Villages, but more are likely bandits who have learned Ninjutsu,” Hashirama replied.
Matsuake suddenly understood: “No wonder they’d rather be Missing-nin than seek refuge in a Hidden Village.
If they were previously wanted bandits, they probably have criminal records with the authorities.” The three didn’t just engage in idle chatter; they maintained a brisk pace as they traveled.
For the past six or seven years, since childhood, Matsuake and Tsukuyomi had hardly ever left the village.
For most people in this era, this was the norm.
Apart from professions like ninja or merchants, the vast majority of civilians might never leave the village they were born in.
Along the way, both of them couldn’t help but feel curious.
Konohagakure is a Hidden Village, primarily composed of ninja, standing unique throughout the entire Land of Fire.
So in this era, what were other villages or towns without ninja like?
Was the world outside Konohagakure different in terms of culture, scenery, and people compared to the village itself?
However, the landscape of this era left Matsuake somewhat disappointed.
At first, he indeed encountered many sights he had never seen before.
In the dense, largely undeveloped forests, there were flowers, plants, and trees of all shapes and forms.
Occasionally, the fleeting shadows of wild animals would dart through the jungle.
On the roads, they sometimes passed merchant caravans.
Along the way, they even encountered a merchant group that had once been escorted by Konohagakure ninja, who specifically approached Hashirama to express their gratitude.
However, as the group traveled farther from Konohagakure, the scenes before their eyes gradually began to change.
The location of Konohagakure was already one of the more prosperous regions within the Land of Fire.
The areas where Missing-nin could run rampant were generally the less developed parts of the country.
As their journey neared its end, desolation, decay, and poverty cast a gray shadow over the once vibrant and colorful world.
People killed by bandits, those mauled to death by wild beasts, or those who starved due to lack of food.
Along the way, Matsuake personally witnessed more corpses than he had in both his lifetimes combined.
Tsukuyomi, too, was leaving Konohagakure for the first time to travel such a great distance and had likewise never seen such cruel scenes.
Several times, the sights they encountered were so horrifying that both of them turned pale.
The group eventually arrived at the village where the mission had been issued, as planned.
However, what they saw before them left Matsuake and the others with grim expressions.
Amidst broken walls and ruins, charred timber slanted into the ground.
Pools of blood had congealed on the parched, muddy earth, while lingering smoke and dust mingled with the scent of blood, hanging in the dead, silent air.
Scattered farming tools and shattered pottery lay beside uncollected corpses, hastily covered with rubble and weeds.
“This is too much,” Tsukuyomi’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“Everyone…” “Tsukuyomi.” Matsuake’s expression was serious as he gently placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“Use your Byakugan to scout the surroundings.
See if there are any survivors.” “Understood.” Hearing this, Tsukuyomi suppressed her emotions and activated her Byakugan.
After scanning the area, she was about to shake her head when her gaze suddenly sharpened.
“Wait, there seems to be a survivor at the bottom of a well about 200 meters to the right.” “Judging by the size, it looks like a child.” This was one reason why ninja of the Hyūga Clan were more well-liked in Konohagakure than those of the Uchiha Clan.
At the very least, within the visual range of the Byakugan, no person or object could remain hidden.
Tsukuyomi swiftly ran toward the location she had seen with her Byakugan.
Matsuake and Hashirama followed closely behind.
Upon reaching the target spot, they found a narrow well.
A thick rope was tied to the edge of the well, with one end secured outside and the other descending into the dark depths of the well opening.
Matsuake approached the well, grasped the rope with both hands, and began pulling it upward with effort.
From the weight he felt in his hands, he could tell that there was indeed a child’s weight on the other end of the rope.
Seemingly frightened by the movement of the rope, Matsuake clearly felt the person on the other end struggling and shaking.
“Please don’t be afraid!
We are ninja from Konohagakure!” Matsuake shouted loudly into the well.
This sentence quickly took effect, the frequency of the rope’s movement gradually decreasing from the other end.
Fearing to startle the person hiding at the bottom of the well again, Matsuake slowed his movements considerably.
Soon, the person at the bottom was pulled up.
At the other end of the rope was tied a wooden bucket, and inside the bucket, curled up, was a frail little girl.
Her face was sallow and emaciated from long-term malnutrition, and she now looked at the three of them with fearful eyes.