Chapter 56: 54: Root Ninja
Starting from the entrance of Konoha Village at noon, it would take at least ten hours to travel to the frontline battlefield of the Land of Fire.
In the evening, Shiraishi and his group of six found a piece of terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack and rested for the night, preparing to start the next morning, and then in the evening of the next day, they should be able to reach the Konoha camp on the front line.
In this ninja war between Suna and Konoha, the border line is at the border between the Land of River and the Land of Fire.
This is a small country that lives between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. The north is adjacent to the Land of Rain. There is a certain amount of ninja power in the country, but the organized ninja villages are too weak and not popular.
Therefore, in this war, the power of the ninja in the Land of River is almost negligible.
The six people were resting in an open space, but the desire to communicate with each other is not very strong.
After a long journey, everyone was already tired, and they all hoped to have a good rest.
Second, the two teams were not very familiar with each other.
Maybe Jiraiya and Sakumo have a good relationship, but there's no connection between Shiraishi and Minato.
Even if they knew each other, they only heard each other's names by chance. They were nodding acquaintances, not even ordinary friends.
"He's powerful" Shiraishi, who was leaning against a big tree, was frowning and contemplating the matter of natural energy, when Ruri suddenly said this.
"What?" Shiraishi finished thinking and raised his head subconsciously.
"This guy has no flaws in his body. Even when he is resting, he chooses terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and he judged it at the first time. It can be seen that his analytical skills are also first-class. Facing. Sakumo-sensei, he didn't appear to be arrogant or impetuous, and was not overwhelmed by. Sakumo's aura. He was very confident in his own strength."
Shiraishi understood who Ruri was talking about; it was Namikaze Minato on the other side.
Shiraishi nodded in agreement with Ruri's evaluation.
How can a ninja who can be brought by Sannin be so simple? What's more, at the academy, the other party had already been famous, and is a well-known genius.
According to Shiraishi's estimation, Minato's current strength is likely to have reached the level of Joinin.
"But compared to you, Ruri, it should be a little worse," Ayane said with a smile.
Ruri's strength in Sakumo's team is second only to that of the leader, Sakumo. In addition to the excellent kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan, it is generally difficult for Jonin to to defeat Ruri.
"This kind of thing can only be known after one fight."
Although Ruri was proud, she felt that Minato, who could follow Sannin, was not comparable to a normal Jōnin.
However, Ruri is also very confident in her own strength, especially after she has mastered natural energy, her physical skills alone will be a problem for high level ninjas.
What's more, in the battle, you should always pay attention to her Sharingan.
Overall, if a battle does occur, Ruri doesn't think that she has the possibility of losing. But it is also a fact that the opponent's strength is not bad.
If the situation allows, she really want to try it out, but the wasn't an appropriate place. So she had to restrain herself.
"Okay, it's almost time for patrol," Shiraishi got up and ended the topic about Minato.
Even though the last mission annihilated an elite unit of Suna, there has been no news of the destruction in the land of fire recently, but it cannot be relaxed.
As long as you leave the village to perform tasks, you must pay 200% attention to prevent accidents from happening.
The patrol mission of Team Sakumo has always been a team of two.
Shiraishi and Ayane were in charge of the first half of the night, while Ruri and Sakumo were in charge of the second half of the night.
Now that the sky is almost dark, Shiraishi and Ayane have also started their patrol work in the first half of the night, to check around to see if there are any enemies lurking.
Nodding at Ruri, Shiraishi and Ayane disappeared from the spot and started patrol work.
Ruri glanced at the backs of the two and said nothing.
The task of patrolling is relatively simple for Shiraishi's group. After all, there is Ayane's Byakugan. Within a radius of five kilometers, as long as there is an enemy approaching here, there will be nowhere to hide in the white eyes.
Although it cannot be compared with Perception Ninja in terms of range, Perception Ninjutsu can only determine the distance, direction and number of targets, while Byakugan's omni-directional monitoring ability can know what moves the enemy uses to attack, and what means they need to use. Take advantage of the enemy and quickly suppress the enemy's morale.
It is precisely because of Byakugan's credit that Konoha can avoid the traps carefully designed by the enemy in every war, making any conspiracy and tricks of the enemy invalid.
"It's almost here."
In another forest, Shiraishi stopped.
Ayane has rolled her eyes, as long as anyone approaches here, she will be discovered by her.
Next, they only need to circle around regularly to complete the patrol mission in the first half of the night.
Shiraishi took out a note from the puch and put it in Ayane's hand.
Ayane tilted her head incomprehensibly, but she still held it in her hand, looked left and right, found nothing abnormal, and opened the note.
It says - Are there toads around?
"..."
Toad?. Ayane didn't quite understand why Shiraishi asked such a question, so she just shook her head slightly.
There are quite a few insects around, but the closest toad is more than 100 meters away from here, and it is still in the river.
"It looks like there are no toads."
"Yes, there are no traces of toads around. But why should Shiraishi-kun pay special attention to toads?"
Ayane blinked and asked her doubts.
"That's because a lot of toads suddenly appeared in Konoha Village recently, and I'm worried that someone is using them for espionage."
"Using toads for espionage?"
"Yes, it's highly likely that Jiraiya Jonin, one of the three sannin, is involved. I heard he formed a summoning contract with the toads from tMount Myoboku. Toads are inconspicuous creatures, making them perfect for collecting information unnoticed by others, don't you think?"
That's why Ruri focuses on training cats, as she suspects that others might be using toads for information gathering.
"Are you looking for something?"
Ayane appeared thoughtful.
"It's not very clear, but it might be for surveillance purposes. Anyway, the toad matter doesn't directly concern us. We just need to be vigilant when sharing information in the future."
"That's true, indeed."
Ayane nodded in understanding.
There are no signs of anything abnormal around them, and there is no Anbu monitoring, indicating that their secret has not been exposed.
It's best not to overreact or draw unnecessary attention. Even if something unexpected were to happen, they should stick to their usual routine.
"By the way, there's another troublesome thing I need to tell you."
Shiraishi scratched his head, sighing with a sense of helplessness, struggling to find the right words.
"Troublesome? What is it?"
"It's about Ruri."
Shiraishi's gaze shifted awkwardly. Ayane immediately caught on to his implication.
"Shouldn't it be..."
"As you suspect, our secret relationship has been revealed. So from now on, when the three of us are together, I won't need to hide my strength. I'll fight at full power."
Shiraishi continued to scratch his head, sensing that the situation was becoming more complicated.
Due to Ruri's response to the situation, he couldn't deduce any useful information. But it was alright. In the future, when they act together, he won't need to conceal his abilities anymore.
Perhaps, this would be a better way to complete their missions.
After that, as long as Ruri and Ayane received credit, he could remain still remain as an inconspicuous individual.
After all, safety must come first.
"That's how it is."
Ayane lowered her head slightly, ensuring no one could read her expression.
She refrained from asking why it got exposed because such a question would be meaningless. Moving forward, they just needed to relax and cooperate with one another..Still, she couldn't help feeling a bit reluctant.
After all, she was the first one to learn about Shiraishi-kun's true secret, right? Ayane couldn't help but feel a tad bit worried.
"Are you alright?" Shiraishi asked, concerned that Ayane might be overthinking things.
"I'm fine. Actually, I think Shiraishi-kun should have confessed to Ruri earlier."
Ayane raised her head, offering a smile. She had managed to sort out her feelings of disappointment and hid them well. Whatever thoughts were swirling in her mind, she kept to herself.
Shiraishi couldn't read anything from Ayane's cheerful expression, but he realized how much she had grown compared to before.
To avoid any awkwardness, it was better to conclude this topic swiftly.
Continuing the discussion in front of a woman about another woman seemed like a recipe for disaster.
With that, Shiraishi gave Ayane the natural energy training method and the supplementary medicine, encouraging her to freely use natural energy as soon as possible.
Among the three of them, Ayane would probably benefit the most from natural energy.
As a member of the Hyuga clan, her primary fighting style was taijutsu, the gentle fist technique, which she combined with Byakugan.
Shiraishi couldn't fully fathom how much Ayane's gentle fist's power would increase after mastering natural energy, but the benefits she reaped were likely to surpass his and Ruri's.
He eagerly anticipated witnessing Ayane's growth with the power of natural energy and soft fist.
Instead of starting her training right away, Ayane joined Shiraishi for a patrol around the area.
No problems arose during the first half of the night's patrol. However, since Jiraiya's team was also involved in patrolling, the night patrol was divided into three shifts.
As a result, Shiraishi and Ayane completed their patrol mission two hours earlier than usual and returned to the camp to rest.
The night passed uneventfully.
In the early morning of the second day, the group of six set off once again.
They traveled all day, and as evening approached, they finally arrived at the border area between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers. This was the general base of Konoha's attack against Suna.
More than 2,000 Konoha ninjas were stationed here, and the commander was Orochimaru, the same rank as Jiraiya, with Tsunade as the deputy commander, supporting Orochimaru.
Despite the strong presence of Konoha ninjas, the battle situation on the front line was still intense and should not be underestimated.
After passing through a strict inspection, the Konoha ninjas guarding the camp allowed them to enter.
Once inside the camp, Shiraishi noticed a heavy and somber atmosphere, in stark contrast to the liveliness of Konoha.
Paramedics carried the wounded on stretchers, while groups of ninjas gathered near tents, holding simple hot food with blank expressions, eating with little enthusiasm. Many of them couldn't stomach the food and ended up vomiting, clutching their chests and seeking relief from water.
Passing through the medical area, painful screams of injured ninjas emanated from the tents.
Tensions were high, as the slightest trigger could ignite the pent-up negative emotions in their hearts, leading to mental breakdowns.
This was the reality of war.
Sakumo and Jiraiya needed to meet with Commander Orochimaru, leaving Shiraishi and Minato waiting outside the camp.
Fortunately, the wait wasn't long. After a few minutes, Sakumo emerged from the tent, holding an additional scroll that contained the tasks assigned to his team.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
With limited time, Sakumo planned to explain the mission to Shiraishi and the others while they were on the move.
Then, they bid farewell to Minato, and Sakumo's team departed, leaving the camp behind.
...
"Now, we'll divide our troops into two groups, and our task is to cut off Suna's supply line."
Without wasting time, Sakumo halted their progress a few kilometers away from Konoha's camp and briefly explained the mission.
"Is it just the three of us?"
The trio of Shiraishi was taken aback.
"There will be Anbu to assist along the way. However, this mission is of great importance, and we cannot risk any leaks. So, if you encounter anyone who isn't one of our own on the way... kill them all!"
Sakumo's demeanor turned stern, and Shiraishi felt a chill down his spine.
Suna Village's supply line could not be left intact within the Land of Fire, so they had to venture into the Land of River to cut it off. This meant that even if they encountered ordinary people in the Land of River, they had to eliminate them to prevent their mission from being compromised.
"From this direction, about fifteen kilometers away, you'll find a team of Anbu."
Sakumo pointed southwest.
The three of them looked in the direction he indicated, and beyond that lay the region of the Land of Rivers, outside the Land of Fire.
"If you understand, let's get moving."
Once Sakumo finished speaking, he vanished in the opposite direction.
The three of them exchanged glances, sensing the gravity of the situation.
Not only were they tasked with a difficult mission of cutting off Suna's supply line, but they were also given a merciless order to eliminate all witnesses. Even with Anbu assistance, this mission was fraught with danger.
Shiraishi let out a sigh and said, "Let's not worry too much. If the higher-ups assigned us this task, it means they believe we can accomplish it. Our priority now is to meet the Anbu."
Indeed, while Sakumo provided them with the mission's objectives, he didn't divulge the specific steps. It seemed that Sakumo had his own mission and only revealed as much as he deemed necessary.
To proceed further and cooperate with Anbu, the trio needed to rendezvous with the Anbu staff.
Both Ruri and Ayane agreed, so they acted promptly.
In about ten minutes, they arrived at the designated location fifteen kilometers southwest.
As Sakumo mentioned, there were Anbu ninjas from Konoha, four of them in total.
However, something was amiss—the masks they wore were slightly different from the ones Shiraishi had seen before. The mask patterns exuded a sense of depression and gloom.
Especially their eyes behind the masks, cold and emotionless, like machines.
"You are..."
"We are members of Anbu's 'Root.' We'll be collaborating with you to carry out the task of cutting off Suna's supply line."
The leader stepped forward and addressed the three of Shiraishi indifferently.
"'Root'?"
The three of Shiraishi were puzzled, but the leader didn't explain further. He continued in a detached tone, "Your team will be responsible for feinting and distracting the enemy, while we will handle the destruction."
With that, he and the other three ninjas lifted their shirts, revealing numerous detonating tags affixed to their bodies.
"We'll also have detonators on ourselves. So once the feint is successful, make sure to find a way to leave the battlefield quickly. These detonating tags are powerful, and if you die, don't blame us for not warning you."
"..."
It became clear that, in this mission, they had to be more vigilant of their own allies than of the enemy.
Who in their right mind would stick exploding tags on their bodies, ready to blow up at any moment?
They were dealing with a group of fanatics! The three of Shiraishi felt a headache coming on.
An urgent desire to distance themselves from these lunatics gripped them, fearing any misstep from these people that might turn them into living explosives.
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