In the peaceful world of ordinary people, everyone moves along with the cycles of society. But in the shadowed ninja world, some are forced, or choose, to immerse themselves in endless bloodshed, forging their paths through fire and fate.
The seasons turned in Fresno City, just as they did elsewhere. Tender buds sprouted on branches beneath the dim glow of neon lights, while heavy snow blanketed the Hokage Rock overlooking Konoha. Similar landscapes unfolded in parallel.
After parting ways with Sumika, the time for departure approached.
The lingering heat of late summer had yet to fade, and Logan wasted no time.
Making the necessary but few preparations, he imagined what Konoha would look like in its 63rd year. With his vacation set, he stood in his own room and activated the long-prepared, upgraded version of the Flying Thunder God Technique, a technique that could now bridge two worlds.
A flash of light, possibly an illusion, filled his vision. The sensation of Space-Time twisted around him, pulling him forward. As an outsider, it felt as if he had been away for an incredibly long time. With both nervousness and determination in his heart, Logan once again set foot on this long-lost land.
…
In the dense forest, a dark figure darted through the trees.
Rustling sounds echoed as leaves brushed against a speeding form. Shafts of light pierced through the canopy, occasionally illuminating the silhouette leaping between branches. A flak jacket, an engraved emblem… this was a Konoha's Ninja Team on a mission.
"Remember, the enemy numbers no more than twenty. Don't just focus on what's ahead, and if they scatter, drive them north. We can't let them retreat into the mountain range outside the Capital's outskirts..."
The man leading the team spoke in a deep, commanding voice. He was their team's Jonin Instructor. A dangerous scar ran from his jaw down to his neck, giving him an imposing, almost fearsome presence.
"Our intel indicates two Rogue Ninja among them, with one using Earth Release and the other using Water Release. Most Rogue Ninja are just third-rate stragglers. I'll handle them. If you run into them, don't panic. "
His instructions came just before battle. Behind him, two young men and a girl followed closely, their expressions serious and focused.
"Mai, how much farther?" After a brief silence, the Jonin turned his head and asked the girl in the team.
They passed through a stream of sunlight that washed over them like flowing water. The girl's delicate features, already hinting at maturity, stood out beneath the warm glow. Her fair skin was almost luminous, but it was her eyes, which were bright and deep, catching the light for an instant, that made her stand out, stark against the forest's dimness.
Hase Mai closed her eyes for a moment, sensing the area. Then, she opened them and reported, "It's very close, less than a kilometer away, Gensaku-sensei."
Gensaku's expression darkened, and his aura sharpened instantly. This sentence was also a warning signal to the other two Genin, and the four of them rushed forward faster.
Keeping pace with their teacher, Mai reached for the kunai in her pouch, gripping it tightly. Her extraordinary sensory abilities spread out like a serpent, giving her a precise read of the terrain.
Ahead, various signatures flickered, some strong, some weak. Eighteen enemies in total.
Yes, their mission's objective was to wipe out a group of bandits.
Pushing off a tree trunk, she propelled herself forward with chakra, moving at a speed beyond ordinary humans. The wind howled past her face. During a brief moment of clarity, Mai glanced at her teammates and teacher, who are all focused on their route.
Layer upon layer of tree shadows passed by. In the distance, a faint blue-green silhouette of mountains stretched across the horizon. This was the closest she had been to the border since arriving in Konoha. She had once convinced her brother to travel across the vast land to the Land of Fire, to live and study there, to become a Ninja.
That had been over three years ago.
Now, time compressed into a single instant. She had cautiously integrated into the Ninja Academy as a transfer student, where her talent in Chakra Control had been noticed. This led her to study under the Medical Department, progressing step by step. The once-timid girl from a small fishing village in the Land of the Moon had grown rapidly.
Not only did she possess an aptitude for Medical Ninjutsu, but her exceptional sensory abilities made her stand out even more. Her talents had even caught the attention of Tsunade, who had taken over as the Fifth Hokage after the Third Hokage retired.
Mai's path as a Ninja suddenly became clear and unobstructed. Some marveled at her progress, others envied her, but no one knew…
One lonely night, she had discovered the true identity of the person she had been thinking about for so long.
The gap between expectation and reality became an endless abyss. She had curled up under her blanket, desperately recalling the warmth of that moonlit night and the colors of the dawn's aurora. She had tried so hard to reconcile what she had seen and heard with the person she had once known.
Her Ninja skills continued to grow, but her sense of purpose seemed to fade.
The metallic clang of kunai being drawn snapped Mai back to the present. Her teammates, Arata and Yuta, were preparing for battle.
This was an ordinary mission to exterminate mountain bandits. However, the presence of Rogue Ninja had raised it to a B-rank mission.
If there was anything unusual about this group of criminals, it was their sheer stupidity. They had committed three consecutive robberies in Capital's territory, but had made no effort to escape. Instead, they had arrogantly hidden deep in the mountains, believing themselves safe.
Since the stability of the Capital's surrounding areas was at stake, it prompt Konoha to swiftly dispatch a squad.
Despite following the standard setup of one Jonin and three Genin, the members of this team were all above-average for their level.
Unlike the typical teams formed right after graduating from the academy, this squad had been assembled from previously disbanded groups due to various reasons. Apart from Mai, the others had prior field experience, meaning there was no sign of rookie panic.
Calling them an 'Elite Team' might be a stretch, but 'Veteran Team' seemed fitting.
The veteran team had actually scouted the bandits' hideout just the day before, but unexpectedly, by the time they moved in for the takedown the next morning, the entire group had fled. This led to the current pursuit.
The first flash of cold steel in the dim forest came from the bandits. Realizing they couldn't outrun trained Ninja, the ambushers hiding in the tall grass erupted with feral cries, brandishing their weapons as they charged.
Mai and the others reacted calmly. Their Jonin Instructor, Kurokawa Gensaku, leaped into the air, traversing the towering treetops as if they were nothing.
He bypassed the weaker foes entirely, heading straight for the two Rogue Ninjas holding the rear.
In an instant, the once-silent forest was filled with battle cries and the clash of metal. Without the naivety of fresh graduates, Arata and Yuta met the bandits' attacks with cold precision, effortlessly dodging axes and swords before driving their kunai into enemy flesh.
"Mai, we'll handle the frontal assault. A few are trying to slip away on the left, so you should take care of them." Yuta said.
Mai glanced over. While some bandits were charging ahead, others were attempting a retreat. She had no complaints about the relatively easier task assigned to her. After all, given her role as the team's sensor and support, getting such task made sense.
With a quick acknowledgment, she dashed off.
No one could stand in her way. And within minutes, the battlefield shifted overwhelmingly in their favor.
Ordinary bandits, no matter how physically strong, were no match for trained Ninja.
Mai flung a shuriken, causing the raggedly dressed criminals to scatter in panic. After a short chase, they seemed to realize something, learning that they were fleeing from a single, seemingly frail girl. Exchanging glances, they suddenly turned and charged back at her.
"Let's go all in, brothers!"
"We can take her!"
Mai swiftly knocked them all out.
However, something unexpected happened during this seemingly straightforward mission.
After taking down the last fleeing bandit, Mai wiped the sweat from her forehead, exhaled softly, and surveyed the area. As she counted the bodies, she realized something was off.
One was missing.
"Hehehe..." A sinister chuckle echoed through the trees.
Dirt suddenly rose up from four directions three meters away from Mai. The earth and rocks fell, turning into four identical figures.
"Little girl, don't get cocky just because you took down some small fry. You didn't even notice me lurking, did you? I, the 'Stealth Master Tsuchiro', have been perfecting my Earth Clone Concealment Technique for more than 20 years. I am renowned across the Rogue Ninja World, and even your Jonin Instructor didn't sense me..."
The four identical, mud-covered figures smirked confidently, stepping forward in unison, mirroring each other as if reflected in four different mirrors.
"Can you tell which one is real? Heh… Once I take out you three brats, I'll go help those two useless Rogue Ninjas..."
A kunai sliced through the darkness, piercing the chest of the one on the right.
"Wha… you… how..." The real 'Stealth Master Tsuchiro' gasped in disbelief, clutching the kunai embedded in his chest. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he stared at the composed girl before him.
"You talk too much..." Mai pouted and whispered imperceptibly, "Twenty years of training in one Earth Release Ninjutsu, and I saw through it instantly..."
Tsuchiro, known as the 'Stealth Master', coughed up more blood as his hand covered his chest.
"Is there one more missing?" A ferocious and majestic voice came. Gensaku appeared out of nowhere, his presence radiating menace. Apparently, he had already taken care of the other two Rogue Ninjas.
"Yeah, one slipped through. Apparently, he's been practicing Earth Clone Concealment Technique for over twenty years." Mai responded seriously.
Gensaku frowned. The three earth clones had already crumbled into dust. He studied the lone survivor, debating whether he was impressive or just pathetic.
There was no further discussion. A kunai flew straight into Tsuchiro's skull, cutting short his years of infamy in the Rogue Ninja World.
The battle concluded without further incident.
Though Arata and Yuta weren't the fastest, they still overwhelmed the remaining bandits. When only seven or eight injured stragglers remained, the criminals surrendered, throwing down their weapons and pleading for mercy.
With that, the B-rank mission was successfully completed.
The three Genin instinctively exhaled in relief. After tying up the prisoners, they collapsed onto the ground, catching their breath.
The fight may have looked effortless, but it had taken its toll on them.
Mai, having expended the least energy, leaned against a tree and closed her eyes. Meanwhile, Gensaku crossed his arms, discussing the upcoming handover process and occasionally critiquing their performance. The team half-listened, half-rested.
Suddenly, Mai's senses jolted as if struck by lightning.
She shot up into a tree, her eyes widening, and she pointed in one direction, "Someone is coming, the speed... is so fast!"
This one sentence made everyone who was originally relaxed become alert again.