Chapter 20: Arrival
Back at home.
Seimei sat in silence for a while, then began packing his gear.
Though the mission was scheduled for tomorrow, preparing his equipment early meant he wouldn't be flustered when the time came. He could also double-check for anything missing.
He picked up his ninja tools pouch and began loading it.
Six kunai, fifteen shuriken, one roll of wire, five explosive tags, a jar of ointment for treating external wounds, two rolls of bandages, three general antidote pills, and a packet of soldier pills.
As for maps and other such items, Furukawa would carry them—he didn't need to worry about that.
After organizing his equipment, Seimei focused his efforts on cultivation.
Since there was no mission today, he could complete his training earlier and preserve chakra for tomorrow's operation.
Even if it was just a simple bandit-clearing mission, it still involved leaving the village, so Seimei wouldn't let his guard down.
It was wartime, and no one knew how many enemy shinobi had infiltrated the Land of Fire.
Their main objectives were to disrupt the country's stability, sabotage logistics, assassinate key figures, and gather intelligence. But who could guarantee they wouldn't casually kill someone they encountered?
Even if Furukawa was strong, he was just one jōnin. If ambushed, he might not be able to protect them.
Of course, the more likely scenario was that they wouldn't run into enemy shinobi at all.
If so, they could safely complete their mission.
But what if?
Seimei never left anything to chance—he always prepared for the worst.
It wasn't realistic to try and learn a new jutsu at the last minute. And the ones he already knew couldn't be upgraded in such a short time.
His biggest trump card—the Sharingan—couldn't be awakened just by willing it into existence.
Therefore, beyond gear, the most important thing was to ensure he had ample chakra before departure.
That meant finishing today's training as early as possible, so he could store chakra for tomorrow.
With that thought, Seimei closed his eyes and began refining chakra.
Time passed, minute by minute.
The room gradually fell into stillness, broken only by the soft rhythm of Seimei's breathing.
······
The next day.
Morning.
A quarter before ten, Seimei arrived at the gates of Konoha.
From a distance, he spotted Ryoji and Mizutani Shizuko.
The two were fully equipped, but their spirits were noticeably worse than yesterday.
Seeing Seimei approach, Ryoji forced a smile and yawned before saying, "You're early today."
Seimei didn't answer the question. Instead, he asked, "Judging by how you two look, didn't sleep well?"
Hearing this, Mizutani Shizuko—panda eyes and all—lowered her head in embarrassment. Ryoji scratched his neck awkwardly and said, "N-nothing."
Clearly, they didn't want Seimei to know about their anxiety.
Especially since Seimei seemed as calm and composed as ever—if anything, more energized than usual.
It made them feel a bit self-conscious.
Just then, Furukawa appeared before the three of them.
"Sensei!" ×3
The trio greeted him in unison.
"Mm."
Furukawa nodded, his gaze sweeping over their bodies, noting their states but making no comment. He simply asked, "Are your supplies ready?"
"All set."
They responded in unison.
"Good. Then let's move out."
With that, he took the lead and darted out of the village.
Seimei and the others quickly followed.
Along the way, no one spoke.
The nervousness Ryoji and Mizutani Shizuko had felt began to fade in the monotony of travel.
······
Several hours later.
The sky was growing dim.
A few hundred meters from Mt. Kuro, Seimei and his team came to a stop.
After traveling continuously without rest, even though their pace wasn't especially fast, the journey had still thoroughly exhausted the group.
Well, more precisely, it had exhausted Ryoji and Mizutani Shizuko. Especially Shizuko—she was nearly collapsing.
Among the four of them, she had the weakest constitution.
If not for sheer willpower, she might have already fallen.
As for Furukawa, needless to say, this level of activity was nothing to a jōnin.
Seimei's physique had also improved slightly and was now beyond that of ordinary people. With his abundant chakra, the only sign of fatigue was heavier breathing—otherwise, he was perfectly fine.
Ryoji 's condition was slightly better than Shizuko's, and he had a little energy left. But if they had to fight now, it would be asking too much of him.
Thankfully, Furukawa wasn't insane enough to send them directly into battle. Otherwise, Seimei would have to act alone.
After stopping, Furukawa glanced over the three of them and said, "Use the time to recover. We begin the mission in two hours."
Upon hearing that, Ryoji and Mizutani Shizuko collapsed onto the ground.
They opened their tool pouches, pulled out a soldier pill each, bit down with a crunch, swallowed, and then began resting.
Seimei also consumed a soldier pill, but instead of resting, he climbed up into the treetop. Taking advantage of the lingering twilight, he pulled out a monocular and began observing the direction of Mt. Kuro.
He had bought this monocular specifically that morning. Without any detection-type jutsu, this was the best option for now.
Why bother when Furukawa was right there?
The reason was simple—Furukawa had already made it clear during the journey: once they arrived, he would no longer offer any advice or assistance. During the mission, everything would be up to them.
That was exactly why Seimei was being so cautious.
Fortunately, the bandits hadn't received word of their arrival, nor had they launched a surprise attack. During his observation, they remained peacefully holed up in the mountains.
What's that?
You wonder how the bandits could possibly know they were coming?
Well, it's not impossible.
If Furukawa wanted to increase the difficulty of the mission, he could have leaked the information himself.
For a jōnin, doing so without them noticing wouldn't be difficult at all.
Thankfully, Furukawa wasn't quite that deranged.
Actually, Seimei had misunderstood him.
Furukawa did value real combat training and wanted to develop his students quickly so they'd stand a better chance of surviving on the battlefield later.
But he also considered their limits.
Clearly, aside from Seimei, both Ryoji and Mizutani Shizuko were nearing their physical and mental breaking points under the pressure. There was no need to push further.
Seeing Seimei's cautious behavior, even the usually stern-faced Furukawa couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
He had already guessed what Seimei was thinking.
'Do I really seem that twisted?'
Furukawa recalled his recent actions and muttered to himself, "Probably not… right?"
Still, his appreciation for Seimei deepened.
It wasn't just that he trained diligently—more importantly, he remained level-headed, careful, and methodical.
No matter the time or place, caution was a necessity for any shinobi.
If Furukawa had to choose one of the three most likely to survive the battlefield, he would undoubtedly choose Seimei.
Because Seimei's temperament gave him the greatest chance of survival.
As for strength?
Sorry, on a battlefield that was practically a meat grinder, even jōnin couldn't guarantee their lives—let alone genin.
"Sigh… I just hope they all make it out alive."
Letting out a quiet sigh, Furukawa withdrew his gaze from Seimei.
In a flash, he moved to a different tall tree and looked into the distance.
His eyes seemed to pierce through the mountains and forests, seeing the ninja from each village locked in deadly combat at the frontlines.
(End of Chapter)
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