Under the fading twilight, the sun slanted down across the treetops like a weary old man watching the end of another day.
The shadows of four figures stretched long against the trees. July's heat still lingered in the air, carried gently by the evening wind that rustled through the mountains. The orange glow of dusk made everything seem calm—deceptively calm.
Four ninja moved swiftly between the branches, yellow uniforms flickering through the fading light.
The leader was a tall man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a headband, a small mole sitting beneath his left eye. Behind him were three young shinobi—barely into their teens, still without forehead protectors, but clearly trained.
This was Sakada Jōnin's team.
They had been stationed at the border for over a week now. Tension had been building between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, and everyone in Sunagakure could feel that war was close. Rumors had been circulating for months, and though the higher-ups said nothing to confirm or deny them, every ninja could sense the unease.
The Land of Rain and the Land of Grass were at a deadlock. All it would take was a single spark to ignite the flames of war.
Most of the Sand ninjas were restless, craving purpose. They had lived in harsh deserts for too long, and the thought of fertile land drove many to obsession.
A few days ago, Sakada's team received an A-rank mission. They were ordered to travel from the Land of Rivers into the Land of Fire—to track a group of enemy ninjas from the Hidden Rain Village.
The mission was dangerous. In this political climate, a single mistake could start a full-scale war.
To avoid suspicion, they disguised themselves in plain yellow uniforms without the insignia of Sunagakure and crossed the Land of Rivers quietly. Days of nonstop travel had worn everyone down.
The black-haired boy on the left finally broke the silence. "Sakada-sensei, the report says the other side has two jōnin. Are we really enough to take them on?"
After all, their team consisted of one jōnin—Sakada himself—and three genin, one of whom specialized in scouting.
Sakada chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Don't worry. We're not the only team assigned to this task. Another squad set out before us. Once we locate the Rain ninjas, we just need to send a signal. No one from the Hidden Leaf will notice us out here."
Then, his tone sharpened. "And remember this, Kimura. I can handle two jōnin on my own. No matter who they are."
Kimura blinked, surprised. "Sakada-sensei… why are you so confident?"
Sakada's eyes glinted with conviction. "A ninja's path is narrow and uncertain. If you start doubting yourself halfway through, death will catch you faster than any kunai."
He paused, raising his chin proudly. "And besides, I am Sakada."
Kimura's admiration was obvious now—his teacher's confidence was infectious.
Sakada glanced sideways at the genin to his right. "Watanabe, you've been quiet. Something wrong?"
Watanabe sighed. "It's nothing, sensei. Just… this place is too humid. I feel like I'm melting."
He frowned, brushing sweat from his brow. "It's been sunny for days, but the air here still feels heavy. I really hate water."
Kimura snorted. "Then you'd hate the Land of Rain. It pours there every single day."
"Exactly," Watanabe replied seriously. "At least in the Sand Village, it's dry. You don't even need to bathe that often. I like that."
The rest of the team nodded, sharing a small laugh.
"By the way, Sakada-sensei," Watanabe asked, "have you ever been to Konoha?"
Before Sakada could answer, Kimura jumped in, eyes shining. "Of course he has! There's no place in the Five Great Nations that Sakada-sensei hasn't been to!"
"How's that possible?" Watanabe countered, half-joking.
"It's true! He's even visited the Hokage Building!" Kimura said, puffing up with exaggerated pride.
Sakada coughed lightly, hiding a smile. "Alright, enough of that. Back to the mission. This information cost our village dearly to acquire. We're going after the gold mine operation the Rain Village is smuggling through Fire Country. If we succeed, it'll ease our daimyo's pressure on our funding."
Suddenly, the quiet girl at the back—Manase—raised her hand slightly.
Sakada instantly signaled for silence. "What is it, Manase?"
Her voice was calm and clipped. "Ahead. Chakra. Shinobi."
Her simple words were all the confirmation the team needed.
Sakada's gaze sharpened. He gestured quickly, and the group dispersed, forming a tight perimeter around their sensor.
"It seems we found them first," Sakada said, lips curling into a confident smile. "Prepare for combat."
---
Meanwhile, not far away, Hayashi stood beside a tent, scanning the tree line with quiet focus.
"Mikoto, anything unusual?" he asked, returning from his patrol route.
Mikoto shook her head. "No, everything's calm. None of the traps have been triggered, and the snakes haven't reported movement."
"Alright. Pack it up," Hayashi said, clapping his hands once. "We just need to wait for Orochimaru-sensei's signal, then we can head back."
Kushina and Mikoto began dismantling the tents efficiently, while Nawaki checked their supplies.
"I'll take a quick look ahead," Hayashi said, adjusting his gear.
"Got it. Be careful out there, Hayashi," Nawaki replied, his tone serious.
Before Hayashi could leave, his small companion Dabai emerged from the bushes, whispering something urgently in his ear.
Hayashi's expression darkened.
"What happened?" Mikoto asked, sensing the shift.
"Dabai detected chakra fluctuations nearby," Hayashi replied, his eyes narrowing.
"Could it be Rain ninjas?" Nawaki asked.
Hayashi shook his head. "No. The chakra is coming from the direction of the Land of Rivers."
"What?!" Mikoto and Kushina exchanged alarmed looks.
Their mission was to intercept a group of Rain shinobi transporting gold through the Fire Country. Their entire surveillance range was confined between the borders of Fire and Rain.
If chakra was now appearing from the Land of Rivers… there was only one possibility.
The ninjas approaching weren't from the Rain Village.
They were from Sunagakure.
And that meant things were about to get complicated.
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