The team split into two groups. Uchiha Shisui carried the prisoner on his back while Shūichi Hoshita and the others bid farewell to Minato Namikaze under the moonlight. They then retraced their steps, eventually stopping to rest at the foot of the mountain where the rogue ninja's hideout was located.
Sanyō Kurama, still worried, said, "Shisui, are we really okay letting Minato-sensei handle a Jōnin and two Chūnin all by himself?"
Uchiha Shisui remained silent, fully aware of the reason behind Sanyō's concern.
Their previous team leader and another teammate had perished during a mission when their squad had split into two groups. It was during that mission that Shisui had awakened his Sharingan.
Shūichi Hoshita, observing Sanyō's anxious expression and Shisui's silence, thoughtfully said, "Sanyō, Minato-sensei's plan is the most suitable."
"With this prisoner, we need at least two people to carry him. If we divided into pairs, anyone who went with Minato-sensei might become a burden to him."
"So, the best strategy is for the three of us to stay together while Minato-sensei operates alone."
"As for Minato-sensei's strength, you might not have noticed during the fight earlier, but his speed with the Flying Thunder God Technique is unparalleled in the entire shinobi world."
"Even if he were outmatched, it would be easy for him to retreat alone."
After hearing Shūichi's analysis, Shisui smiled and said, "Shūichi is right, Sanyō. We need to trust in Minato-sensei."
Realizing that Shūichi's reasoning was sound, Sanyō shook off his worries and said, "Then let's hurry to our destination."
Half an hour later, the three continued on their journey, taking turns carrying the prisoner. After another hour, they crossed the border and located a Konoha patrol squad. They explained the situation to the Jōnin leading the patrol.
This Jōnin, named Sakai Itsuki, immediately instructed his three subordinates, "Shinichi, you three head out at once and notify the other two squads."
The border was long, so naturally, there was more than one patrol squad in the area—there were three, totaling twelve people.
All they could do now was wait.
Reflecting on the day's events, Shūichi closed his eyes to rest and conserve his energy.
Suddenly, Sanyō's voice broke the silence. "Shisui, what do you think the Third Hokage will decide?"
Shūichi immediately opened his eyes and looked at Shisui, who was leaning against a tree across from him.
"This situation involves three countries. The Third Hokage will likely be extremely cautious," Shisui replied. "After all, it hasn't been long since the Second Shinobi World War ended."
From his perspective, he didn't want to see another major war break out.
However, this mistake was entirely on Sunagakure's part, and Konoha had already caught them red-handed. There was no way the Land of Rivers would side with Sunagakure.
The only concern was whether Sunagakure would dare to start a war over this.
At that moment, Sanyō asked another question, "What do you think will happen to that village?"
Shisui was taken aback, not because he hadn't considered it, but because he subconsciously didn't want to think about it.
"The Third Hokage will likely leave that to the Anbu," Shisui finally answered, then looked at Shūichi and asked, "Shūichi, what do you think?"
Shūichi pondered for a moment and said, "Since it involves three nations, the Third Hokage will certainly be very cautious. As you said, it hasn't been long since the Shinobi World War ended. Neither we nor Sunagakure want another war, especially one that might give Amegakure an advantage."
After all, the Land of Rivers had been snatched from Amegakure's grasp.
"Right now, we have the upper hand, and there's a good chance we can secure the Land of Rivers."
Shūichi paused, then added, "As for that village, it might be handled by Root."
Technically speaking, Root was also part of the Anbu.
However, in Shūichi Hoshita's eyes, Root was Root, and the Anbu were the Hokage's direct subordinates.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, could dismiss Danzo from his position as the leader of Root with a single command, but in reality, Root remained under Danzo's control.
Danzo had placed curse marks on the key members of Root.
Although both the Anbu and Root handled the dirty and exhausting tasks, Shūichi felt that Root was more likely to be involved in this situation.
But what would Danzo do?
The atmosphere grew tense.
A six-year-old and two eight-year-olds were already being forced to confront a darkness more terrifying and torturous than death itself.
Before they knew it, the sun began to rise in the east.
After eating their rations in the morning, Shūichi and the others were assigned patrol duties by Jōnin Sakai Itsuki.
Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze had already returned to the Hokage Tower, where he reported the details of the mission and the intelligence they had gathered to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
In fact, when he returned to Konoha, he had brought along a prisoner—the Jōnin from Sunagakure—who had since been handed over to Konoha's interrogation unit. They would do everything they could to extract any valuable information from the prisoner's mind, whether it pertained to Sunagakure's plans or other secrets.
Given that this situation involved three countries, two ninja villages, and possibly even Amegakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but furrow his brow.
However, this was indeed an opportunity to monopolize the missions in the Land of Rivers. The only concern was whether Sunagakure would declare war as a result.
Or perhaps they might even ally with Hanzo.
After some thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally said, "Minato, your handling of the situation was very appropriate. Go and regroup with Shūichi and the others. Capture those rogue ninja and hand them over to Root. Let Root handle the rest."
This decision was not unexpected for Minato, and he immediately nodded. "Yes, Lord Third Hokage."
With that, Minato vanished from where he stood.
...
At the Fire Country border.
Shūichi Hoshita and the others had just completed a patrol and were taking a rest when Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared beside Uchiha Shisui.
"Minato-sensei!"
The three were pleasantly surprised.
Minato glanced at them and smiled, "Looks like I made it in time."
At that moment, a signal flare shot into the sky.
Shūichi couldn't help but smile. "You arrived just in time, Minato-sensei."
The bandits were coming!
The four of them immediately sprang into action, disappearing from their resting spot.
Moments later, when Shūichi and the others arrived at the battlefield, the fight was already over.
Aside from the two rogue ninja, ten villagers were also lying unconscious on the ground.
Nehan Shōja no Jutsu? (Temple of Nirvana Technique)
Shūichi speculated silently.
Soon, the other two patrol squads arrived, and Minato promptly relayed the orders from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
After hearing the orders, Sakai Itsuki smiled and said, "In that case, I'll leave these prisoners to you, Minato."
Minato responded immediately, "As it should be."
The three patrol squads then dispersed to resume their duties and to establish new patrol routes.
Once Sakai Itsuki and the others had left, Minato said, "Tie these people up first. Later, Shisui, you and I will head to the Land of Rivers to bring back the other two Sunagakure prisoners."
"Yes, Minato-sensei."
Root moved quickly, arriving at the border by noon.
There were two squads in total, all wearing animal masks and black cloaks, except for the leader.
However, the leader's identity shocked Shūichi Hoshita to the core.
Orochimaru!
Snake Bastard!
Has he(she/it?) already joined Root this quickly?
Upon seeing Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze immediately stepped forward and bowed in respect. "Orochimaru-sama."
"Minato…"
Orochimaru's gaze swept over the prisoners on the ground. "Are these the only ones?"
Minato replied, "Two from Sunagakure, two rogue ninja, and the rest are villagers from that village."
Orochimaru nodded, then turned his eyes toward Shūichi Hoshita and his two companions, showing a look of interest.
But whether it was Shūichi, Shisui Uchiha, or Sanyō Kurama, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.
The cold, menacing aura that Orochimaru exuded, combined with his gaze, gave the three of them the feeling of being watched by a venomous snake.
Nevertheless, the three had no choice but to step forward and bow. "Orochimaru-sama!"
Orochimaru withdrew his gaze and, with a smile, looked at Minato. "You have some impressive students."
A genius from the Uchiha clan, a member of the Kurama clan, and a renowned civilian prodigy—Orochimaru had already reviewed their profiles before arriving.
"Minato, lend me one of your students to guide us to that village."
Orochimaru's words made Minato's expression change slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Orochimaru added, "Minato, you need to stay here to ensure these prisoners don't escape. I only need one person to lead the way. Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Minato found himself unable to argue and instead looked at Shūichi and the other two with concern.
At that moment, Shūichi, Shisui, and Sanyō felt the deep malice emanating from Orochimaru.
Evil!
So evil!
Fucking Snake Bastard!!
As Shūichi looked at Orochimaru's smiling face, he also sensed the twisted amusement hidden beneath it.
With the arrival of Root, the fate of that village seemed all too predictable.
Whoever went to lead the way would undoubtedly witness something horrific.
Perhaps even…
Suddenly, Shūichi noticed Orochimaru's gaze settle on him, causing his heart to pound.
At that moment, Shisui stepped forward. "Minato-sensei, I'll guide Orochimaru-sama."
Sanyō let out a quiet sigh of relief but then felt a pang of shame.
Shūichi didn't try to step forward and instead watched as Minato nodded in agreement. Shisui then led Orochimaru and his men away.
Sanyō hesitated as if wanting to say something but remained silent.
...
The wind howled as Shisui Uchiha led Orochimaru and the others to the mountain north of the village, reaching the location in under an hour.
"That's the place," Shisui said.
Orochimaru looked down at the village below and smiled. "Are you planning to plead for them?"
Shisui was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "According to the information we gathered earlier, during several raids into the Land of Fire, the able-bodied men from this village all participated. This was something Sunagakure orchestrated."
"They may have been forced at first... but no matter the reason, everyone must pay the price for their actions."
"But the elderly, the women, and the children are innocent."
Orochimaru smiled at this. "Konoha is peaceful, and to win over the Land of Rivers, it will not harm the innocent."
Shisui's face brightened with relief.
However, Orochimaru's tone shifted as he added, "But if they resist, then there's nothing to be done."
Shisui's heart sank as he looked down at the village, at the elderly and women working in the fields, and at the children playing. He suddenly made a decision. "Orochimaru-sama, please leave this matter to me."
"They're just ordinary people; there's no need for Root to intervene."
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Of course."
Shisui took a deep breath, then leaped into the air like an eagle, diving down toward the village.
Watching Shisui's figure, Orochimaru couldn't help but remark, "The Uchiha clan... they're so naive."
Then he issued an order: "Don't let anyone leave."
"Yes!"
The Root ninjas responded in unison and immediately vanished.
In the village.
Shisui drew his sword and swiftly entered a villager's home, slaying two men who were drinking inside.
Blood splattered, staining the walls.
One after another, Shisui's actions were swift and decisive.
When he encountered children, he used genjutsu to put them all to sleep.
In less than five minutes, all the able-bodied men in the village had been slaughtered by Shisui.
Then he moved on to the men working in the fields.
This time, the situation could no longer be hidden. Screams erupted, and villagers began fleeing in panic, but the men in the fields couldn't escape Shisui's pursuit.
After killing the last man, Shisui, now drenched in blood, looked at the Root ninjas who had entered the village to knock out the fleeing villagers and at the bodies strewn across the ground. His Sharingan grew even more vivid and sinister.
Orochimaru noticed this and was surprised. "He's showing signs of awakening the two-tomoe Sharingan…"
Although he hadn't started researching the Sharingan, Orochimaru was familiar with this bloodline limit.
He knew how the Uchiha awakened their eyes.
According to the reports, Shisui had awakened his single-tomoe Sharingan after the death of his squad leader and another comrade.
But he hadn't expected Shisui to show signs of further awakening over a group of bandits and villagers he didn't even know.
"Interesting…"
Orochimaru smiled to himself, then approached and said, "You did well."
"Leave the rest to us. You may return."
Shisui's eyes returned to normal, and he sheathed his short sword, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama!"
However, before leaving, Shisui couldn't help but ask, "Orochimaru-sama, what will happen to these villagers?"
Orochimaru smiled. "They will be handed over to the daimyo of the Land of Rivers as evidence of Sunagakure's misdeeds."
Shisui was completely reassured by this and bowed again before leaping away.
Orochimaru watched Shisui leave. A moment later, a Root ninja appeared before him and respectfully asked, "Lord Orochimaru, the task is complete. What are your orders?"
"Take all the children to Laboratory Number Two, and have the bodies preserved and sent to Laboratory Number Three."
The Root ninja immediately complied. "Understood!"
Orochimaru hadn't lied to Shisui; these villagers would indeed be handed over to the daimyo of the Land of Rivers—but only their names.
He was confident that the daimyo, eager not to provoke the Land of Fire and Konoha, would hand the villagers over to him for disposal.
So, was it really a lie?
Before returning to the Land of Fire, Shisui stopped by a river to wash away the blood and rid himself of the scent. Only then did he rejoin Shūichi and the others, who didn't notice anything unusual.
Root's movements were swift; by evening, they reappeared and took away all the captives.
With this, Shūichi Hoshita and his team's mission was successfully completed.
Even though night had fallen, Minato Namikaze decided they should return to Konoha.
However, before departing, he turned to Shūichi and the other two and said, "Next, I have a small test for you."
"I will set off first. You will leave in half an hour and must accurately track my trail."
Shūichi Hoshita and the others exchanged glances and nodded in unison. "Yes, Minato-sensei."
Minato nodded, then vanished from sight.
After watching Minato disappear into the forest, the three waited for half an hour before immediately setting off to track him.
Unless Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique, he would leave many traces behind.
In a dense forest like this, he would often use the tree branches for leverage.
Shūichi and his teammates followed the traces Minato left on the branches as he moved.
However, five minutes later, they stopped in their tracks.
In front of them were four sets of trails.
"Three Shadow Clones…" Kurama Sanyō scratched his head. In the darkness of night, it was extremely difficult to distinguish between the four sets of marks.
"Are we going to have to rely on luck?"
"Each of us could choose a direction and use a Shadow Clone."
Both he and Shisui Uchiha had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique.
Shisui shook his head at this. "Our Shadow Clones are not as strong as Minato-sensei's; they might not last long enough for us to realize we've taken the wrong path."
Shūichi nodded in agreement, then reached out to touch the marks, carefully sensing them.
Shisui followed suit.
After the two had finished examining them, Kurama Sanyō also touched the marks and then looked up, asking, "Did you two notice any differences?"
Shisui smiled at Shūichi and asked, "Shūichi, what do you think?"
Shūichi pointed to the leftmost set of marks and smiled, "Even though Minato-sensei was very careful, the time spent at each spot differed, so the marks left behind naturally vary, though the differences are extremely subtle."
Kurama Sanyō couldn't help but reach out to feel the marks again, but still couldn't detect any difference, so he looked at Shisui.
Shisui nodded and smiled, "Shūichi, you have a talent for tracking."
"I relied on the insight of my Sharingan to sense a slight difference, but I couldn't be completely sure."
Kurama Sanyō said, "Then let's choose the leftmost one?"
"Wouldn't that be too risky?"
Shisui shook his head. "We should trust our instincts."
Shūichi agreed wholeheartedly, "I think so too."
"Then the left it is!"
Kurama Sanyō took the lead, and Shūichi and Shisui immediately followed.
Ten minutes later, they faced another choice, though this time there were only two sets of marks.
After observing the marks, both Shūichi and Shisui looked serious.
It was difficult to judge.
Minato had likely let his real body move ahead while his Shadow Clones lingered, making the time difference between the two sets of marks almost imperceptible.
The two exchanged glances and then each followed one set of tracks for a short distance before returning.
Shisui said, "The marks on the right lead toward a river."
Shūichi decisively said, "Then it's the right side."
Kurama Sanyō nodded in agreement, "A river makes it easier to escape tracking, especially when it comes to scent and bloodstains."
There were many dog-type summoning beasts in the ninja world, and like those used by the Inuzuka clan of Konoha.
The three then pursued the trail on the right, which indeed led them to a river.
They split up to search, each checking upstream, downstream, and the opposite bank.
A moment later, they regrouped and began tracking down the river.
Minato Namikaze had led them in circles!
Shūichi Hoshita and his teammates had to constantly sift through various misleading tracks to find the most likely trail. At times, they encountered long stretches where no traces could be found, forcing them to widen their search radius.
After navigating twists and turns for what felt like forever, the three of them, utterly exhausted, finally saw the familiar sight of Konoha—and standing on a tree branch with a smile on his face was Minato Namikaze.
"Congratulations, you got it completely right," Minato said with a grin.
Though their pace had been slow, it was enough to prove their exceptional abilities.
In fact, Minato had a Shadow Clone following Shūichi and the others the entire time, observing their performance closely.
At this moment, the trio also broke into smiles. The night's tracking exercise had been incredibly rewarding for them.
For Shūichi Hoshita, in particular, not only had he gained valuable insights from Shisui Uchiha and Kurama Sanyō, but the tracking experience itself had allowed his innate talent for tracking to flourish, enhancing his sensitivity to traces.
Realizing his potential, absorbing knowledge from his comrades, and accumulating experience—it was a win on all three fronts!
Minato then announced, "Alright, let's head back to the village. Get a good night's sleep, and we'll meet at the usual spot tomorrow!"
The four of them returned to the village and then went their separate ways.
Once home, Shūichi washed up, made himself some breakfast, and reviewed the mission and the previous night's tracking before finally drifting off to sleep with a contented smile.
He slept until 2 PM.
After washing up, Shūichi went out, had a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen, and then headed to Konoha Hospital.
"Shūichi?"
Seeing him, Nonō Yakushi was pleasantly surprised.
"Director!" Shūichi quickly walked over and explained, "I returned this morning and already had a nap."
Nonō Yakushi nodded gently. "Then come with me. Lady Tsunade is here today for a patient consultation."
Shūichi's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, following her.
Tsunade, despite her hemophobia, was a rare sight in the hospital.
Could hemophobia, which is psychological in nature, be treated with genjutsu?
…
Shūichi stayed at the hospital until 4:30 PM, then headed to the place where he had trained with Kakashi and the others during the last break.
"Huh?"
He noticed a figure hanging from the cliffside.
Kakashi!
Come to think of it, this was the first time he'd seen Kakashi since graduation.
A battle was a must!
As soon as Kakashi descended from the cliff, Shūichi immediately challenged him, "Kakashi, you haven't been slacking off, have you?"
Kakashi, still as cool as ever, replied casually, "You'll find out soon enough."
If it were Obito Uchiha, Kakashi would have made a snarky remark or two. But Shūichi's discipline and effort, which even Kakashi couldn't match, meant their rivalry had to be settled with fists and feet.
Ten minutes later.
The two clashed, their fists and feet meeting in a collision that sent shockwaves through the air.
In that instant of impact, both could feel that the other's speed and strength had increased.
Kakashi knew that Shūichi possessed exceptional insight and reaction time, along with an incredible memory of Kakashi's past combat habits. So he pushed himself to fight as fast as possible, moving at top speed.
The sounds of their punches and kicks intensified as the battle raged on.
They fought from the river's surface to the foot of the cliff, using the cliffside as solid ground, locked in a fierce, unyielding battle.
When Shizune, Guy, Kurenai, Asuma, and the others arrived, this was the scene they witnessed.
"It's Shūichi and Kakashi!"
Shizune exclaimed in delight. She hadn't seen Shūichi Hoshita for several days.
Might Guy was full of energy: "There's no room for slacking off! Today, I'll challenge myself to climb the cliff 500 times. If I can't do it, I'll have a match with Shūichi!"
Sarutobi Asuma was secretly impressed: "Their speed is incredible."
Being able to fight so fiercely while moving as if the cliff were flat ground showed how well both of them had mastered their chakra control.
"Their progress is amazing!"
Asuma began to consider the possibility of graduating early. Although he had his older brother and other clan members to guide him, and could continue to improve even without graduating, school was starting to feel a bit dull for him.
Watching Shūichi Hoshita and Kakashi, he had the sense that both of them had advanced even faster after graduating.
However…
Asuma couldn't help but glance at Kurenai Yuhi beside him.
Compared to graduating, Kurenai was more important!
…
Atop the cliff, Shūichi and Kakashi were panting heavily, drenched in sweat, and too exhausted to continue fighting.
Another draw!
However, considering that Kakashi had already expended some energy before the fight, even with a short rest, Shūichi could tell that Kakashi still had the edge in stamina and energy.
If it weren't for the boosts in focus and mental processing speed from his tags, he might not have even managed a draw.
Kakashi's combat intelligence was impressive—even at his young age, it was already beginning to show.
But Shūichi wasn't discouraged. The fact that he could now hold his own against Kakashi in taijutsu was proof that his training hadn't been in vain, and that his tags were truly powerful.
At the same time, Shūichi felt an increasing urgency to improve his physical condition.
He didn't expect to rival people like Jiraiya or Naruto, but at the very least, he couldn't afford to fall behind Kakashi.
Shūichi remembered that among Konoha's jōnin, Kakashi wasn't particularly notable in terms of stamina—he was slightly outclassed by someone like Asuma Sarutobi.
In the ninja world, as battles grew more intense, physical stamina—or chakra reserves—became increasingly crucial, often forming an insurmountable barrier.
Without enough chakra, even the most powerful techniques couldn't be unleashed.
…
After descending from the cliff, Shūichi greeted Shizune and the others. Just as he was about to grab a drink from his backpack, Shizune handed him a bottle.
Shūichi accepted it without hesitation. "Thanks."
Shizune watched him as he drank, and then said, "Shūichi, I have a few questions about the Memory Palace technique. Do you have some time to help me out?"
"Of course."
Shūichi agreed instantly, and the two of them huddled together, with Shizune asking questions and Shūichi answering them.
Meanwhile, Asuma and Kurenai teamed up to climb the cliff.
Kakashi, maintaining his cool demeanor, was resting while his gaze fell on Guy, who was frog-jumping with a large boulder.
...
The afternoon training session passed by quickly, almost without notice.
As evening approached, Shūichi Hoshita bid farewell to Shizune and the others and met up with Nonō Yakushi. Together, they returned to the orphanage with an assortment of food.
From now on, Shūichi knew he'd be spending less and less time at the orphanage, and the number of people he knew there would dwindle. So whenever he had the chance, he made sure to visit.
Even though he hadn't spent much time there, Nonō Yakushi considered the orphanage her home, and so it became a home for Shūichi as well.
That night, Shūichi and Nonō had a long conversation. He made a makeshift bed on the floor in her room, and the comforting scent unique to Nonō soon lulled him into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, after saying goodbye to Nonō, a refreshed Shūichi went home to pack his backpack. On the way to meet up with Minato Namikaze and the others, he also purchased a set of surgical tools.
Yes, surgical tools for a medical ninja!
As a medical ninja, considering surgical tools as ninja tools seemed entirely reasonable to him.
So Shūichi decided he no longer needed to train with things like nunchaku or staffs. Surgical tools would be enough for him to achieve the status of a "Ninja Tool Expert." Plus, it would be a much faster way to reach his goal than practicing with other weapons.
...
When Shūichi met up with Minato and the others, the day's training began.
For the next few days, the team had no missions, focusing entirely on various training exercises: traps, tracking, combat drills, and so on.
During breaks, Shūichi spent time practicing on small animals—rabbits, wild boars, chickens, fish, and more.
This practice served two purposes: it helped him hone his medical ninjutsu and use of medical tools, while also allowing him to observe the animals' characteristics, laying the groundwork for his "Transformation Master" tag.
Before he knew it, four days had passed, and April had arrived quietly.
To Shūichi's surprise, even soldier pills counted as a type of ninja tool.
With the addition of senbon needles, short swords, and the surgical knives he'd been using extensively over the past few days, he was now only two tools away from mastering ten types of ninja tools.
On April 2, Konoha Year 39, at 9 a.m., Shūichi appeared before Minato and the others at Konoha's village gate with a new look.
He wore black clothing with iron wrist and arm guards, similar to before, but his original jacket had been replaced with a black vest resembling Minato's green vest.
Besides the color difference, Shūichi's vest was customized with several small pockets.
Noticing Minato and the others looking at him curiously, Shūichi hooked a finger into one of the vest pockets, revealing a sharp surgical knife.
"Shūichi, did you bring your surgical tools along?"
Kurama Sanyō recognized the knife immediately—he'd seen Shūichi dissect all those small animals with it over the past few days.
Shūichi smiled, "Of course. As a medical ninja, carrying medical tools is both reasonable and necessary, right?"
Kurama Sanyō scratched the back of his head, "Well, yeah, but... aren't surgeries usually done with more than one person?"
Shūichi sheathed the knife, "Once I have enough chakra to use shadow clones, the tools will come in handy. Better to be prepared."
He could already use shadow clones, though his chakra reserves didn't allow him to sustain them for long.
At this point, Minato stepped in to stop the small talk, "Alright, let's get going! Our mission this time is to serve as one of the patrol squads on the western border of the Land of Fire. The mission will last for half a month, so be prepared."
The three of them responded in unison, "Understood!"
The four of them set off immediately, heading west after leaving the village.
By evening, they had reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain, taking over from another squad to become one of the patrol units.
That night, they began their monotonous patrol duties.
Konoha had stationed far more patrol squads on the border with the Land of Rain than on the Land of Rivers' border—five squads in total, patrolling in a staggered, overlapping pattern.
This heavy presence was due to the chaos that had gripped the Land of Rain since the end of the Second Shinobi World War.
Rogue ninjas, bandits, and spies or ninjas from other villages were common in the area.
The reason for this was twofold: the Land of Rain had been one of the major battlefields of the Second Shinobi World War, and it was also surrounded by the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth.
As a result, it had become a hotspot for conflict among the three major ninja villages.
Additionally, the instability in the Land of Rain was exacerbated by Hanzo's waning ambition and the retreat of his forces.
The handover of duties, familiarizing themselves with the patrol route, and understanding the various traps and warning devices set up by the previous team kept them busy until around 9 p.m.
After everything was in order, Minato Namikaze issued his command: "The first half of the night, Shisui and I will patrol together. Shūichi and Sanyō, you two will take the second half. Get some rest while you can."
"Understood!"
...
After only half an hour of rest, Minato Namikaze and Shisui Uchiha began their patrol.
Part of their duties included checking the traps and other arrangements to ensure they hadn't been damaged by wild animals or anything else that could compromise their effectiveness in battle.
Success lies in the details.
However, the patrol route assigned to Shūichi Hoshita's team was actually at the last stage of a tiered defense layout. There were three other defensive lines ahead of them. But as the team leader, Minato Namikaze remained vigilant, not allowing any room for complacency.
At 1 a.m., Shūichi Hoshita and Kurama Sanyō took over the night watch from Minato Namikaze and Shisui Uchiha, keeping watch until 5 a.m.
Before finishing their shift, Shūichi managed to catch a wild rabbit and two fish, cleaning them with his medical tools.
Minato and the others had grown accustomed to this and showed no discomfort.
After breakfast, Shūichi and Kurama Sanyō rested while they could.
At 9 a.m., the squad moved out together.
They had to dismantle some of the traps and setups left by the previous team and then reconfigure everything according to their own preferences and habits.
For Shūichi, this was another invaluable lesson.
Thus, the Trap Expert tag was triggered.
Unfortunately, Shūichi wasn't particularly interested in this tag for the time being.
Even though there were still conflicts between the ninja villages during peacetime, these clashes typically took place outside their respective countries. As a result, the borders of the Land of Fire were relatively peaceful.
The main purpose of a patrol squad's setup was to provide early warnings of large-scale invasions. However, if individuals were sneaking in covertly, it was almost impossible to stop them.
The Land of Fire's borders were simply too long.
...
Before they knew it, 12 days of monotonous patrol duties had passed.
On this particular day, Shūichi was in an exceptionally good mood.
After nearly half a month of hard work and hunting, he finally met the conditions to unlock the Ninja Tool Expert tag.
But Shūichi didn't rush to unlock it immediately. He waited until their patrol duties were done for the day and they had eaten and rested. Only then did he focus on the tag tree in his mind.
Ninja Tool Expert—unlocked!
With a single thought, the previously greyed-out tag was enveloped in a green glow.
Suddenly, Shūichi felt a surge of energy coursing through his entire body, leaving him tingling all over as his consciousness seemed to elevate.
About 10 minutes later, the strange sensation faded away.
In the darkness, Shūichi opened his eyes, which were now incredibly sharp.
He glanced around and noticed an insect flying in the moonlight.
Instinctively, Shūichi tried to focus on the insect more clearly.
To his surprise, the insect's rapidly flapping wings appeared to slow down. Though there was still some blurring, he could almost distinguish each individual flap—something he couldn't do before.
Prior to this, Shūichi's thought processing speed had been enhanced by a factor of two.
The speed at which his brain processed various information and thoughts had indeed increased.
This enhancement granted him a type of "dynamic vision" similar to the Sharingan, allowing him to process visual information faster and react more quickly. However, it was far from the level he's experiencing now, where he could almost discern each flap of a fast-moving insect's wings.
Tag: Ninja Tool Expert
Condition to Obtain: Proficient use of at least 10 different ninja tools.
Effects: 100% increase in ninja tool proficiency, 100% increase in physical attributes, and 100% increase in neural response speed.
While Shūichi hadn't yet experienced the benefits of improved ninja tool proficiency or enhanced physical attributes, the 100% increase in neural response speed was something he could immediately feel.
If, before acquiring the Scholar tag, his overall neural response speed—including his thought processing speed—was at a baseline of 1, then with the Scholar tag's 100% boost to mental processing speed, Shūichi's brain's neural response speed became 2, while the rest of his body remained at 1.
For instance, the process of his eyes transmitting images to his brain was now twice as fast. After spending considerable time training with Shisui Uchiha, he knew that his dynamic vision still couldn't quite match Shisui's single-tomoe Sharingan, but the gap had narrowed.
Now, with the Ninja Tool Expert tag, his neural response speed had doubled again.
This meant Shūichi's brain now processed information at a speed of 4, while his other neural responses were at 2.
Not only did his brain process information faster, but the speed at which his eyes transmitted visual data to his brain had also doubled.
The result was remarkable.
"This level of perception definitely surpasses that of a single-tomoe Sharingan..."
Shūichi was thrilled. "But just doubling the speed at which my visual nerves transmit information shouldn't have produced such a significant effect."
"The key is my brain's processing speed. It was already doubled before, and now it's doubled again. This is incredible."
"The concept of dynamic vision not only involves the speed of neural signal transmission but also the speed and efficiency with which the brain interprets the images seen by the eyes."
"Unless we're talking about insects with multiple compound eyes, which are like multiple cameras capturing separate images..."
He had dissected plenty of insects before.
"Before obtaining the Scholar tag, my neural response speed was definitely far inferior to Minato-sensei's. But with the Scholar tag, even if my brain processing speed was still a bit slower, the gap wasn't significant."
"And now, the difference should be negligible..."
Although this was just a hypothesis, Shūichi was fairly confident.
Previously, he had consulted Minato about neural response speed. Minato's reaction time was fast, but even he couldn't see the wings of a fly flapping at high speed.
In this regard, even three-tomoe Sharingan had an edge.
But Minato's strengths never lay in visual acuity.
His high neural response speed, strong perception abilities, immense chakra reserves, and most importantly, his space-time ninjutsu talents—all combined to make Minato's Flying Thunder God technique even more advanced than its creator, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju.
Of course, Minato stood on Tobirama's shoulders, which made it relatively easier for him, but it also highlighted Minato's terrifying talent.
Unfortunately, since joining Minato's team, Shūichi had only seen him in action once—and it was over in a single move.
As for sparring with Minato, it was too easy for him, making it impossible to gauge Minato's true strength.
...
"I need to quickly adapt to my enhanced neural response speed…"
"The improvement in physical attributes probably requires some exploration on my part as well."
Closing his eyes slowly, Shūichi began planning to intensify his training once they returned to Konoha.
Despite the physical enhancement, he didn't feel an abrupt surge in strength, indicating that it might require training to fully unlock.
But that was to be expected.
Content and at ease, Shūichi soon drifted off to sleep.
...
"Shūichi!"
Shūichi suddenly woke up.
It was Shisui Uchiha.
"There's an emergency mission!"
Shisui explained, "An Anbu ninja just arrived from the Land of Rain, and Minato-sensei had to return to the village briefly."
Shūichi quickly got up, noticing Minato resting with his eyes closed under a nearby tree.
He then spotted another person, not dressed as a ninja, resting against another tree.
After Shisui woke up Kurama Sanyō, Shūichi asked, "Shisui, what's the mission?"
Shisui replied, "We need to assist an intelligence officer who has critical information. The situation in the Land of Rain is complicated, and their escape route has been cut off."