Kayomi ducked low under a sweeping kick, feeling the wind graze his bangs. He countered with a sharp jab that Shisui barely blocked in time, both boys dancing around each other with a fluidity born from repetition. The dirt beneath their feet was scuffed and torn, their sparring silent but intense like a conversation spoken in the language of movement.
Not far from them, beneath the shade of a wide oak, Mebuki sat cross-legged with a scroll stretched across her lap and several vials and tools spread neatly around her. Her fingers moved with purpose as she worked with a delicate blue flower, its petals laced with faint purple veins a known poison source, if mishandled.
Her eyes flicked up now and then, not out of concern, but curiosity. She wasn't just studying herbs she was studying them, too.
Shisui staggered back from a feint, wiping sweat from his brow. "You're freakishly fast in the morning," he muttered, breathing hard.
Kayomi shrugged, cracking his neck. "Try eating breakfast next time."
"I did a senbei and hope."
Mebuki's voice cut in, flat and unbothered. "Maybe try protein and not regret."
Both boys paused, then burst into short laughter. It was a rare moment of peace interrupted only by the sound of footsteps approaching.
A quiet presence drifted toward them like smoke. Sakumo Hatake stood at the edge of the clearing, arms folded casually over his chest. His long white hair caught the morning light, and his expression was calm, unreadable but there was a warmth in his eyes.
"You three always this loud in the morning?" he asked lightly.
"Sparring is part of bonding," Kayomi said.
"Is that what you call it?" Sakumo smiled faintly. "Well, I hope you've bonded enough, because your first real mission's come in."
The air shifted.
Kayomi straightened, eyes narrowing. "What kind of mission?"
Sakumo's tone didn't change, but something in his gaze hardened. "Sabotage. Hidden Cloud has a supply convoy moving through Fire Country's eastern ridge. We're to intercept and destroy as much as we can without being detected. No open conflict if we can help it."
Shisui blinked. "Wait, like… actual war strategy?"
Sakumo nodded. "You're genin, but this is wartime. Missions escalate fast. Meet me at the front gate in two hours. Travel light essentials only. Bring food for a week."
He turned, then paused and looked over his shoulder.
"You're ready. Just don't forget why we fight."
And just like that, he was gone.
Two Hours Later — Konoha's Main Gate
The village buzzed with its usual morning energy vendors shouting about rice balls and steamed buns, shinobi passing in patrols, civilians weaving through with baskets of goods. But near the massive wooden gates, a different tension brewed.
Kayomi stood beneath the archway, arms folded, looking like he belonged in the shadows. His pack was sealed neatly into a scroll, tucked just beneath his belt. No wasted space. No clutter.
Shisui came into view dragging a monstrous pack nearly half his size. Pots clanked. A rolled futon bounced against his back with each step.
Kayomi blinked. "Is that… a kettle?"
"Hey!" Shisui huffed, setting the bag down with a groan. "Preparedness is the mother of victory."
"And her cousin is overpacking."
"Rude."
Mebuki arrived moments later, her cloak neatly pinned, a small pack slung over one shoulder. She eyed Shisui's mountain of gear, then looked at Kayomi, squinting at the lack of any visible equipment.
"No matter how I pack, I never have room. Even with scrolls, something always ends up sticking out. How do you do it?"
Kayomi offered a sheepish smile. "Guess I've got a good system."
System inventory, actually. Infinite slots, auto-sorting, and no weight. Bless reincarnation.
"If I ever crack the secret, I'm making a fortune teaching genin how to pack," Mebuki muttered.
Before anyone else could respond, Sakumo appeared as if he'd always been there hands tucked into his pockets, white cloak swaying slightly in the wind.
"All set?" he asked.
Shisui gave a dramatic thumbs-up. "I brought the whole shop."
Kayomi smirked. "That's the problem."
Mebuki sighed. "We'll find a use for him. Maybe as bait."
Sakumo chuckled. "Let's get moving before I regret this team."
Day One
The journey took them across rivers and ridges, weaving through narrow animal trails rather than roads. Sakumo led with silent confidence, his senses always active, his chakra barely a whisper.
He cracked dry jokes in the evenings mostly to lighten the mood and shared short stories from his past. There was a calmness to him, a quiet sense of control that made the team feel safe, even miles from home.
Kayomi found himself watching Sakumo closely. So this is Kakashi's father... no wonder the kid turned out like he did.
Day Four
It began as a drizzle, then quickly escalated into a downpour. Trees shuddered, mud squelched under their boots, and mist thickened like a curtain.
Mebuki's cloak clung to her like a soggy rag. Shisui's hood did little to help, water dripping into his collar.
Kayomi, on the other hand, walked as if untouched steam gently rising off his body, heat radiating around him like a walking hearth.
Without a word, Mebuki slid closer and pressed against his side.
"I'm calling dibs."
Kayomi blinked. "On… what?"
"Your body heat. I don't care if you're a human heater, a fire mage, or a freak of nature. I am cold."
Before he could respond, Shisui ducked in on his other side, shivering. "Team policy. No.1
No hoarding the furnace."
"I'm not a furnace "
"Shh. Warmth now, protest later," Shisui said, resting an arm around Kayomi's shoulder.
Kayomi sighed, caught between two half-frozen teammates clinging to him like wet cats.
Great. I've become a space heater with legs.
Still... he didn't move away.
Day Six
The trees thinned, giving way to a rocky outcrop overlooking a narrow pass. Fog curled low across the terrain. Below them, dark shapes moved carts, covered in tarps, flanked by Cloud shinobi in formation. Supplies. Guards.
Sakumo crouched behind a mossy boulder, unrolling a worn map.
"This is it," he said softly. "We move at dusk. Focus on disabling the wheels and burning the rations. Avoid direct confrontation."
Kayomi nodded, crimson eyes narrowing as he memorized every face below.
Shisui cracked his knuckles. "Time to make some noise."
"No," Sakumo said firmly. "Time to make it look like a storm passed through and left nothing behind."
Mebuki tugged her gloves tighter, eyes sharp. "Let's make it clean."
Kayomi exhaled slowly, fire flickering just beneath his skin.
Let's show them what Team Sakumo can do.
And with that, the four shadows melted into the trees silent and certain.
The mission had begun.