Hehe, this proves that Tian Yu is still incredibly powerful—he's created so many formidable tools!
And someone as talented as Tian Yu is none other than Might Guy's personal apprentice!
Thinking of this relationship,
Might Guy felt an immense swell of pride and satisfaction.
"Let's move out!"
Tian Yu was the first to leap onto the back of the mechanical bird.
Might Guy gave a firm nod, then lifted Dazna by the collar and hoisted him onto the bird he was riding.
The metallic wings of the bird extended, and the machine began to glide, accelerating forward—
Then, with a burst, it lifted off the ground and ascended into the sky.
As they soared higher, the trees, buildings, and people below gradually shrank beneath them.
After flying for several hours,
Tian Yu and the group landed near the border of the Land of Waves.
The weather in the Land of Waves wasn't favorable. Being close to the sea and a naturally misty island nation, the humidity was thick in the air.
It wasn't raining yet, but the clouds loomed densely overhead.
A layer of fog had begun to rise, making the atmosphere unfit for continued aerial travel.
"There's not much road left—just about a two-hour walk," Tian Yu said, then stored away the mechanical bird.
Upon entering the Land of Waves, Dazna's familiarity with the terrain became evident.
He took the lead confidently.
Tian Yu and Might Guy walked beside and behind him, forming a triangle formation.
Now that they had entered the territory of the Land of Waves, it was likely that the Kaiza group had already taken control—meaning they needed to remain vigilant.
As the trio passed through a large, stagnant marshy stretch,
Tian Yu's eyes briefly lingered on the terrain for two seconds before shifting away without a hint of emotion.
Hmph… amateurs.
Just as the three continued onward, leaving the marsh behind them,
Suddenly—!
A figure burst from the muck.
Splash…
"Now!"
The rattle of chains echoed—
It was jarring in the otherwise quiet surroundings.
A chilling, murderous voice emerged from behind.
Two figures had suddenly appeared, their presence unnoticed until now.
Shk—!
Chains whipped forward, aimed at Tian Yu, intent on binding him.
But in the next instant—
A flash of blinding white light streaked through the air,
Accompanied by the crisp ring of a blade being unsheathed—it resembled a meteor flashing past the sky.
Tian Yu spun swiftly, executing a precise 180-degree rotation.
His long blade traced a gleaming arc, slicing through the air toward the two assailants.
The blade's arc ended as quickly as it began, and the sword was instantly sheathed with a satisfying click.
The two attackers stood frozen.
Psshhh…!
A few seconds later, blood gushed from the arteries in their necks like twin fountains.
The crimson spray splattered the surrounding foliage and even dotted Tian Yu's cloak—but the blood quickly evaporated, as if rinsed away by an invisible stream.
Their eyes were filled with disbelief.
They never imagined they'd be killed by a mere 12-year-old boy.
But it was too late for regrets.
The light of life faded from their eyes.
Their bodies slumped backward and collapsed into the swampy soil.
"Bleh—!"
Watching this violent and visceral scene unfold,
Dazna, a civilian through and through, couldn't help but gag and vomit at the side.
"Tian Yu… your fighting style's getting more and more brutal," Might Guy muttered, pinching his brow.
The corner of Tian Yu's lips curved into a slight smirk. "I don't see the point in wasting a second move on something I can finish in one."
"Suit yourself," Guy responded, exasperated.
Though ruthless and bloody, the technique was undeniably efficient.
This strong psychological tolerance was precisely one of the gains from this intense field training that Guy had brought Tian Yu on.
Guy, who doted on his exceptional pupil, didn't mind indulging him in moments like these.
He turned his gaze to Dazna,
Who had wiped his mouth but still couldn't meet Might Guy's eyes.
Might Guy took the initiative.
"Mr. Dazna, you seem to be hiding something about this mission.
Judging from these two corpses, while they may be rogue-nin, they clearly possess Chūnin-level strength.
According to Konoha's mission classification system,
Any mission involving hostile ninja conflict is a minimum of B-rank.
So, why did you lie about the nature of the mission?"
"H-How do you know they were after me?" Dazna stammered, trying to deflect the question. He pointed to Tian Yu, grasping at straws. "They—they just attacked him, didn't they?!"
Seeing that Dazna was still trying to avoid accountability,
Might Guy's tone hardened.
"Mr. Dazna, if you're not willing to come clean, we can't proceed.
As shinobi of Konoha, we have the right to withdraw from any mission that contradicts the original briefing.
If you continue to withhold the truth,
This mission ends here and now.
From this point onward, your safety is no longer Konoha's responsibility."
---
Chapter 45:
Faced with Might Guy's resolute stance,
Dazna fell silent, his face twitching with conflicting emotions.
Eventually, he sighed heavily, lowered his head, and admitted, "I did hide the full truth from you."
He then revealed the dire situation plaguing the Land of Waves.
Upon hearing the entire story, even Might Guy felt momentarily torn.
Including the two rogue ninjas they'd just encountered, the possibility of running into enemy jōnin-level opponents was very real.
This had already far surpassed the scope of a simple B-rank mission.
In terms of actual combat danger, this was approaching A-rank!
A-rank missions—
Even for an elite jōnin like Might Guy, the mortality rate was nothing to scoff at. It was a genuine high-risk undertaking.
"Tian Yu, what do you think?" Might Guy asked, turning to his disciple.
"Let's carry on with the mission, Mr. Guy."
There was a flicker of light in Tian Yu's dark eyes.
Upon hearing that, Might Guy's brows rose slightly.
Within Tian Yu's obsidian gaze, he sensed… a spark of excitement?
Might Guy remembered Tian Yu's current abilities—
Even against jōnin-level opponents, he could hold his own.
So he gave a resolute nod. "Then let's press forward."
The group resumed their journey.
Although they were now within the Land of Waves, Dazna's residence was still a ways ahead.
As they walked down a lonely forest trail,
Tian Yu and Guy's attitudes grew noticeably more vigilant.
Still, it wasn't in their nature to sit idle.
Since Might Guy didn't possess sensory abilities, reconnaissance duties fell to Tian Yu.
From the ring on his finger,
Tian Yu took out a small pouch and poured its contents onto the ground.
What spilled out resembled tiny toy mice—each barely the size of a fingernail, numbering in the hundreds.
Scouting Rats: Three-Star Ninja Tool
Exceptionally sensitive to chakra and elemental energy.
Each scout rat shared intel in real-time, forming a collective data network that Tian Yu could instantly access within his mind.
With their help,
Tian Yu's reconnaissance skills rivaled those of trained sensory-type ninja.
"Mr. Guy, someone's coming," Tian Yu reported swiftly, having received feedback from the scout rats.
Guy didn't hesitate—he trusted Tian Yu's intel. "Protect Dazna," he ordered.
A powerful chakra signature surged into range.
Even Might Guy could feel its presence.
Fwoosh—!
A blur streaked through the forest.
It landed on a large tree trunk directly ahead of them.
A tall, bandaged figure stood there—black hair, a massive sword on his back, and a slashed forehead protector.
Tian Yu recognized him instantly:
One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza Momochi.
"Oh? Not surprised to see me? You must've sensed my presence already."
Zabuza unslung his massive blade—the beheading sword.
His eyes landed on the only one wearing a Konoha forehead protector—Might Guy.
And a subtle flicker of doubt surfaced in Zabuza's expression.
Guy's green jumpsuit and bowl-cut hair were hard to miss. Even in the bingo books, his look was unmistakable.
He must be…