For their first mission after being promoted to Chunin, Team 8 was ready to get serious. They were determined to pick a high-difficulty assignment to test their new skills.
However, reality had other plans.
When they regrouped at the Mission Hall, Captain Yamaguchi walked in holding a mission scroll that shattered their dreams of glory.
"It's a village-designated mission. We are escorting the Daimyo's envoy on a diplomatic visit to the Land of Wind."
Captain Yamaguchi's words were like a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads.
An escort mission? For a diplomatic envoy between Great Nations? Everyone knew these were the most time-consuming and thankless tasks available.
They were time-consuming because the envoys were usually high-status civilians who traveled at a snail's pace and demanded comfort.
They were thankless not because of the combat, but because dealing with politicians required navigating a minefield of schemes and etiquette. For Taiichi, who doubled as a spy, it was an extra headache he didn't need.
"I wanted to show off my new moves, but we get stuck with this?" Yohei looked devastated. "Captain, can we decline this?"
"Yohei, it seems you've started to float just because you made Chunin, haven't you?" Captain Yamaguchi glanced sideways at Yohei, his eyes sharp with a hint of killing intent. "Do you remember the Three Prohibitions of a Ninja?"
Yohei shivered, instantly realizing he had misspoken. He slapped his own mouth lightly, making "Pah! Pah! Pah!" noises as if spitting out the bad luck.
"Captain, I lost my head for a second! Don't take it seriously," Yohei apologized with a placating smile. Seeing Taiichi signaling him with his eyes, he quickly straightened his posture.
"The Three Prohibitions: Never abandon a mission. Never disobey orders. Never leak intelligence."
"Do you know which one you just violated?"
"Yes. Never disobey orders."
"As long as you know." Yamaguchi dropped the stern act and switched to a mentoring tone. "You are all Chunin now. In the future, you will lead squads of your own. You must memorize these regulations and lead by example. Do not violate them lightly."
"Yes, sir!" the three chorused.
Seeing that his students understood, Yamaguchi nodded in satisfaction. He handed the scroll to them. "We depart today. We'll arrive in the Capital City tomorrow to rest. The day after, we head to the Daimyo's mansion, pick up the envoy, and set off for the Land of Wind."
Taiichi and the others reviewed the mission details. Finding no issues, they packed their gear and immediately set out for the Capital.
---
Konoha Year 45, July 6th. Afternoon.
It took Team 8 a little over a day to reach the Fire Nation's Capital. According to the schedule, the rest of the day was for rest and resupply. Captain Yamaguchi generously gave them free time.
Before leaving their inn, Taiichi created three Shadow Clones that scattered in different directions. Facing the confused looks of Yohei and Saori, Taiichi replied with a single word.
"Training."
"Seriously, Taiichi? You're too intense. We finally get some time to hang out, and you're thinking about training?" Yohei complained, though his actions were honest. He formed the seal and popped out a Shadow Clone of his own to go find a training spot.
He turned to look at Saori, but her Shadow Clone had already vanished.
Yohei slapped his forehead, looking up at the sky in defeat. "My teammates are trying to kill me with their work ethic!"
Taiichi and Saori exchanged a smile. Seeing Yohei's dramatic sigh, the three of them burst into laughter.
The midday sun roasted the Capital, but the heat didn't dampen the bustling atmosphere of the streets. Even on this scorching afternoon, the markets were packed with merchants, travelers, and running children.
Team 8 strolled through the lively market, snacking on dango and browsing trinket shops.
Compared to the pedestrians furiously fanning themselves, the three ninjas looked refreshingly cool. The reason was Taiichi: he was constantly manipulating a gentle breeze to circle around them—a much more effective air conditioner than a hand fan.
"Taiichi, does this count as training too? This wind feels amazing," Yohei said, enjoying the artificial breeze. It was significantly cooler than the ambient air.
"Shopping and training don't have to conflict," Taiichi smiled. "I'm mixing a bit of Water Nature transformation into the Wind Style to drop the temperature."
This was another benefit of his "Potency" talent upgrade after becoming a Chunin. His control over nature transformation had improved to the point where he could multitask with two elements.
Yohei, being Yohei, just nodded happily without thinking too deeply. But the sharp-witted Saori caught the implication immediately.
"Taiichi, are you trying to develop a Kekkei Genkai? Fusing two nature transformations... that's the prerequisite for a bloodline limit, isn't it?"
"Haha, that's the idea. But I'm a long way off. I'm just laying the groundwork right now," Taiichi replied, unable to hide a smug grin. It was nice when someone actually understood his subtle flex.
Unlike Yohei. If Taiichi had explained it to him, it would have been like playing a lute to a cow.
While the main trio enjoyed a cool afternoon in the city, their clones were hard at work outside the city walls.
However, one of Taiichi's Shadow Clones took a detour, sneaking into the Daimyo's estate.
The Third Hokage had given Taiichi three lists of names to investigate.
The first list was delivered during a previous escort mission; it yielded nothing but cash.
The second list was passed to a contact point in the village; it also yielded no actionable intel.
Today, he was delivering the final list. Taiichi hoped this one would finally provide something useful.
At the estate, Taiichi gave his name. Soon, an attendant arrived to guide him—it was the same contact from his last visit.
Taiichi followed silently, winding through the complex corridors of the mansion until they reached a secluded outbuilding.
Pushing open the door, a man in official robes was already waiting. He was tall and slender, but his face carried a gloomy, sinister cast that instantly reminded Taiichi of Danzo. They were birds of a feather—men who walked in the darkness.
"Matsushita Taiichi. I am Shimazu Bin, the intelligence director for the Daimyo's residence. I look forward to working with you."
His words were polite, but he didn't move a muscle. Clearly, not an easy man to deal with.
Taiichi didn't waste time on pleasantries. He handed over the final list and stood aside, waiting.
Shimazu Bin reviewed the list carefully, occasionally pulling files from a cabinet behind him to cross-reference. The thoroughness made Taiichi's eyelid twitch. The Daimyo's network in Konoha was impressive; they had gathered a frightening amount of data.
After Shimazu finished updating his files, he looked up at Taiichi.
"Lord Daimyo asked me to put a question to you: In the current Hidden Leaf Village, who is most likely to become the Fourth Hokage?"
Taiichi's pupils constricted.
The question was a trap. It felt like a kunai pressed against his throat. Answering too specifically would reveal internal village secrets. Answering too vaguely might spark the Daimyo's suspicion.
Taiichi feigned deep thought. He was just a Chunin; he wasn't supposed to know high-level secrets. He had to answer like a well-informed "common" ninja—citing the famous candidates.
"If we're talking about the Fourth, the most likely candidates are the Third Hokage's students—the Sannin: Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade," Taiichi chose his words carefully.
"However, Lady Tsunade is rarely in the village these days, and Lord Jiraiya has a... free-spirited personality. So, Lord Orochimaru currently has the highest reputation."
He paused deliberately. "Of course, this is just gossip among us lower-ranking ninjas. We don't know the specifics."
Shimazu Bin smiled meaningfully. "I heard Team 8 is quite close to Jiraiya's disciple?"
The lights in the room flickered, casting shifting shadows on Taiichi's face. Internally, he cursed—these guys knew too much.
"We've run a few missions together. Naturally, we're familiar," Taiichi replied calmly.
Shimazu didn't press further. He simply gave Taiichi instructions for the next phase: collect information on the ninjas with the highest reputation in the village.
When Taiichi's clone left the estate and dispersed in a dark alley, the memories flooded back to the main body.
What is the Daimyo planning? trying to interfere with the selection of the Fourth Hokage? He really has a death wish.
Taiichi, currently eating dango, paused for a second. Neither Yohei nor Saori noticed, but Taiichi knew he had to report this to the Hokage immediately.
In Taiichi's view, the Daimyo was dancing on the edge of a cliff. If Taiichi were the Hokage, he would have had the Daimyo assassinated ages ago.
Still, Konoha needed to prepare. The Daimyo held the "righteous" authority. If caught off guard, the village could suffer a political blow.
---
Konoha Year 45, July 7th. Morning.
Captain Yamaguchi led the team to the Daimyo's mansion to accept the mission. They then began the escort to the Land of Wind.
The delegation consisted of one chief envoy, two deputies, and ten guards—thirteen people in total. The three envoys shared a large, luxurious carriage, while everyone else walked.
They had barely left the Capital when Yohei started suffering. The pace was agonizingly slow. It was practically a sightseeing tour.
At this speed, how long will this take? A month?!
Captain Yamaguchi saw Yohei's frustration but could only shrug. Diplomatic missions were always like this. Unless it was an emergency meeting, envoys never rushed.
Sure enough, the group dawdled for five full days before reaching the Fire Nation's border.
Once they crossed into the Land of Rivers, Captain Yamaguchi immediately tightened the formation.
"Taiichi, take the center. Pulse your sensory jutsu every thirty minutes."
"Yohei, Saori, flank the rear. I'll take the point."
"Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
The team spread out. The journey through the Land of Rivers was relatively peaceful, save for a few bandits not worth mentioning.
Perhaps because they had left their home turf, the envoys realized foreign lands weren't as safe. The procession noticeably picked up speed.
On July 14th, the group finally crossed the Land of Rivers and entered the Land of Wind.
The desert under the scorching sun was a golden purgatory.
Endless dunes rolled like frozen waves, shifting slowly in the hot wind. Fine sand filled the air, creating a hazy, suffocating atmosphere.
The brutal environment gave Taiichi and the others—visiting for the first time—a harsh lesson in the power of nature. It was easy to see why the people of the Wind Nation coveted the fertile lands of Fire so desperately.
Fortunately, the delegation was prepared. Before entering the desert, they had modified the carriage wheels for sand travel. Without that, the journey would have killed the envoys. Even the trained guards were swaying on their feet from the heat.
Shortly after entering the desert, Taiichi picked something up during a routine scan.
Eight hundred meters ahead, hidden beneath a dune, was a squad of ninjas. Judging by their gear and the openly displayed forehead protectors, they were Sand ninjas.
Taiichi rushed to the front to inform Yamaguchi.
"Any movement?" Yamaguchi asked calmly, unsurprised by the presence of locals.
"No hostile action. They're just trailing us from a distance. The numbers dropped, though. It was a four-man squad; now it's just two."
"Likely just routine surveillance. Stay alert."
Sure enough, the two who left returned shortly after, likely having delivered a report. The Sand squad continued to monitor them for half a day. Once they confirmed the group was heading for the Capital, they withdrew.
They never made contact.
After they left, Taiichi returned to his thirty-minute sensory intervals. Maintaining continuous surveillance had been draining, especially mentally.
His custom sensory technique was originally designed for training, not scouting, so it burned more chakra than standard sensory jutsu. If not for the +1 Spirit stat he gained upon promotion, he wouldn't have been able to keep it up for half a day.
The rest of the trip was uneventful, aside from the sand getting everywhere.
On July 18th, the delegation arrived at the Capital of the Land of Wind. The mission was halfway done.
For the next few days, the squad split into shifts to guard the envoys, allowing everyone to get some rest.
Three days later, on July 21st, the diplomatic talks concluded. Team 8 began the escort mission back to the Fire Nation.
However, the desert wasn't done with them yet. A day after leaving the Capital, they faced their first real challenge.
"Captain, the weather feels wrong," Taiichi called out from the roof of the carriage.
Sitting in the center, his view was elevated, and his sensory perception picked up the atmospheric shift first.
"Visibility is dropping. The temperature is spiking, and the wind is picking up speed." Taiichi pointed toward the distant horizon.
Looking in that direction, the sky had already turned a sickly shade of yellow.
Yamaguchi frowned, a bad feeling rising in his gut.
He used the Body Flicker technique to teleport to the top of a nearby dune. From there, the threat was undeniable.
A massive wall of sand, connecting heaven and earth, was rushing toward them with apocalyptic force.
"Sandstorm! Halt the carriage! Defensive formation, now!"
Yamaguchi's roar spurred the team into action. The driver hauled on the reins, and the guards surrounded the carriage.
By the time Yamaguchi returned to the group, the sky had darkened significantly. The horses stomped nervously, ignoring the driver's attempts to calm them.
The wall of sand was almost upon them.