Three months later, when several villagers were on the verge of vomiting from performing endless D-rank missions, Tsunade finally showed a trace of mercy and accepted a guarding assignment.
The mission was simple in description but risky in practice: escort several supply-laden trucks and two individuals from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rain. Due to potential ambushes from bandits or rogue ninjas along the way, this mission had been classified as C-rank.
And so, the group climbed aboard the carriages, beginning their journey toward the Rain Country.
Meanwhile, in a shadowy basement somewhere in Konoha, two men were talking quietly. One seated in a chair said, "They've already departed, haven't they?"
Ever since Genbu Akimichi had become a ninja, he had been waiting for this moment—the day he would finally leave the village on a real mission. And now, that day had come.
"Yes. We estimate they will reach the Rain Village in seven days," the man kneeling on the ground replied.
"Good. Take your people with you. Once you arrive in the Land of Rain, someone will contact you. You must capture that Uchiha boy—and under no circumstances reveal your identity."
"Understood." The kneeling ninja vanished into the shadows.
Elsewhere, in a dim family basement, four others were plotting. The person in the leader's seat said, "The one who brought shame to our clan has left the village. This is a rare opportunity to restore our family's honor. Move immediately to the Land of Rain and eradicate the forces there."
The captain of the three seated beneath him asked, "And the others? Shouldn't we remove them too?"
The leader paused, thinking carefully. "You only need to eliminate that villain. Leave the others alone. After all, Tsunade is a princess of the Senju clan and the Third Hokage's cherished disciple. Do not touch her lightly. But if the situation demands it, you may act personally."
Hearing this, it seemed absurd—these low-level scoundrels could at any time kill an elite Jonin, especially one who was a violent medical ninja.
"Very well," they said, leaving the room.
The leader closed his eyes and murmured, "To desecrate the noble bloodline of my clan merely for power… this is a disgrace. I will correct this mistake myself."
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, three black tomoe swirling in his crimson Sharingan.
…
"Ah, the Land of Rain lives up to its name. Always raining. Terrible weather," muttered Shimizu Nara, slouched in the carriage, raincoat and hat doing little to brighten his mood.
"Shimizu, be patient! Cheer up—we're almost at our destination," Dan Zhongyu reminded him.
"I'm not interested in being patient! I want to know why the teacher gets to ride in the carriage with the two employers while we stand out here getting drenched!" Shimizu complained.
Just as Zhongyu opened his mouth to respond, Genbu Akimichi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open. "Something's wrong. It's too quiet here. Yu, sense the surroundings."
Yu Yamanaka immediately used his sensory ninjutsu, while Shimizu moved into alert mode.
They were traveling through a canyon. Towering mountains flanked the road, covered in dense trees. Coupled with the heavy rain, visibility was near zero, and anyone hiding could easily remain unseen.
"The chakra signatures are weak on both sides. This is a ninja ambush. Judging by chakra strength, neither side has Jonin or Chunin," Shimizu reported.
As the strategist of the team, he quickly issued commands: "Genbu, you and I handle the frontal assault. Yu, go inform Teacher Tsunade."
"I don't think that's necessary. They've already attacked," Genbu replied.
Suddenly, boulders began tumbling from the mountain slopes. If they hit the convoy, the entire fleet would be destroyed.
"Multiplication Technique!" Genbu's massive hands expanded, smashing several rocks into pieces.
Shimizu used his Shadow Mimic Technique, manipulating the remaining boulders with precision.
Seeing the boulders were insufficient, the enemy ninjas began descending from the mountains for close combat, leading their subordinates.
"B formation," Shimizu commanded.
Genbu split a Shadow Clone, placing his real body on either flank, while Yu Yamanaka sat cross-legged, linking their minds. Shimizu's Shadow Mimic Technique connected to Yu's immobile form, scanning the surroundings carefully.
The rain weakened Genbu's usual opening technique, Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu. He had to improvise. Simultaneously performing hand seals with his clone, he unleashed Earth Release: Earth Spear Technique. A row of jagged earthen spikes erupted from the ground, impaling the careless wandering ninjas. Their deaths were swift and gruesome.
Some distant Genin managed to evade the attack. They retaliated with Water Release: Water Spears, Water Release: Water Blades, and kunai rigged with explosive tags.
Genbu quickly performed Earth Release: Earth Wall, raising two stone barriers to block the assault.
Drawing a sword from a scroll, he leapt over the walls, engaging the remaining ninjas in hand-to-hand combat. Though they were Genin, they were no match for him.
Meanwhile, Tsunade, seated in the carriage, prepared to depart. A deep, hoarse voice echoed: "Tsunade, the attackers are merely a few Genin-led rogue warriors. Let your precious disciples handle them."
"Hmph. Orochimaru, you make it sound easy," she replied, before quickly leaving.
"Haha! Orochimaru got told off," someone nearby teased, slapping him on the shoulder.
Orochimaru merely glanced at Jiraiya without response, closing his eyes once more to rest.
On the surface, Tsunade's team was simply escorting the convoy to the Hidden Rain Village. In reality, they were covering for infiltration.
Recently, the Rain Country had been maintaining close ties with the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, yet no ninja returning from infiltration missions had ever come back. To gather intelligence, the Third Hokage dispatched Orochimaru and Jiraiya into the Rain Village.
To avoid detection and ensure successful infiltration, Orochimaru drugged the two employers returning from the Land of Fire. He and Jiraiya then concealed themselves within their shadows—similar to the Toad Shadow Clone Technique—moving into the village to gather information.
As for the unfortunate employers, one was inside a toad's stomach, the other in a snake's.
When Tsunade reached Yu and Shimizu's side, she witnessed Genbu slaughtering enemy ninjas. This boy… it's clearly his first time killing, yet he shows no fear. Is he impressive, or just as cold-blooded as Orochimaru?
Minutes later, Genbu had eliminated all the ninjas and returned.
"Teacher Tsunade, something is wrong. We were ambushed shortly after entering the Rain Country. First, boulders and explosives—it's clearly an assassination attempt, not a robbery. If we go further, we may face much greater danger," Shimizu analyzed.
Tsunade frowned. Something is off. Our convoy carries the Rain Village's banners. Even a traitor wouldn't foolishly attack a flagged, guarded convoy.
For the sake of a few trucks of iron ore, it would be reckless to anger both the Land of Fire and Rain. Only short-sighted mercenaries or thieves would attempt such a robbery. Hence, the mission had been classified as C-rank: simple escort work that two Chunin or several Genin could handle. Tsunade had accepted it under the pretext of training three new Genin.
Her real mission, however, was to disguise herself as part of the escort, then lie in wait to meet Orochimaru and Jiraiya, who had infiltrated the Rain Village.
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