Moonlight spread thinly across the rooftops of Konoha Village.
Shin-chan lay on the tatami, beginning his own unique style of training.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the front door.
Hiroshi opened it and found an ANBU member wearing a mask standing outside.
"An urgent order from Lord Hokage," the ANBU said quickly. "Nohara Shinnosuke is to report to the Hokage Building immediately."
Misae walked out of the room and glanced at her son lying on the floor. Her lips moved, but in the end, she only said, "Put your shoes on properly."
The conference room in the Hokage Building was brightly lit.
The Third Hokage stood before a huge map hanging on the wall, the tobacco in his pipe glowing red.
Several jōnin were also present.
When Shin-chan entered, he looked around the room, found an empty seat, and sat down beside Kakashi.
"What happened?"
Kakashi moved the documents in his hand to the side so Shin-chan could see them. "Read it yourself."
Shin-chan flipped through two pages, then pointed at a place name. "Do they sell desert watermelons here? I heard the watermelons in the Land of Wind are especially sweet."
Kakashi: "..."
"Kumogakure has made its move," the Third Hokage's voice sounded through the conference room. "According to the latest intelligence, Kumogakure's advance force has already broken through Sunagakure's first defensive line."
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"Konoha's current position is neutral. However, Kumogakure's forces are expanding their area of operation, and we cannot rule out the possibility that they may pass through the Land of Fire's borders."
"The area where the Land of Fire meets the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass is the most likely route for Kumogakure's forces to detour south. This is the area we must guard." The Third Hokage tapped a red line in the northwestern corner of the Land of Fire.
"Your mission is to monitor the movements of Kumogakure and Sunagakure. Remember, you are observers, not participants. I do not want to receive any reports at the Hokage Building saying that Konoha ninja launched the first attack."
The Third Hokage paused and looked at Shin-chan.
"You will go with Kakashi to the southwestern border and monitor Sunagakure's movements."
Early the next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Shin-chan arrived exactly on time.
"It's rare for you to be so punctual."
"That's because Mom started yelling at me to wake up at five." Shin-chan yawned.
The two traveled along the road leading southwest.
"Kakashi."
"Mm?"
"Why is Kumogakure attacking Sunagakure?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his words.
"The Third Kazekage disappeared. Sunagakure lost its strongest fighter, so Kumogakure saw an opportunity."
"So it's because Sunagakure became weaker?"
"From the perspective of war, yes."
"Then are the children in Sunagakure running away right now too?"
Kakashi stopped and turned to look at Shin-chan.
"I don't know."
Shin-chan nodded and did not ask anything else.
The two continued traveling, moving considerably faster than before.
Near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, the forests gradually became sparse, replaced by vast fields of dry grass and low shrubs.
"We're almost there." Kakashi slowed down. "The outpost ahead was evacuated half a month ago. Now that it's being reopened, the first thing we need to do is inspect the defensive barrier."
The outpost was a two-story stone building. The first floor contained the duty room and storage room, while the second floor held the observation platform and sleeping quarters.
Shin-chan climbed onto the observation platform and aimed a telescope toward the Land of Wind.
The terrain along the Land of Wind's border was completely different from that of the Land of Fire. Endless sand dunes replaced the lush forests. Several winding roads could faintly be seen along the horizon. They were supply routes leading toward Sunagakure.
Shin-chan moved the telescope from side to side several times. All he saw were sand, dry grass, and the occasional desert lizard sunbathing on a rock.
"So boring." He lowered the telescope.
"Boring is good." Kakashi leaned against a corner of the wall. "Boring means nothing is happening."
By the third day of the surveillance mission, Shin-chan had already turned over every stone in the outpost.
"Kakashi, are you sure we haven't been forgotten?"
"It's only been three days." Kakashi leaned against the observation-platform wall, reading a small book with an orange cover.
"But it feels like three years." Shin-chan lay beside the telescope, swinging it from left to right, then back from right to left.
"Do you think Sunagakure might actually be having a party right now? Everyone could be wearing Kazekage masks and dancing while deliberately hiding from us."
"Your imagination is already at the level of an S-rank wanted criminal."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Shin-chan lifted his head from behind the telescope and rubbed his eyes. "But it really is boring. No enemies, no abnormalities, and there are even two fewer desert lizards than yesterday."
"You counted them?"
"I even gave them names. The biggest one is Strongy, the fastest one is Speedy, and the one missing half its tail is Halfy."
Kakashi's hand paused while turning the page, then continued.
"Halfy didn't appear today." Shin-chan sighed. "I'm a little worried about him."
"Halfy might have simply chosen a different place to sunbathe."
"Impossible." Shin-chan shook his head seriously. "I've observed him for three days. Halfy appears on that triangular rock every day from nine to eleven in the morning. He didn't come today, so something must have happened."
Kakashi was silent for three seconds before closing his book.
"So now you want to establish a special investigation team for a missing desert lizard?"
"Can I?"
"No."
"So coldhearted." Shin-chan set up the telescope again. "A life has disappeared, yet you're completely unmoved. If Halfy heard that, he'd definitely be sad."
"Lizards can't hear us talking."
"How do you know? Maybe they have special hearing organs."
Kakashi decided not to continue that topic.
There had been no movement from Sunagakure's direction for three days. It really was somewhat unusual.
"Kakashi," Shin-chan spoke again.
"What is it this time? Did Strongy's cousin disappear?"
"No." Shin-chan pointed outside. "There's a chakra fluctuation about two kilometers southwest of here."
Kakashi instantly stood up. "I'll check it out. You stay at the outpost."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because someone needs to continue watching." Kakashi tightened his forehead protector. "If I don't return within two hours, immediately withdraw to Konoha and report."
After Kakashi left, the outpost became much quieter.
Shin-chan lay in front of the telescope, following Kakashi's figure as he leaped between the sand dunes.
"Too slow."
Shin-chan formed a hand seal.
"Ninja Art: Shadow Clone Jutsu."
White smoke dispersed, and another Shin-chan appeared on the observation platform.
"You stay here and pretend to watch through the telescope," Shin-chan told the shadow clone. "I'm going out for a while."
"Where are you going?"
"To find Halfy."
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!