Orochimaru's information doesn't come easy. The most certain and crucial part is that Orochimaru will never abandon Sasuke Uchiha. Even if he encounters temporary setbacks, once he recovers, he'll definitely try to win Sasuke over again.
"Should we let the Genin know about this?"
Mizuki asked worriedly.
Kakashi shook his head. "For now, we still have the upper hand in intelligence. The secrecy surrounding this mission has been well maintained, so the mission shouldn't be deliberately targeted yet… However, there's no telling what kind of mistakes might occur."
"I see. So you're saying the ambush will definitely come, but not necessarily during this particular mission."
"Precisely."
"This kind of uncertain intelligence is the worst."
"Don't complain; that's just how it is being a ninja," Kakashi Hatake said calmly. "If foolproof missions truly existed, they'd simply assign appropriate personnel to finish them, and the ninja world wouldn't be in such chaos."
"You're absolutely right—ninja exist specifically to handle exactly these kinds of issues, don't we?"
Mizuki couldn't help but reluctantly agree with Kakashi's point.
...
The Land of Water was the farthest of the Five Great Ninja Villages from Konoha, which left Kirigakure isolated overseas with inconvenient transportation—it was already extremely remote. Due to the risk of attack, Kakashi and Mizuki's group didn't travel slowly. Most of their journey took place within the Land of Fire before boarding a ship upon reaching the coast.
At least within the territory of Konoha village, basic safety was guaranteed. A large-scale coordinated assault was unlikely, and even small teams of elite attackers wouldn't pose a real threat to Kakashi Hatake and Mizuki. Their journey had been relatively smooth.
After rushing nonstop, the team reached the coastline before nightfall and finally stopped for some much-needed rest.
"We'll stay in this town tonight and take a passenger ship out to sea tomorrow," Kakashi Hatake decided. These past few days had been spent trekking through dense wilderness. Though terrain posed little hindrance for ninja, who wouldn't prefer sleeping comfortably indoors rather than camping outside? With summer heat lingering, in the Land of Fire where greenery thrived, what filled the air wasn't only fresh oxygen—it also included swarms of annoying mosquitoes. Even with standard-issue repellents, completely keeping away mosquitoes—among the most resilient creatures in nature—was impossible.
Once accommodations were settled, Kakashi gave the Genin some free time, though gently warned them not to wander off alone to avoid any unexpected changes.
Meanwhile, Kakashi went off to arrange the departure schedule for tomorrow's voyage.
Mizuki, being habitual in his approach, instinctively set up several defensive precautions himself—even though Team 8's three Genin possessed exceptional reconnaissance skills. Still, Mizuki preferred having independent control over battlefield intelligence. After all, young Genin were inexperienced; at times like this, trouble might erupt without warning.
Mizuki instinctively found himself a quiet vantage point, silently observing the small coastal port that had flourished due to maritime trade and commerce. Where there is demand, people will come—that was true even for those heading to the notoriously dangerous "Land of Blood Mist." For profit, waves of daring merchants and adventurers kept traveling to the Land of Water in search of fortune. Over time, this steady flow created a fairly lively little coastal town.
This town, shaped by its unique setting and structure, exuded a distorted sense of prosperity. Beneath its outwardly peaceful surface lurked dark elements, which gradually revealed themselves before Mizuki's eyes as daylight faded.
Fraud, extortion, brawls, and places overflowing with material indulgences filled his view. Nearby, displaced civilians and orphans also clearly appeared within Mizuki's perception.
"This world has truly deteriorated beyond cure. Outside of Konoha Village, the truth of this world is unbearably cruel. No wonder countless idealists want to change it..."
Such was the pattern of how the world evolved. Mizuki himself had no idea how to fix it—let alone help these homeless children. If Mizuki couldn't even save a decaying world, how could he hope to rescue just a few unfortunate individuals? That would be far too naïve.
Mizuki clearly saw that when Teams 7 and 8 passed through, they had given food and supplies out of sympathy. Yet as soon as they left, a larger group of beggars snatched everything away in an instant. The smaller kids were beaten severely and lay on the ground battered and bruised—having gained nothing but suffering.
"Sigh."
Mizuki sighed softly. Soon after, he appeared before several injured, unconscious street kids. He used Medical Ninjutsu to treat each of them one by one. Once he confirmed they were stable, he stopped.
"Kakashi, are you really just going to watch these Genin do foolish things?"
Mizuki asked into the empty night sky.
"Aren't you watching too?" Kakashi replied, stepping forward from the shadows.
Mizuki let out a helpless smile. "Isn't it better to let these kids keep their innocence and kindness for a while longer?"
Kakashi nodded in agreement. "After all, this isn't the shinobi war era yet... I was just remembering when we first stepped onto the battlefield..."
"Stop there, Kakashi," Mizuki interrupted. "I didn't get promoted to Jonin at twelve like you did, then immediately sent to war. Back then, I was only an ordinary Genin doing menial tasks. I didn't have nearly as much experience as you."
"Really now, haha," Kakashi awkwardly chuckled. "What I mean is, the current situation is different from back then. Let them believe in this world a bit more."
"Sounds like you've already stopped believing yourself."
Kakashi did not answer Mizuki's teasing remark. Instead, he turned his head and asked, "Should we handle those people over there?"
"Forget it, Kakashi. Those people are just pitiful beings—born into the dregs of society, their tragic fates were sealed from the start. They can only survive by bullying those weaker than themselves."
"In the end, we're powerless. Even with strength, we still can't change the world."
Konoha can take in one or two war orphans, but there's no way to provide for everyone who needs help. No one can manage that.
"You're playing a dangerous game with thoughts like that, Kakashi," Mizuki couldn't help but warn him. "Leave things like this to the Daimyo and the Hokage. In the end, we're just ninja. We've got no way to deal with something this big..."
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