Land of Rain.
Nawaki deeply valued this hard-earned opportunity and was determined to hone his skills through battlefield experience, striving to grow into a truly capable ninja.
In this dense jungle environment where silence reigned except for the sound of rain, he felt both nervous and excited.
At this moment, this Konoha squad was surveying a certain area of the Land of Rain, moving from north to south.
"Nawaki, you don't need to be so tense. Our mission is simply to investigate this area. If we detect any intruders, we deal with them accordingly… But this region has always been under our control—it's relatively safe. Once the war ended, it lost most of its strategic importance."
The squad leader explained to Nawaki. Besides Nawaki, the other three members of the team wore animal masks.
Clearly, they were elite Anbu ninja… For an Anbu squad leader to go into such detailed explanation showed just how special Nawaki's status was.
This was essentially a "guardian unit."
Yet even so, Nawaki was still only "Nawaki"—not "Lord Nawaki."
The reason these Anbu ninja showed such courtesy wasn't because of Nawaki himself, but due to Tsunade's and Lord Haseo's influence… Simply put, a ninja's standing ultimately relied on their strength.
"I understand, Captain… This is my first time coming to an actual battlefield, in fact, it's my first time leaving Konoha for real combat, so I hope Captain will give me plenty of guidance when I fall short."
As he spoke, Nawaki flashed a bright smile.
"Oh, that's fine. Many young ninjas start active battlefield service at a very young age, but there are exceptions like yourself… Take Lord Haseo, for example—you should know him well enough. When he first stepped onto the battlefield, his age was similar to yours. In fact, when Lord Haseo became a ninja, he was already considered quite old—but that didn't stop him from becoming the top ninja in Konoha."
The Anbu squad leader tried motivating Nawaki using Lord Haseo as an example, however this comparison seemed somewhat inappropriate.
It wasn't anyone's fault—those who didn't know all the details yet had some surface-level understanding would naturally assume there must've been a very close relationship between Nawaki and Lord Haseo.
Nawaki slightly lowered his head, concealing his expression, "Is that right? This is the first time I've heard such things. I'll certainly learn from Lord Haseo… I will definitely become an excellent ninja through my own strength. Definitely."
"It's good to have those kinds of ambitions."
No one noticed the perfunctory tone hidden within those words. After saying this, the Anbu squad leader unexpectedly fell silent again—his initial enthusiasm quickly fading.
For such an inexperienced youth, he realized he might have said more than was necessary.
Through one's own strength?
Please—if Nawaki were just an ordinary person, would three elite Anbu jonin accompany him on his very first mission?
When the war broke out, how many nameless cannon fodders died each year in Konoha? Without protection from others, Nawaki would have been just another nameless casualty.
Yet Nawaki seemed unaware of the care and kindness he received.
The squad leader stopped speaking, and the team resumed their patrol mission in silence. After a while, the group suddenly came to a halt.
"Alert level one, prepare to attack at any moment. We've discovered traces left by a small group of enemies ahead."
Soon after, the captain signaled with this coded message.
Nawaki's first real battle was about to begin.
...
In the evening three days later, Tsunade, who was in Konoha, received a report sent back from the Front Line.
At that moment, she was helping Haseo organize his ninja tools at home. Suddenly, a falcon cried out from the sky. Before long, Black Cat arrived, carrying a letter in its mouth, landing beside Tsunade.
Tsunade reached out and carefully opened the letter.
"What happened?"
Seeing Tsunade frown, Haseo, sitting beside her, asked immediately.
"It's nothing serious—it's about Nawaki. His squad encountered a group of ninja from Amegakure on the battlefield. His performance during his very first real battle seemed to be less than satisfactory...
He came across as overly aggressive during the fight and sustained minor wounds.
But it's nothing major. Konoha's forces were far superior to the enemy's, so they swiftly wiped them out.
Saying this, Tsunade handed the letter to Haseo.
Haseo glanced at it and placed it on the table. "This is normal. Young people are always eager to prove themselves. Weren't you three especially eager to join battles back then? Nawaki's performance was acceptable. As long as he can learn from this initial combat experience and make improvements, he'll be fine. Every ninja has grown step by step just like him."
A few words on a single letter could never fully describe exactly what had happened back then. Yet for someone who should merely follow orders—a rookie—there shouldn't even be room for such a word as "aggressive."
Nobody expects a newcomer to act recklessly; thus, using the term essentially implied "acting on one's own initiative," and acting independently equated to disobeying orders.
However, Tsunade didn't dwell on it, nor did Haseo voice it directly. It was better to let Nawaki gain some frontline experience, then bring him swiftly back to Konoha.
"Is that right?"
Seeing Tsunade's expression still stiff, Haseo pulled her closer and held her in his arms.
"Of course. Back when I was young, during a large-scale frontal assault, I once abandoned my teammates to launch a solo attack... Everyone has moments of recklessness."
Whether he'd acted recklessly or not—who knew? But surprisingly, Haseo actually showed self-criticism, even if it was years later... Beneath a new persona, Haseo wouldn't criticize Nawaki directly—he'd rather comfort Tsunade.
Tsunade relaxed slightly and leaned into the embrace, settling herself onto the poor four-legged chair—with four legs now seated upon it—but her gaze remained fixed on the letter.
"Really?"
"You still act so recklessly—how come I've never heard about it?" But regardless, Tsunade's attention had been caught by Haseo's "unknown" past, though her focus quickly shifted back.
"But Nawaki isn't you, Haseo. He... Anyway, if you're heading to the Land of Rain this time, promise me you'll take proper care of that kid."
Given Nawaki's age, calling him a "kid" made one wonder just how unfair it was for someone who bore the fate of a ninja and fought on Battlegrounds at only twelve years old.
"Of course. As if you even needed to remind me?"
Haseo hastily replied.
"Don't brush me off. If you do well, I might give you some reward."
That left Haseo silent for quite a while... Well, almost immediately he shot back, "What kind of reward?"
Avoiding the casino would be the greatest reward already—he thought to himself.
Tsunade then leaned into Haseo's ear and murmured something soft. Whatever she said, not even Black Cat—who was straining his ears nearby to eavesdrop—could catch a single word.
Afterward, Tsunade's cheeks flushed slightly, but Haseo looked utterly furious.
"Vulgar! Tawdry! Cheap! Do I look like someone who'd accept such bribes? You're insulting my integrity and belittling my morals... By the way, can I get the reward in advance?"
Twists always came suddenly, so Tsunade couldn't help but finally let out a soft laugh...
And continued laughing until gasping for breath.
The next morning, Haseo set off from Konoha toward the Land of Rain.
For him, this reconnaissance mission was extremely important. Although certain interactions might cause some changes, Haseo still hoped to see those people who were originally meant to appear.
However, right after reaching Konoha's gates, he suddenly realized how difficult this journey would be.
Then Haseo began thinking about infrastructure development within the Land of Fire...
A wall stretching from Konoha straight into the Land of Rain would make movement much more efficient. Just imagine, with one hand resting on his waist and the other on the wall—he'd be able to move at lightning speed.
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