Looking at Jiraiya's expectant expression, Okamoto Dousuke raised his right hand and gave a thumbs-up in response. "Understood, Teacher."
"Alright, kid, get some rest. We'll set off at dawn. As a ninja, it's always best to avoid traveling at night," Jiraiya said, leaping gracefully onto a nearby tree trunk, settling in for the night.
Okamoto Dousuke nodded, picking up his backpack and joining Jiraiya on another sturdy tree branch.
The two remained silent throughout the night, each lost in their own thoughts until the first rays of dawn broke through the leaves.
Jiraiya was the first to stir, jumping down from the tree trunk. Okamoto Dousuke, who had been resting beside him, also turned over and followed suit.
"Let's go."
Looking at Okamoto Dousuke, who had already efficiently packed his belongings, Jiraiya called out and took the lead.
Okamoto Dousuke followed close behind his teacher.
Swish, swish, swish! ! !
Two figures, their cloaks billowing out behind them, sped through the verdant forests of Konohagakure.
After traveling non-stop for the entire morning, Jiraiya and Okamoto Dousuke finally reached the border of the Land of Fire around noon.
Okamoto Dousuke glanced at the stone boundary marker, then looked at Jiraiya with a hint of confusion.
"Ahead is the Land of Waterfalls, Taki no Kuni. That's where Minato's team is currently on a mission."
"Ninjutsu, Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
A fist-sized toad, wearing a small purple vest, appeared in a puff of smoke.
As soon as it materialized, the toad hopped up Jiraiya's leg.
In a few quick leaps, it reached Jiraiya's shoulder and extended a tiny front paw. "Master Jiraiya, it's been a while!"
After greeting his summoner, the toad turned its attention to Okamoto Dousuke. "Hello there, sir! Are you Jiraiya-sama's disciple? Would you be interested in signing a contract with Myoboku Mountain?"
"Um, hello!" Looking at the surprisingly familiar toad, a bead of sweat trickled down Okamoto Dousuke's forehead. He raised his hand and offered a hesitant wave in response.
"Alright, alright, Gamahara. Stop trying to recruit every person you meet. The Great Toad Sage will know if you keep doing that. I'm here to find Minato. Where is he?" Jiraiya said, a slight frown appearing on his face as he looked at the toad perched on his shoulder.
"Are you looking for Minato-sama? Then please, follow me!"
The fist-sized toad hopped from Jiraiya's shoulder, preparing to lead the way.
Snap!
The toad that had just jumped into the air was swiftly caught in Jiraiya's hand.
"Do you still remember the last time I let you lead the way? It took you three hours to cover a distance that should have taken three minutes! This time, I'm not going to bother with your 'guidance.' You can just stay on my shoulder and point me in the right direction," Jiraiya said, staring pointedly at the toad in his hand, his teeth slightly gritted.
Gamahara, as the toad was apparently named, grinned sheepishly. "Okay, Master Jiraiya! But could you please let me go for a moment? I'm having a little trouble breathing…"
"Ah, sorry, sorry! Got a little too excited," Jiraiya said, placing Gamahara back on his shoulder.
Gamahara, the scouting toad of Myoboku Mountain, possessed a unique sensory ability! He could detect creatures with malicious intent within a certain radius.
However, being a toad, his "malicious intent perception" was often confused by the presence of snakes within range.
While Gamahara's ability to sense malice wasn't always reliable, he did have another useful skill: the ability to secrete a special liquid.
No matter how far away, Gamahara could sense the general direction of a specific individual! The closer the distance, the more accurate the location became.
"Go straight ahead," Gamahara directed.
Jiraiya immediately took off in the indicated direction, Okamoto Dousuke following closely behind.
"Turn right!"
"Turn left!"
"Straight… ahead…"
It was a long trek.
Finally, Jiraiya and Okamoto Dousuke stopped at the gate of a grand manor.
"Master Jiraiya, Master Minato is inside this manor," said Gamahara, pointing a tiny webbed foot towards the imposing door.
"Alright, thanks for your hard work, Gamahara."
Poof!
Toad Yuan vanished as Jiraiya released the summoning.
"Boy, let's go take a look around. Minato was once… intimately acquainted with Gamahara's… uh… essence. He won't lead us astray," Jiraiya said with a wink, leaping nimbly onto the manor wall.
"Okay," Okamoto Dousuke replied, following suit in an instant.
The two of them moved swiftly across the rooftops of the luxurious manor.
"Teacher, do we really have to send her back? The mission we accepted in the village was only to escort her to the border of the Land of Waterfalls!" A masked boy with short, silver-white hair stood up, his tone conveying his reluctance.
"Kakashi, she's the only child left. You have to understand that if we don't ensure she reaches her destination, she'll be traveling alone, vulnerable. Do I really need to spell out what might happen to her?" A ninja wearing a green Jonin vest replied, seated calmly in the room.
"Teacher Minato, our mission parameters were clearly defined. There's no logical reason to expend additional time, manpower, and resources on supplementary tasks," Hatake Kakashi said, looking directly at Namikaze Minato, his words sharp and unwavering.
"Kakashi, how can you be so cold?"
"Fu has no family left. If we don't see her safely home, she'll likely perish on the journey," another boy, sporting orange goggles, rushed over to Kakashi, his voice filled with concern.
Looking at Uchiha Obito, who stood before him, Kakashi crossed his arms and stated coolly, "I've made my position perfectly clear. Our mission is complete. Whether she lives or dies from this point forward is simply a matter of her own fate."
"Kakashi, you…" Uchiha Obito clenched his fists, staring at Kakashi with wide, disbelieving eyes, unable to comprehend his teammate's apparent indifference.
"Obito, Kakashi, please! Don't argue," a female ninja with two distinctive purple markings on her cheeks said from her seated position on the floor, looking at the two confronting boys with a plea in her eyes. "Obito is right. If we leave her like this, Fu will almost certainly be captured by those rogue ninjas."
"You see! Rin agrees with my assessment! Hahahaha!" As soon as Nohara Rin finished speaking, Uchiha Obito proudly placed his hands on his hips and let out a boisterous laugh.
"…" Kakashi merely stared at Uchiha Obito, who was grinning foolishly before him, his expression unreadable.
"Kakashi, a ninja must always prioritize the mission… whoosh." Before Minato Namikaze could finish his sentence, the distinct sound of someone stepping on the roof tiles above reached their ears.
Whoosh.
Okamoto Dousuke and Jiraiya swiftly scaled the outer wall and entered the manor grounds. They leaped onto the rooftop, quickly moving from house to house, their eyes scanning for any sign of Minato Namikaze.
As Okamoto Dousuke reached the roof of one particular building, he faintly heard the sound of a heated argument taking place below.
Without hesitation, Okamoto Dousuke activated his Water Instant Body Technique, transforming his form momentarily into water as he dropped silently onto the roof directly above the voices he had just heard.
Just as Okamoto Dousuke was about to begin his reconnaissance, a uniquely shaped kunai shot out from the house below with incredible speed.
The kunai pierced the exact spot where Okamoto Dousuke had been standing only moments before.
Immediately following the projectile, Minato Namikaze materialized in mid-air, his hand already grasping the specially designed kunai.
Swish, swish, swish.
Another three Flying Thunder God Kunai were flung in Okamoto Dousuke's direction with pinpoint accuracy.
"Water Style, Water Iron Jade Jutsu!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Clang!
A dense sphere of chakra-infused water erupted from Okamoto Dousuke's hand, colliding directly with the Flying Thunder God Kunai, deflecting them away.
"Water Style, Flowing Light Jutsu!" A high-pressure stream of water sliced through another of the incoming Flying Thunder God Kunai, cleanly splitting the weapon into two.
With a burst of water erupting beneath his feet, Okamoto Dousuke propelled himself backwards rapidly, creating distance between himself and the unexpected attacker.
A flash of green appeared behind Okamoto Dousuke. Hatake Kakashi, his movements lightning-fast, held the last Flying Thunder God Kunai firmly in his grasp, the razor-sharp blade pressed tightly against the carotid artery in Okamoto Dousuke's neck.
Okamoto Dousuke froze, his body instantly still.
Minato Namikaze held the remaining Flying Thunder God Kunai against Okamoto Dousuke's other side.
"Minato…!" a voice shouted from the distance.