"You've arrived at the perfect time."
The border post was built around a small town of barely a thousand souls, now transformed into a fortress. Every street and courtyard overflowed with shinobi. Hundreds of Konoha's forces filled the settlement, all under the pale command of Orochimaru.
For months, he had been stationed here. Yunyin shinobi had begun slipping across the frontier—raids that caused little damage but carried a dangerous message: Kumogakure was probing the Fire Country's defenses. Though two minor nations, the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost, lay between Fire and Lightning, they were weak buffers at best. If war came, those countries would become little more than battlefields.
Konoha had responded swiftly, sending Orochimaru and his troops to halt further incursions. Yet even with his forces, one gap remained. They lacked specialists in tracking and reconnaissance. And so the Hokage had dispatched Lock's team.
Orochimaru's golden eyes studied them with quiet amusement. "The Third was wise to send you. Each of you has a talent I require. From this point forward, you answer to me."
Captain Mizuno Kenta stood impassive, while the Nara clansman bowed slightly. "Lord Orochimaru, Hokage-sama instructed us to await your orders. Please assign our mission."
A thin smile curled across Orochimaru's lips. "Recently, Kumogakure has sent several squads across the border. We've repelled some… others escaped and remain hidden. Your task is simple: locate those infiltrator, and uncover their purpose."
The group exchanged glances, relief flickering across their faces. A search mission suited them well. With Byakugan, kikaichū, Nara strategy, and Yamanaka perception, few enemies could hide for long.
Lock, however, frowned inwardly. His skills were best suited to assassination, not detection. What role did Orochimaru see for him here?
"Hyūga, Aburame, Nara, Yamanaka," Orochimaru continued silkily. "You may begin preparations. Dismissed."
The others filed out, leaving Lock standing alone in the tent. His unease deepened.
Orochimaru's smile lingered as he regarded him. "You're wondering why I kept you behind, aren't you?"
Lock straightened. "If you have instructions for me, Lord Orochimaru, please give the order."
A low chuckle. "How obedient. But no… I don't intend for you to chase scraps left by Yunyin. When an enemy dares trespass, I prefer to answer in kind."
Lock's breath caught. He already felt where this was going.
The Sannin's eyes narrowed, glinting like a serpent's. "Jiraiya speaks often of you. Says you're a genius… though not another Minato, of course. Still, you interest me. Your strength already surpasses most chūnin, and your talents are precisely what I need."
The words made Lock's stomach knot. Praise from Orochimaru was no comfort—it was a weight, pressing him toward something dangerous.
"I'm assigning you a special mission," Orochimaru said at last, his tone low, deliberate. "I classify it as S-rank. Upon completion, you will receive the rewards such a mission deserves."
Lock's pulse hammered. S-rank? He'd never been given anything beyond A-rank before, and even then, only under Jiraiya's wing. Missions with Yūhi's squad never rose above B. To suddenly leap to S…
He forced his voice steady. "What… exactly is the mission?"
Orochimaru leaned forward, the light catching his pale skin. "As I said, Yunyin's movements here are only a distraction. Their shinobi are hiding across the border, in the Land of Hot Water. I need you to slip into their territory, discover where they're gathering, how many they are, and what purpose drives them."
The words struck like a blade of ice. Alone. Behind enemy lines. Into the dark, where even Orochimaru hesitated to tread.
Lock's hands curled into fists. He had infiltrated before, but never against an enemy like Kumogakure. And now—while his comrades handled the safer work—he was being sent into the jaws of danger itself.
"Alone?" he asked quietly. "With no intelligence to guide me?"
Orochimaru's smile widened. "You'll manage. After all… that's why I chose you."
Lock swallowed hard. The weight of an S-rank mission pressed down on him. Reward or not, he could already sense how close this path ran to death.
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