There was a very slight chance that escorting supply convoys could lead to an encounter with Iwagakure ninja crossing the border.
But in times of peace, raids behind enemy lines were rare; infiltration and espionage were the preferred methods.
This time, Team Otokaze was undertaking one of the most dangerous types of C-rank missions, one that could escalate to a B-rank or even an A-rank mission at any moment.
Moreover, this kind of mission offered little reward. Unlike wiping out a band of thieves, where you could always salvage some loot that the leading Jonin would typically divide up—so long as it wasn't anything too valuable.
The journey north was uneventful, and the group arrived at their destination without a hitch.
The Northern Fortress was not a single citadel but a great wall stretching from east to west, blocking the Land of Earth's southern path into the Land of Wind.
Such a defensive system couldn't stop elite ninja from scaling it, but it could halt the passage of an army and its supply lines.
For decades, the covert and overt struggles between Iwagakure and Sunagakure had never ceased along this defensive line.
The current commander of the fortress was a Jonin named Fugi.
This man was no ordinary figure. As far as Daigan knew, Fugi was the leader of the largest faction outside the direct control of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
After the Third Kazekage's disappearance, Fugi had once been a contender for the position of Fourth Kazekage. However, his platform was not favored by Chiyo and Ebizo. Coupled with the fact that Rasa was stronger and better suited to lead a village already sliding inevitably into war, Fugi had no choice but to grimly submit.
In recent years, Fugi had grown quite dissatisfied with Rasa's policies. In particular, the seal on the One-Tailed Shukaku was far less reliable than it had been under the previous Jinchuriki, Bunpuku. Gaara, the constantly rampaging Jinchuriki, was a source of extreme anger for Fugi, who believed Rasa was practicing nepotism.
If the Jinchuriki's seal was such a failure, a replacement should have been found immediately. As Kazekage, Rasa should have been considering the lives of the entire village, not sparing his own youngest son's life by delaying action.
Unfortunately, with the support of the elders Chiyo and Ebizo, Rasa's position was unshakeable. Fugi had to settle for self-exile, coming to guard the northern gate of the Land of Wind.
After arriving at the Northern Fortress, Team Otokaze took a short rest before beginning their somewhat tedious patrol duties.
Their captain, Otokaze, seemed to have other plans for being here.
"Lord Fugi, I regret to inform you that Master Baki does not agree with your plan."
"Is that so?"
Fugi had a stern, imposing face. Dressed in an elegant yet dignified plain robe, almost completely unadorned, he exuded an air of graceful authority.
"Has Baki been won over by Rasa as well? Rasa put his three children under Baki's tutelage. He truly spares no effort to win him over."
Otokaze bowed slightly, explaining respectfully, "Neither Lord Baki nor the Fourth are indecisive men. Their way of thinking is simply different from yours."
"Perhaps."
Fugi gazed at the scenery outside. On this side of the wall was an endless sea of sand; on the other, rolling hills stretched into the distance. The border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth lay here.
"Even from my distant post in the north, I've heard rumors. Baki and the Fourth have been dealing with some mysterious strangers. Do you know anything about it?"
Otokaze shook his head. "Neither the Fourth Kazekage nor Master Baki has mentioned this to me."
"Perhaps the time they spoke of has finally come."
Fugi nodded slightly. An operation kept secret from nearly everyone suggested a major move was imminent.
Fugi and Rasa had no personal grudge; their conflict was purely political, a clash over Sunagakure's grand strategy.
Rasa advocated for biding their time and striking when the opportunity arose, while Fugi insisted on settling internal affairs before dealing with external threats. Neither man would ever concede that he was wrong.
"Should I continue to inquire about the Fourth's plans?"
"There's no need. For now, keep any extraneous thoughts to yourself. The Fourth is the Kazekage, and even I must obey his orders."
"Yes, Lord Fugi."
Otokaze departed, leaving only the cold wind sweeping down from the northern lands to brush against Fugi's face.
"Is it once again time to fight for the village's survival?"
***
The deserts of the Land of Wind were already scorching by noon, even while the snow in the northern Land of Earth might not have fully melted. It was a busy time for everyone, which meant things were relatively quiet at the Northern Fortress.
With Otokaze away, Daigan leaned against the edge of the fortress wall, enjoying the cool breeze. Chi sat on a stone bench, feigning sleep. Yome stood atop the crenellations, gazing into the distance, perhaps just to feel a little taller.
"So boring. When's the shift change?"
Daigan yawned. Truthfully, there was nothing wrong with completing the mission peacefully, but it was cutting into his training time.
"We're on a mission. Try to look sharper. It's a bad look if someone sees you like this."
Yome was staring intently at something, though what it was, Daigan couldn't imagine. At this time of day, you couldn't see a soul for dozens of miles outside the fortress.
"I know, I know. But you should take a break, Yome. Good eyes need good care. If you stare like that all day, you'll end up nearsighted."
"I won't get nearsighted!" Yome hopped down with a burst of energy. "This is a form of training. If my eyes observe too much for my mind to process, I'll be in trouble."
"Rest is part of training, too. It's because your eyes are so good that your brain has to process too much visual information. It burns too much energy. That might be why your development is stunted and you're so short."
"There you go with your nonsense again." Yome was more or less used to Daigan's teasing by now. "By the way, Daigan, how do you know Shira? Before we left, he told me to thank you properly."
Daigan waved a dismissive hand. "No need. Lady Saya already gave me a thank-you gift."
"It might have been a small thing for you, but for Shira, it's a lifelong debt of gratitude."
"Don't be so dramatic. Once he masters that 'Seven Heavens Breathing Method' of his, someone will naturally notice his potential. You think all the ninja in this village are blind?"
"You even know about that?"
"I even thought about asking him to teach me some taijutsu. That 'Seven Heavens Breathing Method' is pretty amazing."
"And you gave up?"
"Yeah. My aptitude is too poor. I can't learn it."
"Joking again."
"Maybe."
Daigan didn't elaborate further.
Not just anyone could master the Eight Gates or the Seven Heavens Breathing Method.
The difficulty of training in these two secret arts was immense. The vast majority of ninja simply didn't have bodies suited for that level of grueling practice.
Forcing it would result in death or disability.