The forest was dense and ancient, its towering trees reaching all the way into the clouds.
There was probably no other country in the world with trees as immense as those of the Land of Fire—and these colossal giants gave Konoha's ninja a tremendous natural advantage.
Whether it was for concealment, assassination, or tracking, the forest was their perfect battlefield.
Leo and Might Duy moved swiftly among the branches, their figures flashing from tree to tree. In less than a day, they had tracked down their mission's target—a merchant caravan operating near the border of the Land of Fire.
The caravan was composed of about twenty to thirty people, a medium-sized group. In such a turbulent age, caravans of this size were rare.
"So this is the big 'special C-rank mission'? There's not even a hint of danger! Right, Leo-kun?" Duy whispered from behind a tree.
He had thought this mission would be special—maybe even involve combat—but it turned out all they had to do was observe a suspicious caravan.
It was almost too easy! And the pay was good, too. He couldn't help but think that if there were more missions like this, by the time his future son was born, he wouldn't have to worry about money at all. He could devote himself completely to the radiant bloom of youth!
"Don't let your guard down, Duy," Leo said quietly.
His Observation Haki had already told him that something about this caravan was wrong. Though there was nothing overtly suspicious about their chakra signatures, his senses never lied—especially at level 3, where his perception bordered on the supernatural.
"Leo-kun, you're worrying too much. As long as we stay hidden, everything will be fine." Duy grinned confidently, his teeth gleaming as he spoke, optimism radiating from his very being.
Leo didn't bother to argue. He simply narrowed his eyes and continued observing from the shadows.
Four days later, he finally broke the silence.
"Duy, have you noticed anything strange?"
"Strange? Like what?" Duy asked blankly.
Leo sighed inwardly. He'd clearly overestimated Duy's powers of observation. The man was a taijutsu genius, yes—but when it came to reconnaissance, he was hopeless.
"First," Leo said quietly, "this is a mid-sized caravan. Given the instability of the current era, they should've hired at least a few ninja for protection. But we haven't seen a single one."
"Second, look at their route. They've been taking back roads the entire time instead of the main trade route. The main road is patrolled by the Land of Fire's guards—safer by far. Why avoid it?"
Duy's eEXPression grew more serious. "Now that you mention it… they do seem suspicious. Could they be spies?"
Leo shook his head. "There's one more thing—and it's the most important. On the first day, I counted twenty-five people in the caravan. Now there are only twenty-one. Where did the other four go?"
Cold sweat broke out on Duy's back as realization struck. "No—don't tell me we've been eEXPosed—!"
Shff!
The words had barely left his mouth when three dark figures burst out from the nearby underbrush.
They were dressed as ninja, each wearing a forehead protector engraved with the symbol of Kirigakure—the Hidden Mist Village.
Kunai flashed coldly in their hands as they lunged forward, killing intent filling the air.
"Dodge!"
Leo barked at the order as he vanished with Soru from the Six Powers, reappearing on the ground twenty meters away.
His Observation Haki flared to life—he could sense powerful chakra surging from the direction of the caravan. They were coming fast.
Duy barely managed to dodge with a clumsy roll, escaping the kunai by pure luck.
When he looked up, he saw the three Mist ninja perched on the branches above—each one radiating the presence of an elite chūnin.
"Leo-kun!" Duy shouted anxiously. "Run! I'll hold them off!"
He cursed himself inwardly. Leo had warned him over and over that the caravan was strange, but he hadn't listened—and now they were surrounded.
"Well, well," sneered one of the Mist ninja, a tall man with a scar across his face. "So you were the ones tailing us? A genin and a brat?
What's wrong, Konoha? Run out of real ninja?"
The other two chuckled mockingly.
"You can insult me," Duy roared, "but you will not insult Konoha!"
"Eight Inner Gates Released Formation—First Gate, Open!
Second Gate—Rest Gate, Open!
Third Gate—Open!
Fourth Gate—Open!"
In an instant, blazing steam erupted from Duy's body, his muscles bulging with unleashed power.
Chakra poured from his skin like blue fire, the air trembling around him.
This was no longer the goofy, bowl-cut man future generations would joke about—
This was the original Blue Beast of Konoha.
With four gates open, Might Duy's strength soared to the level of a jonin, and the three Mist ninja felt the crushing weight of his aura.
"So this is the Eight Inner Gates…" Leo thought, watching intently.
Had he not obtained the Great Pirate System, this might have been his path too. But now—he no longer needed it.
"Let's go!"
Duy's fighting spirit blazed like wildfire. His body vanished in a burst of steam—
and in the next instant, he appeared behind the scar-faced ninja.
The speed surpassed even the Body Flicker Technique—faster than the eye could follow.
After all, true shunshin required a body strong enough to withstand its strain.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Duy's voice was cold and sharp as he brought his leg down like a massive axe, slicing through the air with a roar of wind.
The scar-faced ninja never saw it coming. He was sent flying like a rag doll, crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.
Whether he was alive or dead was anyone's guess.
Without pausing, Duy moved again—his figure flickering through the trees, leaving only afterimages. The forest echoed with the sound of rushing wind as he struck from every angle, invisible to the naked eye.
The remaining two Mist ninja pressed their backs together, fear etched across their faces.
Moments ago, they had been mocking him. Now, one of their own was down in seconds.
They had never imagined that the "genin" before them could possess such terrifying strength.
Yes, they had been careless—but still, that power was real.
And what they didn't know was this—
In the entire ninja world, the last people you should ever underestimate… were Konoha's genin.
Leo's eyes gleamed with admiration. Duy's years of relentless effort had finally borne fruit—his brilliance could no longer be hidden.
But Leo's eEXPression soon hardened. The chakra signatures from the caravan were getting closer by the second.
This mission was about to get much, much more dangerous.
As he pondered their next move, a small puddle of water formed silently behind him.
From within that puddle, a figure emerged without a sound, completely unnoticed.
A hand shot forward, driving a kunai straight into Leo's back.
Thwack!
"Got him!" the assassin sneered triumphantly.
"Water-style stealth technique, huh?" Leo's calm voice replied. "So you're the missing fourth one from the Mist group."
The assassin's eyes went wide. "Wha—?"
A searing pain eEXPloded in his chest.
Lightning flashed—Chidori!—piercing straight through his heart before he could even react.
He staggered, glancing down in disbelief. His kunai was still buried in Leo's body—yet the boy stood there completely unharmed.
With a look of shock and unwillingness, the assassin collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/HorizonStudios0