Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The Land of Waves Mission Begins
When they saw Sasuke approaching, the two waved and greeted him.
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!"
"Sasuke, you're the last one today!"
Huh?
The last one? Sasuke paused for a moment. That slacker Kakashi was late every single day.
What's this? Did he suddenly change his habits?
He's not late today?
Thinking this, Sasuke glanced toward a nearby tree.
Sure enough, there he was, still perched on a branch reading Make-Out Paradise!
"Alright!"
"Everyone's here!"
With that, Kakashi jumped down from the tree.
"Let's get down to business!"
"Head home and pack up. We're leaving the village to carry out a mission!"
Seeing Naruto and Sakura's confused expressions, Kakashi chuckled. "Didn't you both always complain about the D-rank missions? Well, today we've taken on a C-rank mission to escort someone to the Land of Waves. So, we'll be leaving the village for a while!"
Sasuke was momentarily stunned. The Land of Waves mission was happening already?
Hmm, not bad.
Sasuke had been eager to face a real opponent, someone skilled, to test his true strength.
And Zabuza Momochi seemed like a worthy target.
Kakashi glanced at Sasuke, noting his unusually good mood.
As expected of a kid, just the thought of leaving the village even had someone like Sasuke dropping his usual aloofness.
Sooner or later, I'll fix that smug attitude of his, Kakashi thought to himself.
"Alright, head back and pack up! Once you're ready, meet at the Hokage's office. Before we leave, we'll report to the Hokage and meet the person we're escorting!"
With Kakashi's command, the trio quickly dispersed.
As they left, Kakashi gave Sasuke a puzzled look.
"Am I imagining things?"
"This kid's footsteps are quieter now!"
While lighter footsteps alone weren't definitive proof of anything, maintaining the same speed with quieter steps often indicated progress in speed and precise control of one's strength.
"He's improved again?"
"Could it really be that just sparring with Guy yesterday brought him to this level?"
"This kid…"
After quickly gathering their things, the group reunited at the Hokage's office.
Before their departure, the Third Hokage offered words of encouragement and support. As always, his demeanor exuded the care of a leader who looked out for his people.
It was a classic move by the Third Hokage winning hearts with ease.
Even Sasuke, for a brief moment, almost felt touched by the old man's sincerity.
But then he remembered the man before him had allowed the destruction of the Uchiha clan, even if he hadn't acted directly.
While Sasuke wasn't the same as the original Sasuke, it was still difficult for him to feel any goodwill toward this Hokage.
After the Hokage's performance, they met the client they would be escorting Tazuna, the bridge builder from the Land of Waves.
"What? You're sending a bunch of kids to escort me? Can they handle it?"
Kakashi chuckled. "Don't worry. They may look like kids, but they're all qualified Konoha ninja!"
"Besides, this is just a simple C-rank mission. Even if they couldn't handle it, I'm here Kakashi Hatake, a Jonin of Konoha."
"For a mission like this, I'm more than enough on my own."
Hearing this, Tazuna fell silent.
Naruto, however, was fuming. Being doubted like this irritated him to no end.
Sasuke, on the other hand, remained silent, seemingly unaffected by the exchange.
This surprised Kakashi.
Given Sasuke's prideful personality, being looked down upon by an ordinary person should have irritated him.
Even if he didn't lash out, he should've shown at least a flicker of anger.
Yet Sasuke appeared completely calm.
This suggested that Sasuke's arrogance might only extend to others who were also ninja.
When it came to ordinary people, he likely didn't care about their opinions at all.
Leaving the village of Konoha, the group didn't travel too quickly. Considering that Tazuna was an ordinary person, they had to move at a slow, leisurely pace.
This suited Sasuke just fine. After all, this mission was fairly mundane, with the only exciting prospect being the potential chance to fight Zabuza Momochi.
Sasuke didn't feel like talking much during the journey. He quietly took up the rear of the group, practicing hand seals as they walked.
Of course, Sasuke's little actions didn't escape anyone's notice.
Naruto looked over, exasperated. "Even while traveling, you're still practicing?"
Naruto's comment drew Sasuke's attention, and he responded, "If you don't improve, you'll get overtaken by others."
"Besides, I must become stronger."
Hearing this, Naruto thought Sasuke's ambition might also be to become Hokage, which left him speechless.
"You've already got better talent than me, and now you're working this hard? You're not leaving the rest of us a chance to live, are you?" Naruto complained, clearly frustrated.
Kakashi, observing quietly, sighed to himself. "For revenge, huh? Looks like changing Sasuke's mindset won't be an easy task."
"Naruto! If even people more talented than you are working harder, then if you really want to become Hokage, you'll have to put in even more effort," Kakashi advised.
Naruto pouted in frustration. He wanted to train, but he didn't know what to focus on.
Practicing hand seals like Sasuke felt like copying, and he wasn't too keen on that.
But he also couldn't think of anything else to practice.
Kakashi, noticing Naruto's inner struggle, gave a wry smile. Sasuke had his family's inherited ninjutsu to train in, and his natural talent was exceptional.
Naruto and Sakura, on the other hand, didn't have any inherited techniques to study. It was up to Kakashi as their teacher to find ways to help them grow stronger.
"Alright, don't lose heart. Once we reach the Land of Waves, I'll put you through some special training!"
Hearing this, Naruto's spirits lifted immediately.
"Really, Kakashi-sensei?"
As they talked, the group was about to exit Konoha's territory.
Meanwhile, in Konoha's underground Root headquarters, Danzo was raging.
"Damn Sarutobi! He actually allowed that brat… to leave the village!"
"Is this to guard against me?"
"Fine! If you dare to let him leave Konoha, then I'll make sure he never returns!"
"Hmph! If you won't let me cultivate such a genius, then I'll destroy him instead!"
"After all, anyone from the Uchiha clan is nothing but a threat to Konoha!"
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Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Sasuke's First Kill
Raising his hand, he summoned a Root ninja.
He tossed the document to the ninja without a word.
"Deliver this to the Village Hidden in Sound!"
The ninja silently nodded, took the document, and disappeared instantly.
Left alone in the dimly lit room, Danzo let out a sinister laugh.
"Hmph!"
"Sarutobi, since you refuse to train that boy into a proper weapon…"
"Then don't think you'll have him either!"
"That man has quite the interest in the Uchiha. Sending him such a grand gift… I'm sure he'll be grateful!"
With that, Danzo turned and vanished into the shadows.
The speed at which Root relayed messages far surpassed Sasuke and his team's pace.
The distance from Konoha to the Village Hidden in Sound wasn't far.
In one of the underground secret bases of the Sound Village…
Orochimaru stood before yet another failed experiment. His expression calm, he addressed Kimimaro, who stood beside him.
"Dispose of this one."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kimimaro replied, taking the failed specimen and leaving without hesitation.
As Kimimaro's figure disappeared, Orochimaru sighed.
"Such a pity… I still haven't found a cure for your Kekkei Genkai disease."
Kimimaro's bloodline limit was extraordinary. Without his illness, he would have been Orochimaru's ideal vessel.
What a shame.
What a loss.
As Orochimaru reflected, Kimimaro returned, carrying a sealed document.
"Lord Orochimaru, this was sent by those people."
Orochimaru smirked.
"That old relic Danzo… hasn't given up yet, has he?"
A fool who dreams of becoming Hokage. Maintaining contact with Danzo, however, was still necessary after all, Orochimaru relied on Danzo's resources for many of his experiments.
But as Orochimaru opened the document, his expression froze in shock.
"Uchiha… Sasuke!"
Kimimaro frowned slightly.
Uchiha.
Of course, he had heard of them. One of Konoha's two great bloodline clans, though the Uchiha had been annihilated.
"What an astonishing boy. Freshly graduated, yet capable of battling Konoha's Blue Beast!"
"And he's awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan!"
"Such a perfect vessel!"
Orochimaru licked his lips.
Seeing Orochimaru's expression, Kimimaro couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy toward this boy he had never met.
To think someone could capture Lord Orochimaru's attention like this.
The Uchiha clan's Sharingan, was it?
Hmph!
Whose bloodline limit is stronger mine or his?
"Orochimaru-sama, Danzo has certainly delivered a great gift this time!"
"This boy is simply perfect to be my vessel."
"Though, I still need to test him first!"
Kimimaro lowered his head and replied, "Lord Orochimaru, allow me to go. I'll verify whether this boy is worthy to become your vessel."
Hearing this, Orochimaru raised his gaze to Kimimaro.
"I would like to see him for myself."
"But! We absolutely cannot be discovered."
"That brat has Hatake Kakashi with him."
While Orochimaru wasn't afraid of Kakashi, he didn't underestimate him either. If Kakashi were to focus solely on escaping, Orochimaru wasn't confident he could stop him.
After all, the Copy Ninja of Konoha hadn't earned his reputation for nothing.
"Prepare yourself. We're heading to the Land of Waves."
Meanwhile, Sasuke and his group had been traveling for most of the day.
At their current pace, it would likely take a few more days to reach the Land of Waves.
However, the first act of the Land of Waves arc was about to begin.
As they moved along the road, Sasuke's gaze landed on a suspicious puddle of water not far ahead.
This is too obvious.
He looked up at the sky.
Under the blazing sun, on a dry, dusty road, there was somehow a puddle of water that hadn't evaporated.
Such a trick might fool civilians, but any ninja with even a shred of common sense would notice it immediately.
Well, almost any ninja.
Naruto, oblivious as always, didn't seem to notice anything unusual.
Even Sakura glanced at the puddle curiously a few times.
However, due to her lack of experience, she didn't think of it as a potential enemy trap and simply walked past it without much thought.
Kakashi, on the other hand, noticed it immediately. As he glanced behind him, he saw Sasuke subtly stop practicing hand seals and shift his left hand closer to his weapons pouch.
Noticing this small movement, Kakashi smiled inwardly.
As expected of Sasuke, a true genius… His first mission, and he's already this sharp at spotting danger.
It seems I don't need to worry too much about him.
Satisfied, Kakashi returned to his book, Icha Icha Paradise, even quickening his pace slightly to take the lead.
By doing so, he ensured that the two attackers' first target wouldn't be him, but rather Sasuke or the others.
Kakashi wanted to observe how the three would react to a dangerous situation.
The group walked slowly past the puddle.
As Sasuke, the last in line, stepped past it, the trap was sprung.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of chains echoed as a ninja leapt out from the puddle, while another attacker emerged from the bushes nearby.
The two Chunin-level rogue ninjas moved swiftly and decisively. It was clear this wasn't their first time on such a mission.
Hearing the noise, Naruto and Sakura froze, their eyes wide in shock as they stared at the sudden attackers.
The two rogue ninjas swung their weapons mercilessly at the team.
In that moment of crisis, Naruto and Sakura's minds went completely blank.
The ninja behind Sasuke swung a scythe fiercely, aiming straight for Sasuke's neck.
Sakura immediately covered her mouth in horror.
"Sas"
Before she could finish speaking, Sasuke effortlessly sidestepped, narrowly evading the attack.
With a swift counter, he struck the attacker's face with a powerful backhand punch.
The second ninja, seeing his comrade's attack fail and witnessing him get hit, was momentarily stunned.
But in the next instant, his shock turned to horror.
Unbeknownst to him, a kunai had already sliced across his throat.
Blood sprayed out violently.
Thud, thud!
The sound of impact echoed as the ninja's body was pinned to a nearby tree by several kunai.
Simultaneously, the ninja on the ground found himself immobilized his arm brutally broken and his leg shattered under Sasuke's foot. He was completely incapacitated.
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If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 20 advanced chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Leanzin
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