章 147: Chapter 147
Chapter 147: Frost Ninja Village
The Land of Frost, as its name suggests, is a country covered in frost. This nation lies on the path between the Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Leaf Village, and like the Land of Fire, it also has its own ninja village—Frost Ninja Village.
However, Frost Ninja Village doesn't dare to interfere in the conflict between the Leaf and the Cloud, choosing instead to keep its gates closed and observe the situation, ready to act only when necessary.
Not long after Haneda arrived at the battlefield in the Land of Frost, he received a summons from Orochimaru.
**Command Center.**
Orochimaru sat at the head of the room, with Sakumo positioned slightly lower, and other Jōnin seated on either side. Haneda entered with Asuma and Kurenai in tow.
"Orochimaru-senpai, Sakumo-sensei," Haneda greeted, taking the lead.
But Orochimaru coldly responded, "In the camp, there are no 'senpai,' teachers, or family—only ranks, Uchiha Haneda. Remember that next time."
Upon seeing Haneda's slight misstep, Guy immediately interjected, "Orochimaru-sensei, can't you be a little more lenient? Youth shouldn't be stifled by war!"
Hearing this familiar line, Orochimaru twitched slightly. He had just emphasized rank and formality, and now Guy was calling him "sensei" right after…
Orochimaru glanced at Guy and then at the other Jōnin in the command center, finally conceding, "Fine, as you wish. But remember to take your assignments seriously—this is for the greater good."
Hearing this, Sakumo, who was about to speak up in Haneda's defense, held back his words. Haneda, however, hid a smile as he saw Orochimaru's resignation. It seemed even the icy "Snake Lord" couldn't withstand Guy's fiery enthusiasm.
Haneda then asked, sensing a task in the air, "Orochimaru-senpai, is there an assignment?"
Just as he finished, a snake slithered from Orochimaru's sleeve, delivering a scroll to Haneda. Resisting a shiver, Haneda took the scroll and unfurled it.
Orochimaru explained, "Haneda, take a team to Frost Ninja Village and assess their stance on the war between the Leaf and Cloud."
Reading the line "Coerce the Frost leader to support the Leaf" in the mission text, Haneda sensed the smell of a conspiracy. He looked up at Orochimaru, understanding the unspoken message. "Alright, Orochimaru-senpai. I'll have their stance in three days."
**After leaving the command center…**
Asuma, visibly excited, remarked, "Finally, we have a mission! We've been sitting around in the Land of Frost for half a month. I was starting to go mad from boredom!"
"This mission isn't as straightforward as it appears, Asuma," Haneda reminded him with a serious tone. Quickly, he performed a summoning technique, and a small cat, Kiku, appeared.
"Find Sakumo-uncle. He has the information I need," Haneda instructed. "I'll buy you some treats later."
Kiku eyed her surroundings, then shot him a skeptical look. "Again, you're just using me as a tool, aren't you?"
Flustered, Haneda offered, "Alright, two treats. Consider the extra one a thank you."
"Alright, Sakumo, got it. I remember his scent," Kiku purred, enticed by the extra treat, and padded off in the correct direction.
Asuma, puzzled by Haneda's preparations, asked, "It's just Frost Ninja Village, isn't it? With your strength and intelligence, Haneda, what could go wrong?"
Smiling, Haneda replied, "What if the Cloud is also involved? They won't want Frost supporting the Leaf." He added, "And there may be spies from the Cloud inside the Leaf."
**Later that afternoon…**
Upon reaching Frost Ninja Village, Haneda summoned Kiku once more. As he had expected, Orochimaru's plan was indeed to pressure Frost into aligning with the Leaf. Meanwhile, the Cloud would likely be sending their own envoys, whom Orochimaru intended to eliminate or capture.
Remembering the war between the Cloud and Stone, where ten thousand Stone ninjas besieged the Third Raikage, Haneda thought that perhaps if they could resolve the Leaf-Cloud conflict sooner, it might help prevent a similar escalation…
"Let's head straight to the village entrance, Asuma, Kurenai."
Wearing his Leaf forehead protector, Haneda confidently led his team into Frost Ninja Village without any attempt to conceal themselves.
Frost Ninja Village was built on an icy plain. Its houses, constructed of ice blocks, resembled igloos but on a grander scale.
Upon spotting the three Leaf shinobi approaching with their protectors visible, the gate guards quickly dispatched a team to intercept them, while sending another to notify the village leader.
The leader of Frost Ninja Village, a burly man with a thick beard named Touyama Noriyaki, had anticipated Leaf envoys, though not so soon. He asked, "Who did the Leaf send?"
"Uchiha Haneda, along with the Third Hokage's son, Sarutobi Asuma, and an unidentified kunoichi," the reporting ninja replied.
"Uchiha Haneda… Sarutobi Asuma…" Touyama repeated the names, realizing the gravity of the situation. One was the famed Uchiha Haneda, and the other, the son of the Third Hokage. The former, alongside the other "Leaf Twin Star," had recently captured the Fourth Kazekage, while the latter's lineage alone warranted respect.
Realizing the pressure he was under, Touyama instructed, "Escort them to me. Treat them as honored guests, but do not make any promises lightly." He sighed, muttering, "Whether it's the Leaf or the Cloud, either one could easily overpower us…"
After the welcoming team donned ceremonial attire and laid out a red carpet, ready to escort the visitors in style, they were stunned to see Haneda and his team already within the village! The Leaf shinobi had bypassed their preparations entirely.
Haneda glanced at the red carpet, musicians, and welcoming entourage, chuckling to himself. He gestured for the guards who had initially intercepted them to step aside, and they promptly shifted to a patrol formation, marching away. Only then did the Frost ninjas realize—those guards had been under a genjutsu!
"Take us to your leader. That's an order, not a request," Haneda declared, his tone calm but unyielding.
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