Recently, reports from the border have raised growing concern — Sunagakure's movements seem increasingly suspicious. Their military presence along the Land of Wind's border has notably intensified. But their objective remains unknown.
Given the situation, it may be prudent to send Team 8, led by Yūhi Kurenai, to monitor the border region discreetly and make contact with a returning operative.
This decision isn't because Hiruzen Sarutobi wishes to place his son, Sarutobi Asuma — who occasionally assists in high-level missions — into unnecessary danger. Rather, it's a calculated move to secure the safe extraction of Konoha's embedded spies in Sunagakure.
Indeed, espionage is a deeply rooted tradition among the Hidden Villages. Despite the peace following the Third Shinobi World War, the villages remain in a state of quiet competition. Among them, Konohagakure, with its large shinobi force and Anbu Black Ops, maintains the most extensive spy network.
Normally, retrieving agents wouldn't require a full Genin team, but Sunagakure's current activity is far from ordinary.
Hiruzen has already activated multiple deep-cover agents to investigate the Sand's intent. Thus, deploying Team 8 — which includes promising Genin like Hyūga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba — under Kurenai's supervision, is both strategic and justifiable.
Just as Hiruzen finalized this plan, a wave of foreign memory surged into his consciousness.
He paused, then quickly recognized the source — a Shadow Clone stationed at the Hokage Office had dispelled itself. This method, while basic, remains one of the most efficient ways to transmit intelligence across short distances in real time.
Sorting through the relayed intel, Hiruzen's expression turned grave.
"Sunagakure... what are they planning? Do they really intend to break the peace?" he muttered solemnly.
According to the report, Konoha's border patrol detected unusually high numbers of Suna shinobi near the border — moving in small units, avoiding detection, but clearly reinforcing positions. Their intent seems covert but undeniably dangerous.
As for why Konoha scouts were operating so close to the Wind Country's border... well, such matters are often left unspoken. Those familiar with shinobi operations would understand.
In that moment, Hiruzen considered summoning Team 8's leader, Yūhi Kurenai, and re-evaluating the mission parameters.
He briefly thought of his younger son, Asuma Sarutobi. A Jōnin who had returned to the village after years in the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Asuma had only recently resumed active duty in Konoha. Despite his outwardly laid-back attitude, Asuma had shown dedication and skill worthy of his lineage.
Hiruzen hesitated — not as a Hokage, but as a father.
He recalled his elder son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke. Once considered promising, Shinnosuke's development had plateaued. A competent Jōnin, yes, but never quite elite. Perhaps it was due to Hiruzen's overprotection, or simply the burden of expectations.
Would Asuma suffer a similar fate if shielded too much?
"Asuma... what would you choose, if left to decide?" Hiruzen murmured, a quiet smile tugging at his lips.
But the answer was already clear. Asuma had left the comfort of the village once before. He had chosen his path — and now, it was time for the next generation to do the same.
Though Hiruzen's age had begun to show, his mind remained sharp, and his will unshaken. Despite the political strain and his growing doubts about the next Hokage, he still bore the Will of Fire.
He finalized the orders to send Team 8 toward the Land of Wind's border. At the same time, he quietly mobilized two additional Jōnin squads — one led by Yamanaka Inoichi, the other by Nara Shikaku — to investigate further.
If this buildup by Sunagakure meant war, Hiruzen would not be caught unprepared.
That evening, the Third Hokage left the Sarutobi clan residence and returned to the Hokage Tower. For him, sleep would not come easily tonight.
---
The following morning, Yūhi Kurenai visited Kawaki Aoba's home — a Genin recently added to her team after Mizuki's betrayal and a roster reshuffle — to deliver the orders.
"Aoba, we've been assigned a long-term mission outside the village. Get ready — we leave within the hour."
"A long-term mission?" Aoba blinked but nodded, already reaching for his gear pouch. "Got it. I'll pack the essentials."
He moved with efficiency, already used to the rhythm of a shinobi's life — though this mission, he knew, would not be like the others.
Leaving the Village, Danzō's Glorious Past
Aoba, newly assigned to Team 8 under Yūhi Kurenai, was surprised that they were to leave the village on a mission so soon. Despite his injuries from a recent encounter with a rogue shinobi, Kurenai-sensei had not allowed him much time to recover or adapt.
That could only mean one thing: Kurenai had a specific reason for taking him out of Konoha urgently—and it likely involved the Hyūga clan.
Given that it was a long-term reconnaissance mission, it was as if the entire team was being sent out to protect or extract him under the guise of official orders.
It made things complicated. Ever since his falling out with a faction within the Hyūga clan, Aoba had anticipated retaliation. But strangely, the clan hadn't made any overt moves—no covert watchers, no interrogations, not even whispered suspicions about the Byakugan.
Instead, he was met only with Kurenai's subtle but firm guidance, and the quiet presence of Asuma Sarutobi, who lent credibility and protection simply by virtue of being the Third Hokage's son.
He owed them. Even if Asuma himself might not have realized it, his presence had stabilized the situation. Aoba silently made a vow: if he ever encountered Hidan—the man rumored to bring down even the Twelve Guardian Ninja—he would make sure to dismantle the immortal into pieces and bury them himself.
Kurenai-sensei's fate in the original timeline had been tragic; though she survived the Third Shinobi World War, she was deeply scarred by the losses, and would eventually step back from the field after Asuma's death at the hands of the Akatsuki.
Aoba clenched his fist. There were too many people to protect, too many past grievances to settle. He had to become stronger—fast.
They arrived at the rendezvous point. Kurenai and Asuma were already waiting.
"Good. Everyone's here. Let's move," Kurenai said, her crimson eyes briefly lingering on Aoba. "I'll explain the mission details on the road."
The four-person unit made their way to the main gate. As they walked, Aoba caught the slight tilt of Kurenai's head—an almost imperceptible glance behind her.
Only he noticed. And he understood: she had sensed Hyūga observers in the shadows.
Indeed, members of the clan had been trailing them. Kurenai's heart grew heavy, but there was some relief—they were leaving under the protection of an official mission. Even the Hyūga wouldn't dare act while Asuma was with them.
Back in the Hyūga compound, intelligence had already arrived.
"They've left the village on an official mission," reported a messenger-nin.
The Second Elder, Hyūga Kasaki, nodded calmly. "That's one way to handle it."
But the Third Elder wasn't as composed. He slammed a fist on the table. "This is an insult! A mere genjutsu specialist dares to undermine us? And Hiruzen—he turns a blind eye while his son protects outsiders over the clan? Don't forget—we still have agents in Anbu."
His rage wasn't without reason. Their branch had recently lost a significant number of elite shinobi—many of whom had been recruited into Root, only to disappear.
It had started decades ago. During the Second Shinobi World War, Danzo Shimura created Root, a covert black-ops unit under Anbu jurisdiction but answerable only to him. Initially, every major clan had tried to insert members into the new organization to secure influence.
But Danzo played a long game. Their first assignment had been suicide missions—deep infiltrations and assassinations behind enemy lines. The survival rate was dismal, but those who returned were "rewarded" with cursed seals that stripped them of will and loyalty.
Even the Hyūga, proud and secretive, were not spared. Members of their branch family, already marked by the Caged Bird Seal, were among the first to be manipulated.
The clans were furious—but what could they do? Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was lauded as the "Professor" and a wartime hero. By the time the war ended, he had consolidated enough political power that open opposition was suicidal.
Danzo, meanwhile, became a ghost in the system—feared, unaccountable, untouchable.
Occasionally, he would visit the clans, seeking new "volunteers." Sometimes he would succeed, other times he would leave empty-handed—but his network of orphans, abandoned shinobi, and disillusioned warriors grew steadily.
Now, word was that Danzo had turned his attention to the Konoha Orphanage—an institution once managed by the kind-hearted Nonō Yakushi. Rumors whispered that Danzo was raising Root operatives from childhood, teaching them to know nothing but loyalty to Konoha—and to him.
No matter the cost.
And so, even now, while one young shinobi slipped quietly beyond the walls of the Hidden Leaf, shadows gathered behind him—rooted in old grudges, deeper than any tree.
Mission Start
High in the mountainous jungle of the Land of Fire, four figures—one tall, three shorter—darted across thick branches with fluid precision.
There was no mistaking it. Only shinobi could travel like this.
The standard four-man squad consisted of Jonin Yuhi Kurenai and her three Genin. Among them was Qingyu Chuanmu, a promising young ninja, along with his teammates. Their current objective: travel covertly from the Land of Fire to the Land of Wind.
Though using the main road was possible, it was inefficient—wasting precious time and risking interception. Enemy ninja could easily gather intel from traffic along public routes. Instead, they adhered to the shinobi way: the most direct line—over mountain, across river, and through forest—using chakra-enhanced speed and mobility to their advantage.
Of course, such travel wasn't required for low-risk missions like C-rank escort requests.
As they moved, Kurenai briefed her team on the mission parameters.
"Even though the mission to retrieve the intel operative is classified as C-rank, we'll be stationed near the Wind Country border for an extended time," she explained, her voice steady. "That means we need to stay alert. Also, to minimize exposure, we'll avoid passing through any settlements in the Land of Fire."
She glanced back at them. "It won't be comfortable, but once we cross into the Land of Rivers, conditions should improve. Remember: while we're in that neutral territory, you'll need to maintain your cover. Don't break character or act suspiciously."
This was the first out-of-country mission for many of them, and Kurenai—ever the cautious leader—continued offering reminders and context as they traveled.
The Land of Rivers, nestled between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, functioned as a fragile buffer zone. During the First Great Ninja War, the region had housed a small shinobi village, but like many minor factions, it had been destroyed in the crossfire between Konohagakure and Sunagakure.
In the aftermath, the Land of Rivers descended into disorder. With no major village to protect it, bandits and rogue shinobi became commonplace. Fortunately, during the Second Great Ninja War, most battles shifted to the Land of Rain, sparing the Land of Rivers from complete devastation. That brief reprieve allowed it to limp along, albeit riddled with instability.
Kurenai detailed all of this to her students, emphasizing the importance of stealth and discretion.
"Both Konoha and Suna have an interest in keeping the Land of Rivers intact," she added. "They issue missions there to maintain some balance—clearing out bandits and tracking missing-nin—but it's really a free-for-all. If you blend in, no one will question you."
The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting golden light across the canopy. After a full day of travel, they finally approached the outer edge of the Land of Fire's territory. Their pace was remarkable—far outstripping civilian travelers—but even with chakra assistance, fatigue had taken its toll.
Qingyu Chuanmu and his teammates were worn thin. Their muscles ached, and their chakra reserves were running low.
When they finally halted for a short rest, even the graceful Yuhi Kurenai collapsed onto a patch of moss, ignoring decorum and letting out a sigh.
"Just five minutes," she murmured, closing her eyes—but only after confirming the area was secure with a practiced sweep of her chakra perception.