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Alright, let's see what Kifune and his team are about to walk into.
After gathering his gear, Kifune arrived at the Konoha gate, where Kakashi and two other ninjas were already waiting.
"You're late," Kakashi said, his voice as flat as a pancake.
"Ha, sorry about that. I got lost... in life," Kifune replied with a sheepish grin, borrowing Kakashi's future "golden words."
"..."
Kakashi's eye twitched slightly, but he didn't bother responding.
Heh, still just a kid, Kifune thought, shaking his head internally. No matter how cold Kakashi acted, he was still just a talented, emotionally stunted teenager.
"The mission is urgent. We'll brief you on the details as we move," Kakashi said, handing over his exit permit and darting out of the village.
Kifune and the other two followed closely behind.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had already given them the mission overview, so their conversation on the way was more about getting to know each other.
Aside from Kakashi, Kifune learned a bit about the other two ninjas:
* Ito Shu, a Chunin and a perception-type ninja. He'd been on five missions with Kakashi.
* Imai Kuriyama, a Genin and a medical ninja. She'd been on three missions with Kakashi.
Basically, anyone who teamed up with Kakashi either quit because they couldn't stand his personality or died during the mission.
Kakashi's obsession with missions stemmed from the suicide of his father, Sakumo Hatake, the "White Fang of Konoha." To Kakashi, the mission was everything, and a ninja who couldn't complete their mission was worthless.
This was why Danzo believed Kakashi was perfect for Root—he could channel Kakashi's darkness. But Sarutobi Hiruzen was convinced Kakashi's heart was still full of light; he just needed someone to help him find it.
The sun set, and the moon rose.
The team traveled at full speed, reaching the eastern border of the Land of Fire by nightfall.
"The closer we get to the border, the more dangerous it becomes. Shu, you're on perception duty," Kakashi ordered, taking charge as the team captain.
"Got it," Shu replied.
"Kuriyama, if a fight breaks out, stay back and look for opportunities to assist," Kakashi continued.
"Understood," Kuriyama nodded.
Finally, Kakashi glanced at Kifune, who was standing there with his usual simple expression. "You... just do whatever. Try to keep one enemy busy if you can."
"Sure thing," Kifune said, not bothered by the lack of faith.
Kakashi took on the hardest part himself, as expected.
With a wave of his hand, the team crossed into the Land of Hot Springs, slowing their pace to conserve energy as they moved forward.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the border...
In a dense forest within the Land of Hot Springs, four Mist Ninjas clad in dark uniforms appeared.
"These Konoha ninjas are slippery. Even after being seriously injured by Lord Tousou Yaito, they managed to escape this far," one of them muttered.
"They're probably dead by now. All we need to do is retrieve the intel and complete the mission," another added.
"This intel must be important. If it weren't for the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost, we'd have been surrounded by Konoha already," a third chimed in.
The Mist Ninjas seemed relaxed, despite being in enemy territory. After all, the Land of Hot Springs wasn't exactly known for its military strength.
"Shut up!"
A Mist Ninja squatting on a tree branch, polishing his long sword, stood up abruptly. The others fell silent immediately.
The blade gleamed ominously under the moonlight.
Clang!
He sheathed his sword and glared at the group. "Find those Konoha ninjas, retrieve the intel, and get out. Now."
Given the current tensions between Konoha and the Hidden Mist Village, getting caught would mean certain death.
"If it weren't for the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost backing them up, this wouldn't have been so easy," one of the Mist Ninjas muttered.
"Finding them won't be hard. I can smell their blood from miles away," another said with a grin.
"Yeah, Konoha ninjas aren't as familiar with the smell of blood as we are," a third added darkly.
Back in the Land of Hot Springs...
"We're here," Kakashi said, stopping in front of a remote tree hollow.
Kifune and the others gathered around, their expressions tense.
Outside the tree hollow was a faint, obscure mark—a special symbol used by Konoha ninjas on missions. This mark was part of the intel they were sent to retrieve.
To be continued..