A week after starting the mission, Shiraishi and his teammates gradually became familiar with the process of a ninja performing mission.
Aside from the first wave of enemies encountered at the beginning, only on the fifth day, did they encounter a Suna ninja lurking in the land of fire, and there was no more battle.
Among the enemies encountered during the period, most of them were Chunin level Suna ninjas, and encounted inly one Jonin.
However, after Sakumo showed his overwhelming strength against the Jōnin, Shiraishi and the others had a better understanding of how unfathomable Sakumo, who is both the captain and their leader, was.
Although they have never seen how powerful Sannin, who were praised by the demigod Hanzo who fought them, Sakumo's strength is fundamentally different from that of ordinary jōnin.
If you have to say, the opponent's strength is probably no longer able to be evaluated by the level of Junin.
"The missions in the past few days have been completed very well, and you have cooperated very well. Basically, there are no mistakes that newbies often make. It's enough to maintain such a rhythm."
After nightfall, the four surrounded a fire.
The burning fire could not help driving away the surrounding darkness, and also brought a trace of warmth.
Because it is still early spring, the air at night brings the cold winter that is not far away.
Sakumo held a grilled fish in his hand, took a water bottle from Shiraishi, and smiled admiringly.
Shiraishi is a non-combat medical nin. He was the only one of the four who wears a backpack, which contains a sufficient amount of water and food.
"Because the enemy was basically resolved by you, Sakumo-sensei."
Ayane said with a smile.
The enemies they encountered these two times were almost wiped out after one confrontation. Even if there were fish that slipped through the net, they were all junkies like Chunin and Genin.
And Ayane was always watching the situation with her Byakugan. Ruri cooperated using Fire Release for long-range attack, and there was basically no frontal battle, so those fish that slipped through the net were wiped out.
"Haha, don't say that, as a rookie, you have already performed very well."
Sakumo knew some common problems of most newcomers. They want to be safe, but also long for meritorious service. They want to be recognized by the people in the village and eventually becomes an excellent ninja respected by everyone.
However, this road is not easy, and most ninjas can't make it to the end.
A rookie with such an attitude of making meritorious deeds is too easy to die on the battlefield and in missions.
Sakumo has seen those novice ninjas countless times.
At the end of the day, the four of them were a little tired.
But in order to ensure safety, not everyone can rest together, and someone must keep watch.
So Sakumo arranged for Shiraishi and Ayane to stay in the first half of the night, and then he and Ruri stayed in the second half of the night.
In this way, once an enemy raids, they won't fall into the embarrassing state of hurriedly attacking.
In this regard, the three of Shiraishi have no objection.
Sakumo and Ruri quickly fell asleep and needed to get enough sleep to have the energy to continue their mission the next day.
Shiraishi and Ayane walked to the other side and sat down. The salsa of the leaves rustling in the breeze made their ears even more quiet.
Letting the evening wind blow on his cheeks and hair comfortably, Shiraishi enjoyed the rare silence.
"As expected of Shiraishi-kun, even in the face of a strong Jōnin like Sakumo-sensei, he can hide such perfection."
Ayane walked over at a slow pace, expressing her admiration from the bottom of her heart.
"Because I am a medical nin, everyone will not pay attention to my strength. Medical ninjas like Tsunade Jounin are a minority after all."
Shiraishi glanced at Ayane and responded with a smile.
The biggest impression of medical nins is that they are weak. Except for the use of medical ninjutsu, they basically cannot form effective combat power.
This is also during the war, once the enemy's medical nin is caught, he will not be killed casually.
On the one hand, the medical nin has a great role, and on the other hand, the medical nin is too weak to pose a threat.
A medical nin like Tsunade, one of the three ninjas, is an example after all.
Most medical nins are still like Shiraishi, except for medical ninjutsu, they have no outstanding achievements.
In order to ensure the smooth implementation of medical ninjutsu, medical nins must not only have natural talents, but also master a lot of medical knowledge and precise chakra control ability.
This is also the main reason why medical nins do not have the ability to fight. Learning endless professional knowledge and constantly training their chakra control has already consumed a lot of time, and there is no time to do the rest.
"Really? Then you have to be careful. Sakumo-sensei is not an ordinary ninja. If he finds out, the Hokage will know about it soon."
Ayane is very jealous of Sakumo's strength.
The name of Konoha's White Fang, even if they wer newbies, it was like thunder.
If you want to choose who the strongest Jōnin in Konoha, then Sakumo must get the most votes.
Although Sakumo himself doesn't think so, but in the eyes of others, he is well-deserved Konoha's strongest Jounin.
The Joinin who is closest to Hokage.
"Don't worry, my chakra has always been kept to a minimum. Even if someone with a Byakugan or a sensing ninja, seeing my chakra level, they will just assume I'm just a ninja."
Shiraishi had already considered this aspect.
Although it's not entirely accurate to judge a ninja's level based on the amount of chakra they possess, that's the general perception in the ninja world.
Shiraishi isn't the type of ninja with an excessive amount of chakra. His own chakra reserves aren't abundant, so he must use it sparingly.
Hearing what Shiraishi said, Ayane felt relieved.
The two of them then fell into silence. Ayane kept a vigilant eye, standing on a branch. She would occasionally turn her head to scan the surroundings, avoiding any potential mistakes.
The first half of the night passed without incident. Then it was time for Shiraishi and Ayane to rest, while Sakumo and Ruri, as the captains, took over the second half of the night watch.
And so, the night passed without any noteworthy events.
In the morning, the four of them dealt with the traces of their campsite and ate a simple meal of dry rations before continuing their journey through the Land of Fire.
They were also accompanied by an Anbu team. If there was a joint operation with the Anbu, they would follow the Anbu's given direction. Otherwise, they had to search for the enemy and eliminate them wherever they found them.
In order to ensure the safe transportation of supply lines and the security of towns and cities in the Land of Fire, these Sand ninjas who were lurking within the land had to be dealt with.
The four of them moved through the forest with ease. The gentle breeze brushed against their ears, the rustling of leaves almost masking their footsteps. The dappled light filtered through the gaps in the leaves above, adding a colorful touch to the otherwise dark forest, making it bright and devoid of gloom.
Along the way, the four of them refrained from excessive conversation, conserving their energy.
Suddenly, Ayane accelerated and stopped on a branch, simultaneously catching Sakumo's attention.
"Sakumo-sensei."
"Enemy?" Sakumo placed his hand on the handle of the White Fang strapped to his back, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
Ruri also adopted a wary stance, gathering chakra in her mouth, preparing her fire ninjutsu.
"There are eleven ninjas, and five of them possess powerful chakra. They're probably Jōnin" Ayane stated.
Jōnin? Five of them?
Even Sakumo furrowed his brows, sensing that something was amiss.
Just as Sakumo was about to inquire further, Ayane solemnly added, "There are sensory ninjas within the enemy team, and they're heading in our direction."
"It seems there's no avoiding a confrontation. Prepare for battle" Sakumo declared.
Since they were lurking within the Land of Fire, the enemy would have sent a specialized sensory ninja, which Sakumo had anticipated. However, he didn't expect to encounter them so soon.
Regardless of whether this Suna Hidden army was here to destroy the towns in the Land of Fire or disrupt Konoha's supply lines, they had to be stopped.
Ayane's Byakugan has a range of five kilometers, and with a little acceleration, they can cover that distance within minutes.
Without any tactical preparation.
Under the influence of the Byakugan and sensory ninjutsu, the two sides could only engage in a direct confrontation.
A strange sound effect echoed through the slightly dark forest, creating a chilling atmosphere.
The sound came closer and closer. The attacker wore a black robe and held a long Chakra blade in their hand.
"Be careful, this is a puppet technique!" Ayane warned, as Ruri readied her ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!" Ruri unleashed a massive fireball with intense heat, hurtling towards the black-robed puppet.
As the fireball approached, an unknown number of black shadows emerged in front of them, becoming clear targets.
One of the ninjas wearing the Suna Hidden forehead protector clapped their hands and pressed them against the ground, a wicked grin forming on their lips.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
The earth wall blocked the fireball, resulting in an explosion. Flames and debris filled the air.
The black-robed puppet emerged unscathed, with a layer of dust and sparks on its black robe. Powerful chakra surged from beneath the robe and disappeared in an instant. When it reappeared, it had already leaped above Shiraishi and the others.
In a ugly and impossible posture, the puppet's body rapidly rotated before landing. Its blade sliced through the air like a spinning wheel, tearing it apart.
Clank!
White Fang's short sword intercepted the high-speed rotating Chakra blade.
Simultaneously, two dark cuffs on the black-robed puppet extended, revealing black chains resembling serpents with blade-like protrusions. They aimed to ensnare Sakumo.
On the other side, seven ninjas surrounded Shiraishi and the two others, smirking down at them.
Without exchanging words or engaging in small talk, they drew their ninjutsu and weapons, launching their attacks.
As they charged forward, Shiraishi retrieved a smoke bomb from his ninja pouch, detonating it on the ground and enveloping everyone in a cloud of smoke.
In the smoke, Ayane's Byakugan had unhindered vision, allowing her to clearly observe everyone's movements.
She joined her index and middle fingers together, condensing a thin layer of chakra blades on them.
With a swift motion, Ayane's fingers transformed into sharp knives that pierced directly into the opponents' hearts.
Following that, the chakra blades on her fingers turned into small torrents of chakra, ruthlessly slamming into the hearts of the Suna ninjas.
When Ayane withdrew her fingers, they were covered in a layer of chakra, without any trace of blood.
The opponents' eyes bulged with bursting blood vessels, their faces twisted in agony. They experienced unimaginable pain before succumbing to death, falling lifelessly to the ground.