"Fire Style: Demon Lantern!"
Kagami made a single tiger hand seal and immediately, a dozen fireballs appeared around him.
These fireballs moved through the air, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, creating a mesmerizing display, though they burned with terrifying heat. As he released the tiger seal, the fireballs vanished, leaving only wisps of smoke.
The people nearby, having witnessed his Fire Style technique, began clapping in admiration.
"Great job!" Yugao patted his head with a smile, like an older sister.
"Congratulations." Itachi gave a slight nod, his face showing a faint smile but no significant emotional change.
At this moment, Yuki entered lecture mode.
"Although the Demon Lantern jutsu is classified as a C-rank jutsu, like the Great Fireball jutsu, it's rarely practiced in Konoha."
"But for you to master it without any guidance is quite impressive."
"With more training, you'll be able to control the fireballs without maintaining the hand seal. Keep pushing your limits."
In fact, Yuki didn't reveal all the information he knew about the Demon Lantern jutsu, not wanting to damage Kagami's confidence.
Its advantage as a C-rank jutsu is its simplicity—its hand seals are even easier than those of the Great Fireball jutsu, making it more accessible.
However, despite the impressive number of fireballs surrounding the user, the technique has significant weaknesses: it's slow and lacks explosive power.
In ancient military strategy, it's said: Move as swiftly as the wind, stay as still as the forest; attack as fiercely as fire, remain as unyielding as a mountain; hard to detect as shadows, strike like thunder.
These principles accurately describe the strengths of various ninjutsu styles.
The Demon Lantern jutsu, however, doesn't fulfill the 'attack as fiercely as fire' aspect, which is why it was largely abandoned in Konoha. Today, it's mostly practiced by lower-ranking ninjas from lesser villages, such as Kusa.
So, he couldn't understand why Kagami chose to train in a technique rarely used in Konoha. But since he had already succeeded, Yuki refrained from further comment and offered some encouragement instead.
Yuki wasn't aware of Kagami's true motivation for mastering the Demon Lantern technique. The dozen fireballs summoned by the technique were actually a mere distraction.
The real secret lay in two specific fireballs hidden among them.
These two fireballs were infused with the power of his authority over flame spirits.
The Demon Lantern fireballs not only served as a distraction but also forced enemies into positions that made them vulnerable to his spirits, increasing the chances of a direct hit. With these two flames, the Demon Lantern jutsu became more than just an ordinary Fire Style jutsu.
As Yuki led Team 2 in their training at the field, a messenger hawk suddenly flew overhead, crying out.
Seeing it, he immediately ended the training and gathered the team to head to the Hokage's office. "Looks like we're needed. To the Hokage's office, double-time!" he commanded.
The four of them arrived at the Hokage's office, where Hiruzen had been waiting.
"A tribute from the Land of Frost is being sent to the Daimyō's mansion in the Land of Fire. It's currently approaching the northern border of the Land of Fire."
"Your mission is to meet the team transporting the tribute at the northern border and escort it safely to the Daimyō's mansion."
"Although this is an escort mission within the Land of Fire, the amount of tribute is substantial. You understand the importance, don't you?"
Yuki nodded seriously, aware of the gravity of the task.
"This isn't just about protecting a tribute. It's about maintaining delicate diplomatic relations."
The Land of Frost, bordering the northern part of the Land of Fire, is a small but wealthy nation, lacking its own ninja village but rich in maritime trade. To secure the protection of the Land of Fire, the Land of Frost regularly pays tribute to it.
If anything were to go wrong during the transport, it could lead to a diplomatic crisis between the two nations.
The Land of Fire might suspect the Land of Frost of leaking information about the tribute, allowing it to be stolen and returned to the Land of Frost.
The Land of Frost might then suspect that the Land of Fire staged the theft to demand another tribute payment.
In the worst-case scenario, this could lead to a breakdown in relations between the two nations, possibly pushing the Land of Frost to seek protection from one of the other five great nations.
Thus, under no circumstances could they fail this mission.
"One more thing—it's not that I doubt your abilities, but given the importance of this mission, an ANBU will be accompanying you in secret."
Just as Hiruzen finished speaking, somone suddenly leaped down from the ceiling, exchanged a nod with Yuki and disappeared using a Body Flicker technique.
Judging by his hair color, Kagami could already guess who it was. Kakashi...
After accepting the mission, they left the office.
"Go home, pack essentials only. Meet at the village gate in ten minutes. Not a second later," Yuki commanded.
As usual before heading out on a mission, Kagami prepared his tools and gear at home, leaving a note for his brother about the mission before departing. Kunai, check. Shuriken, check. Food pills... better pack extra. Spidey, healthy.
However, just as he was about to step out the door, he suddenly stopped. Wait a minute... something's not right, he recalled a thread of vision he had seen recently that made him question the current situation.
The Land of Frost paying tribute to the Land of Fire made sense, as it was for protection. But according to that thread, there was an instance where the Mizukage had personally spoken with the Daimyō of the Land of Frost.
If the Land of Frost had been paying tribute to the Land of Fire, then why was the Mizukage involved? Shouldn't it have been the Hokage?
There was only one explanation: at some point, the Land of Frost had switched alliances and started paying tribute to the Land of Water instead, leading to the Mizukage personally escorting its Daimyō.
In other words, the relationship between the Land of Frost and the Land of Fire eventually broke down.
If this escort mission didn't go well, it could be the catalyst for that very breakdown.
Thinking about the future events, he realized that if the Land of Fire lost the wealthy Land of Frost as an ally, both the country and Konoha would suffer significant losses, while the Land of Water and the other villages would stand to gain.
Considering who currently controlled the Mizukage, an ominous feeling welled up in Kagami's heart.
Was history about to change today? Sword of Damocles, I'll be damned...
---
In the lush, green forest, Team 2 was speeding towards the northern border of the Land of Fire.
They had to arrive just in time to meet up with the convoy transporting tribute gold at the border. The timing had to be perfect—neither too early nor late.
"Keep pace, team," Yuki called out, his voice carrying over the rush of wind. "We can't afford to be late or early."
"Our first real escort mission! I can't wait to see some action!"
"Remember, Yugao, our priority is protection, not combat," Itachi reminded her calmly.
Kagami added quietly, "Sometimes, the less action, the better."
If they notified too early, the transport schedule of the tribute gold might be leaked. If they notified too late, the gold might not be delivered on time, increasing the risk of it being robbed.
In fact, before this mission was assigned to the ANBU and Team 2, the only person in Konoha who knew about the tribute transport was the Third Hokage.
However, according to Kagami's estimation, more than just Hiruzen and those directly involved in the mission were aware of the transport route and timing—the one-eyed Uchiha likely knew as well.
With Black Zetsu's intelligence-gathering abilities, obtaining information about the tribute from the Land of Frost would have been a breeze. Choosing to strike during this tribute transport had immense benefits for him.
He had now evolved into a cold, emotionless tool. Anyone or anything that opposed his plans was considered an enemy.
The most direct benefit of robbing the tribute would be acquiring a substantial amount of gold. Akatsuki's current goal was to gather vast sums of money to prepare for future plans.
Secondly, weakening the Land of Fire would push the wealthy Land of Frost towards the Land of Water, indirectly strengthening Kiri, which he controlled.
Lastly, it would also provide the opportunity to kill Itachi's teammates, helping him awaken the Sharingan, which would be a valuable asset to Akatsuki.
At this point, Itachi had not yet awakened his Sharingan. Though his talent was impressive, the activation of the Sharingan had little to do with natural ability; it required intense emotional stimulus.
Considering all these benefits, it was hard to tell how many goals the one-eyed Uchiha was hitting with just this one move.
While leaping through the trees, Kagami glanced at the forest beside them. In the shadows of the tree canopies, he could vaguely make out several dark figures following them towards the northern border.
Will they be enough to delay him?
Although the ANBU were escorting the mission, he knew they wouldn't be enough to face him.
Moreover, the one-eyed Uchiha probably had ways to handle the ANBU. In the end, it would be up to Team 2, a ragtag group, to truly face him.
He had anticipated this situation ever since the teams were divided, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Yuki gathered the team for a final briefing. "Remember, timing is crucial. We meet the convoy at the border, not a minute too soon or too late."
Arriving at the northern border, Team 2 successfully met up with the convoy just as it reached the national boundary. From there, they were responsible for escorting the tribute convoy to the Daimyō's mansion in the Land of Fire.
The cart carrying the tribute from the Land of Frost was being pulled by a massive black boar, much stronger than ordinary horses, indicating just how enormous the tribute this time was.
No wonder the one-eyed Uchiha set his sights on it.
The Guard Captain was relieved as Team 2 approached. "Ah, Konoha shinobi. Right on time."
Yuki nodded professionally. "We'll take it from here. Any issues during your journey?"
As the Guard Captain shook his head, Kagami continued to scan their surroundings. The real challenge begins now. Where are you?
At the beginning of the journey, everything was peaceful. But after completing nearly half of the route, the inevitable finally happened.
Boom! Bang!
Two explosions suddenly echoed from the forest on either side of the mountain road. The ANBU, led by Kakashi, immediately moved to higher ground and saw thick black smoke rising from two spots within the forest.
"What should we do, Captain?" one of the ANBU members asked.
After a brief moment, Kakashi replied, "There are no enemies near the tribute convoy at the moment. We can investigate these two locations first. If there are enemies, eliminate them quickly. Don't let any potential threats approach the convoy."
"Understood!"
Several dark figures disappeared into the forest, the rustling sound of their movements fading away, all of which Kagami noticed.
As expected, they're being led away. ANBU, so predictable...
Kakashi's judgment was not wrong. The ANBU had been maintaining vigilance around the convoy the whole time and knew for a fact that there was no one nearby.
Under these circumstances, it was correct for the ANBU to check for potential external threats.
But the key issue was that this enemy was not an ordinary one. Even if the ANBU confirmed there was no one around, this person could appear out of nowhere.
Just like now.
A man suddenly walked out from the bushes in front of the convoy, without any warning, and stood in the middle of the road, blocking their path.
He had an air of confidence, as if he owned the place.
This person wore a black kimono, with a black bodysuit underneath, loose black hair, and an orange-black swirl-patterned mask covering one eye.
He also carried a katana at his waist.
Though his attire was unusual, and he carried a katana that he probably wouldn't use, there was only one person in the current shinobi world who could appear out of nowhere in an area the ANBU had already checked and rob a heavily fortified tribute convoy.
How could I have forgotten the name?
Obito!
Standing in the middle of the road, Obito remained silent as he slowly drew his katana, making his intentions clear.
The four members of Team 2 immediately moved to protect the tribute cart, with the three genins forming a triangle formation around it, and Yuki himself standing at the front. The samurai hired by the Land of Frost, however, directly charged at Obito with their blades drawn.
"For the honor of the Land of Frost!" one samurai cried out as they rushed forward.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Two cries—each carrying a different meaning.
The first 'Ah' was the war cry of the samurai, shouting as they rushed to cut down their enemy in one go.
The second 'Ah' was the scream of the samurai as their bodies were sliced open by Obito's blade, watching in horror as their own bodies split apart before their very eyes.
He hacked and slashed through the group of samurai with ease, like a predator in a field of helpless prey. Although he wasn't particularly skilled with long weapons, eliminating these small fry was a simple task.
"Brave, but stupid," he muttered. "Let me show you true swordsmanship."
The brutal slaughter unfolded before Team 2's eyes.
In no time, the last samurai fell to the ground, leaving only the four members of Team 2 standing.
Seeing that the only ones left were shinobi, Obito sheathed the katana, knowing that for him, it was a hindrance. "Warm-up's over," he said calmly. "Now for the main event."
"You..." Yuki raised his kunai in front of him, taking up a defensive stance as he cautiously asked, "Are you a shinobi?"
During the previous battle, Yuki had been carefully observing this masked bandit.
He had somehow evaded the ANBU's detection, dared to challenge a tribute convoy protected by shinobi, and had the skill to quickly slaughter samurai who were already considered strong among ordinary people.
All of this was enough to show that the man before them was no ordinary bandit.
In response to Yuki's question, Obito plainly replied, "So what if I am?"
"And what if I'm not?"
"Either way, you're all going to die. Who I am doesn't matter to you anymore."
"Team 2, protect the cart at all costs," Yuki commanded. "I'll handle him."
"Konoha's shinobi. How predictable." Obito chuckled.
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