Back at home, Seimei sat quietly for a while before starting to pack his gear. Although they were departing tomorrow, preparing the equipment in advance would prevent any last-minute rush and allow him to check for any missing items.
He picked up his ninja tool bag and began to fill it with supplies: six kunai, fifteen shuriken, one roll of wire, five explosive tags, a jar of ointment for treating wounds, two rolls of bandages, three common antidote pills, and one pack of Military Rations Pill.
As for other items like maps, Furukawa would bring those, so he didn't need to worry about them.
After completing this, Seimei focused on his training.
Today, since there were no tasks to complete, he could finish his training early and save up Chakra for tomorrow's mission. Although it was just a simple bandit extermination task, Seimei wouldn't be careless.
It was a time of war, and who knows how many enemy Ninjas had infiltrated the Land of Fire. Their main objectives were to disrupt the stability of the Land of Fire, attack supply lines, assassinate important figures, and gather intelligence, but who could say what might happen if they encountered each other?
Even though Furukawa was strong, he was still just a Jonin; if they were surrounded, he might not be able to protect their lives. Of course, there was a greater possibility that they wouldn't encounter anyone at all. In that case, they could focus on completing their task without worry.
But what if they did? Seimei never placed his hopes on luck, so he couldn't neglect the necessary preparations. It was unrealistic to learn a new Ninjutsu at the last minute, and there was no way to upgrade the Ninjutsu he had already learned in such a short time.
The biggest trump card—Sharingan—is not something that can be awakened just because you want to. Therefore, apart from the equipment, the most important thing is to ensure that there is enough Chakra in his body before setting out. This means he must finish his training as quickly as possible today so he can store up Chakra for tomorrow's actions.
With that thought in mind, Seimei closed his eyes and began to refine his Chakra. Time passed by second by second. The room gradually became quiet, leaving only the faint sound of Seimei's breathing.
...
The next day.
In the morning, just before ten o'clock, Seimei arrived at the gate of Konoha. From a distance, he could see Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko. Both of them were fully armed today, but their spirits were not as high as yesterday.
When Ryosuke saw Seimei coming over, he forced a smile and, after covering his mouth to yawn, said, "Why did you come so early today?"
In response to this question, Seimei didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "You two look like you didn't sleep well last night?"
Upon hearing Seimei's question, Mizutani Shizuko, sporting panda eyes, shyly lowered her head. Ryosuke awkwardly stammered, "N-no, it's nothing."
It was clear that they didn't want Seimei to know about their embarrassment. After all, Seimei looked no different than usual, and he even seemed more energetic, which made them feel a bit inferior.
While the three were lost in their thoughts, Furukawa's figure appeared in front of them.
"Sensei!" they greeted in unison.
"Hmm."
Furukawa nodded, his gaze sweeping over the three and noticing their state, but he didn't say much more. Instead, he asked, "Are your supplies ready?"
"Ready!" the three replied in chorus.
"Good. Then let's set off now."
With that, he took the lead and headed towards the village exit. Seimei and the others immediately followed.
Along the way, no one spoke. Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko, who had initially felt a bit anxious, gradually calmed down during the monotonous journey.
······
Several hours later.
The sky grew darker.
A few hundred meters away from Kokuro Mountain, Seimei and the others stopped in their tracks.
After traveling for so long without any rest, the overall pace wasn't fast, but it had exhausted everyone quite a bit.
Uh.
To be more precise, it was Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko who were worn out, especially Mizutani Shizuko, who was on the verge of collapse.
Among the four, she had the weakest constitution.
If it weren't for her sheer willpower, she probably would have fallen long ago.
Furukawa, of course, was fine; this level of exercise was nothing for a Jonin.
Seimei's physical condition had improved a bit and surpassed that of an average person. Coupled with his abundant Chakra, he was only slightly out of breath after running this far, and it wasn't too much of an issue.
As for Ryosuke, he was in slightly better shape than Mizutani Shizuko and still had some energy left, but fighting would be quite a challenge for him.
Fortunately, Furukawa didn't crazily demand that they immediately go after the bandits; otherwise, it would have been Seimei acting alone.
After stopping, Furukawa glanced at the three and said, "Make sure to rest up. We'll start the mission in two hours."
Upon hearing this, Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko plopped down onto the ground.
The two opened their ninja tool bags, each took out a Military Rations Pill, crunched it, and swallowed it, then began to rest as much as possible.
Seimei also swallowed a Military Rations Pill but didn't rest. Instead, he climbed up to the treetops, and while night hadn't fully descended yet, he took out a monocular telescope to observe the direction of Kokuro Mountain.
This telescope was something he specifically bought this morning; without any scouting-type Ninjutsu, he could only rely on this for the time being.
As for being with Furukawa and still being so cautious?
The reason was simple: Furukawa had already mentioned on the way here that once they arrived, he would no longer provide any opinions or suggestions, and he wouldn't intervene during the mission—everything would have to rely on them.
It was precisely for this reason that Seimei was being so cautious.
Fortunately, the bandits hadn't received any news of their arrival and remained steadily on the mountain during his observation.
What?
You say the bandits could never get this information?
That's not necessarily true.
If Furukawa wanted to increase the difficulty of the mission and deliberately leaked the information, the enemy would be aware.
For a Jonin, keeping such a secret from them wouldn't be difficult at all.
Luckily, Furukawa hadn't become that insane yet.
In fact, Seimei was misinterpreting Furukawa's intentions.
While Furukawa placed great importance on the practical combat abilities of his students and wanted to train them quickly to increase their chances of survival on the battlefield, he also considered their capacity to endure stress.
Clearly, apart from Seimei, both Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko were psychologically and physically nearing their limits under the heavy pressure, making it unnecessary to take any additional risks.
Thus, upon seeing Seimei's actions, even Furukawa, who usually maintained a serious demeanor, couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
He had clearly guessed Seimei's thoughts.
'Am I really that insane?'
Furukawa recalled his own actions and thought, "Seems like not... right?"
However, he found himself appreciating Seimei even more.
It was one thing to train hard, but what stood out was Seimei's calmness and caution, approaching tasks with seriousness.
Being careful and cautious is essential for a Ninja, no matter the time or place.
If he had to choose one among the three who was most likely to survive on the battlefield, Furukawa would definitely pick Seimei.
Because his personality maximized his chances of survival.
As for strength?
Sorry, but in a battlefield that resembles a meat grinder, even Jonin might not be able to ensure their safety, let alone a Genin.
With a soft sigh, Furukawa shifted his gaze from Seimei and flashed to another large tree to look into the distance.
His eyes seemed to penetrate through mountains and forests, witnessing the fierce battles among the Ninjas from various villages on the front lines.
***
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