The night air hung thick and humid as a small figure dropped silently from the canopy. She wore a gray ANBU uniform, her face hidden behind a cat mask that revealed only a pair of sharp emerald eyes. Reddish-brown hair caught the moonlight as she crouched beside a blood-stained leaf, her gloved fingers brushing the still-wet surface.
"Fresh," she murmured. "We're close."
Two adult ANBU operatives landed beside her moments later, their movements precise and practiced.
"Mei, you need to relax," the taller one said, his tone carrying amusement despite the mask. "We've been tracking this target for a full day. A night's rest won't hurt."
Mei Terumi straightened, her posture rigid. "This is my first solo assignment from Master Genji. I won't fail it."
"Just a Chunin," the second operative added with a shrug. "He can't have gone far."
"Then we shouldn't waste time," Mei said flatly, already moving into the darkness.
The two exchanged glances before following. Neither bothered to argue further.
---
Inside the tent, Hanekawa lay beside Tsunade in the darkness. The sounds of the forest surrounded them—insects chirping, the occasional bird call, and the steady rhythm of her breathing.
"How was your first real mission?" Tsunade asked, turning her head slightly.
"Not bad," Hanekawa replied carefully. "Though I have to say, I've never seen you this serious before."
Tsunade's hand came up and flicked his forehead. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Hanekawa rubbed the spot. Thick-skinned doesn't even begin to cover it.
"We enter the Land of Water tomorrow," Tsunade continued, her voice dropping. "You need to understand what you're walking into. The Hidden Mist—they call it the Blood Hidden Mist for a reason."
"Why?"
"Because they hunt their own," Tsunade said grimly. "Especially those with bloodline limits. It's policy. Brutal, systematic policy." She paused. "Recently, a young ninja named Zabuza Momochi slaughtered his entire graduating class during his final exam. That's the kind of place we're dealing with."
Hanekawa's mind raced. Zabuza—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. He'd heard the stories, though the details were sparse.
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"Things like that happen regularly there," Tsunade continued, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "You need to be extremely careful. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Teacher."
"Get some sleep. We leave early."
Within minutes, her breathing had evened out. Hanekawa found himself leaning against her warmth, and for once, he didn't move away.
---
Morning light filtered through the tent fabric. Hanekawa's eyes opened to find himself pressed against Tsunade's side, her arm draped protectively across him. He carefully extracted himself and sat up.
"Anything happen?" Tsunade was awake instantly, her ninja instincts overriding her notorious love of sleep.
"The perimeter traps are untouched," Hanekawa reported after checking outside.
"Good."
They moved with practiced efficiency—breaking camp, eating quickly, studying the map Tsunade spread before them.
"This is the rendezvous point," she said, pointing to a location deep in the Land of Water. "Memorize it. You'll meet our contact there."
"And you?"
"I'll be watching from a distance. I only step in if you face something beyond your capability." Tsunade's expression was unreadable. "Understood?"
Hanekawa nodded, feeling the weight of the responsibility settle on his shoulders. First real solo operation. No pressure.
Tsunade retrieved a Konoha forehead protector from her pack. For a moment, she simply held it, her eyes distant. Then she moved behind him and carefully tied it in place, her fingers gentle against his temples.
"Be careful," she said quietly.
"I will."
---
After disembarking from the boat, Tsunade melted into the forest without another word. Hanekawa took a breath and activated his Eight-Fold Mirror technique, scanning the landscape ahead.
The rendezvous point was a small forest clearing. He approached cautiously, staying hidden in the trees while he observed. Minutes passed. Then an hour.
No one came.
Something's wrong.
Heavy footsteps suddenly echoed through the forest. Hanekawa's hand went to his sword hilt as two figures came into view through his scope—a wounded young man stumbling forward, and pursuing him, a small ANBU operative in a gray uniform.
A genius. To make ANBU this young.
Hanekawa made a split-second decision. He formed hand seals, creating a shadow clone, then launched four kunai toward the ANBU. Three were standard. The fourth carried an explosive tag.
The ANBU retreated sharply. A wall of water erupted before her, deflecting the blast. The explosion bloomed harmlessly against the barrier.
Water Style. Impressive.
Through his scope, Hanekawa watched as two more ANBU emerged from the forest. They'd been tracking the target too.
The clone he'd left behind was quickly dispatched—clones had no real substance—but that wasn't the point. He'd learned what he needed: three operatives, at least one with Water Style jutsu, and they were skilled enough to coordinate.
Hanekawa moved deeper into the forest, keeping his distance. Tsunade was out there somewhere, watching. The real question was whether he could extract the intelligence officer before things escalated.
Okay. Time to think like a spy, not a kid with a system.
He began to move, circling wide around the ANBU team, his mind already calculating angles and possibilities.
