The woods were cold and gloomy at night, but not silent, with various kinds of chirping from unknown insects.
The four members of Shinnosuke's squad silently ate the soldier rations they carried with them.
Having traveled non-stop for a whole day, even Senju Chama, who always considered his chakra to be comparable to that of a Jonin, was feeling somewhat exhausted.
Physical strength and chakra are always directly linked, like Uchiha Naraku, who, despite her slender and frail appearance.
However, even though he had been traveling all day, Naraku, who possessed chakra levels very close to those of an elite Jonin, did not feel any fatigue.
(The minimum chakra requirement for an elite Jonin is 750 points; Naraku currently has 630 points.)
Uchiha Naraku glanced at Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was quietly gazing at the moon from a tree, looking at his calm and composed demeanor.
Uchiha Naraku estimated that Sarutobi Shinnosuke's chakra level was likely over 1200 points.
"Teacher...are we going to participate in a war? Has the Land of Earth declared war on us again?"
Uchiha Itachi sat wearily on the grass, his head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.
"One against seven? Why do you ask that?"
Shinnosuke was somewhat surprised. Had Itachi already sensed something?
"I'm just... a teacher, why must there be war? Why can't we... or rather, how can we achieve world peace?"
Itachi Uchiha's feelings at this moment were very complicated.
He experienced the Third Ninja War when he was 4 years old. At that time, he saw corpses strewn everywhere, rivers of blood flowing, and a hellish scene that seemed like the end of the world.
That terrifying experience was indeed too cruel for a child who was only 4 years old.
Rather than saying that experience was memorable for Itachi, it would be more accurate to say that it caused him terrible psychological trauma.
That's why he questions why people live and why they die meaninglessly on the battlefield.
Later, influenced by Shisui's philosophy, Itachi developed a hatred for war and became an extreme peace lover.
Itachi's mentally unstable state laid a solid foundation for the tragedy of the massacre of his clan.
Can peace truly be achieved?
Looking at the bewildered Itachi Uchiha, Shinnosuke Sarutobi remained silent for a moment before answering:
"Yes, sometimes I think about this question too. Will constantly carrying out missions and constantly killing really bring peace? How can there be peace? Does it mean killing all the enemies?"
"But you can't kill all the enemies. Even today's comrades might become your enemies to fight to the death tomorrow..."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke probably remembered something from the past, and subconsciously reached for a cigarette to light it.
However, since this was a crucial mission, we had no choice but to abandon the plan.
"But should we do nothing? Or shift all the blame onto others, or simply shout that I'm not wrong, the world is wrong?"
"There's no point in complaining like this. To be honest, even I don't know how to make the ninja world peaceful forever, but when it comes to fighting seven people at once, I truly believe that the three of you will surpass me one day."
"To become someone who can truly protect Konoha and the ninja world, all I need to do now is protect you all. As for the answer, let's find it together, my dear disciples!"
Itachi Uchiha looked at Shinnosuke in surprise, then turned to look at Naraku beside him.
The teacher is right. Instead of worrying about things that are impossible to accomplish right now, we should focus on protecting the people we love.
Naraku, I will definitely protect you.
Seeing the three of them looking down thoughtfully, Sarutobi Shinnosuke shook his head.
It seems I'm not suited to be a teacher after all.
"Alright, stop thinking about it. Take a break and we'll continue in four hours."
This mission is urgent. Key Village has likely already fallen to the enemy. If there are any surviving companions, their lives will determine how fast our group can travel.
Therefore, they don't have much time to rest.
The three little ones closed their eyes to rest. To be honest, all three children were exhausted. Even if they had some worries, they quickly fell asleep.
In the darkness, only Shinnosuke remained vigilantly observing his surroundings.
Four hours passed quickly.
The weather grew even colder in the latter half of the night, and the four members of Shinnosuke's class once again set off for Key Village.
The sun rose and set again, and at 5 p.m. on the second day, the four members of Shinnosuke's class finally arrived at the mountain valley less than 5 kilometers from Key Village.
After a continuous high-intensity journey, apart from Shinnosuke, the other two members of the Uchiha Naraku group were in somewhat poor condition.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke decisively ordered the three students to rest on the spot.
"Alright, here's the map. Our location is here, and this is our destination—Key Village."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke quickly explained the mission details to the three of them.
"Yesterday morning, the border troops lost contact, which was likely due to an attack. The Konoha troops stationed in Key Village immediately reported the situation to Konoha Village by telegram after discovering the problem."
"33 hours have passed since the warning was issued by the power plant in Key Village,"
"The worst-case scenario is that Key Village has also fallen. If that's the case, Key Village is likely to have a trap. Our mission is to hold out in Key Village for 3 days."
"Everyone get ready. The enemy's small infiltration team will be quite strong. The three of you are to protect yourselves. Leave the rest to your teacher."
"Considering the worst-case scenario, we'll rest for two hours now, and then head straight to Key Village after dark."
After eating something, all four of them felt much better.
Uchiha Itachi and Naraku were both checking their personal equipment.
Meanwhile, Senju Chama was taking deep breaths, seemingly trying to ease his tension.
The long wait finally ended at 7 p.m.
Five kilometers isn't a long distance, and the four members of Shinnosuke's group quickly arrived at a grove of trees not far from Key Village.
Key Village is located in a remote area surrounded by mountains. There are only two roads that can quickly lead to the outside world, so it has become an important passage for Takigakure to enter the Land of Fire.
At this moment, Sarutobi Shinnosuke led the three little ones to crouch behind a tree, carefully observing the movements of Key Village not far away.
It was just getting dark, and the entire Key Village was pitch black, without a single ray of light.
This is clearly not good news.
Uchiha Naraku glanced at her three companions with solemn expressions. To be honest, she wasn't surprised at all; it would be strange if things went smoothly.
"Stay close to me and don't make any rash moves. Listen to my orders and we're moving!"
............
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Here are titles of uploaded Naruto adult fanfics on Patreon:
~ Naruto: Tsunade R@pe (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Tsunade and Mei Terumi Become Milk-Sucking Mares (18+) ~
~ Naruto: The Lewd Fox (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Erotic (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Son Inherits Father's Wife, the Eighth Hokage (18+) ~
~ Naruto Hypnosis System: Forced to Embark on a Path of Collecting S*x Slaves (18+) ~
~ Naruto World: Where Common Sense Has Been Altered (18+) ~
~ Naruto Pervert: The Aloof and Secretly horny Tsunade and the Seductive and Beautiful Mei Terumi (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Absolute Evil (18+) ~
~ Naruto: The Humiliation of Women (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Random Gender-Swapped Fanfics, Found in my Collection (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Short Stories (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Lingering Warmth (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Ntr Chronicles (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Super Pervert Ninja (18+) ~
~ Naruto: The Hyuga Clan Cecame a Gathering Place for Female Ninjas' Lewd Parties (18+)
~ Naruto: Lowly Reborn Danzo (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Debauchery (18+) ~
~ Hyuga Hokage (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Amazing World Experience Ticket (18+) ~
~ Hinata's Hypnotic Battle with Her Crossdressing Son (18+) ~
~ Naruto Bondage (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Starting as a Daimyō—My Many Children Bring Me Great Fortune (18+) ~
~ Becoming a Pokémon Master in Naruto? (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Reborn in the Sand Village as a Magnet Release Puppeteer ~
~ My Girlfriend Transmigrated Into The Naruto World And Became A Female Version Of Kakuzu (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Inside the Akatsuki—Starting Out by Taking Kushina (18+) ~
~ Naruto: When Naruto Realizes Sasuke Is a Girl ~
~ Naruto: Starting as a Daimyō—My Many Children Bring Me Great Fortune (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Lurking in ANBU Until Becoming a Super Kage ~
~ Becoming a Pokémon Master in Naruto? (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Reborn in the Sand Village as a Magnet Release Puppeteer ~
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(End of Chapter)