"Are you two ready?"
Kawaze, Nawaki, and Minato stood solemnly at the entrance of the camp.
"Ready,"the two children answered in unison, each with a Chinese-style sword hanging at their waist.
In their eyes, Kawaze's back looked especially tall. He had just arrived here, and yet he was already taking two rookies out on such a thrilling mission.
He truly deserves to be my teacher (big brother).
"Even if you're not ready, it won't matter. Let's go."
Kawaze slowed his pace slightly, positioning himself a little ahead of the two kids as he walked toward the northern side of the camp.
Though it wasn't raining, the forest was very damp, and the tree trunks were slick.
Careless Nawaki nearly lost his footing and fell. If not for Minato grabbing him, he would have been in serious trouble.
"I've told you so many times—pay attention to the details."
"Don't get distracted. Your chakra is distributed through your feet."
"If you can't even stand properly, what's the point of learning swordsmanship? Has all that horse stance training gone to waste?"
Kawaze scolded him without the slightest mercy, far harsher than he ever was during training at home.
After all, Nawaki was still a child, so feeling aggrieved, he muttered, "I'll be careful next time."
Minato stayed silent at the side. It was his first time seeing Kawaze this angry.
Back home, even if he hit them, he would always smile.
"You did well, Minato. You need time to get used to the environment."
"The air here is humid, and the terrain is nothing like Konoha. If you can't even grasp something this basic…"
"Then you should just go back."
The reason Kawaze scolded Nawaki so harshly was because he realized the boy was far too careless, paying no attention to his surroundings.
No wonder he died to an exploding tag—he really didn't die unfairly.
If Kawaze didn't drill this lesson into him, the habit could easily get him killed.
Minato, who survived the Third Great War in the original history, was leagues ahead in this kind of situational awareness.
"I know, big brother."
Nawaki only dared to reply loudly once Kawaze's tone softened.
Kawaze said nothing more and continued walking ahead.
"Nawaki, be careful. Sensei is right."
"This is a battlefield. People die here."
"Do you remember how awful those wounded looked earlier?"
Minato began trying to persuade Nawaki, and Nawaki could finally understand what Kawaze meant.
Nawaki's face gradually turned pale as he nodded heavily.
"Don't worry. I know big brother is doing this for my own good."
The two boys walked side by side, working hard to catch up to Kawaze.
The farther they got from the camp, the more humid the depths of the forest became.
Puddles were scattered everywhere across the ground.
Kawaze started noticing some hidden markings, though he had no idea what they meant.
But he guessed they were signaling methods used by the Rain ninja.
Since he had brought two children with him, he grew even more vigilant—he refused to let either of them get into trouble.
"Stay alert. Pay attention to your surroundings."
Kawaze reminded the two boys.
Nawaki and Minato became more cautious, but that rapid tension drained their energy fast.
Kawaze noticed this, but he still sensed no chakra movement nearby.
They kept going.
After walking several miles, Kawaze faintly sensed some unfamiliar chakra.
He wasn't a sensory-type ninja, which meant the enemy was not far.
"Be careful."
Kawaze dodged several kunai. A Rain ninja wearing a gas mask appeared in front of them.
"Konoha ninja actually dared to come out on their own initiative."
"Are you here to die?"
Though his face was hidden behind the mask, his arrogant tone made Kawaze want to punch him right there.
He gripped his eight-sided Chinese sword with his right hand, about to pierce the man's heart—
—but then he felt something. A sudden idea flashed across his mind.
Kawaze decided to toy with him instead.
"You hide your face and still dare to act so arrogant?"
His words clearly enraged the Rain ninja.
The man formed hand seals quickly.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A huge water dragon erupted from the Rain ninja's mouth and lunged toward Kawaze.
"Child's play."
Kawaze stepped forward to meet it. Lightning flickered along his sword as he cut the water dragon apart, sending water spraying everywhere.
Behind him, Nawaki and Minato drew their swords, staying alert.
"So he's a jōnin… I want to see how many jōnin from Konoha I can kill."
The Rain ninja still didn't understand Kawaze's true strength and kept spouting nonsense.
Kawaze had enough—this guy talked too much.
He darted forward and stabbed through the man's heart—but something felt off.
As expected, the "Rain ninja" dissolved into water—it was just a clone.
The real body attacked from behind, a twisted smile hidden behind the mask.
But he didn't expect Kawaze to kick backward without even turning his head, his heel slamming into the Rain ninja's chest.
The man flew backward, blood seeping from beneath the mask. Kawaze had even held back his strength.
Even so, the Rain ninja was experienced. Realizing he was outmatched, he immediately retreated.
"Stay alert. I'll be back soon."
Kawaze actually left the two kids behind and ran after the Rain ninja.
Minato was stunned—this didn't look like something a responsible teacher would do.
But he said nothing. His job was to protect himself and Nawaki.
"You're actually chasing me? If I stall you, your little brats might not survive long enough for you to collect their corpses."
Seeing Kawaze chasing him down, the Rain ninja relaxed slightly. He had thought the mission was a failure.
"How else would you lure your comrades out to attack them?"
Kawaze smirked and stopped suppressing his power.
He drew his sword—lightning flashed.
"One flash—six consecutive strikes."
The Rain ninja tried to use another water clone.
It made no difference.
Two jagged strokes of lightning carved through the Rain ninja and his clone, cutting both in half.
A Rain jōnin—dead.
"Remember to greet the Shinigami when you see him. And in your next life, don't act so arrogant."
"I won't allow anyone crazier than me to become Hokage."
Kawaze sheathed his eight-sided sword and teleported back using the Flying Thunder God seal he left behind.
He found Nawaki and Minato just in time, rushing toward them and appearing beside them almost instantly.
The Rain ninja probably never imagined he wouldn't even get a full breath before dying.
Minato and Nawaki were standing back to back. On the thick trunk before Nawaki was a puddle of water.
Nawaki threw a kunai upward—it felt wrong. The tree trunk was round—how could water pool there?
Kawaze saw this and felt genuinely delighted—finally, the boy was using his brain a little.
Before the kunai could hit the puddle, a Rain ninja burst out of it, knocking the kunai aside with one strike.
"The ground here really is terrible."
Judging by his voice, the Rain ninja seemed quite young.
Two more ninja appeared behind him.
The puddle vanished.
Now, Nawaki and Minato were facing three Rain chūnin, and the situation felt dire.
"That stupid jōnin leader of yours actually abandoned you two brats."
"If you die, don't blame us for being ruthless."
Before he even finished speaking, the Rain ninja in front lunged at the kids.
The two behind followed, forming a V-shape as their kunai slashed toward the boys' faces.
Kawaze felt a sharp pain in his temples. That squad leader really was trash—none of them knew how to talk like actual humans.
If it weren't for the training purpose of this mission, Kawaze would've already jumped in, dual-wielding swords, and finished all three Rain ninjas himself.
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "Naruto: Tsunade the Fugitive Healer" is 30 chapters ahead there