The setting sun's afterglow dyed the Third Training Ground in a warm golden hue.
Sora stood in place, watching the direction where Jiraiya had fled in embarrassment. The pure, expectant look on his face seeking praise slowly faded.
What an unreliable teacher.
But the goal was achieved.
The gate to Sage Mode had opened for him.
This crucial "key," Jiraiya, was now firmly in his grasp.
A slight sense of helplessness.
He might as well go eat a bowl of ramen and head home.
After all, the best way to celebrate victory was Ichiraku Ramen.
The next morning, in the ANBU underground lounge.
The lighting was dim, the air filled with a cold mix of disinfectant and metal.
Sora leaned against the wall, idly polishing his short sword with meticulous care.
Where's Captain Kakashi? He's really late.
If he didn't show up soon, Sora was seriously considering skipping work.
Boring waiting wasted a fine ninja's precious youth.
Suddenly.
Bang.
A figure appeared in the center of the lounge amid swirling white smoke.
Kakashi Hatake.
He still looked half-asleep, one hand in his pocket, the other habitually supporting his forehead.
"Emergency mission."
Kakashi's voice carried an unusual seriousness.
"Escort of S-class confidential documents. Requires two people. Destination: Sunagakure."
"Who wants to go?"
The moment the words left his mouth.
Sora raised his hand almost instantly, sheathing his short sword casually.
"Me! Me! I want to go!"
His movement was exaggerated, his face full of eager excitement—as if he'd heard an invitation to an amusement park, not an S-class mission.
"Then I'll go with Sora-senpai."
A cool, flat voice cut in first, ringing out in the silent lounge.
Everyone's movements paused for a moment.
Uchiha Itachi.
At some point, he had already stood in front of Kakashi, his black uniform blending almost seamlessly with the surrounding shadows.
Yamanaka Kaede's hand, which she had been about to raise, froze mid-air.
She turned her head to look at the impassive boy, her beautiful eyebrows slightly raised.
This kid's acting strange.
He never volunteers for anything.
Sora was a bit surprised too.
He looked at Itachi's calm profile, a subtle hint of amusement flashing in his amber eyes.
Looks like last night's barbecue had an even better effect than expected.
A walking "Sharingan source material" library voluntarily applying to join him.
This trip was getting more and more interesting.
Kakashi's single eye swept between Sora and Itachi.
"Good."
He didn't ask questions; he decided immediately.
"Mission requirement: Deliver the documents personally to the Fourth Kazekage."
"Yes!"
Sora and Itachi responded in unison.
"Then go home and pack. We'll meet up later!"
Itachi merely nodded calmly.
"I have nothing to pack."
Sora's smile stiffened for a moment.
Seeing Itachi's posture—like he could abandon everything at any time—Sora couldn't help but inwardly complain.
Worthy of the future clan exterminator; truly carefree.
But on the surface, he put on a concerned senior's expression and patted Itachi's shoulder.
"Itachi, this should be your first S-class mission in ANBU, right?"
Itachi didn't speak, which counted as acknowledgment.
"You should still go home and say something!" Sora advised. "This time in Suna, the mission won't be short."
"Go tell your family you're going on a long-distance mission. Don't reveal the details. Go!"
His words were sincere and full of a senior's care for his junior.
Itachi silently looked at Sora.
Those black eyes were bottomless, revealing no emotion.
After a long moment.
He nodded lightly.
"Okay. Thank you, Sora-senpai."
With that.
Itachi's figure instantly turned into a flock of crows and vanished.
The lounge returned to quiet.
Yamanaka Kaede walked over to Sora and lightly elbowed him.
"Not bad, kid."
"What do you mean?" Sora played dumb.
"When did you tame our Uchiha genius?" Kaede's smile carried a teasing tone. "He even listens to you as his 'senpai.'"
"No way!" Sora scratched his head, putting on an embarrassed, honest look. "We're comrades; helping each other is normal!"
Kaede looked at him like that, chuckled lightly, said no more, and turned to leave.
Sora also leisurely strolled out of the lounge.
He didn't go home.
Because he had nothing to pack anyway.
More importantly, he had no family to notify.
Sora walked unhurriedly toward the village gate, hands in his pockets, basking in the morning sun.
Sigh, I don't have any family to tell.
I can't exactly go notify that orange cat on the street corner that there'll be no free dried fish for a while, right?
It would be heartbroken.
He pitied himself for a second.
The thought flashed through his mind and was decisively discarded.
Loneliness was a mandatory course for the strong.
What he needed to do wasn't wallow in such meaningless emotions, but use this loneliness to become the sole pinnacle scenery atop the world.
...
Uchiha clan grounds.
Itachi's figure silently appeared in his family's courtyard.
He pushed open the door, preparing to return to his room.
"Itachi."
Fugaku's voice came from the dojo.
Itachi stopped, turning to walk toward the dojo.
His father, Uchiha Fugaku, was seated cross-legged in the center, a brilliantly polished tachi placed before him.
"Father."
"Heading out on a mission soon?" Fugaku didn't look up, slowly and powerfully wiping the blade with a white cloth.
"Yes."
"With that Akashi Sora?"
"Yes."
Fugaku's movement paused.
He raised his head, those eyes identical to Itachi's but far more stern and profound fixing on his son.
"Good."
"This is an opportunity." Fugaku lowered his head again, continuing to wipe his sword. "An opportunity to show him—and the village higher-ups—the Uchiha's sincerity."
"Protect him during the mission. Help him."
"Make him understand who his most reliable ally is."
"Yes."
Itachi's response was still just one word.
"Go." Fugaku waved his hand. "Don't keep your teammate waiting."
Itachi bowed and turned to leave.
As he exited the dojo, Fugaku's final words came from inside—cold as a blade.
"Remember, Itachi. For the clan."
Itachi's steps didn't falter at all.
His figure soon vanished at the end of the courtyard.
Konoha village gate.
Sora leaned against a tree trunk by the gate, a grass stem in his mouth, leisurely watching people come and go.
He was waiting.
Waiting for his teammate.
Waiting for that genius boy burdened with his entire clan's expectations and curse.
Soon, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the street.
Uchiha Itachi.
With a small pack on his back.
He looked like an ordinary boy heading out on a long trip.
If you ignored his overly calm aura.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Itachi approached Sora.
"No, I just got here too." Sora spat out the grass stem, straightened up from the trunk. "Ready?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
Sora smiled and took the lead, stepping out of Konoha's gate.
Itachi silently followed, maintaining a neither-too-close-nor-too-far distance.
The sunlight stretched their shadows long on the ground behind them.
The scenery of the Land of Wind was mind-numbingly monotonous.
Endless yellow sand connected to a bland sky.
Sora and Itachi's figures sped along the barren dirt road, kicking up two faint trails of dust.
It had been a full day and night.
Aside from necessary rests and water breaks, they hadn't stopped.
Very quiet.
Itachi was an even more silent companion than Captain Kakashi.
If not for the actual presence of another person moving in sync beside him, Sora might have thought this was a solo mission.
This silence was somewhat uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Sunagakure was close.
The two slowed down simultaneously, quickly recovering stamina to a state ready for combat at any moment.
An S-class mission truly began the moment they entered foreign territory.
Just as they neared the outer sentry post of Sunagakure.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several figures emerged from the sand as if drilling out of the ground, instantly blocking their path ahead.
Five in total.
They wore standard Suna ninja attire, faces wrapped in anti-sand headscarves, only pairs of wary eyes exposed.
The leader held a peculiarly shaped scythe, its blade glinting coldly under the fierce sun.
"Who are you? Halt!"
They'd arrived.
Sora stepped forward, pulling a scroll from his ninja pouch.
The scroll bore the exclusive seal of the Konoha Hokage.
"We're Konoha ANBU." Sora's voice was not loud but clear to everyone. "On orders from the Third Hokage, we have S-class confidential documents to deliver personally to the Fourth Kazekage."
His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.
It stated their identity, purpose, and mission level.
The leader looked at the Hokage seal, his guarded expression easing slightly but not fully relaxing.
"Wait here."
He whispered instructions to a subordinate behind him.
That ninja nodded, flashed away in a blur toward the village depths.
The remaining four spread out, surrounding Sora and Itachi.
Surveillance.
Sora didn't mind; he even flashed a bright, sunny smile at the closest Suna ninja.
The other visibly paused, then turned his head away.
So boring.
Sora inwardly pouted.
Itachi remained like a statue from start to finish, quietly standing behind Sora as if everything around him was irrelevant.
The wait wasn't long.
Soon, the messenger ninja returned.
He nodded to the captain.
"The Kazekage will see you."
The captain sheathed his scythe and gestured "please" to Sora and Itachi.
"Follow us."
The four Suna ninjas formed a front-two-back-two formation, sandwiching Sora and Itachi as they headed into the village.
Called escort; in reality, detention.
Sora shrugged indifferently and followed.
Along the way, Sunagakure's sights came into full view.
Unlike Konoha's prosperity, here everything exuded depression and wariness.
Few pedestrians on the streets, all hurrying.
Patrolling ninjas everywhere.
The whole village was like a wounded beast curled up, full of hostility toward the outside.
Soon, they arrived before a peculiar building shaped like a giant sand sphere.
The Kazekage Building.
"You two may enter. The Kazekage is waiting inside."
The guards at the door stopped the escorting ninjas, allowing only Sora and Itachi in.
The interior was far more spacious than it appeared outside.
A man wearing a conical hat, face obscured, stood with his back to them before a huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the village.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
"Konoha's confidential documents?"
Rasa turned, revealing a stern, gaunt face.
His gaze swept over Sora and Itachi.
It lingered a moment on Itachi's overly young face.
"Yes."
Sora stepped forward, respectfully handing over the scroll.
Rasa took it, unfurled it on the spot, and read quickly.
His brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
The office atmosphere grew oppressive.
Sora stood quietly, but his mind was rapidly calculating.
He didn't know the scroll's contents.
"I understand."
After a long while, Rasa closed the scroll.
He looked up at Sora, his golden eyes devoid of emotion.
"Thank you for your efforts. Tell the Third that Sunagakure will cooperate with Konoha on this matter."
"Yes."
"You can rest in the village tonight and depart tomorr—"
Rasa's words were cut off.
ROAR—!!!
A inhuman roar filled with endless hatred and rage thundered without warning from somewhere in the village!
The entire Kazekage Building shook violently!
Rasa's face changed dramatically.
"Damn it! Again!"
He didn't have time to say more to Sora and Itachi; his figure flashed, crashing through the window behind him and rushing out.
Sora and Itachi immediately rushed to the shattered window.
In the village's central square, sand filled the sky.
A massive tanuki made of sand was frantically destroying everything around it.
Its body was covered in eerie purple curse seals.
The One-Tail, Shukaku!
The seal had gone berserk?
Countless Suna ninjas on the square were desperately resisting, but their ninjutsu sank into Shukaku like stones into the sea.
"That's... the One-Tail's jinchūriki?" Itachi's voice carried a rare fluctuation.
Sora didn't answer.
His attention was completely drawn to another scene.
In mid-air.
The Fourth Kazekage Rasa floated there, hands forming seals.
Under his control, endless placer gold surged from the ground!
The gold, like a living tsunami, formed massive golden waves crashing toward the rampaging Shukaku from all directions!
Magnet Release!
Gold Dust!
Sora's heart leaped.
This is it!
He let out a silent shout in his mind.
[System, record!]
[Ding! Rare bloodline limit 'Magnet Release' detected. Record?]
[Record!]
['Magnet Release: Gold Dust' recorded as disc, stored in system space.]
Success!
The moment he obtained the disc, all of Sora's excitement instantly cooled.
Ultimate rationality reclaimed his mind.
Something's wrong.
Very wrong.
Why at this exact moment?
Why did the One-Tail go berserk precisely when two Konoha ANBU were present?
Too coincidental.
Coincidences often meant orchestration.
Was the Fourth Kazekage Rasa truly suppressing the tailed beast?
Or... was he acting?
A terrifying thought exploded in his mind.
Borrowing a knife to kill!
Using the chaos of the tailed beast rampage to conveniently leave the two Konoha "guests" forever in this desert!
Once the idea took root, it grew wildly.
They couldn't stay any longer.
Not even a second!
Sora sharply turned his head, his amber eyes fixing intensely on Itachi beside him.
"Itachi, we have to go now!"
Itachi's movement paused.
He didn't turn immediately but looked back at Sora with calm black eyes.
"Go?"
Just one word.
"Where?"
The Kazekage Building was shaking violently; outside were deafening roars and Suna ninjas' shouts.
In this situation, as allied Konoha ninjas, shouldn't they stay to help?
That was basic logic.
"It's a trap!"
The bright smile on Sora's face had vanished, replaced by an appropriate mix of anxiety and fear.
"Haven't you noticed, Itachi? It's too coincidental!"
"We just arrive, and the One-Tail goes berserk? No such coincidence exists!"
His words came rapid, as if pouring out immense inner fear.
"They want to kill us! Use the chaos to bury two Konoha ANBU forever in this desert!"
These words struck the core like arrows.
Itachi wasn't stupid.
On the contrary, he was better than anyone at piecing together truth from clues.
The Fourth Kazekage's cold attitude.
The overly coincidental timing.
And Sunagakure's pervasive hostility toward Konoha.
It all made sense.
Without another word.
Itachi's figure blurred into an afterimage, following closely behind Sora as they leaped out the shattered window!
The two fell like drifting leaves onto the chaotic streets below.
"This way!"
Sora adjusted mid-air, landing without pause and immediately diving into a secluded alley.
His actions appeared panicked and desperate.
But deep inside, a map was rapidly unfolding.
Escape?
Of course.
But not yet.
His true goal was to find the best "viewing" spot.
One-Tail Shukaku's Wind Release.
Fourth Kazekage Rasa's Magnet Release Gold Dust.
These were S-class "rare source material"—top-tier for expanding his disc library.
Leaving now would be a huge loss!
Fortune favors the bold.
He wasn't just watching this "grand show"—he was packaging the best parts to take home!
The two sped through the maze-like alleys, the roars and explosions behind them becoming their action soundtrack.
"Sora-senpai."
Itachi's voice sounded behind him, steady without a ripple.
"Aren't we heading straight out of the village?"
"No!" Sora rejected firmly without turning. "The gates are definitely sealed now. Charging out would be walking into a trap!"
"We need to hide first, observe the situation, then find a chance to leave!"
The reason was flawless.
Itachi raised no further objections, silently keeping pace.
Sora twisted and turned, soon shaking any possible pursuers, and climbed onto a tall civilian rooftop.
The view here was excellent.
They could clearly see the earth-shaking battle in the central square.
The mountain-like sand tanuki wildly swung its claws.
Each strike shook the earth, collapsing sturdy buildings like paper.
Countless Suna ninjas charged fearlessly.
Their ninjutsu varied.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Yet these attacks on Shukaku's massive body only splashed sand, causing no real damage.
In mid-air, Rasa's face was grim to the extreme.
His hands flew through seals; massive placer gold waves crashed repeatedly, trying to rebind Shukaku.
"ROAR—!"
Shukaku seemed thoroughly enraged.
It suddenly opened its huge mouth, its chest and abdomen swelling unnaturally!
Vast natural energy gathered madly in its mouth!
Here it comes!
Sora's pupils contracted sharply.
This is it!
"Wind Release: Air Sand Bullet!!!"
With a savage roar, a massive spherical cannonball of highly dense wind chakra mixed with sand shot from its mouth!
The bullet tore through the air at a speed nearly invisible to the eye!
Its target wasn't Rasa in the sky or the ninjas on the ground.
But...
Their direction!
More precisely, a taller watchtower not far behind them!
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion that could rupture eardrums!
The sturdy watchtower was utterly fragile before the bullet.
In an instant.
The entire tower was pierced and exploded!
Countless debris mixed with violent airflow scattered wildly in all directions!
"Watch out!"
Sora grabbed Itachi beside him; both retreated sharply, narrowly dodging several massive flying stones.
The stones smashed into the rooftop where they'd stood, shattering tiles and leaving a grotesque crater.
Such power!
Is this tailed beast-level Wind Release?
It's practically a map-clearing cannon!
[Ding! High-tier Wind Release ninjutsu 'Wind Release: Air Sand Bullet' detected. Record?]
The system's cold prompt sounded on cue in Sora's mind.
"Record!"
Sora commanded without hesitation inwardly.
['One-Tail Shukaku - Wind Release: Air Sand Bullet' recorded as disc, stored in system space.]
Success!
Another powerful disc obtained!
Sora's heart burned with excitement.
Yet on his face, he timely showed a trace of lingering fear and pallor.
"Too dangerous! Itachi! We have to leave now!"
He pulled Itachi, turning to leap down the other side of the roof without hesitation.
The massive blast and shockwave behind became the most rousing accompaniment to their escape.
The two raced through Sunagakure's complex alleys like silent shadows.
Sora's face showed appropriate shock and distress, heart pounding, breathing rapid.
But inside, his mind was a calm, icy lake.
He'd profited.
Hugely!
Fourth Kazekage's Magnet Release Gold Dust and One-Tail Shukaku's high-tier Wind Release—two extremely valuable S-class discs, both in hand!
Even if this S-class mission ended right now, he'd far exceeded his KPI.
The Uchiha Itachi behind him was like his perfect shadow, coordinating seamlessly.
Whatever route Sora chose—even the trickiest wall crevices—Itachi followed in 0.1 seconds without extra noise.
This future clan exterminator was god-like as a teammate.
Finally, after countless detours and fully shaking any pursuit, the village edge appeared ahead.
The two didn't slow, charging straight out of Sunagakure into the boundless sand sea.
Only when the village fully vanished over the horizon did Sora abruptly stop, hands on knees, gasping heavily in exhausted relief.
"Hah... hah... We... we finally escaped..."
He panted, looking back toward Sunagakure with lingering fear and luck.
Then, as if fully relaxed, he plopped onto the scorching sand, exhaling long.
"Guess I overthought it. It really was a coincidence."
Sora muttered to himself, his voice carrying self-consolation.
"Suna's sealing arts are too sloppy—berserk out of nowhere, nearly dragging us in."
These words were a probe toward his silent teammate.
Uchiha Itachi stood beside him, straight as a spear.
He didn't sit, just gazed into the distance, his black eyes deeper under the blazing sun.
Only the wind sounded around them.
After a long while.
"Sora-senpai, let's get farther away before saying that."
Itachi's cool, flat voice broke the silence.
Sora's heart sank slightly.
He looked up at Itachi's expressionless face.
Nothing to read.
Was this guy fully believing his story and just being cautious?
Or... had he noticed something and was subtly reminding him not to celebrate too soon?
Troublesome fellow.
Sora inwardly assessed.
"You're right! You're right!"
He leaped up from the sand, brushed off the dust, and flashed his energetic smile again—as if the earlier exhaustion was an illusion.
"Safety first! Let's hurry out of the Land of Wind!"
With that, he set off again, sprinting toward the Land of Fire.
Itachi said no more, flashing to follow closely.
What followed was a long, monotonous rush.
Another day and night.
The two barely rested, like tireless machines pulling straight dust trails across the barren desert and wilderness.
As ninjas, this level of forced march was routine.
When the yellow sand underfoot gradually gave way to dirt-mixed paths, when a streak of life-symbolizing green appeared on the distant horizon, Sora knew they were safe.
The Land of Fire lay ahead.
The monotonous scenery of the Land of Wind was finally left behind.
"Whew..."
Sora exhaled deeply, slowing his pace.
He turned to Itachi beside him.
Even after a full day and night of intense travel, the boy's breathing remained terrifyingly steady.
Just a trace of fatigue on his overly pale face.
"We're in the Land of Fire. We can rest now." Sora suggested.
"Yes."
Itachi nodded lightly in agreement.
They soon found a babbling stream nearby.
Lush green trees lined the water—completely different from the Land of Wind behind them.
Sora unceremoniously went to the stream, cupped cool water to wash his face, then drank several big gulps.
Refreshing!
Feeling alive again.
He wiped the water from his face and turned to Itachi.
Itachi stood quietly under a tree, taking his canteen from his pack and sipping small mouthfuls.
Such a neat freak.
Sora inwardly complained, then pulled two military ration pills from his pouch and tossed one over.
"Catch."
Itachi caught it precisely, looked at the pill, then at Sora.
"Restore some stamina." Sora leaned against a tree trunk and sat down, popping his own pill into his mouth and crunching like a hoarding hamster.
"This mission was really thrilling."
He mumbled while chewing, face full of excited reminiscence.
"S-class missions are different! Magnet Release, tailed beast—big spectacle!"
Itachi silently mimicked him, leaning against another tree and eating his pill.
He neither agreed nor refuted.
The streamside fell quiet again.
Only the babbling water and birdsong in the trees.
The atmosphere was subtly delicate.
Sora finished chewing his pill, feeling some stamina return.