"Young Master Ryo is so fast!"
Might Duy was trying his best to keep up, but Sarutobi Ryo was pulling further and further ahead.
Having dedicated his life to training in the Eight Gates Formation and the art of Body Techniques, Might Duy felt he understood it pretty well.
He could immediately see that Sarutobi Ryo was incredibly skilled in Body Techniques.
And the Hyuga girl beside him, Ruri, looked so delicate, like a strong wind could blow her away. Yet, she was moving at a speed that rivaled most Jonin.
"This is... youth..."
Might Duy smiled, a genuine admiration for their youthful energy shining in his eyes.
He felt a surge of energy himself, so Might Duy tightened his muscles and sped up.
And so, time marched on. The sun rose and set, and the stars wheeled across the sky.
They journeyed from Konoha all the way to the border of the Land of Fire.
The northeastern edge of the Land of Fire touched the Land of Hot Water. After crossing the Land of Hot Water, everything was covered in frost, like a blanket of pure white snow.
This was the Land of Frost, named for its unusual landscape and icy climate.
"We're here."
Sarutobi Ryo stopped.
They had covered a distance that normally took over two days in just two-thirds of the time.
He looked around, confirming that they were on the path Ringo Ameyuri had described. Sarutobi Ryo prepared to set up an ambush.
"Ruri, use your Byakugan to scan a ten-kilometer area regularly. Senior Duy, please stand by."
"Oh, okay." Might Duy nodded and immediately moved closer to Ruri.
Perception Ninja needed protection when they were focusing on observing their surroundings.
Since he didn't have any other specific tasks, protecting his teammates was his duty.
---
Whoosh...
The cold wind howled fiercely.
A thick layer of white frost fell from the sky, like a heavy snowfall had just begun.
The sky was dark and murky.
It was still the dead of night, and the first light of dawn was nowhere to be seen.
A female ninja wearing a white ninja uniform was running across the frozen ground.
Frost sprayed up behind her with each step, only to fall back down.
Her footprints, some deep and some shallow, marked her desperate path across the landscape.
She looked calm and serene, with smooth, pale skin and long, golden hair.
But beneath her gentle expression was an undeniable, captivating beauty.
As she ran, her alluring figure became even more noticeable.
The frost falling around her seemed to grow thicker and heavier. In the pitch-black night, she looked like a lost traveler, unsure of which way to go.
"Chase!"
The shout from behind jolted Nonou back to reality, clearing some of the confusion from her mind.
Following the orders of Konoha's leadership, she had infiltrated Kumogakure as a secret agent.
With her skills, she shouldn't have been discovered. She should have been able to complete her mission without any problems.
However, the higher-ups in Konoha had arranged for her to be deliberately exposed after she stole some secret documents.
After the incident, Kumogakure sent pursuers after her, tracking her by the traces she left behind. With each passing moment, they were getting closer.
Nonou, running for her life, was trying to reach the rescue team.
Konoha Ninja, led by Hatake Sakumo, were supposed to fight off the pursuers and safely retrieve the intelligence.
On the surface, it seemed like a perfectly normal spy mission.
But in reality...
Konoha's leaders had set a trap within this mission.
They had ordered Nonou to hide the stolen secret scroll along the way.
After all, Nonou wasn't a fighter, so they could easily claim later that... she was weak and afraid the enemy would take back the secrets, so she hid the scroll in a secret place, waiting for her comrades to retrieve it.
But this would force Hatake Sakumo to make a difficult choice.
Would he prioritize saving Nonou's life, or would he ignore her safety and go straight to where the enemy secrets were hidden?
With Hatake Sakumo's power, few could stop him.
But if they could keep him busy for a while, delay him, it would give the enemy enough time to find the secret scroll.
Because, of course, the enemy had placed some kind of tracking device on the scroll. Given enough time, they could find it.
But that wasn't the real issue...
Nonou shook her head.
She had served Konoha since she was a child, joining the Medical Team after graduating and becoming a Medical Ninja.
Later, they discovered she had a talent for espionage, and little by little, she had earned the title "Walking Shrine Maiden."
Serving the Village was, of course, her duty.
But... a Village had not only light, but also countless shadows.
Witnessing so many dark incidents and secrets, Nonou felt more and more disturbed... and tired.
What shocked her the most, or rather, what left her feeling numb, was the Konoha leadership's plot against the Konoha White Fang.
Hatake Sakumo, a powerhouse who was even stronger than the Sannin, had earned countless honors and made many contributions to Konoha.
Yet, the leaders of Konoha wanted to destroy White Fang's reputation.
Hatake Sakumo was kind, possessed the true Will of Fire, and... always stuck to his beliefs.
If he, a man who was trusted and respected by everyone, fell into darkness, Nonou couldn't imagine what would happen to him.
After seeing this, Nonou had completely lost faith in Konoha.
She had even thought about retiring and leaving Konoha.
After all, there was no reason to stay in such a place, even if it was her hometown.
"There's... nothing left to miss..."
Just as the idea of retirement took root in Nonou's mind, she suddenly crashed into something with a bang.
"Oof!"
The impact didn't hurt too much. It felt like bumping into a soft lump of dough or a sponge.
Nonou, who had fallen on her rear, quickly adjusted her glasses and squinted to get a better look.
Soon, her eyes widened in surprise.
---
Dozens of meters behind Nonou.
"Leader, that guy fell."
The Kumogakure team was moving quickly, constantly reporting information to their leader.
The entire Tracking Squadron had set out from Kumogakure, chasing Nonou all the way, crossing the border of the Land of Lightning, and finally entering the Land of Frost.
The leader of the group had dark skin and short, light-yellow hair, and looked rather relaxed.
As a Jonin from Kumogakure, Sarui was one of the strongest, marked by the Third Raikage with a "Lightning" tattoo.
He was known as "Black Lightning Sarui" because he could use Black Lightning Lightning Release.
"Once we catch this guy, let's have a big celebration, my treat." Sarui said to his companions, sounding relieved.
"Senior Sarui, I remember your wife mentioned her visit to the hospital before the mission, right..."
The others also seemed more relaxed.
They began talking about Sarui's trip to the hospital before the mission.
"Yeah, it's a son, very healthy."
Sarui smiled, thinking of his newborn son.
"I've already decided on a name: Darui!"