The next morning, Kazuyama was already waiting at the village entrance. In front of him stood five fully loaded wagons, ready to depart.
"Little brother Kazuyama, I'm ready to go. We can leave at any time."
Saburō Honda approached him slowly, and Kazuyama nodded.
"Saburō Honda, you're early. There's still half an hour before departure."
"Hey, I'm used to it. The supplies we're transporting this time are important, so we logistics guys have to stay on our toes."
Konohagakure wasn't just home to ninja—it housed merchants and logistics personnel as well. Saburō Honda was in the logistics business, specializing in stockpiling supplies. This time, he was leading a convoy of five wagons, accompanied by four other people.
"But this war started so suddenly. I heard Iwa and Kumo are fighting too?"
He handed a cigarette to Kazuyama, who chuckled.
"Brother, I'm not even of age yet."
"Hey, you're a Jōnin. Does that even matter? Go ahead and smoke—these are from the Land of Iron. They taste different from the ones we get in the village."
Kazuyama laughed. He loved money, so how could he not enjoy a good cigarette? But he had never shown it in front of others. As someone who had perfected the art of concealment, he preferred to keep his true self hidden—whether it was his strength or his habits.
The two smoked in silence, waiting for the three little ones to arrive.
Maybe because this was a B-rank mission, but the first to show up was actually Obito Uchiha.
Kazuyama raised an eyebrow as the goggle-wearing boy ran up to him.
"Yo, Obito. Weren't you supposed to be helping the old lady find something today?"
Obito grinned. "I told her yesterday that I had a mission, so she shouldn't bother going out."
Holy shit... Is that how you handle it? The old lady's basically a part of your life, and you just rearrange her schedule like that?
Before long, Kakashi and Rin arrived as well. Seeing that Obito had beaten them there, they both looked surprised.
"Alright, let's get going," Kazuyama said. "The sooner we deliver this, the sooner we're done."
With that, the B-rank escort mission officially began. As the convoy slowly moved forward, Kazuyama and the others flanked the wagons, keeping watch.
"Hahaha! We're finally leaving the village!"
"I'm so happy!"
Obito shouted excitedly, his enthusiasm contagious. His nonstop yelling and cheering made the entire convoy laugh.
The Land of Fire was peaceful, thanks to Konohagakure. Kazuyama felt at ease. The real danger lay beyond the country's borders, where they needed to remain vigilant. Since the mission's destination was outside the Land of Fire, their main concern was the border.
Jiraiya had stationed his team in the southwestern part of the Land of Grass, close to the Land of Fire's border. But once they left home territory, anything could happen.
During dinner, Kazuyama called the three kids over.
"By the way, Kakashi, Obito, Rin—this is a gift from your sensei," he said, handing them each a kunai. "My personally customized kunai. Keep it safe and don't lose it."
He gave them a sharp look. "If I find out you lost it, I'll hang you all up. Especially you, Obito."
Obito examined his kunai with curiosity. "Kazuyama-sensei, what's this marking on it?"
"My technique—the Flying Thunder God. With this, even if you fall into a ditch, I can still pull you out," Kazuyama explained. "Remember, never lose it!"
No matter what, now that these three were under his command, he was responsible for them. He wouldn't let anyone get their hands on them—not even some old ghosts lurking in the shadows.
If Uchiha Madara were here, he'd say: "Kid, I'll remember you..."
The convoy moved at a steady pace, not too fast due to the wagons. It took two days to travel from the village to the border. As they neared the Land of Grass, Kazuyama stopped the convoy and called the three to him.
"We're about to leave the Land of Fire. The situation in the Land of Grass is different, so stay alert," he warned. "Kakashi, Obito—you two protect Rin. I'll handle the rest."
His tone grew stern. "Remember, it's better to be slow than reckless! If you spot the enemy, don't chase them! Do you hear me?"
Kakashi unsheathed his sword, a confident smirk on his face. "Don't worry, Kazuyama-sensei. I'm a lot stronger now than when you used to wipe the floor with me."
Obito, full of energy, clenched his fists. "That's right! After training with Pakura-sensei, we're on a whole different level!"
Kazuyama blinked. Training with Pakura? When did that happen? Why didn't I know?
Pakura: Hmph, what would an irresponsible teacher like you know?
With the warning delivered, the convoy officially left the Land of Fire.
Kazuyama's caution wasn't without reason. The Land of Grass had already become a battleground between Konoha and Iwagakure. While not as intense as the war in the Land of Rivers, Iwagakure had its sights set on the territory. They were bound to have forces lurking along the border, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
As he walked in the middle of the convoy, Kazuyama activated his Hive Mind technique, scanning everything within a thousand meters. A smirk formed on his lips.
Just as he expected, Iwa was on high alert at the border, setting up ambushes and cutting off escape routes. Their plan was obvious—they aimed to devour Konoha's forces in the Land of Grass entirely.
"Brother Honda, once fighting breaks out, you and the others hide immediately."
"Kakashi, Obito, Rin—get ready for battle."
As Kazuyama spoke, his figure slowly faded from sight. The three kids, familiar with his abilities, knew he had used the Transparent Escape Technique to vanish.
Meanwhile, the convoy continued moving forward, unaware that Iwagakure ninjas had already closed in. Two teams—eight shinobi in total—were positioned in the trees on the east and west sides, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Captain, that's Konoha's supply convoy. Do we move in?" one of the Iwa-nin on the west side whispered, licking his lips with a sly grin.
But there was no response.
Confused, he turned to look at his captain—only to be met with a chilling sight.
"Looking for him?"
A long, vibrantly colored snake coiled in his captain's place. The missing shinobi was nowhere to be seen.
"Unfortunately," a voice came from behind him, laced with amusement, "he won't be giving you orders anymore."
The Iwa-nin barely had time to react before the snake lunged at him, sinking its venomous fangs into his neck.
"You—!"
"Urgh!"
His words were cut off as the poison spread through his body, rendering him useless in seconds.
Kazuyama scoffed. "As expected. What's the point of Hidden Shadow Snake Hands if you don't use poisonous snakes?"
Clicking his tongue, he shifted his gaze toward the remaining enemies. "Tsk, tsk. I'll leave the rest to Kakashi and the others."
After all, this was a mission, not a solo performance. He couldn't just handle everything himself—he had to let the kids gain real combat experience.
From his observations, these were just standard enemy squads. The only real threat had been their Jōnin leader.
But he had already been taken care of—his body now lifeless, courtesy of the venomous snake.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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