Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Mist Approaches
It was evening.
Kitahara Kaede walked toward the Might household.
He intended to bring Guy along this time. In the original story, the ones who encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were Guy, Genma, and Ebisu. Now that Kaede had intervened, he couldn’t be certain if bypassing Guy would derail the plot in unpredictable ways. For the sake of caution, it was best to keep him in the loop.
The front gate was open. Glancing inside, Kaede saw Guy running laps around the courtyard—upside down. Sweat dripped from his brow as he pushed himself forward on his hands. Beside him, Might Duy was doing the same, their movements almost perfectly synchronized.
Duy was calling out the rhythm. "Last lap! Hold it, Guy!"
Guy grit his teeth, the veins on his hands bulging with effort. Once they finished the circuit, he pushed off the ground and flipped back onto his feet. Duy landed beside him, flashing a thumbs-up.
"Guy! Today’s youth was not wasted!"
Guy was panting heavily, but his face beamed with a radiant smile.
Kaede watched the father and son. Their dedication was staggering; they were either training or on their way to train. He stepped forward and knocked on the doorframe.
"Guy."
Guy wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked back, his eyes immediately lighting up. "Kaede!"
Duy turned around as well, waving with a boisterous laugh. "Kaede, kid! You’ve come at the perfect time! Come and burn with the fire of youth!"
The corner of Kaede’s mouth twitched. "I’ll pass."
Guy hurried to the gate. "Kaede, what brings you here at this hour?"
"Something important," Kaede replied, his tone turning serious. "The Hokage has issued an emergency reconnaissance mission. The location is the southeast border of the Land of Fire. Over the last three days, five Konoha squads have gone missing in that area. I’m assembling a team to confirm the identity and number of the enemy."
The smile faded from Guy’s face, and he snapped to attention. "Kaede, are you inviting me to join?"
Kaede nodded.
"I can’t believe the first mission I get after becoming a Chunin is this significant!" Guy exclaimed.
Beside them, Duy frowned slightly. "The southeast border," he repeated, his voice dropping.
Kaede noticed the reaction from the corner of his eye, but Duy didn’t ask for more details. He looked at Guy for a moment, then regained his cheerful expression.
"Guy."
"Yes, Dad?"
"Since Kaede chose you, respond to that trust with everything you’ve got!"
Guy nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir!"
Kaede didn’t waste any more time. "The squad is still missing one person. I’m going to find Kurenai now."
Guy thought for a moment. "Wait. I saw Kurenai leaving the village with Senior Shinonome this afternoon. It seemed like a long-term mission; she might be gone for a few days."
Kaede’s brow furrowed. If Kurenai was unavailable, he would need a replacement.
"I have a recommendation," Guy offered quickly.
"Who?"
"Shiranui Genma," Guy said. "He looks lazy and always has that toothpick in his mouth, but he’s sharp when it counts. I’ve been on a few missions with him; our coordination is solid."
Kaede paused, considering. Shiranui Genma. "Fine."
"I’ll go notify him right away!" Guy declared.
"Meet at the village gates tomorrow morning."
"Understood!" Without another word, Guy bolted out of the courtyard.
As the sound of his footsteps faded, the yard grew quiet. Duy remained where he stood, the smile still on his face, though it was smaller than before.
"Kaede, kid."
"Senior Duy?"
Duy looked in the direction Guy had disappeared. "I’ll have to trouble you to look after Guy again."
Kaede looked at him. "It’s no problem. As long as I’m there, nothing will happen to him."
Duy chuckled. "Those words are quite reassuring."
The sky had grown dark, and Kaede didn’t linger.
***
Early the next morning at the Konoha village gates.
Kaede handed the team roster to an ANBU operative. "Please deliver this to The Third."
The ANBU member took the paper, glanced at it, and nodded. Guy was already waiting nearby, wearing a serious expression and carrying his ninja tool kit.
Not far off, a teenager approached with a slow, leisurely stride. He had black hair and a toothpick dangling from his lips. With his hands shoved deep in his pockets, he looked as though he hadn’t fully woken up.
"Yo," Genma said, raising a hand. "You’re Kitahara Kaede?"
Kaede looked at him. "I am."
Genma took the toothpick out of his mouth. "I’ve heard you’re pretty impressive."
Guy jumped in immediately. "Kaede really is amazing!"
Genma glanced at him. "I didn’t say he wasn’t." He looked back at Kaede. "But hearing about it is one thing; seeing it for myself is another."
Kaede wasn’t bothered. It was normal for ninja of the same age to be competitive. He currently held the rank of Chunin yet was leading a team on a mission issued directly by the Hokage. Anyone in Genma’s position would want to see exactly what he was capable of.
Kaede smiled faintly. "You can see for yourself on the way."
Genma’s lips curled into a slight smirk. "Fair enough."
The three of them departed, the noise of the village quickly fading behind them. For the first leg of the journey, Guy maintained a steady pace, while Genma kept his eyes scanning the forest ahead, toothpick back in place.
After traveling for some time, they stopped under a large tree. Kaede spread out a map, using pebbles to weigh down the corners. Guy crouched beside him, while Genma leaned against the tree. Despite his lazy demeanor, Genma’s eyes were locked on the map.
Kaede pointed to several markings on the southeast border. "The disappearances started here. The last two squads went missing very close to Konoha."
Genma removed the toothpick. "The enemy is pushing inward toward the Land of Fire?"
"Yes," Kaede nodded. "This mission is reconnaissance, but don’t treat it like a standard scout mission. To wipe out five Konoha squads in such a short time without a single message getting back... we’re dealing with at least a Jonin-level squad."
Guy frowned. "What about their numbers?"
"They won’t be few," Kaede said, looking at the two of them. "I’m setting the ground rules now. If we encounter the enemy, no prolonged fighting. The first priority is to retreat; the second is to get the intelligence back to Konoha. No one charges in without my order."
Guy opened his mouth to speak, but Kaede looked at him. Guy swallowed his words and, after a few seconds, nodded. "I’ll follow your lead."
Genma studied Kaede for a moment. The urge to test him faded; this kid was indeed unusual. He put the toothpick back in his mouth. "I have no objections."
Kaede packed up the map. "Let’s move."
As they set off again, the shadows of the trees blurred past them. While traveling, Kaede mentally reviewed the intelligence on the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Samehada could absorb chakra; the Executioner’s Blade could regenerate using blood. Shibuki was suited for wide-range explosions, and Nuibari was a nightmare due to its steel wires. Kabutowari could shatter defenses, and Kiba was lethal in close combat. Hiramekarei had the least amount of recorded data, making it the hardest to predict.
Seven elite Jonin.
If he were alone and went all out, defeating them wouldn’t be difficult. The problem was that Guy and Genma were present. He couldn’t recklessly reveal his Wood Release, nor could he show off an absurd amount of chakra or jutsu power.
Balancing that scale was the hardest part.
The further they traveled southeast, the denser the forest became. By afternoon, the canopy had almost completely blocked out the sky.
The silence surrounding them was unsettling.
Kitahara Kaede raised a hand.
"Stop."
The three of them landed on a tree trunk.
Guy lowered his voice. "What is it?"
Kitahara Kaede didn’t answer. He crouched down, his fingers brushing over a shallow mark on the bark.
It was a fresh mark. Man-made.
Genma leaned in to take a look, his expression turning serious. "Someone has passed through here."
Kitahara Kaede glanced ahead. There was a faint scent of blood on the wind.
"Suppress your presence," he whispered. "From here on, move with caution."
Guy and Genma immediately masked their presence.
A moment later, the sound of whistling air tore through the woods to their right. Several kunai shot through the shadows of the trees, each one rigged with an Explosive Tag.
Kitahara Kaede’s eyes sharpened. "Scatter!"
The three of them retreated simultaneously.
Boom!
An explosion swallowed the tree trunk where they had just been standing, erupting in a blast of fire and splinters.
Guy flipped backward, landing on another branch. Genma’s shoulder slammed into a trunk, but he quickly steadied himself.
After landing, Kitahara Kaede looked deeper into the forest. White mist began to surge from between the trees. Within a few breaths, visibility dropped to less than two meters.
Genma spat out the toothpick in his mouth and gripped his kunai tightly. "Hidden Mist Technique."
Guy leaned closer, his voice low. "The enemy is here?"
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