Konoha Notes

Chapter 67 Footprints
The rest period lasted only a few days before Team 5 received another summons from the Hokage's office.

When the three entered the Hokage's office, they found there was another person inside.

He wore a dark green bodysuit over a matching vest, had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and exuded an abundance of vitality; his face was etched with youthful energy.

"The Cloud Envoy is about to arrive at the border."

"Fifth Squad, your mission is to investigate whether there are any abnormalities along their entry route."

"Considering the potential risks, Jonin Might Guy has been temporarily transferred to your squad, Shuuji."

The third generation briefly explained the situation.

"Kai, Shuuji is a ninja with excellent command skills. Although you are a Jonin, in this mission, Shuuji will still be the one in charge. Is there a problem?"

"Of course not, Lord Hokage!" Might Guy's voice was so loud it almost shook the ceiling.

He suddenly turned to Shuuji, his eyes shining, and gave him his signature thumbs up: "To receive such high praise from the Hokage at such a young age! Shuuji-kun! Your youth must have burned incredibly brightly!"

"Oh my gosh! Compared to them, I'm still far from good enough!"

For some reason, tears started flowing down Kai's face, and it felt as if an invisible flame was burning within him.

The Third Hokage watched, Shuji watched, Itachi gave a strange look, and Anko took a step back, retreating behind Shuji.

"Captain, is this guy reliable? He's also a Jonin, but he's a level above you."

She whispered something in Xiu Si's ear.

Kai pulled out a brand-new, equally dazzling green bodysuit and enthusiastically handed it to Shuuji: "Nice to meet you! I've prepared something that represents youth and bonds..."

"Ahem, Kai, you can talk about the rest later."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" Kai replied, but without saying a word, he shoved the bodysuit into Shuji's hands.

He immediately returned to his original position, his face still bearing that smile that revealed eight gleaming white teeth and seemed to illuminate the entire office.

……

Xiuji lowered his head and rubbed his clothes with his index finger and thumb; they felt nice.

The weasel glanced sideways.

Red Bean took a step further away.

Shuji looked up at the Third Generation, his eyes conveying a clear meaning.

Respected Hokage, don't you think his art style is different from Team 5's? This one has a deep and gloomy style, while that one is a shonen manga. They don't seem to match.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pretended not to see it and said in a deep voice, "Guy is an outstanding ninja, especially skilled in taijutsu. This mission is very important, so you must be careful. It concerns whether peace can be achieved smoothly. I'm counting on you."
-
Might Guy is usually extremely reliable. The excessive youthful energy he exuded when they first met subsided considerably after leaving the Hokage Building and attempting to give Itachi and Anko matching bodysuits, reverting to the composed demeanor befitting an elite ninja.

Of course, his bodysuit was rejected; for Hongdou, it was too oppressive.

As for Itachi, although he always respected his seniors, he still couldn't accept that kind of clothing.

As for Shuuji? Under the gazes of Anko and Itachi, a mixture of surprise, doubt, and a hint of "So this is the kind of captain you are," he accepted it.

To be fair, the quality of these clothes is indeed very good, except for the color and style being a bit off. He plans to take them to the Aoki Ninja Tool Shop later to have the owner check the price of regular clothes made of this material. "Senior Guy, let me briefly explain the situation of this mission."

"Intelligence indicates that since leaving Kumogakure, the envoys have been harassed by multiple groups of unidentified ninjas along their journey. Within their own country, all attacks were successfully intercepted by the Kumogakure's guard forces."

"Since leaving the Land of Frost and entering the Land of Hot Water, the guard duties have been taken over by our ninjas. However, the attacks have not stopped; in fact, their frequency and intensity have increased. This is why the envoy's journey has been repeatedly delayed, and he has only arrived at the border of the Land of Fire today."

“Mission deployment: Itachi, Anko, and I will be responsible for perimeter reconnaissance and early warning. Might Guy-senpai,” Shuuji looked at Might Guy, “your burst damage and long-range sprinting ability are the strongest among us. As the core of mobile support, you must arrive at any time if any abnormality is detected or a distress signal is sent from any direction.”

"Of course, no problem!" Kai gave another thumbs-up, his white teeth gleaming, full of fighting spirit. "The speed of youth is never too late!"

Class 5 fell into a brief and subtle silence.

Shuji remained unfazed, quickly overcoming the momentary hesitation, and gave a brief hand gesture to Anko and Itachi. The two understood, and silently disappeared into the dense forest on the left side of the road. Shuji, meanwhile, vanished alone into the darker shadows on the right.

The Konoha deployed far more than just Team 5 as a security force; they mobilized almost all available mobile personnel.

The fifth squad was only responsible for a small section of the long border, but it was far from peaceful.

Throughout the day, an unidentified squad was spotted patrolling the left side of the area. Red Bean and Itachi cautiously tracked them, and decisively signaled when the squad attempted to approach the mission's planned route.

Kai, who arrived as reinforcements, moved so fast that he almost left afterimages. With pure physical skills, he easily defeated the group in just a few breaths, his movements clean and swift, without any hesitation.

That also made the two realize that what the Third Hokage said was true; Guy may be abstract at times, but his strength is truly formidable.

The right flank under Shuji's command was equally turbulent. He discovered a four-person squad; their strength was mediocre, roughly at the level of an average Chunin. He dealt with them silently and without much trouble.

“They’re all just average,” Hongdou muttered at the meeting point. “They don’t seem to come from proper ninja villages; they seem to be cobbled together from minor ninja clans. Their skill level is just so-so.”

“Yes, my situation is similar.” Shuuji nodded. “The enemy’s objective seems to be merely harassment, creating chaos and delaying the enemy.”

Is it merely harassment? This level of harassment consumes manpower and resources, yet no real experts have appeared.

Is it because the other side is unable to commit, or have those more threatening targets already been eliminated by the more deeply entrenched secret agents?

As he pondered, a sense of being watched suddenly pierced Xiu Si's senses. He didn't move, but his gaze seemed to casually sweep over Kai not far away.

The youthful ninja took an almost imperceptible half-step, his tall figure momentarily obscuring Shuji.

In the instant the line of sight was blocked, Xiu Si's fingers twitched slightly, and a shadow clone remained in place. His main body had already activated Earth Escape, disappearing underground like a fish, and swiftly fleeing towards the source of the spying.

The moment it broke through the ground, dirt flew everywhere. Almost at the same moment, Gai, Anko, and Itachi flew over and landed beside him.

No one is empty.

No. Shuuji's sharp gaze swept across the ground. On the fallen leaves and soft humus, a pair of very light, very fresh footprints were clearly imprinted. The footprints were pointing directly in the direction where they had just met.

They left so quickly...

Moreover, there was no trace of departure, no footprints extending, no broken branches, and even the slightest residual chakra fluctuation was too faint to detect.

It was as if that person had appeared out of thin air, glanced at you, and then vanished into thin air.

(End of this chapter)