In the tral forests of the Land of Rivers.

  “Sensei, what kind of person is that Link?”

  Rock Lee, with his characteristic thick eyebrows, asked curiously as he bounded across the treetops.

  “What kind of person…” Might Guy, sp the same bold eyebrows, fell into a rare moment of ption.

  He remembered notig that child during their days at the Ninja Academy.

  Aside from Lee, Sasuke Uchiha, who was ed by hatred, and Neji Hyuga, Link was one of the most hardw students he had ever seen.

  That desperate dedicatio a sting impression on him. Unfortunately, Link was wholly unsuited for his path.

  [The Eight Gates], a body teique requirireme talent, was brutally unfiving. No amount of effort alone could ensure success.

  Even someone as gifted and hardw as Neji Hyuga, blessed with the Byakugan, hadn’t mastered it.

  But Link had his own talents. Through his relentless effort and natural ability, he had graduated early, shone brightly, and quickly rose to bee an exempry genin before advang to in.

  Might Guy was deeply gratified. That was the power of youth!

  Neji, his sensei suddenly burst into tears mid-run, calmly added the information he knew:

  “I’ve heard he’s sidered the most talented young ninja in the vilge. He’s only ten years old and has already pleted several B-rank missions and even an A-rank mission.”

  “He’s three years youhan me?!” Tenten excimed, her eyes wide.

  “That’s incredible!” Lee decred with admiration.

  Might Guy’s gaze grew firm, radiatiermination.

  “That’s right! He’s a genius of the vilge and its future!”

  Remembering the grave and ear expression of the Third Hokage when assigning him the rescue mission to locate Nara Ensui and Link’s team, Guy’s youthful energy surged to an all-time high.

  “Tenten, Lee, Neji! Let’s move even faster!”

  “We’ve been running for aire day—I’m exhausted,” Tenten grumbled, though her pace didn’t s. Instead, it quied.

  “You o train more, Tenten,” Lee advised early.

  “Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”

  Team 3 of Konoha raced toward the battlefield with unwavering speed.

  …

  At the Hokage’s Offi Konoha.

  “Shikaku, I’ll leave this matter to you.”

  The Third Hokage watched somberly as Nara Shikaku, burdened with responsibility, left the office. He sighed silently.

  The failure of an A-rank mission often caused a rea of issues. The gold mine in the Land of Rivers was entangled with the is of several elites, and when the mert’s body was discovered in Tanzaku Town, accusations were quickly directed at Konoha.

  Although the matter wasn’t catastrophic, it was still a problem.

  The interrogation division found no intelligence from the corpses recovered at Tanzaku Town; their brain tissues had been thhly destroyed with precision.

  Moreover, the disappearance of Link’s team and their jōnin leader, Nara Ensui, added another yer of plication.

  "Ninja are just tools that carry out their missions, but for daimyo and the elite, these is are alolitical,” the Hokage mused.

  Shikaku had wao personally search for his student, but his presence was o address the daimyo’s demands and accusations.

  “We’ve sent Team 3 for backup. With Guy, they should be fine—if they’re still alive,” Mitokado Homura reassured him.

  Koharu Utatane’s expression was grim. “I suspect the Sunagakure is behind this.”

  She eborated: the real mert had died in Tanzaku Towhere were reports of Ensui and Link’s team leaving the town with a living mert. Whoever orchestrated this possessed genjutsu abilities at least on par with a jōnin.

  While the Sunagakure cimed in their respoo have no involvement and even promised to assist in the search, the circumstances were suspicious.

  “Who bes most? That’s who’s guilty.”

  The Hokage remained nonittal. Friong allies was not unon, and the Sunagakure had long harbrievances. With the daimyo of the Land of Wind cutting their funding in favor of Konoha, it wasn’t impusible that they might act out of desperation.

  “Let’s find the team first and iigate further afterward,” the Third Hokage cluded.

  …

  “Boom!!!”

  The Mountain Drake crashed into the forest of the Land of Rivers, its imperable scales smashing through the terrain. A massive crater formed at the impact site, with dirt and debris rippling outward in waves.

  Dust filled the air, obsg the surroundings. Brokerunks littered the ground, creating a chaotidscape.

  “Whoosh!”

  A gust of wind cleared the smoke, revealing the devastation: broken trees, scattered debris, and lifeless animal carcasses.

  The wind carried dirt and debris toward the four Konoha ninja, who stood amidst the wreckage.

  Link quickly formed seals, pressing his hands to the ground.

  “Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!”

  A flowing wall of earth rose before them. Despite the wind’s violent assault, the barrier only deformed slightly before boung back to its inal shape.

  Atop a tall tree, Orochimaru lowered his hand from his mouth, having just unleashed a terrifying Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

  Liimated his remaining chakra. Despite expending energy on shadow es, substitution teiques, and the Five Elements Seal, he still had a fair reserve. However, his transformed state wouldn’t st much longer.

  “Ensui-sensei, I’ll need your help creating an opening to get close to him,” Link said, sinking into the ground with Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage.

  In the oppressive atmosphere, Link saw no path to escape. If they fled, Orochimaru would hunt them down—and the injured Ensui, along with the two genin, wouldn’t stand a ce.

  Ensui, feeling the numbness spreading from his injury, steeled himself.

  “Iris, Ami,” he said, his voice heavy. “You two escape now…”

  Bleam