Chapter 62: Arrival at the Border — Garrison Town
Notes:
The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal was forcibly implanted in Root operatives to prevent any leaks about the organization or Shimura Danzo's existence.
Swish!
Suddenly, a shinobi wearing an animal-themed mask appeared right in front of them, his voice sharp and commanding.
"You two, the mission parameters have changed. Danzo-sama has issued new orders."
Kamiya Kazuki and Yoshida Taro instinctively dropped to one knee, bowing their heads in rigid obedience.
"Yes, understood!"
But just as quickly, the two exchanged a sharp glance. It was impossible for Root operatives, bound by the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, to speak Danzo's name aloud—his very name was forbidden from being uttered.
In perfect synchronization, they formed hand signs and accelerated their chakra flow.
"Genjutsu — release."
"Genjutsu — release."
Puff!
The illusion shattered instantly. Uchiha Tonan coughed violently, spewing blood, as his Sharingan eye snapped shut on its own. Bloody tears streamed down the corners of his eyes.
Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kakashi rushed to his side, steadying him. Kakashi's sharp glare burned into Kazuki and Taro, his hand reflexively gripping a kunai inside his pouch.
Minato, usually calm and composed, showed rare fury as he coldly addressed the masked duo,
"It was only a test—why did you forcibly break the genjutsu?"
Tonan, still weak, waved his hand feebly to intervene,
"It's alright… I take the blame. I forgot to give senpai the code to end the test. Breaking the genjutsu forcibly was their only option."
Kazuki tried to express apology but his expression remained stoic, his face rarely betraying emotion. Instead, he bowed stiffly and said,
"Apologies, senpai. We did not anticipate the strength of your genjutsu. Our instincts compelled us to force it open. Your Sharingan genjutsu is indeed formidable."
Tonan gave a pale smile and shook his head,
"Senpai, you flatter me too much. If the enemy is on high alert and refuses to open their eyes, even my Sharingan is powerless."
The group couldn't help but frown at that. Both Kakashi and Minato thought silently, Tonan's too naïve. He just revealed a crucial weakness to outsiders.
Kazuki and Taro exchanged glances but showed no reaction. Kazuki handed Tonan a folded map.
"This is your route." Then, nodding to Taro, who produced three small, thumb-sized tubes with red buttons.
"These are signal flares—one per person. Use them when you encounter the two lords. At that moment, reinforcements must rush immediately to your location."
Tonan didn't object. Minato and Kakashi remained silent too, acknowledging the sincerity of the apology and accepting the explanation. The three accepted the flares and tucked them into their pouches.
"Tonan, rest up. I'll carry you," Minato said thoughtfully, hoisting the weakened Uchiha onto his back.
Together, the five set off toward the Land of Fire's border.
For two days, they pushed through dense forest, the map guiding their way. Soon, their paths would diverge as each headed to their assigned garrison town.
Tonan's mind lingered on the peculiar nature of this mission. It was a high-stakes S-rank mission, demanding the presence of both Anbu and Root captains—an unusual and ominous detail.
This mission was unfolding just as Hatake Sakumo's time was drawing to an end, suggesting it was doomed to fail. Tonan had labored tirelessly, but despite his efforts, he had never earned Sakumo's approval. Though he learned much about the way of the Samurai from Sanbo Motoyoshi, he'd yet to find a moment alone with Sakumo to speak openly.
"Am I really going to miss the chance to prove myself to a great like Sakumo? No. If I can't earn his respect, I should at least stop his planned suicide. Once he accepts me, with his fragile heart, it won't be hard to convince him to live."
Tonan's suspicion deepened regarding the two strange teammates assigned to the reinforcement. Using the Hell Viewing Technique to peer into their deepest fears, he found almost nothing. Yet the lingering genjutsu illusion proved they did harbor some dread—and from its shape and tone, Danzo was clearly one of those fears.
Their usual impassive expressions left no doubt: they were Root operatives. Tonan couldn't afford to drop his guard against servants of a ruthless villain like Danzo, a man who would stop at nothing for power.
Especially knowing Orochimaru was already experimenting on Sharingan—though there had been no recent disappearances in the Uchiha clan, Danzo's grasp on the Sharingan was clearly waning. With Uchiha members joining the Konoha Police Force, Danzo was unlikely to act openly within the village.
Wasn't Tonan the prime candidate to be the next target?
Three hours later, the group neared the Land of Fire border. Following the plan, the five split off, each heading to their designated towns.
Tonan stayed alert; some of his trained white pigeons shadowed Kazuki and Taro from a distance.
After half a day, Tonan reached his assigned garrison town. Typical of border settlements, it was a modest place—poorly prosperous, with most civilians working as farmers or running small businesses.
Here, Land of Fire shinobi were stationed—soldiers and older genin assigned to mostly C-ranked missions. Though these missions offered meager rewards, they promised steady work and a measure of security.
Tonan greeted the local shinobi briefly, then checked into the inn assigned by the duty captain.
He took out the tea leaves he'd carried with him, placed them into a teapot, added water, and set it to boil over the stove.
He waited calmly.
No matter how strong Sakumo was, he would barely have entered the Land of Rain by now. Judging by the distance and the battles that lay ahead in the hostage rescue, seven or eight days would pass before any decisive events unfolded.
There was no need to rush.
He already knew the original mission's outcome: Sakumo would fail. But one question gnawed at him—who had Sakumo chosen to save by abandoning the mission?
The person saved also blamed Sakumo, so it was unlikely to be Kakashi or Minato. By elimination, it could only be one of the three Root operatives on this mission.
"Since I haven't yet earned Sakumo's respect, should I eliminate those two teammates first? But then, the mission might actually succeed. I have time to think."
A faint smile crossed Tonan's face as he rose, lifted the steaming teapot from the stove, and returned to the table.