Chapter 124: Konoha's White Fang

"Rōran?"

Tōshirō asked, the name sounding familiar but hard to recall at the moment.

Hiruzen explained, "It's a nation within a nation."

"A nation within a nation? If I'm not mistaken, this country is located within the borders of the Land of Wind. How can the Land of Wind allow such a country to exist within its territory?"

"There's a historical reason for it, but I won't go into the details. Simply put, this country pays a significant tribute every year in exchange for the Land of Wind's protection."

Tōshirō nodded in understanding, then asked, "So what exactly is the objective of this mission?"

Hiruzen continued, "The target of this mission is a woman named Shajia, an elite Jōnin from the Hidden Sand Village. She is highly skilled but is now a fugitive, wanted by the Land of Wind for failing to assassinate its daimyo."

An assassination attempt on the daimyo?

Hearing this, Tōshirō couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

He didn't have a good impression of the daimyo, seeing them as troublesome carbon-based lifeforms.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of his position, he couldn't let personal feelings influence the mission.

"What are her abilities?"

When executing missions, intelligence about the enemy ninja is a crucial aspect.

"In addition to standard Wind Release techniques, she specializes in using poisons, puppet techniques, and a secret jutsu that allows her to use tattoos on her body as physical weapons."

Tōshirō couldn't help but be impressed. "That's a lot of skills. As expected of an elite Jōnin."

The strength of a Jōnin varies greatly—there's a wide range between the minimum and maximum potential. If Sarutobi considered Shajia an elite Jōnin, then she was undoubtedly formidable. Honestly, even with Tsunade on his side, Tōshirō wasn't confident they could secure a guaranteed victory against her.

Sensing their concerns, Sarutobi quickly added, "You won't be alone in this mission. There are two others joining you."

This mission involved the future prospects of both Orochimaru and Jiraiya, so Hiruzen trusted that Tōshirō would understand its importance and follow orders during the mission.

He further explained, "Since the target is deeply familiar with the Hidden Sand Village, sending their own ninja might alert her. That's why this mission has been entrusted to Konoha's shinobi."

"I see..."

As Tōshirō spoke, two more individuals entered the office—one tall and one short, both wearing masks.

Hiruzen introduced them, "These two will be your companions for this mission."

Tōshirō and Tsunade studied the newcomers. Aside from their contrasting white and black hair and the eyes visible through their mask openings, the rest of their faces were completely concealed, making it impossible to determine their identities.

Judging by their masks, they were likely members of the ANBU.

Hiruzen instructed the two to remove their masks.

The pair exchanged glances and fell silent.

As ANBU members, they only removed their masks in private meetings with the Hokage. At all other times, even when working with fellow Konoha shinobi, maintaining anonymity was standard protocol.

"It's fine. They're not outsiders," Hiruzen reassured them.

After this mission, Hiruzen didn't plan to have them remain in the ANBU. He wanted to restructure the ANBU with his own close allies, so their anonymity no longer mattered.

"Understood..."

A deep voice came from the taller ANBU member. He then removed his mask, revealing his face: a man in his forties with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a square face, a broad forehead, and a full beard. If it weren't for the knowledge of his ANBU status, one might mistake him for an honest and simple civilian at first glance.

After the taller man removed his mask, the shorter one followed suit. He had white hair, wore a mask over the lower half of his face, and his eyebrows and eyes hinted at a handsome appearance, second only to Tōshirō . Judging by his age, he seemed to be in the same age group as Tōshirō .

"Ah! Uncle Satō?"

Tsunade gasped in surprise, covering her mouth as she recognized the taller man.

Tōshirō glanced at Tsunade, his eyes questioning.

Tsunade explained, "Let me tell you something. Don't be fooled by his honest-looking face—he's actually a disciple of the First Hokage!"

The "honest" Satō shook his head with a wry smile. "Hey, Tsunade, is that really the way to introduce your elders?"

Tōshirō gave Satō a curious look, surprised to learn that the First Hokage had a disciple.

Listening to Tsunade describe him as an honest man, coupled with the fact that he was a disciple of the First Hokage who showed no ambition for the Hokage position even after the Second Hokage's death—choosing instead to work under Hiruzen Sarutobi—he indeed seemed like a straightforward and sincere person. In a way, he resembled the First Hokage himself.

The difference, however, was that he lacked the First Hokage's strength and didn't have a brilliant brother to advise him.

Tsunade didn't take it seriously. "Back then, wasn't it you who believed a five-year-old girl's story about throwing an axe into a lake to summon a lake spirit who'd ask, 'Is this your golden axe or silver axe?'..."

Satō's face darkened. "I was just playing along to humor you!"

Tsunade turned her gaze to the white-haired youth.

Satō smiled slightly and introduced him. "This is my disciple, Hatake Sakumo. He's two years older than you and is exceptionally skilled."

(Note: The original story doesn't specify White Fang's exact age. If Kakashi is 29 in Part 1 and Tsunade is 55, this timeline aligns well with Sakumo being around 27 or 28 when Kakashi was born.)

Tsunade, however, remained indifferent.

While she didn't care, Tōshirō was surprised.

Hatake Sakumo.

White Fang?

Kakashi's father?

After hearing the introduction, Tōshirō understood why White Fang later struggled with his mental state.

White Fang was undoubtedly a strong embodiment of the Will of Fire.

In the original story, White Fang couldn't bear the village's accusations and died, seemingly fragile like glass.

But in Tōshirō's eyes, it wasn't fragility—rather, it was the collapse of his faith.

That mission, in particular, had too many hidden agendas.

"Hello, I'm Hatake Sakumo."

White Fang greeted Tsunade and Tōshirō proactively.

Despite being in the ANBU, he didn't exude a dark or gloomy vibe.

"Hello," Tōshirō replied politely.

"Seems like you've all gotten to know each other. Let's begin the mission immediately," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile before his expression turned serious. The future ninja careers of his two prized students depended entirely on this mission.

"Understood."

The four of them accepted the mission and set off right away.

The Land of Wind is barren, with an impression of endless deserts. However, it isn't entirely landlocked; parts of its territory border the sea.

Their destination was a relatively coastal area. To get there as quickly as possible, traveling by water would save a lot of time.

The group rushed to the coastal region of the Land of Fire and boarded a ship, setting sail.

Even at full speed, it would take two to three days by ship to reach Rōran.

During this time, Tōshirō spent his days on the ship. When feeling irritable, he occasionally fished to calm himself and avoid letting his emotions affect the mission.

"You've got a bite," Tsunade reminded him from the side.

Tōshirō furrowed his brows. Judging by the pull, the fish was quite strong.

Rather than struggle to reel it in himself, he decided to call for help to save time.

"Tsunade, you're stronger. You handle it," he said, handing her the fishing rod.

"Ugh, you're so useless," Tsunade teased, though her actions were swift. With her immense strength, she easily hauled a large fish out of the water, dropping it onto the deck.

As the fish flopped around, Tōshirō drew Enma and swiftly ended its struggle with a single strike.

Satō, standing nearby, recognized the sword's extraordinary origins. Surprised, he stepped closer to inspect Tōshirō's weapon.

Tōshirō handed it over casually.

As expected, Satō was shocked, and Tōshirō nonchalantly added, "Oh, I didn't even want it, but the elders in my clan insisted on giving it to me. I had no choice."

After hearing Tōshirō's casual bragging, White Fang silently glanced at his custom-made chakra short sword.

Tsunade joked, "You're so wasteful, using a sword like Kusanagi as a kitchen knife.

"I bet if those ninja who are obsessed with legendary weapons found out, they'd want to kill you."

Tōshirō shrugged indifferently. "A sword is meant for cutting things. Why care what it's used for?"

In truth, Tōshirō wanted the Executioner's Blade even more than Kusanagi.

The Executioner's Blade had the ability to regenerate by absorbing blood. Using it to butcher pigs could likely produce a lot of high-quality metal. If he sold it as scrap metal, he'd probably make a fortune.

"You can't think like that..." Tsunade said. She didn't know much about swords, but after hearing Satō's praise of Kusanagi, she understood that Tōshirō's weapon was an extraordinary ninja tool.

"A sword is a sword. It's a tool for cutting. If I don't use it to cut things, should I worship it like a relic?"

As he spoke, Tōshirō didn't stop working. He sliced open the fish's belly, revealing its internal organs, some undigested food, and other random items.

Like the one he just found.

(End of Chapter)

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