Chapter Seventy-Two: Submerge

Kato Mikaze bid farewell to Qiu Dao Quishui, the leader of the Northwest Bastion Camp, and began searching within the camp for the figure of Sakumo Hatake. The Northwest Bastion Camp was vast, but after making a round, Kato Mikaze failed to spot the stern, white-haired ninja. He turned back to ask the administrative ninja who had registered his arrival at the camp, and only then learned that, at this hour, Sakumo Hatake was usually out on patrol and not within the camp.

Of course, as a newly promoted jonin of the Leaf Village in recent years, renowned for his formidable family swordsmanship and great strength, Sakumo Hatake was not required to patrol a fixed area like ordinary chunin or genin. His patrols relied on the superior mobility of jonin, allowing him to inspect various patrolling squads under his command, covering a much larger area rather than remaining in one small region.

Not meeting Sakumo Hatake right away did not worry Kato Mikaze. He had his own plans for coming to the Northwest Bastion Camp and was content to tend to his own affairs first. He intended to stay at the camp for at least two or three days and was certain he would encounter Sakumo Hatake eventually. After inquiring about the approximate time of Sakumo's return from the administrative ninja, Kato Mikaze returned to the dormitory he had just been assigned, intending to rest and recover his strength.

He planned to use the remainder of the afternoon and the first half of the night to complete the missions inside the Land of Rain, aiming to return to the Northwest Bastion Camp before dawn. If everything went smoothly and luck was on his side, with no unforeseen complications, he might even have time to catch up with his old classmate, Sakumo Hatake, later that night, once the latter finished his patrols and returned to the camp.

The dormitory was a small single room, modest in its appointments, but to Kato Mikaze’s satisfaction and surprise, it was equipped with a simple shower—something he had never enjoyed as a chunin or genin, when three-man squads were crammed into a single room without such amenities. Indeed, the perks of promotion were evident.

Though lying on the steel-framed bed, Kato Mikaze’s mind was not entirely at ease; he carefully reviewed the intelligence concerning his mission targets within the Land of Rain. Once he had sufficiently recovered and thoroughly sorted through the mission details, he checked his gear, ninja tools, and medicines one last time. Finding nothing amiss, he set out from the Northwest Bastion Camp, heading straight for the Land of Rain.

To return to the Northwest Bastion Camp before the latter half of the night, excluding the time needed to complete the missions, the schedule was tight for Kato Mikaze. Fortunately, he had only four tasks to complete within the Land of Rain: two assassinations and two intelligence-gathering missions. One assassination and one intelligence-gathering mission shared the same target location—a small Rain ninja encampment near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. The reconnaissance mission was to map out the defensive layout of Rain’s forces in that area; the assassination was to eliminate the squad leader stationed there, reportedly a newly promoted Rain jonin specializing in taijutsu of the Rain Style.

Kato Mikaze decided to leave these two missions for last, for a simple reason: their proximity to the border. If he completed them first and left survivors in the camp, the Rain ninja would soon discover the intrusion, which might jeopardize his other two missions. It wasn’t that he feared being discovered and unable to complete his tasks, but it would be troublesome and could waste more time, interfering with his plans to meet his old classmate that night.

The other two missions were closer to the vicinity of the Rain Village—fortunately, still on the outskirts of the village’s sphere of influence, not too near its core. The assassination target was a wealthy merchant from the Land of Fire, infamous for his misdeeds, who had fled to the Land of Rain seeking refuge and was reportedly planning to escape further north to the Land of Earth. Currently hiding near the Rain Village and guarded by a pair of Rain chunin, eliminating him posed little challenge for Kato Mikaze, provided he remained mindful of the Rain Village’s proximity.

What interested Kato Mikaze most was the other intelligence-gathering mission. According to information extracted from a captured Rain ninja, there were rumors of a newly discovered, unknown large summoning beast somewhere near the Rain Village. Local residents had reported hearing terrifying, ear-splitting roars, and although the Rain Village sent ninja to investigate several times, nothing concrete was found, and the matter was dropped. Nevertheless, tales of a monstrous beast continued to circulate among the villagers.

Kato Mikaze was intrigued, eager to confirm whether his suspicions were correct. Judging by the timeline, it was the thirty-fifth year of the Leaf Village, which seemed to coincide with what he had in mind. Of course, curiosity aside, he would place his own safety above all else. If his guess proved true and the figure he suspected was indeed involved, he knew his strength alone would not suffice to confront such a being.

After leaving the Northwest Bastion Camp, Kato Mikaze moved even faster than on his inbound journey. Wind-nature chakra shimmered blue-green across his body, the mark of his Wind Release: Gale Step at its peak. Like a gust, he swept across mountains and rivers, grasslands and forests. To the animals and beasts he passed, he was nothing more than a fleeting green breeze.

He crossed the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain and went first to the site intended for his final two missions—the small Rain ninja camp. The weather near the border was clear, not rainy. Kato Mikaze found a concealed position, set up defensive traps, and hid himself well. Then, channeling his chakra, he performed the Spirit-Splitting Technique, sending out a soul avatar while his true body remained hidden, quickly recovering chakra and stamina.

Once he had recovered, his soul avatar returned, merging back with him. All the intelligence on the Rain Village’s nearby defensive lines was now in his mind, and the reconnaissance on the small camp had matched the information he’d received. All that remained was to return at night to eliminate the taijutsu Rain jonin and confirm the layout of the defenses.

With preparations complete and his strength restored, Kato Mikaze wasted no more time. He activated Gale Step and, like the wind itself, set off towards the Rain Village.

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