"Kakashi!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen's expression was stern as he declared, "I order you to follow Sandayū to the Land of Snow for a rescue mission. This will be a B-rank mission. Make your preparations immediately."

Even though the Third Hokage stood up and gave Kakashi the mission with great authority, he discreetly winked at Kakashi during the process. Kakashi understood what that meant.

The Hokage wouldn't assign an ANBU captain to a simple B-rank mission.

He simply responded, "Yes, Lord Hokage!"

As Kakashi departed, Sandayū turned to Hiruzen, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Hokage. Your assistance means more than you know."

Hiruzen nodded solemnly. "We're honored to help, Sandayū. The bonds between nations are strengthened in times of need. Safe travels, and may your people be found quickly."

Sandayū bowed deeply before leaving the reception room. As the door closed behind him, Hiruzen remained for a moment.

After a short while, he opened the door and entered the office.

"Hokage-sama."

"Mm," Hiruzen sat down behind his desk. "Just now, I deliberately addressed you as a chunin because this mission is far more complicated than you might think."

As suspected.

"In fact, the Land of Snow has its own ninja village."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi's pupil contracted in surprise. A hidden village?

"Hokage-sama, if the country has its own ninja village, why would they hire ninjas from another nation for a rescue mission? Could it be that their own ninjas are too weak?"

Hiruzen shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. "Not weak, Kakashi. Quite the opposite, in fact. The ninjas from this village call themselves Yuki-nin. They possess a special bloodline limit known as Ice Release."

"Bloodline limit?"

He was not unfamiliar with the term. A ninja with a bloodline limit can wield extraordinary powers, making them far more formidable in battle than ordinary ninjas.

What puzzled Kakashi was that if they had ninjas with bloodline limits, surely their strength wouldn't be weak. "So why go out of their way to hire help from Konoha?" he mused aloud.

Hiruzen stood up and moved to the window, puffing on his pipe. "Ice Release," he began, exhaling a cloud of smoke, "is a special ability that combines Water and Wind chakra to create ice, which can then be used offensively."

He turned back to Kakashi, his eyes distant as if recalling a long-forgotten memory. "You're probably wondering why I know so much about Ice Release."

Kakashi nodded, waiting for the explanation.

"It's because Ice Release isn't the bloodline limit of the Yuki-nin, but rather it originates from Kiri."

Now Kakashi was even more confused. The Land of Snow is in the far north, while Kiri is a massive island nation in the far south—how could these two distant countries share the same bloodline limit?

It was common knowledge that bloodline limits are inherited through bloodlines. Could there be a blood connection between the ninjas of these two distant villages?

Hiruzen saw Kakashi's bewilderment. "It's a tale that goes back many years, to when I was much younger."

His voice took on a storytelling quality as he began to explain. "At that time, the five major villages were expanding, seeking to recruit ninja clans with special bloodline limits. The Yuki Clan, from the Land of Water, was one such clan, absorbed by Kiri."

"But Kiri's efforts to subjugate them didn't go smoothly," Hiruzen continued. "Some members of the Yuki Clan resisted Kiri's rule, and a rebellion broke out."

"In the end, the Mizukage at the time chose a compromise: exiling the rebellious Yuki Clan members from the Land of Water. However, the exiled ones were of impure bloodlines and didn't affect the purity of the clan's bloodline limit."

Could it be... Kakashi suddenly realized what the Third Hokage was implying.

Exiles forming their own village... This complicates things.

"The Yuki Clan's bloodline limit is Ice Release, and the Yuki-nin in the Land of Snow are likely the descendants of those who were exiled."

The Hokage's expression turned grim as he continued, "I only recalled this after talking to the client about the situation in their country. Though the Land of Snow has its Yuki-nin, they've grown increasingly difficult to control in recent years, and they've aligned themselves with the King's brother. That's why the client chose to hire Konoha ninjas instead."

Ninjas who separate from their village often crave territory, and with the added involvement of the King's brother, who also had a claim to the throne, Kakashi understood Hokage's concern.

A royal dispute and rogue ninjas... a rebellion.

"So, Kakashi, I sent you on this mission under the guise of a chunin so that while fulfilling the client's request, you could closely observe the movements of the Yuki-nin."

The Hokage's tone became even more serious. "This makes the mission more than a simple B-rank—it's an S-rank mission involving matters of national security."

Kakashi nodded.

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"You're likely to encounter these Yuki-nin while in the Land of Snow," Hiruzen continued. "Your abilities as a ninja, combined with the Sharingan's advantage against bloodline limits like this, make you the ideal candidate for the mission."

"Presenting you as a chunin will make them less cautious of you, and given your age, it's completely believable."

Kakashi nodded again, fully understanding Hokage's intentions. What appeared to be a standard rescue mission had transformed into an S-rank mission due to the political situation.

But a question nagged at him. "Lord Hokage," he began cautiously, "if I do discover signs of rebellion among the Yuki-nin, what action should I take?"

Hiruzen stroked his goatee thoughtfully, his response measured. "This is an internal matter of the Land of Snow, Kakashi. We have no authority to intervene, nor have we been asked to help suppress any rebellion. So, prioritize your safety and act as you see fit."

No clear directives... This mission is more delicate than I thought.

He could tell that the Hokage was somewhat conflicted about this matter. Though he recognized the possibility of rebellion, Konoha had no right to intervene, leaving Kakashi to make judgment calls on the ground.

"Alright, Kakashi," Hiruzen said, his tone signaling the end of the briefing. "Go make your preparations."

"And remember to dress warmly—it's going to be extremely cold there."

"Yes, Lord Hokage," Kakashi replied.

With a flicker of shadow, Kakashi disappeared from the Hokage's office, leaving Hiruzen alone with his thoughts.

In truth, Hiruzen hadn't revealed all his concerns about the mission. Beyond the complex political landscape, the mission itself was highly suspicious.

The prophecy of the Great Toad Sage weighed heavily on his mind, warning that ancient beings were slowly awakening to reclaim their world.

"Long before humans drew their first breath, a power beyond understanding ruled this world," Hiruzen mused, his eyes distant. "This ancient force slept as humans grew, waking only in brief moments. But now... it stirs."

He recalled the incident with the mysterious Cthulhu statue. Now, ancient biological specimens discovered in the far north and some unknown force attacking humans.

If the origin of this incident also traces back to those ancient days, then even an S-rank classification wouldn't suffice.

National matters may be S-rank, but the Great Toad Sage's prophecy elevates this to at least an SS-rank mission!

He puffed on his pipe, smoke curling around him. "Good luck, Kakashi," he whispered to the empty room. "You may need it more than you know."

Hiruzen couldn't help but recall the ramblings of the expedition leader that Sandayū had mentioned in his report.

"The Ancients..."

"What could that mean?"

What Hiruzen didn't know was that a young man who could unravel all his doubts was sitting right next door, at the Ninja Academy.

---

In front of the podium, Daiko was holding a rectangular piece of paper. "This is a type of ninja tool known as the Explosive Tag."

"Don't underestimate this small piece of paper. Once it detonates, its power is immense, comparable to high-level Fire Release techniques used by elite ninjas."

One of the students in the front row asked eagerly. "How powerful is it exactly, sensei?"

Daiko smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Let me put it this way. A single tag could blow a hole through a thick stone wall."

"Due to its nature," he continued, "it is highly versatile. It can be used with kunai to expand the kunai's attack range, combined with steel wire to create traps, or increased in quantity to enhance destructive power."

A girl with pigtails raised her hand. "Sensei, have you ever used one in battle?"

Daiko nodded. "I have. In terms of both lethality and tactical flexibility, the explosive tag is one of the most powerful and commonly used tools for advanced ninjas."

"However, explosive tags aren't typically used in large quantities due to their high cost, which ranges from 2,000 to 12,000 ryō depending on the quality."

A groan of disappointment ran through the classroom. Daiko chuckled at their reaction.

"If you all successfully graduate from the Ninja Academy and become genin, the first missions you'll encounter are usually D-rank," he explained. "D-rank missions have a reward between 500 and 10,000 ryō. So, even completing one mission might not be enough to buy a single explosive tag."

One of the students muttered, "That's so expensive! How are we supposed to afford them?"

Daiko overheard and addressed the concern. "Not just explosive tags, but basic tools like kunai and shuriken can also be a heavy burden for newly minted genin. So, it's important to maintain your tools and be mindful of their quantity in battle. Whenever possible, you should retrieve your tools—this is also a key skill for advancing as a ninja."

Despite his passionately explaining the advanced techniques of ninja tools, the children's attention remained focused on the explosive tag in his hand.

"Teacher, can I touch the explosive tag?" Kaigo, sitting in the back, asked curiously, raising his hand, which was rare for him.

However, Daiko immediately shook his head, denying his request. "The explosive tag is a very dangerous ninja tool!" he warned sternly. "Even unintentionally releasing Fire Chakra could ignite it. As students of the academy, you are forbidden from touching this."

Under the students' admiring gazes, he carefully returned the explosive tag to the teaching box and continued explaining other tools.

Seeing the explosive tag put away, the children's eyes showed disappointment. After all, they were bored with the usual tools, and finally seeing something rare like the explosive tag—claimed to have the power of advanced Fire Release techniques—only increased their curiosity.

However, among them, there were a few children whose expressions remained calm.

One of them was Kagami, and the other was Itachi.

There's no need to say much about Itachi. His mind was far more mature than the average child, and as the son of the Uchiha Clan leader, he was already familiar with explosive tags.

As for Kagami, he had seen explosive tags so many times that he was no longer surprised by them.

An explosive tag? That's nothing, he suppressed a yawn.

Bored, he decided to use his spider vision. His consciousness shifted, expanding outward from his body. At first, he scanned through the various spiders scattered throughout Konoha, their compound eyes offering multiple perspectives of the village. But nothing interesting caught his attention.

On a whim, he extended his vision further, connecting to a spider in Iwa. Through its eyes, he saw the rocky landscape of the Hidden Stone Village, so different from the lush forests of Konoha.

In a secluded training ground, a young boy with long blonde hair was practicing alone. Kagami recognized him immediately: Deidara.

Deidara's hands were busy molding something. As Kagami watched, clay sculptures took shape—birds, insects, and other small creatures. With a burst of chakra, Deidara brought the clay figures to life. They flew around him, before detonating in a series of controlled explosions.

Now that's an explosion.

Deidara was truly a genius in Earth Release techniques, and if Kagami trained normally, there was no way he could keep up with Deidara.

But Kagami's advantage lay in his vast chakra reserves far exceeding those of his peers.

However, he also faced limitations, primarily due to the size of the spider.

Part of the spider's power was linked to his strength, meaning whenever his power increased, so did the spider's, causing it to grow way larger in size. If he recklessly advanced too much, the spider would grow too large to hide in his room and might be discovered in the village.

Though he had already found a spot for the spider outside the village—Orochimaru's abandoned secret base, which hadn't yet been discovered by Konoha—there was a large snake experiment of Orochimaru's in that base. Even jonin like Kakashi will likely find the snake a challenging opponent to deal with. Kagami wasn't sure if the spider's presence would intimidate such low-intelligence creatures.

Additionally, he now had to feed the spider regularly with soul food. This wasn't just to prevent it from hunting on its own and drawing Konoha's attention, but a necessity since his recent contact with Atlach-Nacha. The entity's influence had strengthened the link between him and the spider, making the feeding ritual crucial for maintaining control.

Since Konoha's gates weren't something just anyone could bypass, he couldn't leave the village to feed the spider. He would have to wait until he reached the level of his brother, who could take missions outside the village, to transfer the spider outside.

As Kagami's consciousness returned to the classroom, he heard Daiko concluding the lesson. The other students were still chattering excitedly about explosive tags, but his mind was elsewhere.