*On the road from the Land of Fire to the Land of Hot Water*

"Ah, this new headband, it feels a bit strange."

Might Guy patted the ninja headband he was using as a belt.

Because of the engraved words, the back of the headband had a rough, uneven texture.

Taijutsu ninjas like Guy had the most sensitive bodies, and no matter how he wore it, it felt awkward.

"By the way, what exactly is engraved on the back of this headband?"

"Didn't you check before putting it on?"

Sarutobi Asuma, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, was moving swiftly through the forest in a ninja-run pose, just like Might Guy.

"It says-"

"No matter where you are in the ninja world, the mighty Konohagakure will always be your unwavering support. Remember, you are a Konoha shinobi!"

Upon hearing this, Guy, who was still weaving through the trees, suddenly jolted.

His muscles involuntarily bulged, and his chest, clad in a green bodysuit, puffed out with pride.

"Although I don't understand why they engraved such a sentence, I feel..."

"I feel my youth is boiling! Roar!"

"Konoha's proud Azure Beast, activate!"

"Hey, hey!"

While Sarutobi Asuma was momentarily stunned, Guy's speed suddenly increased, and he instantly disappeared from Asuma's sight.

After all, Asuma was a true-blue son of the Third Hokage, and he was able to grasp the subtleties and implications of the situation more deeply than the average ninja.

He tapped his headband with his thumb.

This was undoubtedly a declaration, a way of promoting the current Hokage's governing philosophy and attitude.

Strong, assertive, uncompromising!

It exuded a kind of "Even if our own ninja makes a mistake, let's ignore the facts, was the victim really blameless?" type of protectiveness.

This was completely different from the passive and weak approach of his father's era.

Asuma thought to himself, if it were his father...

Forget about ninjas from their own village making mistakes, even if ninjas from other villages took the initiative to offend Konoha, as long as it didn't cross the line, his father would not only avoid pursuing the matter but would also apologize and choose to appease the situation.

Setting aside personal relationships and future developments, simply as an ordinary Konoha ninja, based on the most basic emotional values...

Undoubtedly, they would be more eager to give their all for the village under the Fourth Hokage's rule!

Regardless of whether they made mistakes or not, they had the village's unwavering support and backing. This feeling...

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"It's really quite nice."

Sarutobi Asuma curled his lips and spat out his cigarette.

Although it was a bit annoying that the object of his affection, Kurenai Yuhi, had been clinging to Gojo Kaigetsu since their student days, Asuma had to admit that Konoha seemed to be getting better and better under the governance of the "Gojo-Minato" duo.

"Damn it, what am I even thinking? Kurenai and Gojo-sensei have a 9-year age gap!"

Sarutobi Asuma shook his head, casting aside these distracting thoughts.

Because their mission destination was just ahead – the temporary base established by the Konoha advance team in the Land of Hot Water.

The Land of Hot Water, a small nation sandwiched between the Lands of Fire, Lightning, and Water.

It was undeniably a small country.

However, due to its unique geographical location, it enjoyed significant geopolitical advantages.

None of the major nations would actively antagonize it, and instead, they would provide assistance to establish maritime supply lines in case of conflict between the larger villages.

But at this moment, the group of Konoha ninja heading towards the base came to a halt.

For some reason, a group of Kumogakure ninja had appeared ahead, and one of the leaders was even a Jonin!

"This is bad, encountering Kumogakure ninja here..."

What a coincidence! The ninjas from both sides locked eyes, entering a tense standoff.

Sarutobi Asuma's hand instinctively moved towards the short blade at his waist, ready to draw it for combat.

"Asuma, what's the situation?"

Might Guy, who was still a Chunin at the time, whispered. It was better to leave the thinking to his smarter teammate!

"Hard to say."

Asuma's brow furrowed.

The mission description itself had seemed a bit strange, as if the village's ANBU had received advanced information and wanted to capitalize on it.

But generally, such intel was highly confidential. How did Kumogakure find out about it?

Was Kirigakure's intelligence work that poor? Was there a traitor within Konoha's intelligence department? Or was this intel originally stolen from Kumogakure's intelligence department by Konoha?

There were numerous possibilities, and even with his brain working overtime, Asuma couldn't come up with a definitive answer.

"But one thing is certain," Asuma said worriedly. "I've heard from my father that Kumogakure ninja are all muscle-brained idiots who are accustomed to solving everything with force."

"If we encounter them in the wilderness of the Land of Hot Water... I'm afraid this C-rank mission will quickly escalate, possibly even becoming an S-rank mission!"

"Without a doubt, this will be a brutal encounter."

"An encounter? Great, great, great! It's getting exciting!"

After hearing Asuma's concerns, Might Guy, instead of feeling fear, became eager to fight.

Looking at the Kumogakure ninja outside the base, he showed no fear towards the Jonin, but rather... a glint of excitement, as if looking at gold coins.

Asuma was puzzled. "Guy, aren't you worried?"

"What's there to be afraid of? We're Konoha ninja!" Guy looked around at the seven or eight fellow Konoha ninja and puffed out his chest proudly.

"Besides, didn't you just say, Asuma?"

"No matter which village we are in, the village will always be our strongest backing! Even if we fight Kumogakure in the Land of Hot Water, the village will come to our aid immediately, right?"

"We're not far from our Konoha base."

"Moreover..." Guy licked his lips. "If a conflict breaks out, the bounty will increase. With the bounty, I can buy body-tempering medicine from the ninja tool shop."

"There's nothing to worry about anymore. This is the peak of youth! The moment when it burns the brightest!" Guy's voice grew increasingly excited.

Asuma was stunned. He shook his head with a wry smile, his grip on the short blade tightening.

"I'm such a fool, really. I only knew that if it were my father facing this situation, he would warn us to abide by the local village's rules and avoid conflicts on foreign territory."

"He would earnestly declare that Konoha could no longer afford a Shinobi War, couldn't afford the losses."

"But I forgot, my father is now an old man at home. The one in charge is the Fourth Hokage, who can arrive on the battlefield in an instant."

His emotions seemed to infect the other Konoha ninja, who had a hint of worry in their eyes.

Yeah, there was nothing to be afraid of! They had the village, the Fourth Hokage's unwavering support behind them!

They didn't have to worry about encountering conflicts during special operations, making mistakes, and not receiving reinforcements or recognition...

In short, the current Konoha ninja were not afraid of causing trouble!