19 19

After Sakumo's cussing was over and the man was depressed, Yukan enjoyed the show and was about to get up and leave.

"Before going to sleep, come to the main tent. I have a mission for you." Sakumo said when he saw that Yukan was about to leave.

Yukan nodded and left the canteen.

As Sakumo asked him to do, Yukan went to the main tent before going to sleep.

Sakumo was sitting on a chair inside with a sheet in his hands.

When Sakumo saw Yukan, he gestured for him to come forward.

Sakumo gave Yukan the sheet in his hands.

"What is this, Sensei?" Yukan read the material and was a little confused.

"The last mission you do before the end of the war. Every village has lost a lot by now. It is not financially viable to continue the war for longer. Everyone will make a peace agreement which, I am sure, will only last some years. This mission is given to you because you work well alone. All you have to do is scout the area." Sakumo said.

"So, can I return to Konoha after this mission? Not bad, huh? Anyways, why do I go to this area? Uzushiogakure used to be here, but I am sure the villages have already stolen all the secrets that were here." Yukan said as he was happy to leave the battlefield.

He did not want to kill indiscriminately anymore.

He was never scared to kill after coming with Sakumo, but now he was tired of doing that every day.

"You are going because Kiri's reinforcements will pass from there. After those reinforcements are eliminated, Kiri won't be able to fight anymore, diminishing the war even more. The sooner this war ends, the sooner I will be able to see Kakashi." Since last year, Sakumo had not gone back to visit his family because he was the main figure here.

"Ah, by the way, sensei, why has it written that there is a high chance of death?" Yukan asked.

Although he indeed was curious about why he was being sent to Uzushiogakure, Yukan was more curious about why he was being sent on a mission with a high chance of death.

"It's because this is a mission only we two are going to do and there are proportionately a lot more enemies," Sakumo said.

"Hmm? If there are a lot of shinobi from Kiri, won't it make sense to take a lot of people from our camp too?" Yukan asked.

"Of course, it would, but it is not possible. The resources like food required to move such a large number of shinobi would be... hard for Konoha right now." Sakumo tried to explain the reason to Yukan.

"Are you going with me?" Yukan asked.

"Yes, to make sure you stay safe," Sakumo assured Yukan that he would be safe.

"Your old bones will make sure whether I am safe or not?"

"HEY, I am not that old, I am only 24 this year."

"Yeah, whatever. So, the mission says that we leave tomorrow. I will go to sleep now." Yukan said as he left the tent.

The darkness of the night swept in. The whole camp was silent. There was no one out of their tents except for some scouting and security troops.

Yukan lay in his bed and looked at his photo with his mother.

"Hehe, mom, I am missing your food. People here don't like me eating food." Yukan said with pain in his voice.

After looking at the photo for a while, he kept the photo in his pocket and took out the rose Kushina gave him.

"I think we need a photo. Wait, now that I think about it, Minato and Kushina are not close at all. Minato only knows Kushina a little and that too was only through me and Kushina's fights. When I went to Konoha last time, they were not close. Could this be…?"

After that, Yukan drowned in his own 1 A.M thoughts and fell asleep later.

In the morning, the routine bell woke everyone up.

"Shit! This bell is annoying." Yukan rubbed his eyes as he got up.

Yukan followed a morning routine of cleaning, washing up, changing clothes and getting ready to leave for the mission.

At the gate, he saw Sakumo already waiting for him.

'The exact opposite of his son. Sensei has never been late.'

Yukan met with Sakumo and greeted him.

Not much later, both of them left for the Land of Whirlpool.

"It's been a long time since I asked this, but how strong are you now, Yukan?" Sakumo asked curiously.

Since three years ago, one year after Yukan came on the battlefield, Sakumo has neither sparred nor trained with him at all. Yukan had been on his own.

Especially after he got into ANBU, Sakumo got even more lenient on Yukan.

It was like he forgot Yukan was his student.

"Wow, so you remember I am your student? Anyways, I can take down some jonin independently," Yukan answered.

Sakumo was not surprised when he heard Yukan's first line.

Yukan still was a kid back then so, he must have been sad about being ignored, but the current one gives no fu*k.

What mainly surprised Sakumo was Yukan's strength.

He had not expected Yukan to get so strong in such a short period.

While Sakumo remained in shock, they soon reached Uzushiogakure.

After reaching and stopping in a clear area, Sakumo did not say anything.

"Hey sensei, we have reached."

"What? AH! We reached. Sorry, I was thinking. By the way, I never taught you chakra control. Did you learn it?" Sakumo asked, still in shock at his student's strength.

"Umm, I mean, of course, I know about it, but I am not exactly good with it," Yukan said.

"Hmm..." Sakumo went into thinking once again.

"We reached. What to do now?" Yukan asked to bring Sakumo back from his thoughts.

"Now we wait for the Kiri shinobi to pass from here."

"And how long do we wait for?"

"As long as it takes for the shinobi to pass from here?" Sakumo answered Yukan's question and then started to collect some dry wood.

Yukan was sad after hearing this.

He was planning to complete the mission in 2-3 days and then go back to Konoha as soon as possible. He wanted to meet his family and friends again real quick.

'I hate this life, I have to live some more days besides this bonfire.' Yukan said as he looked at the dry wood Sakumo had collected.