April 24, the 43rd year of Konoha.
Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki officially got married.
Although the wedding was not grand and not many people came, it was very important and lively.
The third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen was the witness. The three ninjas of Konoha
were all present, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hiashi, Hatake Sakumo, and the head of the Shimura clan, Minato Namikaze's good friend and companion in the Ino, Deer and Chou clans.
From these people, Shuichi Hoshita had already vaguely seen some clues.
But... Jiraiya was too unreliable.
He actually created a shadow clone to replace the busy Shuichi Hoshita, and then pulled Shuichi Hoshita to a corner to ask for materials.
Shuichi Hoshita's face was dark. As a model student, how could he do such a thing?
What if he was discovered?
Although he wanted to be famous in the ninja world, it was definitely not in this kind of "body art" way.
So Shuichi Hoshita refused sternly, but said that they could find another time to study it together.
...
In the afternoon, after sending all the guests away, Shuichi Hoshita, Kakashi, Uchiha Shisui, and Uchiha Obito all felt tired.
"I didn't expect that getting married would be so troublesome."
Uchiha Obito complained, "It would be nice if I could save this step in the future."
Kakashi immediately drew his sword, "You don't have to get married in the future!"
Uchiha Obito immediately became anxious and secretly glanced at Nohara Rin.
Uchiha Shisui smiled gently, "Don't worry, Obito, when you get married in the future, it will be other people who are busy."
"Look at Minato-sensei, he is very happy now!"
Shuichi Hoshita and the others turned their heads to look, and Namikaze Minato was indeed smiling happily, although his ears were being pulled by Uzumaki Kushina at the moment.
Shuichi Hoshita couldn't help but secretly complain: This dog food, I vomited today.
Uchiha Obito secretly muttered: "Kushina is too violent, Lin is more gentle."
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but secretly look at Nohara Lin who was still busy, and a shy smile appeared on his face.
Noticing this scene, Shuichi Hoshita couldn't help but teasingly asked: "Obito, do you have a girl you like?"
Uchiha Obito was shocked and jumped up, and hurriedly explained: "No!"
"Shuichi, don't talk nonsense."
Shuichi Hoshita smiled and said: "If there is, don't miss it, be brave to confess."
"Look at Asuma, he has already won Hong."
Kakashi said coldly on the side: "Shuichi, Shizune is also your favorite!" The
embarrassed Uchiha Obito immediately found the direction: "Shuichi, Kakashi is right, hum, are you and Shizune together?"
Shuichi Hoshita spread his hands: "I don't deny it!"
It's so arrogant!
Uchiha Obito blushed in anger.
Hoshishita Shuichi immediately suggested with a smile: "Obito, why don't we have a duel, and the loser can go and confess to the girl he likes!" Uchiha
Obito was not fooled at all, and curled his lips and said: "You are already a special ninja, and there is no chance of winning against you!"
Hoshishita Shuichi looked at Kakashi: "Then let's fight Kakashi!" Uchiha
Obito looked at Kakashi, a little hesitant, and a little eager to try.
At this time, Uzumaki Kushina's voice came, and everyone immediately looked over and saw Uzumaki Kushina waving at them.
The topic came to an abrupt end.
It's fate!
Hoshishita Shuichi sighed secretly, and went to Uzumaki Kushina with Kakashi and others.
...
Dinner was still eaten at the teacher Namikaze Minato's house. After parting with Kakashi and others, Hoshishita Shuichi and Asuka walked home together.
Although it was night, the streets in the core area of Konoha were still prosperous and lively, with the sound of hawking, the sound of children crying and laughing, and the breath of life.
With his hands in his pockets, Shuichi Hoshita watched and listened to these quietly, with a faint smile on his lips.
This feeling is very good!
And next to him, Asuka's eyes were more focused on Shuichi Hoshita.
She felt that there was always a mysterious aura on this young man, which attracted people's attention unconsciously.
"Sister Asuka, do you have any ideals?"
Shuichi Hoshita suddenly asked.
Asuka was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course."
"That is to live like this with Shuichi and Sister Nono."
Shuichi Hoshita raised his eyebrows: "This ideal is not so easy to achieve!"
Asuka was startled: "This... is it very difficult?"
Shuichi Hoshita said: "Because Sister Asuka will like someone else in the future, right?" Asuka
breathed a sigh of relief, and then said: "No, Shuichi, don't think about it!"
Shuichi Hoshita smiled, but felt the power of the bond more and more.
If you are not a heartless and righteous person, there will always be ties, feelings, and reluctance after getting along for a long time.
Just like Konoha now, he enjoys the peace at this moment and doesn't want to destroy it.
There are also Yakushi Nono, Shizune, Tsunade, Uzumaki Kushina, Namikaze Minato... Each person is like a thread, woven into a net, and he is caught!
Hoshita Shuichi originally just wanted to live well, but now he wants more.
"Sister Asuka, for your ideal, you must work very hard!" Hoshita Shuichi
suddenly laughed, and then jumped up.
This moment of enjoyment is enough, and then you have to keep working hard until... until you stand at the highest point!
"Of course, I have been working hard!"
Asuka clenched her fists, and then jumped up to catch up.
...
At night, Asuka and Nono were studying medical ninjutsu in the study, while Hoshita Shuichi was practicing lightning escape in the yard.
In terms of the usual sense of the instant body technique, the most common and basic one is naturally the pure chakra burst, which drives the body to move at high speed.
For ninjas, most of them use this type, but each has different tricks and different explosive power, which creates different moving speeds.
In addition, there are different changes in properties to form instant body techniques.
Water instant body, moving at high speed in the water field.
Wind instant body, Xingxia Xiuyi only remembers that Bai of Ice Release used it, coming and going like the wind.
The most famous lightning instant body, undoubtedly, is the third generation Raikage of the Cloud Ninja and the future fourth generation Raikage.
Under the lightning chakra mode, the speed can be said to be the fastest in the ninja world.
The only one who can be faster than them is the time and space type instant body technique such as Flying Thunder God.
Even Naruto, who just opened the Nine-Tails Chakra mode, dare not say that he is stronger than the fourth generation Raikage at that time.
It can be seen that in terms of speed, lightning instant body has an innate advantage.
And lightning instant body, in addition to the lightning chakra mode of the Cloud Ninja, the most typical one is the state of Chidori.
The change of lightning nature activates cells and increases speed, which belongs to lightning instant body.
However, the Chidori Style is obviously far from being comparable to the Lightning Chakra Mode of the Cloud Ninja.
But it can still be called A-level difficulty.
At this time, Shuichi Hoshita was wrapped in electric light and moved at high speed in the yard. He used the Chidori Style that he exchanged from Kakashi.
However, Shuichi Hoshita did not intend to use the Chidori Style as his own Lightning Style Instant Body.
Although it was A-level, it was not difficult for him who had obtained the [Lightning Style Expert] and many other items to improve his talent.
With stronger chakra control, a better understanding of the human body, a stronger spirit, and spiritual will, Shuichi Hoshita can completely make the Lightning Chakra activate his own cells more deeply.
This also requires step-by-step in-depth exploration and testing, while letting the cells in various parts of the body get used to the stimulation of electric current.
Even different cells have different tolerances, so how to optimize and maximize the overall activation, these details all need to be explored step by step.
And the prerequisites that Shuichi Hoshita had only accelerated the process of this exploration.
...
Time passed quickly, and the vacation passed in the blink of an eye during practice and experimentation.
The mission was resumed, but for Shuichi Hoshita, the difference was not particularly big.
Of course, with the guidance of Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the progress of water escape and earth escape was indeed faster. On
May 16, 43rd year of Konoha, during lunch, Sarutobi Shinnosuke suddenly said: "Shuichi, I want to tell you some bad news."
"Huh?"
Shuichi Hoshita was stunned: "Not good news?" Chihiro
on the side said first: "Shuichi, you are rewarded!"
"Ah?"
Shuichi Hoshita did not react for a while: "Reward?"
"It seems that I have been exposed..."
"Iwagakure or Kumogakure? How much reward?"
Chihiro raised three fingers: "30 million!"
"According to the news, it was a reward issued by the Hidden Rock Village!"
Shuichi Hoshita chuckled: "30 million, it's not a lot!" Sarutobi Shinnosuke
shook his head: "This is not a small amount, it's completely the treatment of a jonin, or even an elite jonin."
Shuichi Hoshita smiled and said: "I remember the captain's bounty is 40 million, right?" Sarutobi Shinnosuke smiled bitterly. His 40 million was a bonus from being the son of the Hokage.
Chihiro warned, "Shuichi, you should be careful when you go on a mission alone in the future. Many people in the ninja world specialize in bounty hunters, and there are many S-level wanted targets among them. They are very strong."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke also said solemnly, "Chihiro is right." Hoshita Hide
nodded and put away his joking expression.
He naturally knew about bounty hunters, such as the famous Kakuzu, who was such a person before entering Akatsuki, and he was also a leader.
Even after entering Akatsuki, Kakuzu was keen on exchanging his head for money.
For example, Asuma, for example, Jilu.
Kakuzu is also proficient in the five major escape techniques, very strong!
...
In the afternoon, Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Chihiro left one after another for something, and only Hoshita Hidechi was left alone to guard the next door to the Hokage's office.
The memory of the shadow clone who stayed outside to practice suddenly fed back, and the entry tree in his mind immediately moved.
The spirit manifested, and Shuichi Hoshita appeared under the entry tree.
This is what he recently discovered, similar to the spiritual world under the chakra connection.
Looking up at the entry tree, [Water Style Expert] finally reached the standard for lighting and activation.
Light up!
Shuichi Hoshita's mind moved, and the leaves of the entry immediately lit up, and the entry effect took effect immediately. The
water style talent increased by 100%, and the seal performed water style ninjutsu.
"There is only one earth style left to collect the five styles of experts..."
Shuichi Hoshita was quite looking forward to it.
However, even if he got the [Ninjutsu Doctor] entry, his focus would still be on Flying Thunder God.
After cultivating Flying Thunder God, he would go back and turn the five styles of experts into five styles of masters.
I just don't know if I can trigger a stronger entry than [Ninjutsu Doctor] later.
Just thinking about it, Shuichi Hoshita suddenly heard the voice of Kakashi from next door, and then the teacher Namikaze Minato.
Shuichi Hoshita immediately focused.
What happened?
Shuichi Hoshita faintly heard something about Hatake Sakumo.
Soon, he heard Namikaze Minato and Kakashi leave.
"What on earth is going on?"
Just as he was thinking, Shuichi Hoshita heard Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice coming over: "Flame!"
Shuichi Hoshita's figure immediately sank into the floor, and then rose up from the ground in the Hokage's office next door: "Third Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen said in a deep voice: "It has been confirmed that the jonin Hatake Sakumo who was carrying out the mission is missing!"
Shuichi Hoshita suddenly looked up, with a look of astonishment under the mask.
Konoha White Fang is missing?
Are you kidding?
Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to see Shuichi Hoshita's astonishment, and sighed, "Sakumo is carrying out a secret mission alone this time. According to the previous agreement, they must retreat back to Konoha within half a month regardless of whether the mission is completed or not."
"But it has been a month now. One of the two teams sent out before lost contact. It was later determined that they encountered a strong enemy and all died in battle."
"And this is the intelligence brought back by the second team, and according to some information left by the first team, Sakumo is very likely to have encountered an ambush, including a puppeteer!"
Shuichi Hoshita's eyes condensed: "Puppet master... Third Hokage, according to the current known information, in the entire ninja world, the only puppeteer who can threaten Senior Sakumo is probably Chiyo from the Sand Village." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded
, his eyes solemn: "Sakumo's mission was indeed in the Wind Country, and he lost his trace in the Wind Country."
"So, Yan, this time you need to lead a team to the Wind Country to find out the truth."
"In addition to you, the Minato team will also be there."
Hoshita Hideichi nodded: "Understood!" Sarutobi Hiruzen
immediately said in a deep voice: "Go and get ready, they will be waiting for you at the entrance of the village!" Hoshita
Hideichi immediately disappeared.
...
At the exit of Konoha Village, Hoshita Hideichi appeared, only taking off the root robe and mask.
And he also saw his two teammates.
Aburame Shiwei, should be the next head of the Aburame clan.
As for the other one, Hoshita Hideichi did not recognize it, but the ninja dog was too iconic, a member of the Inuzuka clan.
Coming straight to the two of them, Hoshita Hideichi said, "Hello, I'm Hoshita Hideichi!" Aburame
Shiwei, who was wearing sunglasses, said, "Captain, I'm Aburame Shiwei."
Another person said, "Captain, I'm Inuzuka Jade!"
"Woof woof!"
The ninja dog following Inuzuka Jade greeted Hoshita Hideichi, and Inuzuka Jade immediately said, "Captain, this is Hoshimaru." Hoshita Hideichi
looked at the ninja dog with black spots in its white fur and also greeted him, "Hello, Hoshimaru!"
Then he turned his head to look at Minato Namikaze, "Minato-sensei!"
Minato Namikaze nodded and said, "Let's talk about it on the way!"
Hoshita Hideichi followed suit, and the group of seven immediately set off.
When they left the village, Hoshita Hideichi glanced at Kakashi, who was a little anxious, and did not speak to comfort him, but asked Minato Namikaze, "Minato-sensei, do you have more detailed information?"
"Let me tell you!"
Aburame Shiwei said, "The previous information was brought back by my previous team."
Hoshita Hideichi immediately turned his head to look at Aburame Shiwei.
Aburame Shiwei said: "Because of the terrain of the Wind Country, we didn't actually find any traces left by Sakumo-senpai. What we found was the battlefield where the first team sent by the Third Hokage died, and part of them had been buried by sand."
"Luckily, they were poisoned, so their bodies were relatively well preserved, so we got some information they left before they died, and learned that Sakumo-senpai had encountered an ambush, among which there was a puppeteer."
"But there is no more information than that."
Hoshita Hideichi listened and thought: "So, the information the previous team actually got was extremely limited."
"Perhaps the battlefield was covered and destroyed by sand, or perhaps someone cleaned up the battlefield."
Aburame Shiwei nodded: "We were inclined to this inference at the time, and the key is that the information left by the previous team did not mention whether Sakumo-senpai himself died in battle, or any information about his body."
Uchiha Obito couldn't help but say, "If there is no body, it means that Sakumo-senpai is still alive!"
"In that case, he should have been captured by the enemy, right?"
Ignoring Uchiha Obito, Hoshita Hide said, "Sand and wind can cover up many traces, blood, smells, and even corpses."
"If there is no poisoning, there is no need for sand and wind to cover the body, insects and birds will digest it quickly."
"But judging from the current situation, Sakumo-senpai was either captured, died in battle, or escaped with injuries, but may have been poisoned, or was too seriously injured to return to Konoha to report."
Although three situations were mentioned, people who understand know that there are only two situations.
Either dead or captured!
As for the third situation, escaped with injuries, poisoned... In the environment of the Wind Country, for such a long time, the probability of death is very high.
However, some people were obviously very emotional. Uchiha Obito shouted again: "Even if he died in the battle and his body was eaten by insects and birds, it is impossible that there would be no trace at all."
Namikaze Minato shouted softly: "Obito!"
At this time, Kakashi suddenly said: "Shuichi, you haven't mentioned one situation yet, that is... his body was taken away by the enemy!"
At the end, Kakashi's voice trembled a little.
Hoshita Hide nodded: "Since the enemy is very likely to clean up the battlefield, it is also possible that he took away Sakumo-senpai's body."
"You know, ninjas, even corpses are extremely valuable for intelligence, especially ninjas like Sakumo-senpai."
Uchiha Obito glanced at Kakashi, and then said: "A powerful ninja like Sakumo-senpai should be taken out by the Kazekage of the Sand Village, or besieged by a large number of elite ninjas, right?"
Hoshita Hideichi listened and thought seriously: "Maybe it was really the Third Kazekage who took action personally..."
"The strongest puppeteer in the Sand Village is Chiyo, but with Sakumo-senpai's strength and his fighting style, Chiyo can't stop him."
"Obito is right. Either there are too many enemies, or there is another strong person who is limiting Senior Sakumo's speed."
After saying that, he looked at Minato Namikaze: "Teacher Minato, we won't get much useful information if we go to the places that the previous team has checked."
Minato Namikaze understood instantly and said, "So, you want to sneak into the Sand Village to investigate?"
Hoshita Hide nodded: "It is very likely that the Sand Village will take action. After all, Senior Sakumo has a great hatred for the Sand Village."
"Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law died at the hands of Senior Sakumo. They were also two powerful puppeteers at the level of Jonin."
"Sneaking into the Sand Village should be the fastest way to break through!"
Inuzuka Jaw said, "But it is also the most dangerous way!"
"Even if we enter the Sand Village, the fastest and most appropriate way to verify must be against Chiyo, or the Third Kazekage, right?"
Minato Namikaze said: "We can also verify it from the side first, and see if the Third Kazekage took people out of the village during that period of time half a month ago."
"There should be quite a few people who know this information."
Hoshita Shuichi nodded and said immediately: "Then it's decided. We will split into two groups. Minato-sensei, you guys follow the previous traces, and I will carry out the mission of sneaking into the Sand Village."
Namikaze Minato hurriedly said: "Let me do it!" Hoshita Shuichi shook
his head and said: "Minato-sensei, your transformation skills are not as good as mine, and your illusion skills should not be as good as mine..."
After hearing this, Namikaze Minato could only nod in agreement. To
sneak into the Sand Village, the more people the better.
However, after listening to Hoshita Shuichi's words, Uchiha Obito was stunned.
Shuichi, this guy, is he too arrogant?
The key is that Minato-sensei actually...actually agreed!
...
After the two captains made the decision, it was naturally decided.
That night, they spent the night at the border of the Fire Country. After crossing the River Country and entering the Wind Country the next day, after Hoshita Shuichi and Namikaze Minato agreed on the rendezvous point, they went alone and headed straight for the Sand Village.
However, in addition to this, there was a group of crows flying overhead!