Naruto rebirth! Born again with a system.

Chapter 50: The new mission begins! Into the Darkness!

The evening air carried a crisp coolness as Team 15 made their way back to the designated meeting point near the village gates. The weight of their new gear felt reassuring against their bodies, and each step carried the confidence of properly equipped shinobi. Yuki and Riku trotted alongside Kōzaru, their enhanced senses already picking up the subtle changes in their partner's scent that came with new equipment and growing determination.

"There's Minato-sensei," Tatsuma said, pointing ahead to where their instructor stood waiting in the shadow of the massive gates. Even in the dim light, his distinctive blonde hair was unmistakable.

As they approached, Minato's eyes widened slightly as he took in their transformed appearances. His gaze moved from Kōzaru's combat-ready gear to Tatsuma's tactical setup, finally settling on Aotaka's striking shoulder pads and modified shirt.

"Well, well," Minato said, a proud smile crossing his face. "You three certainly look the part now. Professional grade equipment suits you."

"Thank you, sensei," Kōzaru replied, adjusting his new forearm guards with satisfaction. "We figured if we're going on a real mission, we should be properly prepared."

"Smart thinking," Minato agreed, his expression growing more serious. "And you'll need every advantage where we're going. The reconnaissance reports suggest this convoy disappearance isn't a simple case of bandits or equipment failure."

"What do you mean?" Aotaka asked, his hand instinctively moving to rest on his sword hilt.

"The convoy had a full chunin lead escort—One skilled chunin and the rest genin. For them to vanish without sending even a distress signal suggests we're dealing with something more dangerous than common thieves." Minato said as he placed his hand into his pocket.

Minato checked his own gear one final time, his movements efficient and practiced. "We'll be traveling northwest toward the Fire Country border toward the land of grass. It's a full day's journey, so we'll move under cover of darkness and rest closer toward the morning. This approach will help us avoid detection while keeping us fresh for whatever we might encounter."

"Are we expecting enemy ninja?" Tatsuma asked, his mind already working through potential scenarios of battles that to come.

"It's possible," Minato replied honestly. "The war has made the borders dangerous, and medical supplies are valuable targets. Enemy forces might be operating in the area, looking to disrupt our supply lines. As you already know." He said, knowing they had encountered enemy forces before.

He gestured toward the gates, where the guards were already opening them for their departure. "Kōzaru, I'll need you and your ninken to stay alert. Your enhanced senses could be the difference between walking into an ambush and detecting threats before they detect us. Undersood?"

"Understood, sensei," Kōzaru said, dropping to one knee to address Yuki and Riku directly. "You two heard him. We're the early warning system for this mission." He said, feeling the connection he had with them in hid mind as they licked his hand, ready for anything.

Both dogs barked softly in acknowledgment, their eyes bright with intelligence and readiness. The bond between Kōzaru and his partners had grown stronger with each mission, and their coordination was becoming increasingly seamless.

"Let's move out," Minato said, leading them through the gates and into the darkness beyond Konoha's protective walls that lined the trees.

The night embraced them as they left the village behind, the familiar sights and sounds of home giving way to the wild forests of the Fire Country. They moved in formation—Minato leading, with Kōzaru and his ninken flanking, while Tatsuma and Aotaka brought up the rear, their eyes scanning for any signs of trouble.

The pace was steady but not rushed, designed to cover ground efficiently while conserving energy as they jumped through the trees, using low amounts of chakra to maintain their current pace. The new gear felt good against their bodies, providing protection without hindering their movement. Each step carried them further from the safety of the village and deeper into the dangerous reality of the ninja world.

"How far to the last known position of the convoy?" Kōzaru asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"About twenty-five kilometres," Minato replied, his own voice equally quiet. "They were supposed to follow the main trade route before cutting northwest toward the border checkpoint. If they encountered trouble, it would most likely be somewhere along that secondary path." The experienced jonin said, showing insight beyond their years.

As they travelled, the forest around them seemed to grow thicker and more oppressive. The trees towered overhead, their branches creating a canopy that blocked out most of the moonlight. Only occasional patches of silver light filtered through, creating a patchwork of shadows that could hide any number of dangers.

The group travelled for a good hour without stopping and without any of them saying a word, moving like shadows through the sliver of moonlight in the forest.

Yuki suddenly stopped, her ears perked and nose twitching. Riku mirrored her behaviour, both dogs focusing on something ahead that their human companions couldn't yet detect.

What is it? Kōzaru wondered, immediately dropping to a crouch.

The entire team froze, their senses straining to pick up whatever had alerted the ninken. For several long moments, they waited in absolute silence, every nerve on edge.

"I can smell something," Kōzaru said finally, his enhanced senses beginning to pick up the subtle scents that had caught his partners' attention. "It's faint, but... there's something metallic in the air."

"Blood?" Minato asked, his expression growing grim.

"Maybe," Kōzaru replied, closing his eyes to focus entirely on his sense of smell. "It's hard to tell from this distance."

[New quest: Track the scent. Reward: 200 EXP.]

The system alerted in Kōzaru's mind, giving him another reason he wanted to track down the scent now.

"We continue forward, but stay alert," Minato decided. "If there's been violence in the area, we need to know about it."

They pressed on through the darkness, their movements now more cautious and deliberate. The scent grew stronger as they travelled, and soon even Tatsuma and Aotaka could detect the unmistakable smell of old blood and disturbed earth, meaning they were close.

"There," Minato said, pointing ahead to where the moonlight revealed a break in the forest canopy. "The main path."

As they approached the trade route, the signs of conflict became unmistakable. The ground was churned and torn, with clear evidence of a violent struggle. Scattered equipment lay abandoned in the dirt—a broken kunai here, a torn piece of fabric there, and dark stains that could only be blood.

"This is it," Minato said, his voice carrying the weight of grim certainty. "This is where the convoy was attacked."

The scene was chaotic, with signs of battle scattered across a wide area. Cart tracks were visible in the soft earth, showing where the medical supplies had been traveling before the attack. But the tracks abruptly ended in a churned mass of disturbed ground, as if the entire convoy had been swallowed by the earth itself.

"Kōzaru," Minato called, his tone urgent. "I need you to get a scent. Can you tell what happened here?"

Kōzaru moved forward carefully, his ninken companions flanking him as he approached the centre of the disturbance. The metallic scent of blood was stronger now, mixed with other odours—sweat, fear, and something else that made his enhanced senses recoil.

"There was definitely a fight here," he said, crouching down to examine the disturbed earth. "Multiple people, both our side and... others."

He closed his eyes, allowing his senses to paint a picture of the violence that had occurred. Yuki and Riku moved around the area, their own investigations adding to the growing understanding of what had transpired as the three communicated through his link with them.

"I can detect more than ten different chakra signatures," Kōzaru said, his voice carrying a note of concern. "Our people were definitely outnumbered."

"Ten?" Aotaka repeated, his hand tightening on his sword hilt. "That's a substantial force."

"Too substantial for simple bandits," Minato agreed, his expression darkening. "This was a coordinated attack."

"Can you track where they went?" Tatsuma asked, not sure what they could do against ten other ninja.

Kōzaru stood slowly, his eyes still closed as he focused on the scent trails. "Yes," he said finally. "They went northwest, toward the border. But sensei..."

"What is it?"

"Some of the scents are still fresh. They're not far ahead of us."

Minato's expression grew deadly serious. "How fresh?"

"Maybe an hour," Kōzaru replied, opening his eyes to meet his sensei's gaze. "If we push hard, we might be able to catch up before they reach whatever destination they're heading for."

[Quest complete: You have earned 200 EXP!]

The system pinged to life in Kōzaru's mind, giving him another 200 EXP for a simple scouting.

Alright, can't say no to easy EXP!

"And if they're still holding prisoners from the convoy," Tatsuma added, "time is running out."

Minato nodded grimly. "Then we don't have a choice. Kōzaru, I need you to lead the way. Stay close to your ninken and keep us on the trail."

"What about staying hidden?" Aotaka asked. "If we're tracking them, they might detect us as well."

"We'll have to risk it," Minato replied. "If there are survivors from the convoy, every minute we delay could mean the difference between rescue and recovery."

Kōzaru took point, with Yuki and Riku spreading out to provide maximum scent coverage. The trail was clear enough to follow, even in the darkness, and they began moving with increased urgency.

"Stay on guard," Minato warned as they picked up the pace. "If we can track them, experienced ninja might be able to detect us as well. Be ready for anything."

The forest seemed to close in around them as they followed the trail, the darkness pressing against them like a living thing. But Team 15 pressed forward, their new gear providing confidence and their growing skills giving them the courage to face whatever lay ahead. That and the fact they were with one of the strongest shinobi of his time, giving them faith that they would survive whatever came their way.

Behind them, the scene of the convoy's destruction faded into the night, but the mission was far from over. Somewhere ahead, answers waited in the darkness—along with whatever force had been powerful enough to overwhelm a chunin-level ninja and three genin, without a single distress signal.

The real test of their abilities was about to begin.

......

That's the end of this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! If you want faster updates and to get access to more chapters, check out my P.atreon page, the link is in my Bio and the story bio! We are at chapter 60 already and going strong!