kanabi Bridge

I turned twelve yesterday, and life has been a whirlwind ever since. Through the village grapevine, I learned that Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru are both being considered for the Hokage position. The news jolted me out of my comfortable routine, bringing a sharp reminder of the approaching Kanabi Bridge mission.

I don't know exactly when the mission will happen, but it feels imminent. Iwa's forces are pushing further into Konoha's territory, and tensions are rising. Minato is widely admired among the shinobi, and Kakashi became a jonin just two months ago. The pieces are all falling into place.

To prepare for what's coming, I took a gamble. I sent a scroll directly to Minato, with specific instructions that only he should open it. I also made sure a second copy reached Kushina Uzumaki. By sending the scrolls to their homes via the village post-not through genin messengers-I reduced the risk of them being intercepted or traced back to me.

In those scrolls, I wrote down everything they needed to know: the Iwa shinobi's plans to attack and kidnap Rin, the cave's unstable structure, Kakashi's eye, and even a warning about the mysterious entity targeting Obito. I emphasized the importance of not leaving Obito behind.

This is all I can do. I've done everything within my power to alter the future. Now, the rest lies in Minato and Kushina's hands. It's also a practical test of my fuinjutsu skills-I created the scrolls myself, using designs different from my usual style to ensure they couldn't be traced to me.

Six months have passed since I became a genin and was assigned to Hiro-sensei. At first, I was disappointed not to be part of a traditional four-person squad, but now I appreciate the individualized attention he gives me. It has accelerated my progress immensely.

My fuinjutsu skills are developing rapidly. I can now craft paper bombs, silencing seals, and even small storage scrolls with ease. My chakra control is at an impressive 91 percentile, which makes me an excellent candidate for medical ninjutsu. I've been taking advantage of this, becoming a regular at the village's medical program. I can heal my own wounds efficiently, conserving chakra-a skill that has already proven invaluable in the field.

Occasionally, I've been assigned to other squads, which has broadened my connections. My medical skills have made me a valuable teammate, and some squads appreciated my combat abilities, especially since they didn't have to protect me during missions. In fact, I've earned respect for outperforming some of my teammates in taijutsu spars.

Today, I've been summoned to the mission assignment office. Hiro-sensei is away on a classified mission, and I'm being temporarily reassigned to a new team to replace an injured member.

The weather is beautiful, so I'm in no rush to get to the office. I've brought along The Gutsy Ninja by Jiraiya, a book I started a few days ago. I settle into a sofa in the waiting area, flipping through the pages as I wait for my name to be called.

After about 15-20 minutes, the operator calls my name, and I make my way to the office. Just as I approach, I hear the names Genma and Raido being called. My heart sinks.

Of all the people...

It's been years since Genma and Raido last spoke to me. I haven't forgotten how they and their group treated me back in the academy. Before they can see me, I hurry into the office, greet the operator, and take my place to the side of the table.

Moments later, Genma and Raido walk in with their sensei, Choza Akimichi. Genma notices me almost immediately, but I ignore him, keeping my gaze fixed ahead. The operator exchanges pleasantries with Choza before addressing the matter at hand.

"Sen will be joining your team temporarily until Guy recovers," the operator explains.

Choza turns to me with a warm smile. "Hello, I'm Akimichi Choza, your jonin sensei. Genma and Raido will be your teammates."

I return his smile and greet him politely, keeping my tone neutral.

The operator informs us that we'll be undertaking a C-rank mission starting tomorrow. We are to deliver cargo to a Konoha outpost near the Iwa border. For security reasons, only Choza knows the exact location.

As we leave the mission building, Choza invites us to train in his clan's compound. This is a first for me-I've never been inside a clan compound before.

Once we arrive at the training ground, Choza excuses himself to secure permission for its use, leaving me alone with Genma and Raido. The atmosphere is tense, and I decide to address the elephant in the room.

I sigh and turn to them. "Look, I know you don't want me as your teammate, but we need to put our differences aside. If we're going to survive out there, we have to work together and learn each other's fighting styles."

Raido remains stoic, but Genma chews on his senbon thoughtfully before replying. "Fine. But don't think this makes us friends. We haven't forgotten what you did in the academy."

His words sting, a reminder of the unresolved mess from years ago. I regret not setting things straight with Hitoru and Yuki back then. Still, I don't let my frustration show.

"I don't care about being friends," I reply bluntly. "I care about not dying in the field. And that starts with training together."

Raido finally looks at me, his expression unreadable. Before he can say anything, Choza returns and asks me to introduce myself.

"My name is Sen," I say. "My skills are in fuinjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and long-range combat. I enjoy reading and cloud-watching, and my goal is to become a fuinjutsu mistress."

Choza smiles and pats my head. "That's an ambitious goal, Sen-chan. I wish you the best and hope you achieve it."

After a quick briefing, Choza pairs me with Genma for sparring. The rules are simple: no lethal or dangerous jutsu.

The match begins, and Genma charges at me faster than I anticipated. Luckily, my enhanced sensory abilities, honed through daily chakra control exercises, give me the edge. I block his punches and discreetly place a seal on his back. When he counters with a water jutsu, I respond with a wind blower jutsu, effectively neutralizing his attack.

It's my turn to strike. I exploit his momentary imbalance caused by the seal's shock and land a solid punch on his jaw, sending his senbon flying. Choza steps in to declare me the winner.

"Sen-chan, you're a great fighter and strategist-no surprise, given your Nara sensei," Choza remarks, clearly impressed.

I feel a swell of pride as Genma sulks in the background.

The day passes quickly as we continue training and refining our teamwork. By lunchtime, I'm feeling more optimistic about the mission. However, our meal is interrupted when Shikaku Nara arrives, looking preoccupied.

"Choza, we're needed at the Hokage's office," Shikaku says.

"What happened?" Choza asks.

Shikaku hesitates before replying, "An incident at the Kanabi Bridge. Team Minato was involved."

I keep my expression neutral, but inside, my mind races.

So it's already happened.

I sent the scroll two weeks ago. Did Minato or Kushina act on it? All I know for now is that Team Minato is alive, and Minato's decisive actions turned the tide against Iwa. It's the first major event I've directly tried to change, and the uncertainty is surreal.

Tomorrow, we leave for our mission. I hope I survive to see what comes next.

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Hey guys, here’s the latest chapter for you!

I wanted to clarify a few things: Genma and Raido are older than Kakashi's class.

There will also be more jutsu lore coming up.

How are you liking the story so far?

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