The Land of Frost did not possess significant Ninja power. Although they once had some, their army was annihilated by the Hidden Cloud Village during the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars.
Currently, they only have a few Ninja to protect their Daimyo and cities. All their missions are outsourced to Konoha or Kumogakure.
Yuan Feibao briefed Feng Zheng on the situation in the Land of Frost while en route. Yuan Feibao also warned his team.
"I don't have precise information, but I've heard rumors about our Anbu squad clashing with some Ninja from the Land of Frost. So, stay vigilant in case this mission is a trap."
Everyone nodded. They entered the town as soon as they arrived.
After completing some formalities, the group was greeted by an elderly politician and his guard.
Feng Zheng and his teammates carefully observed their client. He was very old, probably over eighty. His back seemed permanently bent, and he needed a cane to walk. A samurai served as his guard.
The old man introduced himself.
"I am Kinda Kunio, and I am pleased to see Konoha sending such a strong team for our mission."
Yuan Feibao asked.
"Kinda? Are you related to the Daimyo?"
Kinda Kunio chuckled.
"It seems your intelligence is well-informed. The current Daimyo is my nephew."
Yuan Feibao said.
"Could you tell us more about this mission? There isn't much information in the mission brief."
Kunio nodded and said.
"Our family has a treasured heirloom passed down through generations—a sword made of Chakra metal. Unfortunately, we suffered a burglary last week, and our sword was stolen. We conducted some investigations and located the sword. The thief is a rogue Ninja from Kumogakure."
"His name is Saigo Rikyu. He was once a Chunin. Three years ago, he became a rogue Ninja. We discovered he established an organization in our country and set up multiple bases. We lack the capability to track him down and eliminate him."
As he spoke, the samurai guard unrolled a map on the table. It was a map of the Land of Frost with five red crosses marked on it.
Kunio continued.
"We've identified these five hidden bases of his organization, but we don't know which one he's hiding in, nor do we know his exact numbers or strength. So, your mission is simply to retrieve the heirloom. There's no need to kill him or his gang. Of course, if you can eliminate him and his gang, you can claim his 2.5 million bounty."
The Konoha Ninja analyzed the information. There was still a lot of unconfirmed data. If stronger Ninja were hidden in the hideouts, the mission could be very dangerous.
Yuan Feibao asked.
"With such an organization operating in your country, why not issue a higher-level mission to eliminate them and resolve this problem permanently?"
Kunio was silent for several seconds. He sighed and said.
"It's complicated. Every time we issue a high-level mission to clear out such rogue gangs, another gang takes their place. It's an endless cycle. So, my nephew decided that as long as they don't indiscriminately kill people, we don't need to spend money to eradicate them. Besides, we don't have much money to issue higher-level missions."
He took out a small book, placed it on the table, and said.
"I'll reiterate, your mission is solely to retrieve the heirloom. However, if you can eliminate the rogue gang, I will reward you with this book. This book records the research findings of our previous generation of Ninja on how to combine Water Release and Wind Release to form Ice Release."
This news shocked the group. They began to stare at the book. Feng Zheng thought to himself.
"You must be joking. How could a weak nation possess such a book, and how did they manage to keep it?"
Seeing the confused expressions on the Konoha Ninja's faces, the old man said.
"I must clarify that this research is incomplete. Although we tried extensively, none of our Ninja ever mastered the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai."
The group fell silent. Now everything made sense. They speculated that the Land of Frost must have many such books.
Yuan Feibao said.
"Alright, we will retrieve your heirloom and investigate this rogue gang."
Kunio smiled and stood up. He said.
"Please enjoy your dinner. I will send someone to show you to your rooms for the night."
He and his samurai guard departed.
The Konoha squad did not continue discussing the mission. They rested for the night and left the city early in the morning before sunrise.
After traveling a considerable distance from the city, Liang Tai asked.
"What are your thoughts on this mission?"
Feng Zheng spoke first.
"It's tricky. We don't know how many people are in his gang, and we can't even be sure if he's the leader. If he's just a pawn and not the leader, this mission will be extremely difficult."
Yuan Feibao nodded and said.
"You're absolutely right. If that were the case, it would be an A-rank, or even S-rank mission. Considering the risks involved, your safety must be prioritized. The mission comes after the safety of our group, so don't be impulsive. Especially you, Zheng."
Inuzuka Zheng's Ninja dog, Kenta, also barked in agreement. Inuzuka Zheng replied.
"Hey, I have enough self-control."
The group ignored him and continued onward.
They arrived at the first hideout. It was a small mountain with many caves.
Inuzuka Zheng said.
"I don't smell anyone in the mountain. I do smell some scents, but they're not fresh."
Yume Nura Katsumi said.
"I'll send my insects in to check."
He dispatched several insects to investigate the mountain. The rest of the group maintained a considerable distance.
After some time, even the insects returned empty-handed. Yuan Feibao looked at Feng Zheng. Feng Zheng activated his Chakra Field and shook his head, saying.
"I don't sense anyone."
Yuan Feibao said.
"Alright, let's go check the next hideout."
The group then checked the nearest hideout but found no one there either.
So they proceeded to the third location. This place featured a massive waterfall. Besides the river and some sparse trees surrounding it, the area was quite open.
Liang Tai asked.
"Where is the hideout here?"
Inuzuka Zheng said.
"I don't smell anyone."
Kenta barked loudly in agreement.
Feng Zheng asked.
"Should I try sensing first?"
Yuan Feibao said.
"No, let Katsumi check first."
Feng Zheng nodded. Katsumi's insects searched the area but found nothing.
Then Feng Zheng activated his Chakra Field. He also didn't sense any Chakra. But he felt something strange.
He looked at the waterfall, concentrating Chakra in his eyes, focusing his gaze.
He said.
"There's a cave at the bottom of the waterfall. The entrance is surrounded by rocks, but it looks natural."
Yuan Feibao asked.
"Can you sense if anyone is hiding there?"
Feng Zheng said.
"No, but I have a strange feeling, as if my Chakra Field can't penetrate deep into the cave, or as if something is trying to evade my perception."
Liang Tai asked.
"What do you mean?"
Feng Zheng said.
"The last time I was on a mission with Renjiro-sensei, we encountered a Hidden Mist squad perfectly concealed underground using Sealing Technique. I have a feeling the situation here might be similar."
As Feng Zheng spoke, he thought.
"Hmm, I can't exactly say I live in a house covered in Sealing Jutsu, can I? These Sealing Jutsu have familiarized me with how they feel when I try to sense them."
Hearing Feng Zheng's words, everyone frowned. Yuan Feibao said.
"Sealing Technique? That would be troublesome. Even more problematic is that they might also have a Sealing Master."
He looked at Feng Zheng and asked.
"Are you 100% sure this place is protected by Sealing Technique?"
Feng Zheng shook his head. Although he was familiar with Sealing Jutsu, he couldn't be certain.
Yuan Feibao asked.
"Is there any way to enter silently?"
Feng Zheng said.
"Not unless we have a more powerful Sealing Master."
Yuan Feibao asked.
"Do you have any suggestions?"
Feng Zheng said.
"The best way would be to destroy the cave behind the waterfall. That way, most of them would die inside. We could observe from a distance to see who's still alive and who comes out, then decide whether to attack or retreat."
Feng Zheng looked at Liang Tai and asked.
"Do you have any Earth Release Ninjutsu that could collapse the entire waterfall?"
Liang Tai said expressionlessly.
"Of course not."
Yuan Feibao said.
"None of us have such Ninjutsu. Feng Zheng, if we enter the cave, will we be ambushed?"
Feng Zheng said.
"Probably not. The very front part of the cave appears clear. They are most likely hiding further inside. But I can't be 100% certain."
Yuan Feibao said.
"Alright, then let's enter the cave and see if there's a way to stealthily infiltrate deeper. If not, we'll use explosives to blow up the entire place."
Everyone laughed at the idea. The group entered the waterfall.
Feng Zheng pointed to a spot, and Liang Tai used Ninjutsu to clear a path. Katsumi first used his insects to check the interior, and after confirming there were no traps, the group entered the cave.