The mountains of the Land of Lightning were even more treacherous than imagined.
Nawaki, carrying a heavy ninja tool bag, gradually slowed his steps and couldn't help but complain, "Where exactly is this Red Rock Peak? We've been walking for ages and haven't seen a single soul. If I'd known it was this far, I would have brought two more bags of jerky."
Shisui, walking at the very front, turned back and smiled, encouraging everyone, "Just a little further. According to the map, the mountain peak ahead is the one."
He activated his Sharingan, scanned the terrain ahead, and quickly captured the outline of Red Rock Peak.
Saya, behind him, kept her gaze fixed on Shisui's back.
From the day she joined the team, she had been attracted to Shisui's calm and reliable demeanor, but she had never dared to express her feelings.
Everyone gritted their teeth and quickened their pace.
The moment they finally stepped onto Red Rock Peak, all their fatigue was dispelled by the sight before them.
The sun had not yet fully set in the west, and golden afterglow covered the land. In the eastern sky, a bright, clear moon had quietly risen, and the wondrous sight of the sun and moon shining together hung above the mountains.
Golden rays of light intertwined with silver moonlight, a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
Izumi pulled out her sketchbook from her backpack, quietly moved next to Itachi, and exclaimed, "Wow! It's so beautiful. Itachi, would you mind standing here and not moving? The sun and moon together from this angle, with your figure, will definitely look even better when drawn."
Itachi paused, looked at Izumi's expectant eyes, and then nodded gently. He stood at the edge of the red rock, moonlight illuminating his profile, outlining his clear features.
Izumi lowered her head to draw, occasionally looking up at Itachi, then quickly lowering her head again, afraid he would discover her little secret.
"I never expected our first mission location to have such beautiful scenery."
Saya walked up to Shisui, her voice soft. "Shisui, look at the stars over here, they're much brighter than the ones we see in Konoha."
She deliberately made conversation, but her eyes didn't dare to meet Shisui's, she only stole glances at his profile.
Shisui smiled and nodded, pointing to the starry sky. "That's the edge of the Milky Way. The Land of Lightning has a high altitude and no city light pollution, so you can see it more clearly. If you like, you can take more photos later."
He thought Saya was simply admiring the starry sky and didn't notice her flushed ear tips.
On the other side, Nawaki suddenly remembered Tsunade's instructions before they had left.
"Anko is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. If you truly like her, be more proactive. Don't always be so careless."
He pulled out a small bag of red bean cakes from his backpack, approached Anko, and said somewhat clumsily, "Anko, these are red bean cakes I bought. Do you want to try some? They're sweet but not greasy, quite delicious."
Anko raised an eyebrow, looked at him, took the red bean cakes, unwrapped them, and took a bite.
She said, "At least you have some conscience, you remembered I like sweets. But don't buy so many next time, they're heavy to carry."
In fact, she had long sensed Nawaki's feelings, but she found him adorably silly and had never pointed it out.
As everyone was immersed in the beautiful scenery and their interactions, tiny snowflakes suddenly began to fall from the sky.
Anko reached out to catch a snowflake and exclaimed in surprise, "It's snowing! The weather is so strange, it was just the sun and moon together a moment ago."
The snow fell heavier and heavier, quickly covering Red Rock Peak with a thin layer of white.
Nawaki looked at the gradually intensifying snow and frowned. "A tent probably won't withstand such wind and snow."
He suddenly raised his hand to form a hand seal, and green Chakra surged around him.
Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique!
With the infusion of Chakra, a large number of wooden planks instantly rose from the ground. The planks rapidly grew and intertwined, quickly forming a sturdy wooden house, perfectly shielding them from the wind and snow.
Izumi smiled and said, "Nawaki, you can even use Wood Release. That's amazing."
Nawaki gave a silly smile and pushed open the door of the wooden house.
"My grandfather is the God of Shinobi, Hashirama, so it's normal for me to use Wood Release. Everyone, let's go inside to take shelter from the snow."
Inside the wooden house, it was warm and dry.
Izumi deliberately sat next to Itachi and handed him her sketchbook. "Itachi, look at my drawing of the sun and moon together. Isn't it pretty good? I deliberately drew your shadow very clearly."
Itachi took the sketchbook and looked through it carefully. "Hmm, it's very well drawn."
A simple compliment immediately made Izumi's cheeks flush.
Nawaki, meanwhile, sat opposite Anko, continuously offering her snacks. "These grilled fish chips are delicious too, try them. And these candies, I specially bought them in Konoha, they're fruit-flavored."
Anko was somewhat helpless from being fed so much, but she still obediently accepted them.
Saya watched Shisui organize his mission notes, her eyes full of concern. "Shisui, would you like some hot water? I brought a thermos."
They chatted late into the night, and the snow gradually stopped in the early hours of the morning.
As soon as dawn broke, Izumi excitedly woke Itachi. "Itachi, wake up. There's a sea of clouds outside. It's even more beautiful than the sun and moon together last night."
She pulled Itachi's right hand, her voice full of anticipation, completely unaware of how intimate her action was.
Itachi, pulled by her, smiled helplessly and followed her out of the wooden house.
Everyone else also woke up one after another, instantly awestruck by the sight before them.
Below Red Rock Peak, a boundless sea of clouds, like a white ocean, slowly flowed through the mountains. Distant peaks, like isolated islands, stood in the sea of clouds, resembling a fairy wonderland.
Nawaki took out his camera and first took a picture of Anko. "My goodness... this is too spectacular. Anko, let's take a picture together as a souvenir."
Although Anko complained "childish," she still cooperatively stood beside him, a faint smile on her lips.
Itachi used the Shadow Clone Technique to quickly scout the surroundings and said, "Shisui, I've already searched the area and haven't found the 'Golden Mountain in Sunlight'."
Just then, the eastern sky glowed golden, and the first ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, shining on the distant snow-capped mountains.
The originally pristine white snow mountain was instantly dyed golden, as if inlaid with a layer of gold, so dazzling it made one unable to open their eyes.
This was precisely the "Golden Mountain in Sunlight" mentioned in the mission, and their task was to check for any anomalies.
Izumi grabbed Itachi's arm and said excitedly, "Itachi, look! The Golden Mountain in Sunlight! It's even more beautiful than I imagined in my drawing."
Her cheek pressed against Itachi's arm, feeling his warmth, her heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst out.
Shisui carefully recorded the details of the Golden Mountain in Sunlight and closed his notebook.
"Alright, the Golden Mountain in Sunlight is just a meteorological phenomenon, no anomalies were found. We should depart. According to the mission map, our next mission is in the Land of Hot Water."
Everyone reluctantly looked back at the Golden Mountain in Sunlight one last time before following Shisui into the sea of clouds.