In the early morning, the sea was covered in thick fog.
Just after stepping out of the tent, a gentle breeze drifted in from the sea. The air was warm and pleasant.
Nawaki and Nono walked through the quiet camp, glancing around as they moved. Everything was calm, just like any other morning.
This should have been a time for rest. However, Nono had just finished a long surgery. After remaining in intense concentration for hours, she no longer felt sleepy. Instead, she sought out Nawaki, who was on patrol duty, and decided to accompany him on a walk through the camp.
"You've worked really hard," Nawaki said apologetically while lowering his head. "After we finish checking this last area, you should head back and rest."
Over the past two years, Nawaki had grown rapidly. His height had shot up, and he now stood more than a head taller than Nono.
Nono shook her head, smiling gently.
"I should be the one apologizing. You're already busy the entire day, yet you still take time to walk with me at night."
Nawaki's face immediately turned red.
It was true that he volunteered for patrol duty to protect the camp, but the real reason was that Nono often performed surgeries late into the night.
Now that his thoughts had been seen through, Nawaki scratched his head awkwardly, unsure what to say next.
Should he use the "feint to catch" tactic that Hayashi taught him?
Or should he try the "relentless pursuit" method that Jiraiya once mentioned?
An awkward silence filled the air.
Seeing Nawaki's slightly foolish expression, Nono adjusted the frame of her black glasses and decided to speak first.
"I don't think I've ever seen you come to me for treatment."
"I rarely get injured," Nawaki replied honestly. "Even if I do, my sister can treat me, so there's no need to trouble you."
"..."
Nono pressed her hand to her forehead helplessly, suddenly feeling tired.
Seeing her reaction, Nawaki asked cautiously,
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No," she replied softly. "It's just that my head hurts a little after being out in the wind for so long."
"Then drink more..."
Nawaki suddenly stopped himself mid sentence.
"Drink more what?" Nono asked with a faint smile. "Don't tell me you were about to say drink more hot water?"
Nawaki felt embarrassed.
That was exactly what he had been about to say. However, he suddenly remembered the forbidden phrase Hayashi once warned him about, so he stopped.
"Then how about this," Nawaki said quickly. "I'll walk you to the garrison hospital so you can take a look."
Nono raised her delicate eyebrows slightly.
So he was not completely hopeless.
"It's fine. There's no need to go," she said gently. "Don't forget, I'm a medical ninja myself."
"Then... alright."
Nono brushed her bangs aside and continued the conversation.
"You said earlier that you rarely get injured?"
"Yeah. You know the Senju Clan has strong recovery ability."
"Then after becoming a ninja, what was the most serious injury you've ever suffered?" she asked curiously.
"Hmm..."
Nawaki rubbed his chin seriously and thought for a moment. Then he spoke quietly.
"I remember it was in the Land of Rain. That night there was heavy rain. Hayashi and I were standing guard when I suddenly realized something."
"What was it?" Nono asked.
Nawaki sighed.
"I realized that Hayashi had a girlfriend holding an umbrella for him, while I didn't."
"..."
For a moment, Nono fell silent.
Then Nawaki slowly narrowed his eyes, and his demeanor subtly changed.
Looking at her seriously, he spoke softly.
"So... are you willing to hold an umbrella for me?"
They stood together in the open area of the camp.
The sky was still dim, touched with a faint red glow from the rising sun. In the distance, the sea remained hidden behind thick fog, and the soft wind gently brushed through their hair.
The scenery was beautiful.
The atmosphere felt perfect.
And the timing could not have been better.
After gathering courage for a long time, Nawaki finally stepped forward. He gently wrapped an arm around Nono's waist, his fingers sliding through her golden hair.
The girl trembled slightly, but she did not resist.
Instead, she slowly closed her eyes.
Seeing this, Nawaki, unusually bold tonight, leaned down gradually.
In such a quiet and comfortable moment, a kiss felt completely natural.
But at that exact moment...
Boom!
About one kilometer away from the Konoha camp, near the coastline, a burst of fire suddenly shot into the sky and exploded.
Nawaki froze.
Nono froze.
Swish, swish, swish.
The instant the explosion sounded, ninjas throughout the camp rushed out from their tents and various posts, quickly gathering together.
After experiencing so many battles, everyone's combat awareness had become extremely sharp.
Seeing everyone rushing out, Nono's face turned even redder. She quickly and gently pushed Nawaki away, who had been only a few centimeters from her lips.
Lowering her head, she spoke softly.
"We'll talk about this after we return. I need to go to the hospital and organize things first."
"Okay," Nawaki replied.
After watching her leave, his expression immediately changed.
Anger erupted within him.
Clenching his teeth, Nawaki jumped in frustration and shouted toward the distance.
"You Mist ninjas, I'm going to kill you!"
At that moment, Hiashi Hyuga appeared beside him.
Hiashi glanced at Nawaki in confusion.
"Nawaki, what's wrong with you?"
This was the first time he had seen Nawaki so furious. The slight ferocity on his face and the sound of his grinding teeth were especially noticeable.
How much hatred did he have?
"It's nothing," Nawaki said while exhaling slowly and forcing himself to calm down.
He then glanced at the Konoha ninjas gathering behind him.
"Let's go!"
With a loud shout, Nawaki led the group as they rushed out of the camp.
...
...
"What exactly is happening?"
Standing near the camp, the elderly Uchiha Hikari asked seriously.
"It seems the Mist has launched a surprise attack," said Shikaku Nara, who was currently acting as the commander.
"A surprise attack? Are they insane?" Uchiha Hikari asked in disbelief.
Launching an attack immediately after landing would cause enormous casualties for the Mist forces.
"Maybe they really are," Shikaku replied thoughtfully. After a moment, he continued,
"Another possibility is that they divided part of their forces, bypassed our defensive line, and attempted to attack from behind."
Behind the Konoha garrison lay a wide plain, with no defensive traps such as explosive tags.
"That shouldn't be possible," Uchiha Hikari said with surprise. "There are so many sensory ninjas along the coastline. They should have detected it earlier."
"There are many sensory ninjas, but the coastline is too long. Gaps are inevitable."
Shikaku paused briefly.
"However, I have already sent Hizashi Hyuga and Himeji with a group of ninjas to investigate the rear. If something is wrong, we should receive a signal soon."
Uchiha Hikari nodded.
In such a short time, Shikaku had already assigned tasks to every unit.
The Nara Clan might not possess overwhelming combat strength, but their intelligence was exceptional.
Boom!
A red flare slowly rose into the sky in the distance before exploding.
Seeing the signal, Shikaku's eyes turned serious.
"It seems my guess was correct."
He quickly issued orders.
"Send the command down. The first column gathers at the designated location. The second column moves out immediately to support Hizashi."
"Yes!"
A jonin hurried away to relay the command.
"The Mist must have learned that Hayashi and Sakumo Hatake have already set out," Uchiha Hikari said quietly. "They want to attack us before they arrive."
"That should be the case," Shikaku agreed with a nod.
However, his expression remained troubled.
"But there's something else that concerns me even more."
"What is it?"
"How did the enemy learn about our deployment?"
Uchiha Hikari frowned.
"That shouldn't be possible."
"If there was no information leak," Shikaku said slowly, clenching his fists, "then I cannot explain how the enemy bypassed our reconnaissance ninjas and quietly reached our rear."
He took a deep breath before speaking solemnly.
"So I suspect that we have a spy within the frontline command."
"And their rank is not low."
===
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