After several days of daily routine, more ninjas arrived at the base.
Kiyoshi heard the commotion outside his tent and stopped his training to investigate. Thanks to his powerful physique, he could easily complete his daily mission quotas and squeeze out time for his own cultivation. Under his increasingly exquisite chakra control, he was now able to maintain a minimum circulation of Moryo's power and [Lightning] Style within his body.
In essence, he had reached a balance between consumption and recovery. This allowed the energy to run through his system at all times—to put it in common terms, it was like an "idle hack." Every morning he could wake up and "harvest the crops," seeing how many cells had been strengthened overnight. This was still just the initial stage; once perfected, the efficiency would increase dramatically.
"Orochimaru, since this is an escort mission, I will dispatch a portion of my clansmen for you to use," Fugaku said.
In war, squads are formed based on the specific traits of the ninjas. For an escort mission, the ideal configuration usually required a Hyuga for reconnaissance, an Uchiha for protection, and a medical ninja for treatment. Such a setup significantly increased the success rate of delivering intelligence.
"I only need two Uchiha. May I pick one person?" Orochimaru asked, his voice rasping.
"Pick one?" Fugaku was stunned. He turned to look at Yashiro Uchiha, Yakumi Uchiha, and the others beside him. They were equally puzzled.
"Orochimaru, who do you want?" Fugaku asked.
"Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi Uchiha. I want him." Orochimaru named him directly.
The surrounding Hyuga and Uchiha ninjas looked at one another in surprise. Eventually, the crowd parted, revealing Kiyoshi, who had just arrived and was standing at the very back.
Everyone's gaze was different. Some were confused, some were envious, and others were dismissive. Although Kiyoshi had displayed impressive talent and gained some fame, he had only recently begun to distinguish himself. Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin. To receive recognition from such a figure was undoubtedly a distinct honor.
"He's Kiyoshi Uchiha?"
"You're just finding out now?"
"Look at those arms and legs... he's so built."
Whispers erupted in the surroundings. Many had heard Kiyoshi's name but had never seen the man. Seeing him today for the first time, they felt he possessed a dignified air, giving off a sense of calm and composure.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kiyoshi spoke, walking forward step by step.
Behind Orochimaru stood many other Leaf ninjas. It seemed they intended to use this base as a transit point to rush to another battlefield. With the flames of war rising everywhere, ninjas were constantly on the move. Even among the Great Nations, there were many instances of invasion.
"Heh heh, long time no see, Kiyoshi-kun," Orochimaru said.
"Orochimaru, since you want him, I will assign Kiyoshi to you. Tekka, you go as well," Fugaku turned and said to Tekka Uchiha. Kiyoshi's strength was good; performing such a mission wouldn't disgrace the Uchiha name.
"Yes, Fugaku-sama," Tekka Uchiha replied immediately.
Next, Orochimaru asked Hizashi Hyuga for two people. Hizashi hesitated for a moment before selecting Natsu Hyuga and Tetsu Hyuga. Since both were Kiyoshi's classmates, they would be able to look out for one another during the mission.
"Follow me. We are heading to the next base to retrieve intelligence," Orochimaru counted the heads and gave Kiyoshi and the others ten minutes. They quickly moved toward another outpost.
...
"Captain Yugito, Leaf ninjas should be passing through here to escort a piece of intelligence."
A Cloud ninja spread a map on the ground and drew a route for the blonde woman. Even though the Leaf had the Yamanaka clan, they still used traditional escort missions most of the time. The sheer volume of information was too large; massive amounts of intelligence were sent to the rear daily, and new orders were issued in return.
The chakra reserves of the Yamanaka clan ninjas simply weren't enough. Performing these sensory and transmission secret techniques consumed too much chakra. Furthermore, such techniques carried the risk of being intercepted by the enemy.
"Let's go," Yugito Nii glanced at the map. This was a perfect chance to find traces of Kiyoshi Uchiha.
...
The sun gradually dipped behind the mountains. The group reached the other base before nightfall. Orochimaru negotiated with the ninjas in charge of the outpost and brought out another group of people. The intelligence being escorted this time was of no small importance and had to be handled with extreme caution. Naturally, this included the use of "pawns."
"Kiyoshi, long time no see!"
Just as Kiyoshi entered, a cheerful voice rang out. He turned to see Kurenai.
"Kurenai." Kiyoshi nodded in greeting and asked how she had been lately.
Kurenai immediately puffed out her cheeks, complaining about the inconveniences of fighting in the war here. Kiyoshi listened patiently to her ramblings. Not long after, he saw Asuma Sarutobi approaching.
Compared to his former delinquent-like air in the village, Asuma had become much more rugged. The onset of puberty meant a surge in various hormones; Asuma now had a significant amount of beard growth on his cheeks and chin. He looked much more stable—or perhaps just older—than his peers.
"Yo, Kiyoshi," Asuma waved. Kiyoshi nodded.
Tekka Uchiha stood behind Kiyoshi and greeted the others as well. This circle of people had all come from the same class, so they weren't strangers to one another.
"Natsu, be careful on this mission," Tetsu Hyuga said cautiously to Natsu Hyuga while the others were reminiscing and waiting for Orochimaru.
"I know," Natsu said softly. Facing Tetsu's attempt to move closer, she inconspicuously took half a step back, her gaze flickering toward Kiyoshi's profile. She was afraid Kiyoshi might misunderstand.
Tetsu was full of worry about the mission's outcome, his eyes filled with uncertainty. This kind of mission definitely required decoys; among several intelligence scrolls, only one would be the real one.
The escorting ninjas were strictly forbidden from opening them during the journey; only after the mission was completed would they know if their scroll was real or fake. Which scroll would they end up with?
"Alright, prepare to depart."
The group didn't wait long. Orochimaru gave each person on the mission a rice ball and a scroll. After explaining a few key points, he swallowed his own rice ball in one go and led them toward a distant location to deliver the intelligence.
In war, intelligence is paramount. If a plan is discovered by the enemy, traps will be set. Therefore, Orochimaru was leading this mission personally.
The black night began to pale at the horizon. The group had traveled silently through the night. A ninja is, by definition, one who endures; such long-distance travel was a daily occurrence for them.
"The road ahead will be more dangerous," Orochimaru warned them in advance. There were traces of other hidden villages' ninjas operating here, making it highly likely that an ambush had been prepared.