"Yo! Tatsuma, back again? Let's see... it's been exactly thirty-three minutes since you last left. You're getting faster."
Inside the communications camp, a middle-aged man with blonde hair glanced at the clock and teased the boy as he entered. Tatsuma scratched his head sheepishly and asked, "Uncle Tani, any word from the front?"
Of the traditional arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—Tatsuma had mastered only one: being sweet-mouthed. Every time he flashed that polite, charming smile, Yamanaka Tani couldn't help but think of the child still in his wife's womb. A smile tugged at Tani's own lips.
"There's news, of course. But where's the 'payment' you promised?"
Tatsuma gave a mischievous grin and lifted a cloth bag, pulling out several bento boxes for the communications team. Because they had to maintain a constant link between the main force, the Hyuga squad, and the village, the team didn't dare leave their posts.
They had originally planned to just power through the hunger or choke down a Soldier Pill if things got desperate, but since they had such a frequent "visitor," Tani decided to put the boy to good use as their unofficial delivery runner.
Tani opened his lunch box and began to talk as he ate. "Things are going smoothly on the main front. Even though Chiyo's presence was a surprise, we have Lady Tsunade and Lord Orochimaru working together. We've managed to secure a solid advantage."
Tatsuma nodded, feeling a weight lift slightly from his chest. "And the Hyuga squad?"
Tani shook his head. "They're on an infiltration mission, so they're moving much slower than the main force. They're likely just entering the heart of the Land of Rivers. At this rate, they won't reach the Suna camp until tomorrow at the earliest."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Don't worry too much. Hyuga Miyako and Hyuga Kai are among the elite of their generation. Especially Miyako—if nothing goes wrong, he's a future Main House elder. His strength is the real deal. Besides, their mission is just to scout for new poisons. The Suna camp should be in a similar state to ours; they should be able to handle it easily."
Tani offered the words of comfort with practiced patience. After all, who could dislike a child who was so genuinely concerned for his comrades?
Hunger finally caught up to him, and he began to shovel rice into his mouth. The battlefield was no place for village luxuries; even a clansman like Tani didn't bother with refined table manners here.
Tatsuma didn't disturb them. He waited quietly for the team to finish their meal, then gathered the empty containers to return them to the logistics department.
Every ninja heading to war must be prepared to fight and die, but not every ninja gets the chance to face the enemy directly. Beyond the front lines, logistics and medical support are the lifeblood of an army. Consequently, tasks like cooking and cleaning were handled by specialized squads of Genin.
These Genin didn't feel slighted by the work. In their eyes, washing dishes or cooking was still wartime service. Compared to D-rank missions back in the village, the pay was better, and they earned actual combat merit. If the war dragged on, the village would reward them based on the duration and difficulty of their service, potentially padding their resumes and raising their mission rankings.
During previous Great Ninja Wars, these "safe" rear-guard positions were highly coveted. They allowed ninjas to rack up rewards and prestige without ever stepping onto a literal battlefield.
As he handed the containers to a logistics ninja, Tatsuma thought that if he hadn't received the system and still followed the path of a shinobi, he likely would have chosen this kind of work. Of course, once a war reached a fever pitch, even these Genin would be forced into the meat grinder... but one could always hope it wouldn't come to that.
Tatsuma returned to the communications tent to monitor the latest updates. For the rest of the day, the reports from Tsunade and Orochimaru remained positive—victory after victory.
However, by noon the following day, as Tatsuma arrived with the team's lunch, warning bells were screaming inside the tent. He rushed in immediately. "What happened?!"
Tani's expression was grim. "The Hyuga squad sent out a distress signal. We've been trying to patch through to Lady Tsunade, but the connection is being jammed. Suna must be interfering with our transmissions."
"The Hyuga squad? What's the situation over there?"
Tatsuma's voice turned sharp. Tani shook his head. "It was just an emergency burst. By the time I tried to signal back, the line was dead."
Tatsuma processed this for a split second before snapping into action. "Uncle Tani, contact the village immediately and request reinforcements. Then, send runners along the main force's route to find Teacher and report. I'll take the guard ninjas and head toward the Hyuga squad's position to see if we can provide support."
"No, you can't go," Tani said, shaking his head. Every ninja in the camp knew that while Tatsuma was part of the deployment, he was strictly forbidden from participating in combat.
Tatsuma ignored him. He grabbed the Hyuga squad's route map from the table. Having hung around the tent for days, he knew exactly where the tactical maps were kept.
Map in hand, Tatsuma looked Tani in the eye. "Uncle Tani, there's no time to argue. I'm going to alert the others. Make sure you follow up on the reinforcements!"
Before Tani could protest further, Tatsuma bolted out of the tent. Seeing the boy's unwavering resolve, Tani turned back to his stunned colleagues.
"Even a kid like Tatsuma knows what to do! Are you just going to sit there? Move! Get the distress calls out and start the runners!"
Outside, ninjas were already beginning to gather, drawn by the alarms. Even those with half-healed wounds were limping toward the center of camp. Tatsuma quickly located the few combat ninjas left to guard the base and briefed them on the situation.
They were hesitant at first, but once Tatsuma showed them the map and revealed his own sensory capabilities, they reluctantly agreed.
Tatsuma and six combat ninjas—three Jonin and three Tokubetsu Jonin—sprinted out of the camp at top speed. It was a formidable small-unit force; Tsunade wouldn't have left the camp's safety to anything less.
Tatsuma didn't hold back his chakra. He kept his sensory field active as they pushed deep into the Land of Rivers, running well into the night.
"Ninjas ahead! Battle stations!"
Tatsuma skidded to a halt on a thick branch, wiping sweat from his forehead. His natural curls were soaked, sticking to his skin in a way that made him itch, but he didn't have the luxury of caring.
The six ninjas immediately fanned out, weapons drawn. Tatsuma focused his chakra, refining his scan of the area.
"It's the Hyuga... but they're being pursued. Intercept the Hyuga and prepare to fall back immediately!"
"Tatsuma, stay back!" one of the Jonin ordered. Tatsuma nodded. He knew his limits; jumping into a high-level skirmish would only make him a liability.
The six ninjas vanished into the brush. Seconds later, the sounds of combat erupted—clashing steel and the roar of Fire Style jutsu lighting up the night sky.
Moments later, a figure with the Byakugan emerged from the treeline, carrying another person on his back.
"Uncle Kai?! Lord Miyako?!"
Tatsuma's face went pale. Kai looked battered, but Hyuga Miyako was in a horrific state. Both of his arms had been severed at the forearms. Between the jagged, bleeding wounds and the exposed bone, he was fading fast.
"Tatsuma?!"
Kai was shocked to see the boy, but he didn't have time to ask questions. He practically shoved his brother onto Tatsuma's small, lean back.
"Get him back to camp. I'm going back to buy us more time!"
Tatsuma looked at Kai, then at the raging battle in the distance. He nodded once, his eyes hard. "Good luck!"