After a while, on the battlefield outside the forest, besides Yubi and the other two, another Konoha squad and the Hidden Mist Ninja had also been dealt with.
"Let's go."
Arai said, and the three quickly left.
Unexpectedly encountering Aoba Yamashiro and Raido Namiashi was just an interlude.
For Yubi, besides gaining some negative experience points, he also learned about the existence of 'Hatred Value'.
Konoha's current Hatred Value towards him, with the two plot characters combined, is 15.
Not long after they left, a Konoha squad arrived late.
They had received a message from Yano that they had encountered a Hidden Mist attack in this area, and had rushed to provide aid.
...
Upon arriving at the scene, looking at the destroyed battlefield traces, several people fell silent.
Two squads, a total of six children, two teachers... all seemed to have died in battle.
Although the enemies had erased some clues, the two battlefields, one outside the forest and one inside, were quite large.
In a short time, it was still impossible to achieve perfect 'destruction of bodies and traces'. Upon careful observation, some 'clues' could still be found.
"Two groups of Hidden Mist Ninja, huh..."
The captain leading the team spoke with a heavy, slightly sorrowful voice.
The war was already coming to an end, and the dangers outside had decreased. Moreover, two squads were performing a mission together, operating in an area far from the core battlefield, precisely to cultivate combat experience for the younger generation.
The leaders were also two Special Jonin... even so, they still met with misfortune.
Their luck... was a bit bad.
"Given Yano and his companion's strength, they shouldn't have been killed so quickly... From the content of Yano's message, the enemy's numbers weren't large, and the Village hadn't received news of Hidden Mist sending troops to the Land of Rice Fields... How could this be?" Another person's eyes reddened.
"There were other enemies."
At this moment, a Konoha Ninja who had entered the forest to investigate landed and reported to the captain.
"In the battlefield inside, the Hidden Mist Ninja bodies were also dealt with, but after my inspection, those Hidden Mist Ninja don't seem to have died by Yano and his companions' methods... From some clues, it can be seen that the battlefield outside the forest belonged to Fujiwara's squad, and inside the forest was Yano's squad..." This person looked at his companions, "Judging from the number of casualties, with the complex terrain and environment in the forest, once engaged, it would inevitably cause significant damage and traces to the surroundings. Even if intentionally erased, it would be impossible to restore..."
"The only explanation is that the enemies Yano and the Hidden Mist Ninja encountered were extremely powerful... they killed everyone directly in a short time, giving them no room or time to resist. Therefore... there are so few clues left at the scene."
"Furthermore, if the Hidden Mist Ninja had won, they wouldn't have handled their own comrades' bodies so roughly..."
After he finished speaking, the others fell silent.
"The other party doesn't want people to discover their whereabouts and information... it should be an intelligence squad from some Village."
The captain took a deep breath and speculated.
"Bring the bodies back to the Village..."
The captain sighed softly.
"Yes."
...On the other side, a long time later... Yubi and the two had just returned to Hidden Sand Village.
Immediately afterwards, news arrived from the Land of Rice Fields that Kumogakure and Konoha had officially withdrawn their troops, leaving only some forces to defend the border.
The chaotic war among the Five Great Ninja Villages ended... but peace would not come.
The impact of this great war on the Ninja World was multifaceted... even if large-scale conflict was impossible, some Ninja Villages would still launch 'venting' actions, harassing enemies or causing minor skirmishes. This was not only due to the intentions and decisions of the Village's high-ranking officials, but also another undeniable reason: for the lower-ranking Ninja, their families and comrades had died on the battlefield. Once outside, if they encountered Ninja from a certain Village, then... even small disputes, driven by emotions like revenge or anger, would escalate into fierce fights, or even death battles.
These emotional repercussions left by the war were beyond the control of the Village's high-ranking officials... they would need time to gradually subside.
Therefore, the Ninja World was still fraught with undercurrents and dangers.
"Killed two Konoha training squads, huh..."
The Third Kazekage was now particularly concerned about Yubi and Sasori. After reading the mission record submitted by Arai, he immediately ordered, "Don't accept any more missions related to Konoha in the future."
"Yes."
Arai nodded.
He understood the Kazekage's intention.
Now, Konoha had some understanding of him... as well as Yubi and Sasori.
They had clearly 'noticed' them.
If they were to take on more missions involving Konoha, and the other party decided to 'kill' Yubi and Sasori, it would be a losing proposition.
"Kazekage-sama... with Yubi and Sasori's strength, they can actually complete missions independently by now; I don't need to follow them anymore. I've led them for nearly two years... it's time for them to grow on their own..."
Speaking of this, Arai suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly, "If it were anyone else, it would be fine... but Yubi and Sasori, I think, my leading and protecting them, to some extent, has actually limited their own growth rate... perhaps, my leaving is a good thing."
"What I could teach them... I've already taught them almost everything."
Arai's gaze was slightly downcast.
Sasori is a Puppeteer... his path is different from conventional Ninja.
Yubi is a Medical Ninja, and extremely intelligent... he has a clear plan for his own abilities.
Honestly, there are some things these two know... that Arai doesn't understand.
Moreover, he could see and feel... that Sasori had always been wary of him.
Although Yubi got along well with him and respected him greatly, it could only be said that there was some emotional foundation.
As their captain, he simply couldn't integrate into their'small circle'.
The most direct point was that he now... could no longer discern Yubi's growth rate and level.
But Sasori knew perfectly well.
"Hmm... you're right."
The Third Kazekage nodded upon hearing this.
Arai, as a Kage Guard, should also return to his original post.
"Rasa has withdrawn from the border near the Land of Earth, but Iwagakure has been restless lately, making constant small moves... let Sasori and Yubi go to that front line. Before, your squad always acted independently; now, let them be on the battlefield, try to integrate into our Hidden Sand Village's troop combat system, cultivate their collaborative abilities with several units... and also gain a clearer understanding of the Village's military deployment and actions on the battlefield." The Kazekage considered for a moment.
"Yes."
Arai nodded.
Afterwards, he chatted with the Kazekage for a few more sentences, then turned and left... Arai called Yubi and Sasori out and informed them of the Kazekage-sama's instructions.
As well as his decision to 'leave'.
"You now have the ability to protect yourselves on the battlefield... as long as you don't encounter overly troublesome enemies, your safety won't be an issue."
"I can't always lead you... after all, some situations in the Village also require my attention. The environment outside isn't as harsh as before; you just need to be careful when performing missions."
"Also, consider this my personal advice... although, as Ninja of the Village, completing missions should be the priority, and missions are always the first principle. But... whether it's our bond or my selfishness, if you encounter an emergency and your life is threatened... remember, run first."
"After all, you are both children... and geniuses. As long as it's not a too crucial mission, even if the mission fails, the Village will grant special amnesty, and others will show you some leniency."
"At your age, it's not yet time to fight to the death... although, you two little guys are already very powerful."
"Furthermore, when you go to the front line battlefield... Sasori is a bit better, having experience in this regard, but Yubi, you must remember! The front line battlefield is fundamentally different from when we perform missions alone... the most direct point is the number of enemies, and your position and 'personal' flexibility within the troop system. On the battlefield, you must cooperate with the troops' actions, unlike an individual squad that can quickly make reactions and decisions, where personal will also represents the squad's will... In the troops, you must obey command, which will limit your personal will."
"Even the most powerful Ninja, once surrounded by a sufficient number of enemies... will die."
"Strength can influence and affect the battlefield, improving your survival... but it never means you have absolute certainty of victory."
Perhaps it was due to the impending'separation', as Arai, who seemed to be smiling, suddenly became a bit nagging.
He spoke to Yubi with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.
"Hmm... let me think, that should be all... there's nothing else to say. Anyway, little Yubi, you've always been smart, you should understand what I mean..."
"Hahahahaha."
Arai put one hand on his hip and patted Yubi's shoulder with the other, feigning nonchalance.
Arai's departure from the team seemed somewhat sudden to Yubi.
But he understood.
Looking at the man before him, Yubi returned a smile.
He bowed solemnly to Arai, "Arai-sensei, thank you."
...
Seeing this, Arai's gaze was moved.
"You two... you must do your best!"
He moved his mouth, wanting to speak but holding back... as if he wanted to say something but found it hard to express.
Finally, he sighed, smiled again, and encouraged them softly.