On the border of the Land of Water, after the war horn sounded, the atmosphere in the camp grew increasingly tense.
Smiles were almost nowhere to be seen.
Under this oppressive mood, the Hidden Mist's reinforcements finally arrived.
Leading them was Suikazan Fuguki, one of the famed Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. His plump physique concealed terrifying power.
As soon as he reached the outpost, Suikazan Fuguki strode straight into the main tent, sat down in Terumi Kenshi's seat, and addressed the ninja inside.
"Everyone, I have come to reinforce you under Mizukage-sama's orders. From now on, I will assume command. Does anyone have any objections?"
His gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on Asuka's face.
Although many were displeased by his domineering attitude, none dared to speak. His strength alone was enough to silence them.
Terumi Kenshi's lips twitched as if he wanted to object, but when he met Suikazan Fuguki's eyes, he swallowed his words.
Seeing no opposition, Suikazan Fuguki stood.
"Thank you for your cooperation. Since I've just arrived and am not yet familiar with the situation, Kenshi-kun will serve as my deputy."
All eyes turned to Terumi Kenshi. His expression was grim, but he did not refute the decision.
"Very well," Suikazan Fuguki continued. "I've been traveling for several days and need to rest. You're dismissed. Oh—and Kaguya Asuka, stay behind."
When the others had left, only Asuka and Suikazan Fuguki remained.
"Kaguya Asuka, correct? I've heard about you. You've been performing well at the border recently."
"Thank you for the praise, Fuguki-sama," Asuka replied calmly, showing neither excitement nor humility.
Suikazan Fuguki burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Good, good. Young people should have some edge. I admire that. Oh, and someone asked me to pass along his regards—your uncle, Kaguya Daisuke."
"Thank you for the message, Fuguki-sama. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Without waiting for permission, Asuka turned and exited the tent.
Left behind, Suikazan Fuguki's expression darkened.
Asuka had no interest in knowing what that expression looked like. He had no personal grievance against Fuguki, but the man's earlier words carried a clear undertone of warning—especially the deliberate mention of that fool, Kaguya Daisuke. Asuka saw no reason to feign respect.
It wasn't as though he couldn't defeat him.
---
That night, Asuka sat alone beside a campfire.
A shadow emerged silently from the darkness behind him, a kunai clutched in hand. As the distance closed, the figure suddenly lunged, stabbing toward the back of his head.
Asuka tilted his head, letting the blade miss by a hair's breadth, then swung his arm backward in one swift motion.
"Ouch!"
The figure tumbled onto the ground.
Asuka sighed and rose to his feet, walking over to help her up.
"Mei, what are you doing? If I hadn't sensed you earlier, you wouldn't be standing right now."
The attacker was Mei Terumi. She glared at him, clearly displeased.
"What do you mean? I was trying to surprise you!"
After pulling her up, the two sat down by the fire. Asuka handed her a roasted sweet potato.
"Why did you come to the border with the reinforcements? I was startled when I sensed your chakra this morning."
"What if I said I came specifically to see you?"
"What do you think?"
"Fine, fine. The clan elders sent me here for training. Clan Uncle Kenshi is here to keep an eye on me."
"Your clan must have confidence in you to let you come to the front lines."
"Of course. I'm not some fragile flower."
After a brief pause, Asuka asked, "What does your clan think about this war?"
"What is there to think? The Hidden Mist will join eventually—sooner or later."
"When do you think it would be most advantageous?"
She tilted her head. "I'm not sure. Do you have an opinion?"
"Early intervention has its benefits. So does late intervention. If we join early, we can seize the initiative and claim more resources. If we join later, we preserve our strength while other nations exhaust themselves."
"So which do you prefer?"
"The earlier, the better. Our region is remote. Any resources we seize can be quickly transported back to the village. It would be difficult for other nations' ninja to reclaim them."
He spoke confidently, though inwardly his reasoning was different. Whether the Hidden Mist joined early or late made little difference. Compared to Konoha, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure, the Hidden Mist lacked top-tier combat power.
Even with his presence in this life, victory was far from guaranteed.
Changing the subject, Asuka asked about her recent training.
"Me? Just missions and training, like always. But I heard you pulled off something impressive—leading a team deep into the Land of Fire, gathering intelligence, and personally holding off most of Konoha's pursuers without a scratch. The entire village is talking about it."
"You know my strength. Something like that isn't worth mentioning."
Mei snorted with laughter.
"You're still the same—cold and aloof in front of outsiders, but completely shameless in front of people you know."
"Shameless? I'm just stating facts."
"Hmph. The narcissist always says that."
They fell silent for a moment.
Then Mei's voice softened.
"War is about to begin again. I wonder how many lives will be lost this time."
Asuka's tone grew gentler.
"Don't dwell on it. War is inevitable. All we can do is minimize the damage and protect the people we can."
Her mood lifted slightly, and the conversation drifted to memories of their days at the Ninja Academy. Laughter occasionally broke the quiet night.
Their shadows overlapped beneath the glow of the fire.
---
The next morning, the arrival of reinforcements greatly strengthened the border forces. Terumi Kenshi reorganized the ninja into new squads, filling vacant positions and forming additional patrol teams.
Asuka's Fourth Squad also received a new member—someone he knew well.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Mei Terumi. I've just joined the Fourth Squad. Please take care of me."
She smiled brightly as she introduced herself.
The squad members immediately began whispering among themselves.
Asuka raised a hand.
"Enough. We have a new member, and we need to adjust our tactics accordingly. During this patrol, if we encounter enemies, focus on coordination. We need to build synergy as quickly as possible."
The squad nodded in unison.