Even though they were heading to the frontlines, Hagoromo traveled light.
He didn't have much to carry anyway. His preparation was focused on utility and tactical variables:
Standard Armament: He restocked his supply of kunai, shuriken, and basic ninja tools.
Energy Management: A bag of Soldier Pills—the essential fuel for anyone planning on committing arson or murder in the wilderness.
Tactical Concealment: He purchased a long black cloak. This wasn't a fashion statement. In the shinobi world, obscuring your hands is a critical advantage. Since most offensive actions begin with hand signs, hiding your fingers effectively masks your "casting" intent and buy-in time.
Operational Security: A plain white mask. This had nothing to do with the ANBU; it was a simple calculation. A ninja should hide their face when possible. Kakashi Hatake was the gold standard here—half the village didn't even know what his chin looked like.
One morning, the convoy of nearly forty people departed Konoha, moving toward the frontlines of the Hidden Sand.
In terms of standard shinobi deployments, a forty-person group was massive. Most missions were handled by four-man squads. However, because they were escorting medical ninjas with lower physical stamina, the pace was slow. It took six days to reach the border of the Land of Fire.
"Kushina-sama, we need to escalate our alert level. We've officially entered the contested zone. Small units of Sand infiltrators could appear at any moment."
That evening, as the group set up camp, the ANBU lead approached Kushina with a warning.
Kushina nodded, her usual boisterousness replaced by a quiet focus. People often forgot that she had survived the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools as a child. She understood the entropy of war better than most.
They were currently 200 kilometers from the Konoha Frontline HQ and roughly 250 kilometers from the actual meat grinder. It was entirely possible for Sand "rats" to slip past the main defensive line to conduct sabotage within the Land of Fire.
Logically, they should have pushed through to the HQ, but the medical staff needed rest.
While the rest of the team grew visibly tense as they neared the kill zone, Hagoromo remained eerily calm. He wasn't sure why he possessed such a high level of psychological adaptability to war, but as he sat in the tent with Kushina, his expression was indifferent.
Since Kushina had "VIP" status, she had a private tent. As her disciple, Hagoromo got to piggyback on that luxury rather than cramming in with the sixteen ANBU.
After the ANBU leader left, Hagoromo pulled out a small scroll and began sketching complex formulas. Kushina peered over his shoulder.
"Is that... a modification of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal?"
"Yes," Hagoromo replied, not looking up. "The Reverse Four Symbols is arguably one of the most powerful sealing jutsus in existence. The problem is that it's too powerful. The chakra cost is high, but the real flaw is the blast radius. It's designed to take the user out with the enemy. I'm trying to shrink the effective range."
Kushina's first instinct was to tell him to stop. Developing or modifying S-rank forbidden jutsus was a high-risk gamble; one misplaced stroke of the brush could vaporize everyone in a five-mile radius.
But as she analyzed his proof-of-concept and the modified logic gates on the scroll, she hesitated. As an Uzumaki and a Sealing Grandmaster, she couldn't find a single error in his reasoning. He was on a dangerously correct path.
Hagoromo caught her hesitant look. "Relax, Sensei. I'm just running the theoretical proofs. I'm not suicidal enough to test an unoptimized seal in the middle of a warzone."
Kushina sighed, but her tone was stern. "I'll allow the research, but you are forbidden from conducting any physical tests without my direct supervision. Understood?"
"Understood. Perfectly."
As night fell, the campfires were extinguished. The medical ninjas slept while one ANBU squad took the first watch.
Despite the lack of light, Hagoromo stepped out of the tent. He sat under the bright moonlight, continuing his mental simulations.
Suddenly, his brush stopped. His brow furrowed.
This wasn't a problem with the math. It was a disturbance in the local chakra field. Someone was approaching the camp with predatory intent.
Enemies.
He hadn't expected them to show up on the very first night in the contested zone. Since they were still technically in the Land of Fire, the camp wasn't heavily camouflaged—it was a beacon for any patrol that happened to be in the area.
Hagoromo stood up and tucked the scroll into his pouch.
The ANBU on watch noticed the movement immediately. He didn't speak, instead flashing a series of silent hand signals: What is it? Report status.
Hagoromo's hand slid out from beneath his black cloak, his fingers flickering through a return signal at high speed:
"6 o'clock direction. 400 meters out. Four hostile signatures detected in the treeline."
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Next bonus chapter at 30 power stones!