"Ei is indeed remarkable, but his strength has its limits. Orochimaru, you don't need to fear him too much. He hasn't reached an invincible level yet!" Thinking about the Third Raikage, Ei, Isamu nodded in acknowledgment. That monster really was incredibly powerful.
"Hehe, Big Brother Isamu, you must be joking. I admit the Third Raikage is strong, but I, Orochimaru, am not weak either. 'Fear' isn't the right word!" Orochimaru gave a cold smile. As the strongest among the Sannin and a future candidate for the Hokage position, he feared no Raikage.
"As long as you're not afraid. Orochimaru, remember this advice from your big brother: as long as a person possesses absolute confidence in victory, they are invincible!" Since he didn't know whether Ei would personally appear on the battlefield, Isamu still gave Orochimaru a reminder.
"Yes, I understand. My conviction as a powerhouse will never waver!" Orochimaru nodded. At this point in time, nothing could shake his confidence.
"That's good. Now hurry up and arrange some rooms and food. We'll stay for one night and return tomorrow!" Seeing Orochimaru's confidence, Isamu didn't continue the topic.
"Alright. I already had rooms prepared for you. I'll have someone lead you there immediately!" As Orochimaru spoke, he called over a Ninja to guide Isamu and the others toward the camp quarters.
Soon, everyone who had escorted the supplies was assigned temporary lodging. Isamu and Senba also arrived at their designated residence.
"Are you kidding me? This broken little shack is our lodging? Uncle Orochimaru's arrangements are way too shabby!" Looking at the small, worn-down wooden hut in front of him, Senba was thoroughly unimpressed.
"Uh… Lord Senba, your residence is already the best one here. Everyone else is staying in temporary tents. This wooden hut is considered luxury in our camp. You see…" The Ninja leading the way explained awkwardly, while inwardly feeling disdain toward these pampered young masters from Konoha. This was the border battlefield, not some vacation resort.
"What? If you don't want to stay in a wooden hut, then what do you want? A fancy mansion? This is the border—a battlefield! If you want luxury, then head back to Konoha overnight!" Before Senba could finish complaining, Isamu directly interrupted him.
"No, Father, that's not what I meant. I'm saying their living conditions are too poor. How about we help improve the environment a little?" Seeing Isamu getting angry, Senba quickly smiled apologetically.
"Stop pretending. If you want to help, then just do it. What's with all the sarcastic remarks?" Although Isamu also thought the hut looked shabby, he wasn't that picky. Being able to live in a wooden hut on the battlefield was already pretty good. Besides, they were only staying for one night.
Still, he had no reason to reject an opportunity to improve the conditions.
Seeing that his father approved, Senba immediately ran toward the forest outside the camp. Isamu followed behind him, while the guide Ninja trailed after them curiously, wanting to see exactly how Senba planned to "improve the environment."
Looking at the dense forest around him, Senba estimated the size of the area before rapidly forming hand seals and gathering Chakra.
"Wind Release: Great Wind Cutter Technique!"
Massive wind blades shot out from Senba's hands toward the forest ahead. The blades sliced cleanly through the trees, cutting them down one after another. Soon, every tree within a radius of over a hundred meters had collapsed.
"So strong!" The guide Ninja stared in shock. He had never seen such a powerful Wind Release technique before. He had initially assumed Senba was just some spoiled young master from a noble family, but now he realized this young man was terrifyingly strong.
After clearing the trees, Senba changed his hand seals once more.
"Earth Release: Earth Moving Core!"
As Senba slammed one hand onto the ground, the earth began to tremble violently. The fallen trees were quickly swallowed into the soil.
In just moments, a massive clearing over a hundred meters wide appeared.
Looking at the empty land before him, Senba narrowed his eyes slightly and began forming seals again, this time using the Senju Clan's secret technique.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique!"
As Senba pressed both palms against the ground, two-story wooden houses rapidly emerged from the earth one after another.
"This… this is Wood Release Ninjutsu! Th-this…" The guide Ninja was completely stunned. As far as he knew, nobody in the current Ninja World could still use Wood Release.
"Take this!"
Just as the buildings were completed, Isamu instantly appeared beside Senba and kicked him hard. Senba was sent flying more than five meters, tumbling across the ground before finally stopping.
"Father, what are you doing?! Why'd you suddenly kick me? That hurt!" Senba wiped the footprint off his face as he stood up and protested unhappily.
"Why did I kick you? Because you deserved it! Look at the nonsense you built!" Isamu pointed angrily at the tall wooden buildings in front of them.
"What nonsense? Wasn't I improving the living conditions for the border guards? You agreed with me too, so why are you suddenly…" Senba looked at the three buildings in confusion, completely unable to understand what he had done wrong.
"Heh, you still don't understand the problem. Your awareness of battlefield conditions is basically zero. You—tell him what's wrong!" Isamu shook his head and motioned for the guide Ninja beside him to explain.
"Ah, yes!" The guide Ninja quickly nodded. After observing the buildings carefully, he immediately spotted the issue.
"Your houses are indeed luxurious, but they're too tall. High buildings are extremely unsuitable for a border camp!"
The guide Ninja pointed out the flaw directly. As an experienced Elite Chunin who had fought on the border for years, he instantly recognized the danger.
"Did you hear that? Even he noticed the problem immediately. You built the houses so tall—are you trying to help the enemy locate the camp from miles away? Don't let your good intentions create trouble!" Isamu looked at Senba with disappointment. Even a minor Chunin understood this basic principle, yet Senba had overlooked it completely.
"So the height was the problem… I see now. That really was my mistake. Sorry, sorry!" Senba finally understood and could only laugh awkwardly. He really had deserved that kick.
Realizing the issue, Senba immediately destroyed the tall buildings and rebuilt them into rows of simple one-story houses. After finishing the structures, and with Isamu's reminder, he also constructed a four-meter-high wooden fence around the camp.
Thus, an upgraded luxury version of the border camp was completed.
"Hmm, not bad. Now this actually looks proper. Go notify Orochimaru and tell him to move the camp over here!" Seeing that Senba had remembered to add defensive fencing this time, Isamu nodded in satisfaction and instructed the guide Ninja to inform Orochimaru.
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll notify Lord Orochimaru immediately!" Excited by the prospect of better accommodations, the guide Ninja hurried off at once.
Meanwhile, Senba and Isamu selected one of the larger houses and moved in.
It had to be said that Wood Release was unbelievably practical. It could be used in battle, absorb Chakra, and even construct buildings. In terms of utility, it truly surpassed the Sharingan.