Calling it a base was generous—it was little more than a temporary camp made of rough logs and earthen walls.
The air was thick with tension, mixed with the smells of sweat, damp soil, and medicinal herbs.
Ninja hurried back and forth, their faces etched with vigilance and fatigue.
Squad leader Shirakumo Hayama led everyone to headquarters to report in.
Ruichi followed at the back, glancing around with little interest.
The so-called barracks were nothing more than rows of squat earthen houses. Mud covered the ground, and the stench drifting from the kitchen area was enough to obliterate anyone's appetite.
I never had high expectations for Konoha's logistics, but this is really something…
Just as Ruichi was wondering how to make life in this hellish place more bearable, a familiar figure caught his eye from the corner of his vision.
Slightly wavy black hair, dark eyes, and a distinctive rounded nose. The man stood atop a watchtower, gazing solemnly into the distance.
Uchiha Shisui? Shouldn't he be back at the Uchiha compound?
Before Ruichi could think it through, Shirakumo Hayama returned from reporting, accompanied by a tall, broad-shouldered man with a full beard.
The man's sharp eyes swept over the newcomers, finally settling on Ruichi and Inuzuka Hana, his brow instantly furrowing.
"Hayama, these are the reinforcements you mentioned? Why are there two brats?"
His voice was booming, carrying unquestionable authority.
From his presence alone, Ruichi guessed this had to be the base commander—Yui Iwashiro.
He had heard that Iwashiro's entire family had been killed by ninja from the Hidden Mist a few years ago, after which he personally requested assignment to this border post.
"The girl is Inuzuka Hana," Shirakumo Hayama explained solemnly. "As you can see, she's from the Inuzuka clan and specializes in reconnaissance and tracking. The boy is Ruichi. Though he's young, his performance on the road—"
He briefly described how Ruichi had used non-combat ninjutsu to improve the team's travel conditions, placing special emphasis on his exceptional chakra control.
"Non-combat ninjutsu?" Yui Iwashiro's frown deepened, his expression practically screaming Are you joking?
"This is the front line, not a sightseeing trip!"
A superior questioning my abilities—classic, Ruichi thought calmly. So is the 'actually useful' slap-in-the-face moment coming next?
He felt no irritation at all. If anything, he almost wanted to laugh.
Just then, a gentle voice spoke from the side.
"Senior Iwashiro."
Shisui had come down from the watchtower at some point and walked over.
His gaze lingered on Ruichi with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny.
"Why not let him help out in logistics first? He might prove unexpectedly useful."
Iwashiro waved his hand impatiently.
"He doesn't look fit for patrol duty anyway. Kid, go report to logistics. Don't cause trouble for me."
"Yes, sir!" Ruichi immediately snapped to attention and saluted, his voice loud and posture impeccable.
Inside, he was already bursting with joy.
No patrols? Straight to logistics? Commander's orders, no less—this is practically a divine blessing! I can slack off completely, fair and square!
…
When Ruichi excitedly went to report to logistics, he quickly realized he'd celebrated too soon.
The conditions there were even worse than he'd imagined.
The so-called kitchen was nothing more than an open-air earthen stove. A massive pot of stew bubbled away, its contents looking like everything had simply been chopped up and dumped in together.
Living conditions were equally miserable—cold drafts came from all directions, and trash littered the ground.
The ninja in charge of meals looked utterly numb, as if long past the point of complaining.
Can people even live like this? Even a saint would lose their temper.
It wasn't about others—Ruichi simply couldn't tolerate suffering like this himself.
"Uh… big brother, I'm new here. My name's Ruichi," he said, taking the initiative.
The middle-aged logistics ninja looked up dully.
"Oh, a newcomer. Potatoes are over there. Go peel them."
Ruichi didn't move. Instead, he pointed at the huge pot.
"Big brother… do we eat this every day?"
"What else?" the man sighed. "Either this or dry rations."
Ruichi curled his lips slightly and began forming hand seals.
Under the man's bewildered gaze, he completed the sequence.
"Earth Release: Rock Tool."
Based on an automatic potato washer and peeler from his previous life, a stone trough rose from the ground, with rough stone rollers embedded along its sides.
The chūnin paused his work, raising an eyebrow as he watched with interest.
"Here we go."
Ruichi dumped an entire basket of potatoes into it.
"Water Release: Shower."
Water poured down like rain as the stone mechanism began to rotate.
Buzz—buzz—buzz.
In less than five minutes, the entire basket of potatoes had been washed and peeled clean.
The middle-aged ninja stood there, completely dumbfounded, mouth hanging open.
That basket weighed dozens of kilograms—it would've taken him over an hour with a knife.
Yet this kid had finished it in minutes with a few hand seals.
Ruichi clapped his hands, admiring his handiwork, then turned back with a friendly smile.
"Big brother… how about letting me take over the kitchen?"
…
That evening, a fragrance never before seen at the base drifted out from the kitchen.
Ninja returning from patrol all stopped in their tracks at the same time, sniffing the air.
"Damn, what're we eating tonight? It smells incredible!"
"That's… meat, isn't it? And stir-fried vegetables?"
They quickened their pace and rushed into the mess hall—only to witness a scene they would never forget.
Gone were the endless stews and dry rations.
In their place sat three huge basins of steaming dishes: braised meat with potatoes, stir-fried wild vegetables, and mushroom soup.
The ingredients were simple, but under Ruichi's cooking skills—enhanced by practical ninjutsu—the dishes were flawless in color, aroma, and taste.
Some ninja even pinched themselves, wondering if they'd fallen under a genjutsu.
"You're kidding, right? We can actually eat like this?"
"Did that guy who only makes stew suddenly change personalities?"
"No way… it has to be the newcomer from today. I think his name's Ruichi?"
All eyes soon gathered on the boy in an apron, bustling about the kitchen.
That single meal completely conquered the stomachs of everyone at the base.
But this was only the beginning.
Over the following days, Ruichi turned the base into his personal workshop.
He renovated the barracks with Earth Release, cleaned the grounds daily with Wind and Water Release, and even used Earth Release to craft storage lockers for everyone.
And that wasn't all.
"The bathhouse is finished! From now on, there'll be hot water every night from 7 to 9!"
When the patrol ninja took their first steaming hot bath, some were so moved that tears nearly fell.
Only heaven knew how luxurious a hot bath was in this damp border region.
As living conditions improved, the tense, oppressive atmosphere of the entire base was forcibly transformed by Ruichi alone into something closer to a vacation retreat.
Standing atop the watchtower, Iwashiro looked down at the scene below, his mouth twitching.
"This brat… wasting time on useless things," he muttered.
But as his gaze swept over his subordinates—clearly more energetic after good meals and hot baths—he paused.
"…Still, morale is unusually high."
Shisui smiled beside him.
"Perhaps this is the kind of strength that's most needed in war—being able to give your comrades a bit of warmth and hope in such a cruel place."
Ruichi, for his part, was extremely satisfied.
Since he didn't have to go on patrol, he would lie back in a rocking chair he'd made with Earth Release once his work was done, leisurely basking in the sun.
This was the slacker life he'd always wanted.
If I can just stay safe until the rotation change, that'd be perfect. But…
Ruichi glanced up at Shisui on the watchtower.
"We'll probably run into the Hidden Mist soon… especially with Ao leading them. Let's hope nothing unexpected happens."