By the time Ruichi rushed back to the camp, the leisurely atmosphere was gone without a trace.
Not long after, Shisui Uchiha returned with the reconnaissance squad that had been ambushed.
Everyone was injured. Two shinobi were carried straight into the medical room, and the sharp stench of blood spread through the camp.
"It's Kirigakure," Shisui said grimly as he entered the command room.
"Even accounting for a surprise attack, the enemy that could cripple a patrol that fast must be an elite unit. They withdrew immediately once reinforcements arrived."
The commander-in-chief slammed his fist onto the command table, making the map jump.
"This is outrageous! Do they think our base is just decoration?!"
The burly commander was clearly furious.
"They already know our patrol routes and response times. Should we pull back patrols and strengthen defenses?"
"No," the commander replied coldly. "That's exactly what they want—to force us into defense so they can sneak deeper toward Konoha."
After a brief pause, he made his decision.
"We take the initiative and catch them off guard. Each Jonin will lead a squad."
"Shisui! Your team heads northeast. If Kirigakure shows up again, hit them hard!"
"Hayama, take your unit to the flank and provide support."
His gaze swept the room before settling on Ruichi. "…Take Ruichi with you as well."
"Yes!"
Ruichi sighed inwardly and followed behind Shirakumo Hayama.
Flank support, not the main force. Thank goodness. Maybe I can coast through this.
---
An hour later, deep within the dense jungle.
Hayama's squad moved swiftly through the undergrowth.
The lineup was solid:
Hayama, an elite Jonin skilled in Wind Release swordsmanship, as captain;
Inuzuka Hana as the scout, accompanied by her three ninja hounds, the Gray Maru brothers;
and the perfectly synchronized gatekeepers, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane.
As for Ruichi—
He stayed deliberately at the very back, officially "guarding the rear," but in truth doing his best to minimize his presence.
"Contact!"
Hana suddenly stopped. The three Gray Maru beside her growled low.
"Six enemies, five hundred meters ahead!"
"Spread out—prepare for combat!" Hayama ordered, drawing the long sword from his back.
Before the teams fully clashed, several kunai tipped with explosive tags shot out from the forest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dust and debris exploded into the air.
Figures wearing Mist headbands burst through the smoke, killing intent rolling off them.
"Water Release: Water Chaos Waves!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
The battle erupted instantly.
Hayama charged first, his blade slicing through the air as compressed wind cleaved straight through enemy ninjutsu, forcing two Hidden Mist shinobi back.
Izumo and Kotetsu moved in perfect coordination—one restraining opponents with sticky syrup, the other swinging his massive club to press the attack.
One Kirigakure shinobi tried to break through but was pinned down by Hana's ninja hounds.
The last one—
"Hm?!"
Water droplets suddenly descended from above, splattering silently across his face.
Swish—
Ruichi followed up immediately with several shuriken. The enemy reacted fast, retreating the moment he was hit, suffering only shallow cuts.
As the Mist shinobi formed seals, water washed the residue from his face.
Tch. As expected, that trick only works once against veterans.
Ruichi didn't hesitate and began forming his next technique.
On the other side, the two briefly restrained by Izumo broke free. One took a direct hit from Kotetsu's club—injured, but still standing.
Hayama was locked in a fierce exchange with two Kirigakure shinobi, neither side gaining the upper hand.
Near Hana, one of her ninja hounds was slashed across the abdomen and forced out of the fight.
"Crafty little brat—always trying to be clever."
The Mist shinobi Ruichi had ambushed suddenly appeared behind him, blade flashing coldly as it aimed for the back of Ruichi's neck.
"Die!"
Ruichi only tilted his head slightly, releasing the jutsu he'd already prepared.
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!
"It's useless—y—what?!"
More than a dozen flames arced through the air, striking straight into what should have been a blind spot.
The Mist shinobi barely avoided the fire scorching his face. Before he could stabilize—
Earth Release: Earth Flow Wave!
The ground surged violently, like a beast snapping its jaws shut.
Forced to choose, the enemy abandoned his longsword, planting it as a pivot to leap away.
Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!
Ruichi seized the abandoned sword and hurled it forward, riding the same wind technique Hayama had used.
Clang!
The weakened blade struck the Mist shinobi's arm guards, denting them and knocking him to the ground.
Ruichi was already holding a kunai wrapped with an explosive tag, chakra surging—
"Gray Maru!" Hana screamed.
With her last ninja hound knocked aside, the Kirigakure shinobi she faced seized the opening and moved to finish her.
Tch… figures. This wasn't supposed to be a full wipe anyway.
Ruichi grimaced and abandoned his sure kill, throwing the explosive kunai toward Hana instead.
"Get back, Hana!"
Both fighters retreated instinctively.
Boom!
As the smoke cleared, Ruichi stood in front of Hana, facing the two regrouped Kirigakure shinobi.
"I'm sorry…" Hana muttered, frustrated at being pushed back.
"Don't worry about it," Ruichi said calmly without turning his head, eyes locked on the enemy.
"Get your breathing steady. This isn't over yet."
One Mist shinobi scoffed at his disheveled companion.
"You let a brat do this to you?"
"The one in goggles isn't normal. Don't underestimate him."
"Heh. In the end, he's just—"
Whoosh—
A sharp whistle echoed through the forest.
The Kirigakure shinobi froze, then tossed smoke bombs and vanished into the trees.
"Don't pursue!" Hayama shouted, glancing toward the whistle's direction.
"Looks like Shisui succeeded."
Ruichi finally exhaled, leaning back against a tree and wiping imaginary sweat from his brow.
Finally off work.
"Haimaru… hang in there," Hana said desperately, pressing down on her hound's bleeding abdomen. Her clothes were soaked red—she was clearly out of chakra.
"This is bad…"
"Don't talk, Kotetsu."
Izumo and Kotetsu stared at the blood on the ground, expressions grim.
After rummaging through his pouch, Ruichi pulled out two bottles—a special hemostatic powder and a blood-replenishing pill—and handed them to Hana.
"What—? Thank you, Ruichi. I owe you one."
…
After stabilizing the hound's injuries, the squad returned to camp.
Shisui had already come back safely with his team.
This shinobi—known across the world as Shisui of the Body Flicker—had subdued two enemies from extreme range using genjutsu.
The Kirigakure elite leader, Ao, recognized Shisui's Sharingan with his Byakugan and immediately ordered a full retreat.
Listening to the reports, the commander finally let out a long breath.
The crisis was over.
The camp slowly returned to its former state…
—or rather, its familiar smell of food.
Damn it. Overtime again…
Ruichi had planned to skip cooking tonight after fighting on the front lines.
"Hm? Perfect timing. I heard you performed well today. From now on, you'll also be assigned to patrol—"
"I'll go cook right now!"
The commander disappeared back into the kitchen after finishing a single sentence.
Now that Ao has seen Shisui, he should stay quiet for a while…
Ruichi sprinkled spices over the pot, watching the flames flicker.
If the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up. As long as it doesn't interfere with my slacking, I don't care what happens.