Hizashi Hyuga

After they left the village, the force quickly spread out.

Only the medical unit and the squad responsible for communications remained in relatively tight formations. The other ninja squads assigned to escort them scattered into the woods less than a mile from the village gates. Baiye tracked their movements with Reiatsu Detection: two squads on each flank, three in the vanguard, and two in the rear, evenly distributed in a circle around the medical unit. The entire formation was like a slowly unfurling net, protecting the medical unit at its center.

After his Soul Strength had soared, the range of his Reiatsu Detection had expanded considerably. Baiye had yet to test its limits, but covering all of Konoha was hardly any effort. Now he could sense the entire reinforcement force, even after it had spread out. Every squad's direction, distance from the others, and speed were as clear as a chessboard etched into his mind.

Hizashi Hyuga walked steadily at the front of the medical unit. He didn't keep his Byakugan active the whole time. Most of the time, he relayed messages to and from the squads through the communications ninja, using his Byakugan to scout only when something unusual was detected.

Baiye looked at his back and made a silent comparison. He wondered how the Byakugan's visual range compared to that of his current Reiatsu Detection.

There was something else that bothered him.

There seemed to be a certain scrutiny in the way Hizashi Hyuga looked at him.

He couldn't call it hostility, but there certainly wasn't much goodwill there.

They had only met for the first time today and had barely exchanged a few words. Baiye didn't think he had done anything out of line, either. He even tried to recall whether he had offended someone from the Hyuga Clan, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't remember having any dealings with the prominent Konoha family.

He thought about it for a while without finding an answer, but he had no intention of asking. He simply buried his doubts.

Just then, something unusual appeared ahead.

Several unfamiliar soul fluctuations entered the range of his Reiatsu Detection.

Two groups of three lay motionless in the woods on either side of the road ahead. The leading ninja squad would encounter them before long.

Allies or enemies?

Baiye was more inclined to think they were enemies. They hadn't signaled in advance or moved aside. Instead, they lay motionless in the main force's path. That wasn't how allies would act.

There was no way they hadn't noticed the force, either. They had carriages with them, and the noise of their march was far from quiet.

Baiye quickened his pace and walked to the front of the group, only to pause in surprise.

The medical unit consisted mostly of Chunin, with even a few Genin among them. Most of the more experienced medical-nin had either gone to Kikyo Castle with Tsunade long ago or followed Jiraiya to the northern front.

Although Baiye was the youngest in the group, most of the others were only a little older than him. He looked around, momentarily unsure whom he should report to.

"Gekkō Byakuya? Is something the matter?"

It was Hizashi Hyuga who spoke. At some point, he had turned around, and his white eyes were fixed on Baiye.

There it was again, that look of mild displeasure.

But Baiye knew there was no time to dwell on it. He hurried forward. "Someone's lying in ambush in our path."

Hizashi Hyuga raised an eyebrow slightly. "You're a sensory ninja?"

He showed no sign of panic and didn't immediately activate his Byakugan. Instead, he showed clear interest in Baiye's ability.

Baiye understood.

"It seems you already knew what was ahead, Jonin Hizashi?"

"Yes. Although I'm the only member of the Hyuga Clan in this reinforcement force, that doesn't mean there aren't other sensory ninja." Hizashi Hyuga's tone was calm. "But people with a sensory range as wide as yours are still rare. Hmm, how about this? Stay here and tell me whenever you find anything."

"Hmm? All right."

Hizashi Hyuga wants me to stay by his side? Why? Does it have anything to do with the way he dislikes me?

Hizashi Hyuga's unusual behavior made Baiye's hand settle naturally on his sword hilt.

In Hizashi Hyuga's eyes, Baiye's movement was simply a young ninja showing his nerves before an impending battle.

Before long, Baiye's Reiatsu Detection picked up the soul fluctuations of the two sides meeting.

Sure enough, the Konoha ninja had been prepared.

The enemy's ambush failed to catch them by surprise. Besides the squad at the very front, the two squads on the flanks quickly closed in as soon as it began, giving them the advantage of numbers.

One side had suppressed their Chakra to a minimum to conceal their ambush, while the other had long been prepared and had superior numbers.

The battle ended quickly.

The Konoha ninja had no intention of taking prisoners. They killed the enemies on the spot, and after dealing with the aftermath, the three squads split up, returned to their original positions, and continued forward.

Baiye's Reiatsu Detection caught something unusual. The fluctuations of several souls on Konoha's side had become slightly disturbed.

"Some of them should be injured. Why aren't they coming for treatment?"

"They haven't reported it, which means they can still carry on." Hizashi Hyuga's answer was calm, even a little cold-blooded.

"But we have plenty of medical-nin here."

Hizashi glanced at Baiye's composed face, surprised that he would be so insistent on behalf of people he had never met.

Have I misjudged him?

"Our main mission is to get you safely to Kikyo Castle. In other words, you're the most important people in this reinforcement force. We haven't even finished the first day, and we've already encountered an ambush. That means a large number of Sand Ninja have infiltrated the Land of Fire. There will be more and more battles ahead, and we may not be able to keep every enemy away. So you can't waste your Chakra. You need to save it to protect yourselves."

"Precisely because there will be more battles ahead," Baiye said, looking at Hizashi Hyuga, "shouldn't we do our best to keep them in perfect condition?"

Hizashi Hyuga fell silent for a moment. "Pulling people back without due consideration would leave a gap in our entire detection system. My Byakugan can scout in their place temporarily, but I can't keep it active all the time."

"I'll scout for them."

"Are you sure?" Hizashi Hyuga's gaze returned to Baiye. "We're on the battlefield now. Running short on Chakra could have unpredictable consequences."

"Don't worry, I know my limits."

Hizashi Hyuga met Baiye's gaze for a while, seeming to weigh something. In the end, he gave a slight nod.

"All right. But only for the first two days. There shouldn't be too many Sand Ninja who have infiltrated this far. If you feel you're using too much Chakra during these two days, don't push yourself. Tell me right away, and I'll take over with my Byakugan."

His tone was still calm, but Baiye noticed that his attitude toward him seemed to have improved considerably.

Even though Baiye's actions had gone against his decision.

After all, it was only their first day together, and he didn't have the ability to see through a person in such a short time.

If a problem arose, he would see how to deal with it then. He now had the confidence to do that.

The communications ninja received the order and quickly arranged for the injured to be replaced. Two wounded Chunin withdrew from the front, and Baiye and the other medical-nin went to meet them and treat their injuries. Neither injury was serious. One was an external wound inflicted by a wind blade, and the other was mild poisoning. Baiye used Medical Ninjutsu to stop the bleeding and remove the poison, taking little time in all. After the two wounded ninja returned to their squads, the entire formation was restored, leaving no gaps in its defenses.

Baiye returned to Hizashi Hyuga's side, his Reiatsu Detection continuing to cover the entire force.

Would it impair my condition?

Not a chance. With his current Reiatsu, using Reiatsu Detection to this extent wouldn't cause him any significant trouble, even if he kept it active all day.