The Noon Here is Quiet

Land of Rice.

Yuhara gazed into the boundless dense forest, lush and verdant, its hues like a child's garish crayon scribbles carrying a peculiar sense of dread. The unnervingly quiet environment made it hard for anyone within it to calm their mind...

This was a green hell that could devour everything, waiting to swallow all.

That Konoha ninja squad had already reached their designated position, and so far their luck held—they hadn't encountered any enemies along the way. Based on mission priority, Rindou's squad's target was that specific Cloud Hidden ninja, so there was no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily.

By now, the Ninja World War had entered its later stages, with the scale of battles between nations drastically shrinking. Yet this reduction didn't mean the intensity of combat had lessened; in fact, the opposite was true. After years of mutual slaughter, the hatred and enmity between enemy nations had only accumulated, and when reflected in warfare, this meant the ferocity of battle had actually increased.

This was Yuhara's first time on a battlefield, let alone the ninja world's battlefield. Though he could feel the suffocating tension, honestly, he had no idea what he was supposed to do—his mind was completely blank.

Fortunately, the commander's leadership was competent. Upon arrival, Rindou immediately began arranging the battle formation. The man who usually wore a constant smile now had a serious expression.

By placing everyone in suitable positions and making the responsibilities of war specific and detailed, the learning speed of newcomers could be expected to improve. Soon, they would figure out what to do...

Because those who didn't learn died.

In short, after the squad reached position, they quickly deployed into a "Search and Encirclement Formation," a V-shaped formation. In this setup, the two extended arms swept outward like clock hands in the same direction to seek out enemies. Once an enemy was found, the outer ninjas would lure them toward the central convergence point, allowing the squad to encircle the foe as fast as possible.

This formation suited a team with numerical superiority but weaker average combat strength, letting them leverage their numbers to outnumber the enemy. However, the problem was its passivity... Essentially, it was a type of "Turtle Formation."

Of course, given the priority on scouting and the nature of ninja combat, the Konoha squad's formation wasn't tightly packed; the farthest search range might extend over twenty kilometers.

Squad leader Rindou positioned himself in the middle of the formation to keep tabs on the battlefield, while Yuhara's team was placed at the rear convergence point of the V—arguably the safest spot in the formation.

This luck wasn't due to him being a rookie; Yuhara instinctively suspected it was Rindou's favoritism... The leader's placement might have been to protect his own sister.

Once the operation began, Yuhara and Xinliang hid in a bush, Jian Dong crouched in the canopy of a tree over ten meters away, and Tigo was nowhere to be seen.

To maintain stealth, Yuhara couldn't move or speak freely. Enemies could suddenly appear from behind the formation, so the reserve team had to stay completely hidden.

The forest was dim, with only occasional bird calls breaking the silence. As time passed, the tension grew thicker.

The first day passed uneventfully, and so did the second.

This squad hunkered down in the area for seven days, during which nothing happened. Well, calling their formation a "Turtle Formation" wasn't quite right—this was clearly a "Spider Web Guard" or "Waiting by the Stump for a Rabbit."

Even with no incidents, it didn't mean they were relaxed. The ninjas scouting ahead were exhausting enough, but Yuhara and the others in the rear couldn't move an inch, crouching there with their minds on high alert... This job was no picnic.

He had no idea when this lousy mission would end.

Better if the enemy never showed up.

Just as Yuhara's mind began to wander, a particularly crisp bird call rang out nearby, snapping him out of his daze.

The sound carried far in the quiet, and soon, a similar call responded from a distance.

Yuhara didn't think much of it at first—bird calls in the woods were nothing strange. But Xinliang beside him pulled out a notebook and silently wrote a line with a pencil, then held it up:

"Adjusting search direction, leader approved."

Yuhara nodded to show he understood. He couldn't decipher Konoha's signals, so he had to rely on this "translator" for messages.

But there was something off about Xinliang's note. The squad seemed to be following the plan to adjust direction, yet "leader approved" suggested this adjustment wasn't entirely Rindou's own decision. Someone had proposed it or given him intel, leading to a new judgment.

This meant the squad likely had a powerful Sensory Type Ninja feeding the leader battlefield awareness. Who could that be?

The answer hit Yuhara instantly.

The team's "radar" would naturally be placed in the safest spot. That person wasn't Yuhara or Xinliang, nor Jian Dong—so it had to be Tigo.

Tigo was hidden so well that even her own teammates didn't know her exact location, only that she was nearby.

Well, Yuhara's team being assigned the safest spot wasn't just Rindou's favoritism; at most, it was mixed with personal bias.

And if Tigo could provide intel from the farthest position, it meant her perception range was vast—an essential trait for a top-tier Sensory Type.

The squad began shifting their search direction.

As noon approached, the forest grew more humid and stifling, and Tigo's exchanges with the leader became more frequent, bird calls echoing back and forth.

With each message relayed, Tigo changed her position. Young as she was, her ninja skills were solid—she left no trace behind.

After a short bird call, the "translator" Xinliang practically shoved his notebook into Yuhara's face. On it were written the words:

"Prepare for contact at 15 direction!"

All of Yuhara's scattered thoughts—like "How does this squad have such a subpar sensory ninja?" or "Should we fight or flee if we meet the enemy?"—vanished instantly. Or rather, after seeing those words, his entire mind seemed wiped clean. All he could hear was the pounding of his own heart in his chest.

Yuhara unconsciously licked his dry lips, unable to tell if the smell filling his nostrils was earth or blood.

"Verifying enemy identity..."

"Target confirmed. Enemy is Cloud Hidden Jonin 'Koto.' Two casualties."

"Beginning to lure enemy pursuit. Five casualties."

The forest buzzed with intel exchanges, and in just one encounter, Konoha had already lost five ninjas—a 20% casualty rate.

"Target approaching ambush zone..."

Xinliang had only written halfway when another bird call sounded near them. Then he suddenly stood up and spoke aloud for the first time to Yuhara:

"Enemy reinforcements! Intel was wrong—the Cloud Hidden side isn't a two-man squad, but a four-man squad!"

If the lead enemy was an Elite Jonin on an infiltration mission, then doubling his squad size effectively meant doubling their combat power... Weaklings wouldn't be sent on infiltration missions—otherwise, Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara's fate was proof enough.

Yuhara's mind was already overwhelmed, and hearing this news only left him more stunned.

The forest seemed to grow noisy in an instant.

But before a ninja like Xinliang could act blindly, the squad leader Rindou's order came first.

Hearing this command, Xinliang couldn't help but tighten his grip on the kunai in his hand. He glanced at Yuhara, then said in a low voice:

"The mission...

continues."

Yes, even in the face of a sudden change, this mission had to proceed.

Because...

Death was trivial; abandoning the mission was grave.