After Orochimaru shifted the battle line to a defensive posture, Kazashiro and the others finally had some free time.
Not only do they relax their tense nerves, but they can even take a few strolls around the campsite.
Meanwhile, Shimura Ikko and Yamanaka Zen took advantage of these opportunities to spread rumors about Kazashiro in the camp, as Danzo had requested.
As Kazashiro walked to the area where the transport team was resting, he began searching for familiar figures.
He learned from Anko that just a month ago, Asuma, as Chunin, had joined the transport team.
"Hey, Jonin, give me one of your cigarettes."
The boy's voice rang in his ears. The Jonin, who was resting with his eyes closed and a cigarette dangling from his lips, didn't bother to open them and subconsciously replied, "Get lost! You brat who hasn't even grown his first hair yet, think about how to survive on the battlefield before you think about smoking!"
As a Jonin promoted on the front lines, he, a commoner ninja by birth, naturally knew what this meant, and his mood was certainly not pleasant.
His predecessor had just died at the hands of the Cloud Ninja. Despite being proficient in the Three Body Technique and a Water Release Ninjutsu, he was at best Chunin.
He thought his harsh words would make the other person back down, but he didn't expect that the next second he would feel a shadow looming over him, blocking out the warm sunlight.
"You brat, you want to die—"
Opening his eyes, the Jonin was about to lash out, but changed his mind after seeing the other person's appearance.
"Take it."
The Jonin pulled a cigarette from his pocket, his tone much better than before.
Because he recognized the boy who spoke as Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the Third Hokage.
"It's ridiculous that the Hokage's son is with us commoners without even a bodyguard."
Watching Asuma skillfully pull out a lighter and light the cigarette, the Jonin waved his hand, indicating that the other party didn't need to return the remaining cigarette. "Keep it. I'm leading a team on a mission this afternoon, and I probably won't have a chance to smoke this again."
"The Hokage's son? No, there are no sons standing on this battlefield, only Konoha ninjas."
Asuma exhaled the smoke, his gaze deep and intense. His already mature face, combined with that look, made the Jonin rub his eyes, almost thinking he was seeing the Third Hokage.
"In any case, sending children to the battlefield is a glorious war. Konoha, once ranked first among the five great hidden villages, has also declined."
Konoha Ninja nearby overheard their conversation and remarked with a hint of teasing.
"I'm done talking, that annoying guy's here."
Noticing a ninja dressed as an ANBU member approaching from a distance, the ninjas who had been resting there immediately got up and left.
"Anbu, huh? That figure seems somewhat familiar."
Asuma stood still, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He was very familiar with both the Anbu and Root, so there was no need for him to hide.
But the guy dressed as an ANBU member in front of me was even thinner than me, and that hairstyle...
"Hey, Asuma, you've got a cigarette in your mouth already? Watch out, Teacher Sarutobi might spank you." Finally noticing Asuma, Kazashiro removed his mask and smiled at him.
"Damn, it really is you!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Asuma's previously serious face broke into a smile. He stepped forward and punched the other man on the shoulder. "The youngest Jonin in Konoha, all the talk in the village lately has been about your achievements."
"Hey, what's the score? Didn't kill a single one of the three. I heard that Toroi is still active on the battlefield."
Kazashiro scratched his head self-deprecatingly, thinking that he had narrowly escaped death that time.
"Alright, enough with the modesty. If I were in that situation, I'd probably be on the Memorial Stone by now."
Asuma put his arm around Kazashiro's shoulder, extinguished his cigarette, and led him to an open space to continue their conversation.
"Orochimaru, what's going on? I never thought you'd need my help one day."
Jiraiya, who had rushed to the camp with Minato, immediately went straight to Orochimaru's tent.
Upon hearing Jiraiya's voice, Orochimaru merely glanced up at him before turning his gaze to Minato and the little ones behind Minato.
"Hey, what the hell are you—"
Jiraiya found a chair and sat down, intending to say a few sarcastic remarks to Orochimaru, but found that the other party completely ignored him, which made him somewhat discouraged.
"I'll be leaving with Minato for a while, and I'll be entrusting you with command during that time."
Orochimaru stood up, explained why he had summoned Jiraiya, and then gestured to Minato with his eyes.
Understanding the meaning behind the other's gaze, Minato's expression turned serious. He nodded to Orochimaru, then turned and told Kakashi and the others to wait for him outside.
With no outsiders present, Orochimaru began to explain his thoughts, "Like us, Kumogakure is also fighting on foreign soil and needs to transport supplies from headquarters to the front lines. However, Kumogakure is farther from here. Considering the frequency with which Shimura Kazashiro attacked the transport units, I deduce that they must have temporarily built a supply depot at the Land of Land of Hot Water to sustain the front-line operations."
"Therefore, I need some highly mobile ninjas to accompany me on this mission, understand, Jiraiya?"
Orochimaru glanced sideways at the nonchalant Jiraiya, somewhat confident in his abilities, but as for his character...
Everyone's the same, so no one should laugh at anyone else.
"I understand, but this is far too dangerous."
Jiraiya said solemnly, but he also knew that once Orochimaru made up his mind to do something, no one could change his mind.
"You don't need to worry about that. I will return Minato to you intact." Orochimaru's answer was exactly what Jiraiya.
"Besides Minato, there's one more guy we need to bring along..."
A dangerous smile curled at the corners of Orochimaru's lips, and a sinister grin spread across his face as he looked at Jiraiya, sending a chill down his spine.
Orochimaru desperately wanted the war to end more than anyone else. To him, the war was meaningless and would only hinder his efforts to make money and conduct scientific research. He would stop at nothing to achieve this.
"Toroi, are you feeling alright?"
At the Kumogakure camp, the Young Ai injuries had almost fully recovered, looked at Toroi with some guilt.
Because of his recklessness, Toroi's kidneys were Senbon by that damned Ice Release, and the toxin directly contaminated them.
In order to save the life of this Jonin, the medical ninja had no choice but to remove his kidneys, which were being damaged by the poison, turning this Jonin, who enjoyed considerable fame in Kumogakure, into a kidney harvester.
"It's fine."
Although Troy acted nonchalantly in front of the Young Ai, how could Toroi not harbor resentment? After learning that the other party was a member of the Shimura Clan, Toroi began to hunt down Konoha Ninja of that clan on the battlefield, all to avenge the theft of his kidney.