Overall, Patrol Squad 36 had a well-rounded ninja lineup. Five Release Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Perception Tracking, Taijutsu, and Hiden—there were no obvious weaknesses in any area.
Jiogan and the other two also introduced themselves to Maruboshi Kosuke's group. The six of them now had a preliminary understanding of one another.
This Patrol Mission took place along the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire. The area assigned to Jiogan's group of six covered a radius of ten kilometers. Inland from the coastline lay dense forest. The terrain within the woods was relatively complex, but fortunately, there were no mountains. The terrain in the other patrol areas was much simpler.
Three hours later, Patrol Squad 36 arrived at their designated location and officially began their three-week Patrol Mission.
Captain Maruboshi Kosuke assigned everyone as follows: Jiogan and Anima would form one group to defend the coastline; Okamura Taro and Inuzuka Yoru would form another group to patrol the dense forest; Maruboshi Kosuke and Kurama Feiyun would remain at the squad's temporary camp, ready to support the front and rear at any time.
The three groups rotated once a week.
The squad's camp was concealed within the dense forest, two kilometers away from Jiogan and Anima's defense zone.
Other than the beach, the coastline was covered in scattered rocks. The rocks were not particularly uneven, and the outer edge of the forest was essentially visible at a glance. Aside from catching fish to fill their stomachs, Jiogan and Anima spent most of their time hidden among the trees.
During that time, Jiogan's grilled fish earned praise from Anima and the others. Maruboshi Kosuke, unable to resist, made a pot of Fish Soup Noodles as well. Every squad member showered it with praise, saying this mission was simply too blissful!
Several days passed without incident in their patrol area, but fighting broke out in the areas covered by neighboring patrol squads. Jiogan's group had too few shelters in their defense zone, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. Sneaking into the Land of Fire through this line of defense would have been far too conspicuous, so no ninja from an enemy country had chosen to infiltrate through this area for the time being.
Knowing that the other patrol areas were far from peaceful, Jiogan and the others did not dare relax in the slightest. They especially strengthened their nighttime patrols.
A week passed, and the squad rotated positions. Jiogan and Kurama Feiyun formed a group to patrol the rear forest. Captain Maruboshi Kosuke and Inuzuka Yoru defended the coastline, while Anima and Okamura Taro remained at camp, ready to support any direction.
Patrolling the dense forest was mainly meant to prevent enemies from infiltrating through other patrol areas. In truth, that was the most common method.
"Jiogan-kun, this Patrol Mission is taking too long. I'm starting to miss home. I wonder whether Father has been assigned any other missions at the outpost and how he's doing," Kurama Feiyun said.
"Feiyun, don't worry. You know Sensei's strength very well. There are practically no Genjutsu ninja in other villages stronger than him. Even if there are, they're strategic assets and won't casually enter the Land of Fire. Otherwise, it would be a signal that war has begun!" Jiogan reassured her.
"This mission really is long. We've only carried out two missions so far. Not to mention that you're a girl—even I, a guy, am starting to miss home. Mother works very hard running the Fruit Shop alone. When I was in school, I could often help her. Now that I've grown up and become a ninja, I have less and less time to look after things at home," Jiogan sighed.
"Still, isn't the purpose of our missions outside the village to let the ordinary people of the village and the Land of Fire live and work in peace? Feiyun, it's all worth it!" Jiogan added.
"Mm-hm, Jiogan-kun, you're right!" Kurama Feiyun looked at Jiogan seriously.
Then she asked, "Jiogan-kun, what plans do you have for the future?"
Jiogan pondered for a moment. Before long, the Second Shinobi World War would break out. He did not dare claim that he would make a name for himself in the war, but he had to further increase his strength before then so he could protect himself and the companions he cherished during the war.
"I have a feeling that a Ninja World War will break out soon. My hope for the future is to survive the war first," Jiogan said.
Every Ninja World War lasted for years, a true meat grinder for ninja. Even with his cheat, he did not dare say he would definitely endure it. The beings lurking behind the scenes of the Ninja World were all monsters beyond his ability to resist.
"Jiogan-kun, if we both survive the war, then let's get married!" Kurama Feiyun said, her eyes brimming with tenderness.
It felt as though Jiogan had suddenly been struck hard in the head, and his breathing stopped. Faced with Kurama Feiyun's sudden confession—and even her proposal of marriage—he had been completely unprepared.
Just then, a warning of danger rose from the depths of his soul. Something's wrong. Damn it, danger!
Jiogan's mind instantly cleared. He immediately saw a gray figure rushing toward him. The other party stared in shock at the awakened Jiogan, never expecting his Genjutsu to be broken in an instant, but then attacked even faster.
Jiogan realized that he was under enemy attack and reacted swiftly. As a Tai Chi practitioner, the opponent's speed was completely manageable in his eyes. Jiogan immediately stepped forward, then threw a punch into the man's abdomen. Driven by the force of their combined momentum, the enemy instantly doubled over and lost the ability to resist.
The entire process took only an instant!
With a flash of cold light from his Kunai, Jiogan slit the enemy's throat. Only then did he see clearly that this was a ninja from Kirigakure.
Just as he finished looting the body, a figure appeared with a whoosh. "Jiogan-kun, what happened? I heard the commotion and rushed over immediately!"
Jiogan immediately went on guard and asked the newcomer, "How many colors does Ranmaru's fur have?!"
The newcomer froze, then instantly understood and Responded, "One color—solid, without any stray hairs!"
Jiogan let out a sigh of relief. "Feiyun, forgive me. The enemy just used Genjutsu on me and took your form. I almost fell for it. If I had reacted any slower, you'd have been collecting my body!"
As it turned out, the two had been patrolling together when Kurama Feiyun went to the river to fetch water, leaving for a short while. Jiogan had yet to develop perception abilities, which gave the enemy an opening.
"The enemy was from Kirigakure. He was probably a lone guerrilla, likely a Chunin. If I hadn't reacted quickly, let him get close, and landed a hit immediately, he wouldn't have been so easy to take down!" Jiogan said to Kurama Feiyun.
"Let's send a signal to the captain and the others so they know what happened here!" Kurama Feiyun said.
With that, she launched a Yellow Signal Flare.
Signal Flares were divided into three levels. Yellow indicated an unusual situation, purple indicated retreat, and red indicated emergency support. As long as anyone saw a Red Signal Flare, they had to go provide support immediately, regardless of whether they were carrying out another mission.
Before long, Maruboshi Kosuke, Anima, and Okamura Taro arrived at the scene, while Inuzuka Yoru remained stationed at the coastline. Jiogan explained what had just happened, and Maruboshi Kosuke inspected the corpse once more. "Judging by his clothing, he was a Chunin from Kirigakure. He should have slipped over from another line of defense. We can't rule out the possibility that he has other companions!"
"Captain, bring Yoru over. He and his Ninken are skilled at tracking. We need to search our defense zone as quickly as possible, and Yoru will be of great help!" Jiogan suggested.
"Alright. Anima has defended the coastline with you before, so Anima will replace Inuzuka Yoru. The rest of us will immediately begin searching the defense zone, especially areas with water sources!" Maruboshi Kosuke promptly arranged everyone's assignments.
With that, he took the lead in searching Patrol Squad 36's defense zone.
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