The Northern Border

Arata Uchiha.

Konoha Genin.

ID: 012195.

Total missions completed: 71.

Breakdown: A-rank: 1, B-rank: 24, C-rank: 46.

Success rate: 100%!

Looking at the information in his hand, Hayama Shirakumo shifted his gaze slightly, landing on the youth standing before him.

The light blue ninja uniform was embroidered with the fan crest of the Uchiha Clan, and the blade slung across his back emitted faint traces of a bloody scent. His clean, indifferent face betrayed no emotion, yet ripples occasionally stirred within his calm pupils, as if he were suppressing something deep inside.

"Arata Uchiha, the Blood Asura Arata."

"Tch."

A look of difficulty flickered in Hayama Shirakumo's eyes.

He had not expected the Genin sent by the village to be this little guy.

It was rumored that the conflict at the border between Mist and Konoha two months ago had been ignited by this very person.

The Uchiha, who had always harbored grievances against the village, had uncharacteristically put in both effort and manpower, nearly pushing all the way to the heart of the Land of Water. Even the warlike Kaguya Clan had been unable to stop that group of madmen!

And now.

This instigator, known in the Mist as the Blood Asura, had actually been assigned to his squad.

A headache.

He had only wanted an experienced Genin to rotate in for his injured team member; shouldn't this Arata have been promoted to Chunin long ago?

Depression aside, as an elite Jonin, Hayama Shirakumo was no ordinary man, and he immediately reined in his emotions.

"For the next month, I am your captain. You must follow my arrangements in everything. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Arata responded with concise words.

However, such a response did not sound particularly pleasant to Hayama Shirakumo's ears.

It was too perfunctory.

Furthermore, he had a premonition that their time together might not go very smoothly.

There were two others in the squad.

Jonin Tekuno, who excelled in using various ninja tools and setting traps, possessed extensive garrison experience and was a nimble man of size.

Genin Kimura Kai, who excelled in reconnaissance and had a certain amount of mission experience, was a youth who did not like to talk much.

"Because of the new member, I will reiterate our mission: garrison the northern border and prevent ninjas from Iwagakure from launching a sneak attack while the eastern front is tense."

"Arata, introduce your abilities so we can coordinate better."

Having composed his personal feelings, Hayama Shirakumo quickly entered the state of a team leader; after all, he was an experienced elite Jonin with formidable combat power.

"Kenjutsu, Sharingan, Ice Release ninjutsu."

Arata uttered the words one by one.

These were the abilities known to the public, and the ones he used most frequently on the battlefield and during missions.

"Then your role will be reconnaissance and combat."

Captain Hayama summarized.

"However, our mission this time is not focused on combat, but on vigilance. Once enemies appear, retreat immediately and ignite the signal to notify the various outposts."

"Understood?"

He added, and that last remark was clearly directed at Arata.

"Understood!"

Tekuno and Kimura Kai replied in unison.

They had been here for a month and had long since grasped the essence of this mission.

"Mm."

Arata gave a light hum, indicating his understanding.

But a look of worry surfaced in Hayama Shirakumo's eyes once more.

"Then Arata, since you just arrived, you will be in my group for missions, while Tekuno and Kimura Kai will be in another. Tomorrow, we will continue to push toward the northern border, but slow our pace."

"We are getting closer and closer to the border of the Land of Earth, so we must be careful. Kushi was injured because he accidentally triggered an Iwagakure trap, and I do not wish for such a thing to happen again."

"Of course, it will be better now that we have a Sharingan; I will need Arata to put in extra effort."

Ordinary reconnaissance ninjas usually found the tricks of the trade through countless practices and injuries; mid-tier ones, like those of the Yamanaka Clan, possessed powerful spiritual energy and could detect the presence of enemies in advance, but they were somewhat powerless against traps that were well-hidden.

This was where the role of dojutsu manifested. The Kekkei Genkai with the strongest reconnaissance ability was naturally the Byakugan; otherwise, the Mist and Cloud villages would not have gone to such great lengths to obtain it.

The Sharingan comes only after that.

Moreover, the Byakugan is different from the Sharingan; once obtained, it can be used at will.

However, only those with Uchiha blood can unleash the full power of the Sharingan, and outsiders who transplant the eyes face an incredibly awkward dilemma: they cannot deactivate them!

It is equivalent to a faucet that cannot be tightened, draining the host's chakra every single moment.

Therefore, the desire of other factions for the Sharingan is not as profound as it is for the Byakugan.

"I understand."

Arata spoke a few more words than usual, a rarity.

When it comes to the lives of his companions, regardless of whether they are from the Uchiha clan or not, he will protect them with meticulous care; this is also a promise made to his Shikigami, the Terracotta Warrior.

This response caused Hayama Shirakumo to raise an eyebrow, his understanding of this little fellow deepening once more.

Everything was normal for the first half of the month.

But as they pushed deeper, subtle changes began to occur in the surroundings.

The forest, which should have been filled with the chirping of birds and the sounds of insects, was eerily silent.

For any seasoned ninja, such quiet is never a good sign; it is like the calm before a storm.

"Captain Hayama."

Tekuno frowned, calling out in a lowered voice.

Though he did not say much, everything was conveyed through the exchange of their gazes.

Immediately, Hayama Shirakumo gestured for them to halt and took the map from his bosom, studying it carefully.

This map was very rudimentary, consisting of only a few strokes marking forests, highlands, and plains; it would not be an exaggeration to call it a child's doodle.

"We are here now, and the nearest high ground is here. This is the best vantage point to survey the entire area, but to reach it, we must cross this open field."

As his finger slid across the map, the cold-faced elite jonin could not help but show a look of difficulty.

Although movement in the forest is difficult and prone to enemy traps, it is relatively better suited for individual combat.

But once they enter the open field, they will inevitably be exposed to full view, especially since there are only four of them. If they are discovered by an Iwagakure battalion, it would be a death sentence.

One must know that the specialty of this ninja village is group warfare.

Simply put, they use human lives to overwhelm the enemy!

Ironically, they sanctimoniously uphold such behavior as the Will of Stone.

This is the one thing Hayama Shirakumo disdains the most.

Preserving the flame of life for the more promising younger generation is the only correct philosophy!

"Captain, the decision is yours."

Tekuno said in a deep voice.

In the face of such a situation, a unified opinion is paramount.

Hayama Shirakumo remained silent, his gaze sweeping over Kimura Kai and Arata Uchiha, who had yet to speak, before he gritted his teeth and made his decision: "The mission comes first."

"However, Tekuno, gather all the Explosive Tags from the squad and set a trap here. If we are ambushed, this will be our only escape route."

"Yes!"

The chubby Tekuno responded instantly, his expression grave.