Homeward After the Report

The Land of Rivers, Konoha's front-line Camp, Central Command Tent.

After two days of intensive travel, Minato and Taiichi finally returned to their Camp, covered in dust.

After reporting their observations in the Land of Birds to Jiraiya and Shikaku, the two remained silent. It wasn't that they didn't want to share their thoughts, but rather that they worried their speculations might influence the two men's judgment.

Therefore, they were very careful when reporting, only stating the facts they had seen.

"It seems that Sunagakure and Iwagakure are going to join forces!" Jiraiya sighed.

"A joint effort is unlikely. At most, it's just a tacit understanding between the higher-ups. After all, Sunagakure officially declared war on Iwagakure, and they've just gone through a fierce battle. The hatred between lower-ranking ninjas isn't so easily resolved."

As expected of the highly intelligent Nara Clan, they were able to analyze the mentality of Sunagakure and Iwagakure based solely on Minato and Taiichi's accounts.

"Sunagakure!" Jiraiya snorted coldly, clearly looking down on these guys. "Time and time again, they've broken their promises. We've only had an alliance treaty with them for a short time, and they're already plotting against us again."

Taiichi and Minato exchanged a glance. It seemed that their worries were not unfounded; Sunagakure and Iwagakure were indeed going to take action against Konoha.

"Someone come here."

At Jiraiya's command, a ninja walked in from outside.

"Pass down the order: effective immediately, increase patrols and double the perimeter. All intelligence from the Land of Wind must be reported to me immediately, regardless of the time."

"Yes!"

After the messenger ninja received the order and left, Jiraiya then said to Taiichi and Minato, "Taiichi, your team's mission deadline was two months, right?"

"Ah!" Taiichi was a little confused. Why did he suddenly ask about this? "I didn't even remember if you hadn't mentioned it. It was indeed a two-month mission. Come to think of it, it's been almost three months now."

"The time has come. Take your squad back to the village while there's no fighting now," Jiraiya said matter-of-factly.

"No, Jiraiya- sensei!" Taiichi exclaimed anxiously, "Going back now would be making us deserters!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Jiraiya said sternly. "Returning to the village to report after completing the mission is just a normal mission procedure. Besides, we're just telling you to go back, not that we're forbidding you from coming back."

Taiichi then realized that they had come here on a mission and had not planned to stay for long. Now that war was about to break out, if they did not go back, they might not have the chance to return again in a short time.

The battlefield situation is ever-changing, and no one can guarantee that they will be safe and sound on the battlefield.

Both Yohei and Saori have families; they need to say goodbye to Nonō and everyone at the Orphanage, so this return is very necessary.

"I understand, thank you, Jiraiya- sensei."

This is the advantage of having a high-ranking mentor; they can think of things you wouldn't even consider, and they can even let you go back directly. At this stage, not just anyone can return to the front lines.

"Minato, your squad should also take this opportunity to go back. It's not too late to come back when the war officially breaks out."

"Okay, teacher, I do need to go back."

After leaving the Central Army Tent, Minato and Taiichi quickly found Yohei, Kakashi, and their group in the Camp. They had just returned from a mission and were training together in the grove.

The battlefield is the best place to train people, and that's absolutely true. Although there are fewer formal battles now, the atmosphere on the front lines always makes people unconsciously yearn for improvement.

This was particularly evident in Obito and Rin, perhaps because they were the weakest. After not seeing them for a while, Taiichi could clearly sense the changes in them.

Obito had become much more composed, and his aura was comparable to that of some long-serving Chunin.

Lin also appeared more confident, and her every move showed no signs of being a newcomer who had only graduated a few months ago.

The saying "A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days' absence" is probably a good example of this.

When Taiichi and Minato appeared at the edge of the grove, the first person to spot them was Yohei, who was fighting against Kakashi, Obito, and Rin while using his Sharingan.

Despite being outnumbered three to one, he was still able to keep an eye on his surroundings while dealing with the three opponents; that's the difference in skill.

"Alright, stop." Yohei forced Kakashi back with a punch, then took a step back himself. "Taiichi and Minato- Senior are back."

After Yohei's reminder, the three of them, Kakashi heavily, finally noticed Minato and Taiichi in the grove.

Kakashi and Rin were both fine, just looking happy. After all, they were teacher and friend, and it was always a joy to see each other again after a long time.

But Obito, what's going on? Are you crying tears of joy? And what's with that relieved look on your face?

All my previous comments about you are now null and void. The idea that you've become much more composed is utter nonsense.

"Minato-sensei, you're finally back!" The idiot Obito dashed towards Minato, but suddenly turned back halfway, quickly arriving in front of Taiichi. "Taiichi, you need to control that Yohei Uchiha! It's outrageous! He only ever makes me suffer!"

Taiichi was full of questions, not understanding what Obito was up to this time. He looked up at Kakashi and the others, and saw that Rin and Saori were already covering their mouths and chuckling. He immediately felt relieved.

Even Rin could laugh, Taiichi knew what was going on. This was most likely Obito's fault. You see, when Obito and Kakashi argued, Rin usually helped Obito smooth things over.

"Were you slacking off during training?"

That hit the nail on the head. Obito froze on the spot. Taiichi, seeing his reaction, knew he was right and ignored him. All I can say is, Obito is a leopard can't change its spots—he deserves it!

Taiichi bypassed Obito and approached Yohei and Saori. "How have you been lately?"

Yohei chuckled, glancing at Obito drawing Obito in the distance, and deliberately raised his voice, saying, "Luckily, I have my little cousin; these past few days haven't been too boring."

Well, these two brothers are really going at it.

Taiichi gently punched Yohei's arm and whispered, "Enough is enough. If they become successful in the future and come looking for revenge, don't come looking for me."

Yohei was stunned for a moment, then pointed at Obito, then at himself, his face full of disbelief, as if to say: I'm afraid of him!

Taiichi smiled and said no more. No one could say for sure. If Obito could awaken the Kamui Mangekyo, then it was really hard to say.

"I just came out of the Central Army Tent. I've received Jiraiya- sensei's approval, so our mission is a complete success. We can go back to the village tomorrow."

Taiichi changed the subject and revealed the real purpose of his visit to them.

"Real!"

This time, it was Saori who exclaimed in surprise. After all, she was a girl, and her emotions were more delicate. After months of intense fighting and witnessing so much life and death, she had actually wanted to go home for a long time.

It's just that considering it's wartime now and Taiichi is often away on missions, that's why we haven't told anyone yet.

"Of course." Seeing Saori's reaction, Taiichi felt a little ashamed, realizing he hadn't considered their feelings. "Let's go back and pack up. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. This is the first time we've carried out a mission this long."

Over there, Minato must have told Kakashi and the others about returning to the village. Obito, a grown man, was even more excited than Rin. His previous pitiful expression vanished, and he became like a restless sparrow, fiddling around here and there.

But when he saw Taiichi leading Yohei over, he immediately became obedient, it seems he had really been punished quite severely during this period.

"Senior Disciple Brother Minato, let's travel together tomorrow. That way, we can keep each other company on the journey," Taiichi suggested.

Before Minato could even agree, Saori and Rin had already walked together, holding hands and nodding happily in agreement, completely ignoring Obito's pitiful gaze beside them.

"Okay, no problem, let's go together!" Minato's face broke into a smile again, no longer as serious as when he first returned.

That night, in the tent where Taiichi Squad was resting.

Taiichi was soothing Yohei's eyes, while Saori was packing her personal belongings.

"Taiichi, is another war about to begin?" Yohei asked, his eyes closed, asking a question he couldn't ask during the day.

Saori stopped what she was doing and turned around to listen to Taiichi's answer.

Don't let Yohei's carefree and nonchalant appearance fool you; he and Obito are completely different "species." Yangping was once among the top two students in his grade, a species commonly known as a "Academic Overachiever."

"Yes, it should be soon. We can only go back and rest during this free time, otherwise we might not have the chance again."

A silence fell over the tent. Few normal people like war, especially those who have experienced its cruelty.

Coincidentally, the three people present were all perfectly normal people. Although Taiichi wanted to run to the battlefield all day long, it was just because he wanted to force himself to improve faster through actual combat. In reality, he was also a person who hated war.

Yohei closed his eyes, enjoying the faint comfort emanating from them, but this did little to alleviate the restlessness in his heart.

"Taiichi— " he finally spoke, his voice filled with a rare hint of confusion, "Tell me, why are there wars, like those between Sunagakure and Iwagakure, where they were fighting to the death one minute, and then suddenly they're scheming to stop the fighting, only to immediately start wars with other villages."

He opened his eyes, his vision blurred by the green Chakra light, but he still stared at Taiichi, "For the desires of a few, the entire village is forced to fight to the death."

Taiichi's Chakra remained stable, but he couldn't help glancing at Yohei again. This guy actually managed to ask such a profound question!

He looked at Yohei's face, which showed a rare look of bewilderment and heaviness, and then his gaze swept over Saori, who had already leaned closer to him.

War, what a heavy topic that can crush naivety.

"Profits!" Taiichi's voice wasn't loud, but it was unusually clear, carrying a maturity rarely seen in him. "Or rather, resources for survival."

"The Land of Wind is a vast desert, where the entire country survives on a few oases; the Land of Earth is all rocky mountains; the Land of Lightning is located on a plateau and is surrounded by thunderstorms all year round; Land of Water is just a large island with scarce resources."

"Look at the Land of Fire. It's located on a plain, with a moderate climate and abundant resources. There's no place more suitable for living than this."

"Why should we be able to live here, while people from other countries can't?"

Do you think they might feel envious, jealous, or even hateful?

These factors all ignited the war. If ninjas could fight each other because they didn't like each other, how much more so would nations?

The essence of the Ninja World is the power struggle and resource plunder between major nations; "peace" is often just a respite before the next war.

"But—" Yohei sat up straight, his tone tinged with barely perceptible agitation and resentment, "They knew people would die, many people would die, and some of them were even their own family members. How could they just stand by and watch these people die!"

"If individuals can still be rational, then when it comes to the collective or even the nation, rationality ceases to exist. At that point, only the interests of the nation matter, which are independent of individual will." Taiichi softened his tone, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"As ninjas, we are swept up in this torrent. All we can do is try to see the way forward, not be swallowed up by meaningless hatred, and—"

Taiichi's gaze swept over Yohei and Saori, becoming unusually resolute. "We will do our best to protect those we respect. That is our reason for fighting. War may be unavoidable, but at least we can choose who to protect and who to oppose!"

Yohei remained silent, his clenched fists slowly relaxing. Saori quietly walked back to her sleeping berth and sat down, placing her hands clasped on her knees, her gaze lowered, without saying a word.

Although war remains a terrible thing, the belief in protecting others has always sustained everyone, making them understand why they are fighting.

The green Chakra gradually subsided, Taiichi gently patted Yohei's shoulder. "Rest well. When you get back to the village, have a good time with your family, and you won't be confused anymore."

On their last night at the front, everyone went to sleep with their own thoughts on their minds—some were calm, some were conflicted, and some were hopeful.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the tent of Taiichi and his squad was opened, and the person who came was none other than Obito, who had looked dejected the day before. Looking at the dark circles under his eyes that were so obvious even through his goggles, it was clear that Taiichi Squad was not the only ones who hadn't slept well the night before.

"Taiichi, Yohei, Saori, get up quickly! We need to leave early today so we can get back to the village and see Grandma sooner!"

Even Obito's dark circles couldn't hide his boundless energy. Yohei, who had originally planned to take advantage of the situation, silently withdrew his hand from the pillow after hearing Obito's words—never mind, he'd let him off the hook.

With Obito, Taiichi and the others couldn't sleep anymore and had to get up and leave their tents.

They ran into Minato, Kakashi, and Rin outside.

Seeing Obito emerge from Taiichi's tent, Minato smiled sheepishly and said, "Please excuse me, Taiichi! Obito was so excited he didn't sleep all night, and he still bothered you so early."

Taiichi looked at Obito, "This guy really does sometimes act without thinking, and he's quite a headache."

Taiichi deliberately spoke loudly to Yohei, "Obito still has too much energy. You should train him properly on the way. We're doing this for his own good!"

Yohei paused, then understood Taiichi's meaning, and nodded meaningfully. "No problem, I happen to have a new training method that's particularly effective, I'll let Obito try it too."

In an instant, Obito, who had been full of enthusiasm, froze on the Obito. His neck seemed to be turning like a rusty gear, and he looked at the two people who had said such heartless words. He was on the verge of tears.

This scene made Minato and the others burst into laughter, and even their spirits, which were initially a bit low due to waking up early, were greatly boosted.

Of course, this little incident was just something to laugh about. Since everyone was already awake, they should hurry up and wash up and eat, and getting on the road early would indeed get them home sooner.