Signs of the Enemy

Nighttime, inside the outpost tent.

"Captain Yamaguchi, are we going to stay at the Camp and hold out?" Taiichi asked, voicing his thoughts.

"Yes, Captain, shouldn't we have gone back after delivering the Resupply?" Saori asked as well.

Before Captain Yamaguchi could speak, Yohei interjected, "You two were busy treating the wounded during the day, so you didn't know that if there's an accident at the outpost, it's necessary for us to stay and assist."

"Right, Captain?" After explaining to Taiichi and the other person, he confirmed with Captain Yamaguchi, his whole body brimming with eagerness and excitement.

"Yes, the person in charge here, Chiba Jonin, requested to be stationed here during the day. We'll be stationed here for about 3-4 days until reinforcements from the village arrive," Captain Yamaguchi confirmed.

Upon hearing this, Taiichi and Saori said no more and began to reorganize their equipment Resupply. Since they were going to be stationed here, they needed to make sure they had everything they needed.

"Captain, can we collect the Short Sword from the outpost?" Taiichi asked Captain Yamaguchi as he turned around.

"Yes, but only standard-issue weapons. Every outpost has these, since weapon consumption is very high during combat."

"Then I'll go pick one up tomorrow. My Short Sword broke during training, and the new one hasn't been finished yet." Taiichi was delighted to hear this, after all, a part of his strength lay in his swords.

"Yohei, what are you doing pacing back and forth like this? You're not even preparing the supplies." Saori, who was packing up supplies, asked in confusion as she watched Yohei pacing back and forth in front of her.

"Haha, I'm a little excited. I never expected to encounter a mission like this." Yohei's face was full of anticipation. "Don't you think this counts as a divine intervention, a timely help, or 'holding out for reinforcements'? It's like something out of a novel."

Saori was speechless at Yohei's nonsensical words.

Taiichi was organizing his Ninja Tool Pouch, then quipped, "Reality is often stranger than fiction, and what you're saying isn't fiction, it's just being a jinx."

Saori covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Yohei Ping looked exasperated.

The next morning, Taiichi arrived at the Logistics Department early and, after showing his Ninja ID, asked the Chunin in charge for a Short Sword.

At this moment, Taiichi is known to everyone at the outpost, since Taiichi treated most of the personnel there yesterday.

"Oh, it's Taiichi. Aren't you Medical Ninja? Why do you need Short Sword?" The Chunin asked, but his hands were quick as he registered Taiichi.

-

"I'm actually more of a combat ninja. I'm going to be stationed at the outpost for a few days, so I'm just picking up a weapon just in case," Taiichi smile.

The Chunin clearly didn't believe it. With such excellent Medical Ninjutsu, how could he have time to train in combat skills? But he didn't say anything, after all, he had been treated by Taiichi just yesterday.

"Haha, good, good, combat ninja, I'll get you the sword right now." With that, he got up and walked into the warehouse.

Taiichi then heard a series of clanging sounds.

Shortly after Chunin placed five Short Swords in front of Taiichi: "Choose one for yourself." The Chunin waved his hand magnanimously, clearly giving him special treatment.

Taiichi didn't refuse and picked up all five Short Swords to try them out one by one, finally choosing the Short Sword that suited his hand best.

After Chunin the logistics ninja, Taiichi slung his Short Sword over his shoulder and prepared to find Captain Yamaguchi. Unexpectedly, Captain Yamaguchi was leading Yohei and Saori towards him at that moment.

"Taiichi, I was just looking for you!" Captain Yamaguchi pulled Taiichi aside. "I just received a mission, a routine patrol. I'll take you on one mission first, and after that you'll have to do them on your own."

Yohei and Saori, who were behind, both seemed quite excited; it was clear that this was the first time anyone had undertaken this type of War Mission.

Upon hearing about the mission, Taiichi didn't hesitate. "Okay, Captain. I just received my sword. Shall we set off now?"

Masasuke Yamaguchi glanced at the Short Sword Taiichi was carrying and nodded to himself, "Let's go now." With that, Captain Yamaguchi led the way out of the outpost.

The four men formed a 1-2-1 formation and headed west towards the outpost. The further they went from the outpost, the fewer traces of human activity they found. They stopped after traveling 20 kilometers away from the outpost.

This area is the patrol area for Taiichi and his group. Captain Yamaguchi led the group on patrol while explaining the key points to pay attention to.

"Border patrols like this mainly involve checking for illegal border crossings, observing the surrounding environment, and looking for signs of human activity."

"Key roads, Yamaguchi, and waterways must be closely monitored to prevent foreign enemies from infiltrating."

"Check the Sensory Seal previously set up at the outpost and see if there are any abnormal records during that time."

Captain Yamaguchi imparted his experience to Taiichi two, point by point. This was essential knowledge for future missions and far more complex than what was taught in the Ninja Academy textbooks.

"Captain Yamaguchi, come and take a look." Saori's voice came, as if she had made a discovery.

At the ashes of a campfire, the Team 8 was gathered. Captain Yamaguchi was rummaging through the ashes, reaching out to feel the lingering warmth. "Did the enemy not have time to clean up the traces, or were they so arrogant that they didn't bother to clean them up? "Masasuke Yamaguchi thought to himself.

"Check the surrounding area for any other traces," Captain Yamaguchi ordered.

Yes.

The three of them scattered and carefully examined the surrounding environment to see if they could find any traces.

Soon everyone gathered around Captain Yamaguchi. Meeting his gaze, only Yohei nodded and replied, "About 200 meters west of here, we found trampling marks on a tree. There were quite a few people there."

Masasuke Yamaguchi glanced in the direction Yohei had indicated; it was a place far from the border, so it seemed the invaders had come from the direction of the Land of Rain.

"Taiichi, Yohei, you two go back to the outpost now and report the situation back to the outpost. Tell them to strengthen their defenses; the enemy from before may not have gone far." Captain Yamaguchi made a quick decision and ordered the two men.

Yes. (X2)

Watching the two disappear from sight, Masasuke Yamaguchi continued to instruct Saori, "Let's continue to Scout the outer perimeter and see if we find anything else."

Taiichi and Yohei traveled at breakneck speed because they had intelligence to deliver, and arrived at the outpost in half the time it took them to get there.

As soon as they approached the outpost, the two were stopped by patrolling ninjas. "Password!"

"Tempura!" Yohei Ping muttered under his breath, pursing his lips. "I wonder who came up with this code."

"Alright, let's go, the intelligence is important." Taiichi interrupted Yohei's complaints.

The two rushed into the outpost and soon encountered Chiba Jonin.

"Taiichi, why are only the two of you back?" Chiba's heart sank slightly as she saw that only the two of them had returned.

"Lord Chiba, we've discovered enemy tracks in our patrol area. The Captain believes it might be the same people who attacked the outpost before. He wants us to come back and report, reminding the Camp to prepare for another surprise attack." Taiichi breath, then looked at Chiba Jonin, awaiting his reply.

"Still not giving up, huh? Do they really think we're pushovers?" Chiba thought angrily, but didn't show it on his face. "You must be tired from your journey back, go and rest!"

"Yes."2

As soon as they left the tent, Yohei approached and asked, "Taiichi, do you think the enemy will come again soon?"

Taiichi looked at Yohei with a strange expression. "If that's the case, then it's definitely coming."

Yohei felt uncomfortable under Taiichi's gaze. "What are you saying? I'm not really a jinx," he said. "How can I say something that will come true?" Yohei looked helpless. Why did everyone think he was a jinx now?

Seeing Yohei's aggrieved look, Taiichi couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore." Taiichi became serious. "I'm going to check on the wounded. We might have to fight at any moment. Every bit of extra strength we have will increase our chances of winning."