Team 9, Established!

It took them a full two days to travel from Konoha to Kikyo Mountain.

On the morning of the third day, the three of them stood on a hillside and finally saw the destination of their journey.

Kikyo Mountain.

It was not a single mountain.

It was a massive mountain range stretching across the plains like a natural barrier, separating the Land of Fire from the Land of Grass.

At its foot, densely packed tents spread along the terrain, extending as far as the eye could see.

Smoke curled lazily up between the tents.

Farther away, trenches and wooden palisades could be seen, carved across the earth like scars.

An indescribable scent filled the air.

The smell of gunpowder.

The smell of sweat.

The smell of blood.

And the smell of tension.

Ebisu pushed up his sunglasses and swallowed.

"Th... this many people?"

No one answered him.

Guy stared at the encampment and drew a deep breath.

"Let's go."

The three of them headed down the hillside.

The closer they got to the camp, the heavier the atmosphere became.

Not a single ninja they passed along the way was idle.

Some hurried past carrying stretchers. The people on them were covered in blood, their faces frighteningly pale.

Some crouched by the roadside, bandaging their wounds. Bandage after bandage was wrapped around them, yet blood still seeped through.

Some leaned against trees with their eyes closed. No one knew whether they were asleep or dead.

Every now and then, someone looked up at them, their eyes filled with scrutiny.

But even more people had no time to look at them at all.

Everyone was in a rush.

Everyone's face was tense.

Everyone was like a fully drawn bowstring.

Ebisu's sunglasses slipped down slightly, and he hurriedly pushed them back up.

"Um... where are we supposed to go?"

Guy glanced around and headed toward the largest tent.

A chunin stood at the entrance, holding a stack of documents and writing something with his head lowered.

"Hello," Guy said. "We're the newly assigned Team 9, here to report in."

The chunin looked up and gave them a glance.

His eyes lingered on their faces for two seconds.

Then he nodded.

"Follow me."

He turned and walked inside.

The three hurried after him.

After passing through several rows of tents, they finally stopped before a medium-sized one.

The chunin lifted the flap.

"Captain Choza, your troops have arrived."

Inside the tent, someone was crouched on the floor, studying a map.

Hearing the voice, he stood.

And turned around.

The first thing Guy noticed was his height.

He was over six feet tall, standing there like a small mountain.

Then there was his build.

The signature physique of the Akimichi Clan.

He was unbelievably solid, with shoulders broad enough to block half a person from view.

Then came his face.

A round face, thick brows, small eyes, and hair standing upright like hedgehog spines.

He wore the Akimichi Clan's traditional combat gear, the red armor looking somewhat dim inside the tent.

He looked at the three people at the entrance.

Guy.

Ebisu.

Genma.

Three eight-year-old children.

Standing before him like three bean sprouts.

Akimichi Choza fell silent for two seconds.

Then he spoke.

"Follow me."

Just three words.

Then he turned and headed out.

The three froze for a moment before quickly following him.

Choza did not walk fast, but his strides were huge.

The three had to jog to keep up.

As he walked, he raised a hand and pointed toward the mountain range in the distance.

"Kikyo Mountain."

"From here, all the way west to over there."

His finger traced an arc.

"That's all our defensive line."

Guy followed the direction of his finger.

At the foot of the mountains, trenches, wooden palisades, and earthen walls stretched on without end.

At regular intervals stood tall watchtowers, with hidden sentries posted atop them.

"What about the other side?" Genma asked.

Choza glanced at him.

"The Land of Grass."

"Iwagakure's army of ten thousand is currently camped along the Land of Grass's border."

"The closest ones are less than fifty li from us."

He paused.

"They can get here in half a day."

No one spoke.

Choza kept walking.

"Kikyo Mountain is the final barrier on the western side of the Land of Fire."

"Beyond these mountains is open, level ground."

"Three hundred li farther back is Konoha."

He stopped and turned to look at the three children.

"So this place cannot fall."

"We cannot retreat even a single step."

Guy nodded.

Choza glanced at him and continued onward.

"Team 9's station is at the far east."

"That's not the main battlefield, but it isn't completely safe either."

"Iwagakure reconnaissance squads occasionally sneak over."

"The supply lines need protection too."

He stopped before a tent and lifted the flap.

"This is where we stay."

The three looked inside.

The tent was small.

Four camp beds, a low table, and several boxes.

It could not have been more spartan.

"Put your things down, then come find me."

After saying that, Choza turned and left.

The three set down their luggage and hurried back outside.

Choza stood outside, chewing on a Soldier Pill that had somehow appeared in his hand.

"You three."

He spoke indistinctly as he chewed the Soldier Pill.

"Introduce yourselves."

"Starting today, we're one team."

Guy spoke first.

"Might Guy, eight years old, skilled in taijutsu."

He paused, his gaze firm as he raised a thumb.

"Youth is meant to burn!"

Choza's chewing paused.

He gave Guy a look.

He said nothing.

Ebisu cleared his throat and pushed up his sunglasses.

"Ebisu, eight years old, skilled in... all kinds of fundamental ninjutsu knowledge. I will definitely become an outstanding elite ninja in the future!"

Choza chewed twice more.

He still said nothing.

Genma held a toothpick between his lips.

"Shiranui Genma, eight years old, skilled with shuriken."

Choza nodded.

He swallowed the last bite of his Soldier Pill.

"Akimichi Choza, twenty-three years old, likes eating."

He paused.

"Skilled at eating."

The three of them blanked.

Then Choza grinned.

It was not the smile of a stern captain.

It was the smile of someone saying, "I'm a living person too."

"Just kidding."

He turned and walked ahead.

"I'm skilled in the Expansion Jutsu, the Akimichi Clan's trademark."

"But you won't need it for now."

"Come on. I'll take you to meet the people next door."

The three followed him.

Ebisu muttered quietly.

"This captain... seems pretty decent?"

Genma said nothing, but the toothpick spun once in his mouth, clearly showing his agreement.

Guy walked at the back.

He looked at the broad, sturdy back ahead of him.

Akimichi Choza.

In the original story, he had survived until the end.

The three of them had survived until the end too.

Guy did not know what had happened in between.

But he knew that for a long time to come.

They would forge a deep bond.

And from this moment on, their Team 9 was officially formed.

[Bond Triggered: Team 9]

[Reward: Monk Points +30]

Guy froze for a moment.

Then he smiled.

Thirty points.

Not much.

But it was just enough for him to max out the Yijin Jing!

Without hesitation, Guy put all 30 Monk Points into the Yijin Jing.

He opened the system panel.

[Host: Might Guy (Eight Years Old)]

[Monk Points: 3]

[Ultimate Skills]

[Yijin Jing (High Grade): 999 (Pure Mastery)]

[Precept-Breaking Blade (Mid Grade): 999 (Pure Mastery)]

[Vajra Leg (Low Grade): 1000 (Mastery of Perfection)]

[Vajra Finger (Low Grade): 1000 (Mastery of Perfection)]

[Golden Bell Shield (Low Grade): 320 (Thoroughly Mastered)]

[Items: Lesser Restoration Pill ×3, Shaolin Sobering Stone]

"The Yijin Jing and Precept-Breaking Blade have both reached a bottleneck. I wonder when they'll break through..."

Guy muttered to himself.

But his gaze soon turned resolute.

He was now on the battlefield, where danger could strike at any moment.

But danger meant breakthroughs!

He believed that day

would not be far off.