Supporting the Battlefield

In the late summer of Konoha Year 47, in the border mountains where the Land of Fire met the Land of Rivers, the atmosphere was far more tense than it was inland. Inside a Konoha forward outpost built against the mountainside, though it was not as hidden as the laboratory deep in the Forest of Death, it was still filled with the grim, killing air of imminent battle. This was Commander Orochimaru's temporary station, responsible for monitoring movements along the border, wiping out wandering bandits, and serving as the first line of defense against potential conflict.

Inside the largest stone house in the outpost, the furnishings were simple; what filled the room instead were all kinds of maps and intelligence scrolls. Orochimaru was not focused on the microscopic world as he was in the laboratory. Instead, he stood before a huge border map, his golden snake eyes sweeping over the dense markings upon it. Even so, he still gave off an air at odds with everything around him, a calm so deep it bordered on cold cruelty.

Uchiha Narong stood quietly to one side, helping sort through several patrol reports that had just been delivered. During this period stationed at the border, aside from routine patrol missions, he still regularly received Orochimaru's "guidance" and "research," though the frequency and depth were not what they had been inside the village.

Suddenly, an ANBU ninja wearing an animal mask appeared soundlessly at the doorway and dropped to one knee. "Lord Orochimaru, an urgent order from the Hokage!"

Orochimaru did not even turn his head. He merely answered faintly, "Read it."

The ANBU swiftly unfurled the scroll. "The Hidden Cloud Village launched a large-scale invasion at dawn yesterday, with the AB Combo as their vanguard. At present, the forces under Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku are fiercely resisting along the border of the Land of Hot Water, and the battle line is under heavy pressure. Your unit is now ordered to immediately draw out an elite force and rush to reinforce the northeastern front!"

The message was brief, yet it was like a stone dropped into a calm lake. The movement of Narong's hands paused slightly, and he thought, So it's begun after all.

Orochimaru slowly turned around. There was not the slightest surprise on his face; instead, he wore a faint, playful smile. "Oh? Those two brats, A and B, lost patience this quickly? Minato and Fugaku... hehe, now that should be an interesting match." It was as if he were appraising an arena fight that had nothing to do with him.

"Teacher, we..." Narong spoke at the right moment, his tone carrying the sense of awaiting instructions.

Orochimaru paced to the window and looked at the busy ninja outside the outpost and the rolling mountains in the distance. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Reinforcements naturally must be sent. However, the defenses here cannot be left empty either. That old fox from Hidden Stone is still watching from the west." He pondered for a moment, and seemed to reach a decision in an instant.

"Go. Call Hyuga Tokuma and the other two special jonin here," Orochimaru instructed the ANBU.

Soon, three jonin arrived at the stone house. The one at their head was Hyuga Tokuma of the Hyuga Branch Family, the Caged Bird Curse Mark on his forehead clearly visible, his expression steady. The other two special jonin were also experienced warriors.

Orochimaru wasted no words and issued his orders directly. "Hidden Cloud has invaded, and the northeastern front is in urgent danger. The Hokage has ordered us to provide support. Tokuma, you will lead the team. Draw another thirty experienced chunin from the outpost, along with seventy genin who have performed well, and form a reinforcement force. Depart immediately and reinforce Minato's unit."

This composition was very deliberate. The thirty chunin were the backbone, ensuring the team's combat strength, while the seventy genin filled logistics, reconnaissance, and support roles, and received real combat training in the process; Hyuga Tokuma's Byakugan was an excellent tool for reconnaissance and command on the battlefield; and the two special jonin would assist him. It allowed for effective reinforcement without overly weakening local defenses, matching the steady troop-deployment thinking of a border commander.

"As ordered!" Hyuga Tokuma had no objections and immediately accepted the command. The other two special jonin also bowed in acknowledgment.

"Go make your preparations. Gather at the east gate of the outpost in one hour and set out," Orochimaru said with a wave of his hand.

The three quickly left. Only Orochimaru and Narong remained inside the room.

Orochimaru's gaze fell on Narong once more, an inscrutable light flickering in his golden vertical pupils. "Narong-kun, you go with them as well."

Narong raised his head and met those snake eyes, understanding in his heart. This was both a routine reinforcement mission and another one of Orochimaru's "field tests" for him.

"Yes, Teacher."

"The battlefield is the finest furnace for tempering ninja, and also the perfect stage for observing the limits of life and the truths of human nature." Orochimaru's voice carried an almost seductive magnetism. "The things you have learned from me need to be verified amid blood and fire. More importantly, feel the war with your heart. Feel how power erupts between life and death, and how life moves toward sublimation... or termination. Bring back everything you see, everything you hear, and especially everything you 'feel.'"

Narong nodded slightly. "I understand what you mean, Teacher." He knew very well that the feelings Orochimaru spoke of most likely included observing the reaction of that special power inside him under high-pressure conditions.

"Go. Come back alive. I look forward to your... 'report.'" The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curved into a meaningful arc. Then he turned back toward the map, as if throwing himself into a new strategic deduction.

Narong withdrew from the stone house and took a deep breath of the slightly chilly border air. The horn of war had already sounded. He was no longer an onlooker, but a participant about to step into the center of the vortex.

One hour later, at the east gate of the outpost.

One hundred and three ninja had already lined up. Hyuga Tokuma stood at the very front, his white eyes sweeping over the team, carrying a natural sense of authority. The two special jonin stood on either side. The thirty chunin looked solemn; they were the core combat strength of the force. The seventy genin seemed somewhat nervous, but more than that, they showed the excitement and unease of setting foot on the battlefield for the first time.

Uchiha Narong's arrival drew quite a few gazes. His young face and his identity as "Orochimaru's disciple" made him rather conspicuous among the team. He calmly walked up to Hyuga Tokuma. "Uchiha Narong, reporting as ordered."

Hyuga Tokuma nodded. He did not know much about Narong, only that he was someone Lord Orochimaru valued, and that his strength was said to be decent. In this kind of emergency mission, having one more bit of strength was always good. "Join the ranks. Your task is to assist me with tactical support and be ready at any time to deal with enemy elites."

"Understood." Narong stood at the front of the chunin ranks.

"Everyone!" Hyuga Tokuma's voice was bright and clear, reaching the ears of every ninja. "Hidden Cloud has invaded, and our comrades on the front line are fighting bitterly! Our mission is to reach the battlefield as quickly as possible, support Lord Minato and Lord Fugaku, and drive out the savages of Hidden Cloud! We may encounter small enemy units on the way. Stay vigilant and maintain formation! Move out!"

There were no grand words, only concise orders and a firm objective. Hyuga Tokuma was the first to rush out of the outpost, and more than a hundred figures followed close behind him like a torrent, racing along the rugged mountain road toward the northeast.

The team maintained a tight formation as they advanced. Hyuga Tokuma kept his Byakugan active at all times, scouting the front and the flanks. The chunin were distributed around the outside and at key points in the formation, while the genin were protected on the relatively safer inner side, responsible for carrying some supplies and handling basic vigilance and messaging.

Narong followed not far behind Hyuga Tokuma, hurrying along while silently observing this hastily assembled force. He could feel curious or probing gazes from some chunin and genin, but he did not care. His thoughts had already drifted toward the distant northeastern front.

"AB Combo... Namikaze Minato... and Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyo..." Narong silently recited these names in his heart, and it seemed as if some factor in his blood was faintly heating up. Danger and opportunity existed side by side. In this war, he needed to find his own place and his own gains.

"Increase speed! We must arrive at the designated assembly area before nightfall tomorrow!" Hyuga Tokuma's voice came from ahead, carrying unquestionable resolve.

"Yes!" everyone answered in unison, and the speed beneath their feet rose once more.

Uchiha Narong's eyes sharpened. He cast aside all distracting thoughts and threw himself fully into this urgent reinforcement march. His first experience of the Third Shinobi World War had begun at an unexpected speed.