Root Spy

Shinku Yuhi followed Uchiha Hono's squad anxiously with his three students.

After years as a jonin, he knew better than anyone what happened when a mission failed under Shimura Danzō.

A Stone Ninja battalion had overrun his Defense Zone, forcing Shinku Yuhi to retreat with his three students.

If they had held their ground, the battalion would have wiped them out within minutes.

The only way to retake the Defense Zone was to fall back temporarily and find the Support Squadron or join forces with other Defense Squads.

And retake it they must. Shinku Yuhi was a Civilian Ninja, with no ninja clan to protect him. If the mission failed, his squad would be sent to the Decoy Unit.

During the retreat, Shinku Yuhi ran into Uchiha Hono's squad.

Uchiha Hono was frank about it: the Stone Ninja battalion had chased him all the way here.

He said they would counterattack once they had assembled a squadron.

Shinku Yuhi had no idea where the Support Squadron assigned to his area had gone. The fighting had been going on for ages, yet they still hadn't appeared.

He turned to look at his students.

Namiashi Raidō was carrying Aoba Yamashiro on his back. Aoba was still unconscious.

Back in the Defense Zone, an Earth Release technique had struck Aoba Yamashiro and knocked him out. No one knew whether he would wake up.

At Namiashi Raidō's waist hung the Black Blade his father had passed down to him. He had come here full of confidence.

So what if it was a Shinobi World War? So many ninja had made names for themselves in one. Why couldn't Namiashi Raidō be among them?

Before heading to the battlefield, he had even thought himself lucky to be assigned to the same squad as his friend Aoba