Morning in the Land of Rivers was anything but refreshing.
Chairman Quan stood at the command post entrance, holding a half-smoked cigar as he straightened his collar in a shattered mirror. Last night's rain had soaked Black Mud Ridge through. Water in the trenches rose past the soldiers' ankles, and they cursed as they bailed it out, tossing out the White Zetsu remains mixed into the mud.
"Chairman, reinforcements from Konoha have arrived." The chief of staff hurried over, stumbling through the mud, flecks of it still on his face.
Quan did not turn around. He dug at his ear with his little finger. "So they're here. What's the panic? Am I supposed to roll out a red carpet for them? They're His Majesty Naruto's private troops, not some daimyo's pampered daughters."
"No... the person who came this time is different." The chief of staff swallowed and lowered his voice. "His presence is so intense that those two green recruits at the gate accidentally fired their guns."
Quan's hand paused. He turned, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his sunglasses.
At the camp gate, the clamor of men hauling supplies had died away. Hundreds of hardened soldiers, freshly paid their bonuses and still riding the high, stood as quiet as chickens with hands around their necks.
A lone figure walked slowly toward them from the far end of the muddy road.
He wore neither Konoha's standard flak jacket nor one of those cumbersome ninja robes. Close-fitting dark blue light armor covered his body, with black plates etched in precise mechanical patterns over the joints—the Arsenal's latest Curse Mark Specialized Type exoskeleton. A straight sword hung at his waist, and an enormous Gunbai crest was emblazoned on his back.
Sasuke Uchiha.
He walked slowly. His military boots pressed into the muck without