I Could've Done That Too

Mimura Hamaki, wearing a Jonin vest, advanced at the center of the formation. He nodded to Orochimaru, then swept his gaze across the ravaged forest. At its heart lay the enormous crater Rasa had blasted into the ground in a fit of rage.

He did not hesitate. His voice turned stern as he issued an order that reached every Konoha Ninja.

"Split into ten squads and seal off every mountain path. Don't let Sunagakure double back and ambush us. Everyone else, follow me into Mount Tenmoku Base. Check each floor for traps, clear out any remaining lookouts, and collect the supplies left behind. And do not touch any unidentified experimental materials!"

The two hundred Ninjas of the border force quickly divided up. Ten squads headed for the mountain paths, while the rest advanced toward the base entrance in small teams.

The advancing teams followed procedure to the letter. They surveyed their surroundings first and entered the base to clear it only after confirming it was safe. The Shadowkhan had already emptied the laboratories and archives of anything important, and the Sand Ninjas had taken the ledgers and records when they withdrew. All that remained were discarded laboratory vessels and the damaged remains of puppets.

The Konoha Ninjas carried out the cleanup methodically, sealing away the items while taking care not to spread any poison from the puppets.

In the shade at the forest's edge, Tsukimi let go of his earlier tension and settled back into his usual lazy manner. He watched the cleanup in silence without stepping in. The fight had drained his Chakra faster than expected, so he took the chance to recover a little.

His friends gathered around him. Worry filled Kurenai's face as she asked softly,

"Are you okay, Tsukimi?"

"I'm fine. I just used a lot