Changing Guard on the Front Lines

Yechen's arrival drew plenty of attention. With the distinctive clothes the Uchiha wore, going unnoticed was impossible.

Ito Miyuki and Abe Rō were training there too. When they saw Yechen, they simply waved without calling out.

He had only come for a stroll that day. After chatting briefly with the two of them, he left.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

The southern Land of Rain.

Along a forest trail, more than thirty Konoha ninjas slowly escorted over a dozen supply wagons.

Team 7 was among them. They had received orders from the Main Camp to relieve the guards at an outpost on the front lines.

Yechen had no objections to the mission and was happy enough to accept it, but one thing worried him: Ito Miyuki and Abe Rō were also in the convoy.

They were heading to the front lines, the most dangerous place of all, where fighting could break out at any moment. Sending him was one thing, but sending every Genin in Team 7 on this mission too? He had no idea which decision-maker had come up with that idea.

Complaints aside, they still had to carry out the mission.

Ito Miyuki and Abe Rō, on the other hand, were a little excited. After all, they were going to the front lines.

Another three days passed in the blink of an eye.

What Yechen feared never happened. They encountered no ambushes along the way and completed the changeover without incident.

The outpost was a small town, though its surroundings were far from pleasant. Ruined walls stood everywhere, and the ground was riddled with pits, as though it had endured countless battles.

As for personnel, there was no one besides the thirty-odd ninjas who had arrived to take over.

Small as the town was, it still felt deserted once those thirty-odd people spread out.

Their assignment was to relay intelligence and monitor enemy movements at the front. It seemed easy enough, but danger lurked on every side, and an enemy attack could come at any moment.

The only small consolation was that the town was fairly clean, rather than strewn with rubbish and severed limbs.

That was a blessing amid their misfortune. Had it been a complete mess, it would have been uninhabitable.

Three kilometers north of the town stood a small grove where they usually trained.

Clang, clang, clang...!

At that moment, Yechen was sparring with Nakagawa Ichirō, a long blade in his hand.

Though he had no swordsmanship skills, after giving it some thought, he had decided he still needed to become proficient with a blade to prepare for the future.

He could hardly leave an elemental divine weapon like Hyōrinmaru lying around unused forever.

To wield Hyōrinmaru properly, training in swordsmanship was essential. So whenever Nakagawa Ichirō had time during this period, Yechen sought his guidance.

Nakagawa Ichirō held nothing back. Though he was no expert in the field, his years of fighting had given him some insight, and teaching Yechen the basics posed no problem.

For more advanced sword techniques, Yechen would have to exchange his battle merits at the Main Camp.

Kunai and blade clashed over and over, ringing out in crisp notes as the two traded fierce blows.

This was already their tenth day at the outpost. There had been several skirmishes during that time, but they were all minor affairs-probing attacks by enemy ninjas.

Their assignment was to relay and gather intelligence, so unless their superiors issued special orders, they only needed to remain at the outpost.

After several days of sparring, Yechen had made considerable progress in swordsmanship.

Half an hour later, Nakagawa Ichirō stopped attacking and pulled back.

"Let's call it a day. Your sword technique is improving quickly. Once we're relieved and head back, you can exchange your merits for an advanced sword technique. It'll help you in the future."

Battles between ninjas were not simply a matter of ninjutsu flying everywhere. They needed other ways to fight as well. If they opened every battle with several high-level ninjutsu, they would soon be unable to keep fighting.

That was because high-level ninjutsu often consumed staggering amounts of chakra. Even a Jonin would not use them recklessly. Every ninja needed one or two special abilities to rely on.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."

Yechen bowed slightly in thanks. Without Nakagawa Ichirō, his swordsmanship would never have improved so quickly.

Clap, clap, clap!

Ito Miyuki and Abe Rō applauded from the sidelines, both envious. An ordinary Genin was hardly qualified to spar with Teacher Nakagawa.

The two of them were prime examples. Even if Teacher Nakagawa was willing to teach them, he would not spar with them personally.

Though he treated them somewhat differently, they understood. Yechen's rate of growth warranted special attention from their teacher.

A month later, their final day of garrison duty arrived. Other Konoha ninjas would soon come to relieve them.

Everything had gone smoothly until then. No major battles had broken out, and the enemy had made no moves.

Today, as though they knew Yechen and the others were about to leave, the enemy actually launched an attack.

Fighting broke out ten kilometers outside the town.

Ten minutes later, Konoha used its home-ground advantage to drive back the Rock ninjas.

Expressionless, Yechen pulled his blade from a Rock ninja's chest, finishing off the last survivor and completing his cleanup.

He stood and looked around. Many Konoha ninjas were doing the same thing.

The ground around them was covered in corpses-Rock ninjas, and Konoha ninjas as well.

As the smell of blood filled his nostrils, Yechen's heart grew colder. This was war: kill or be killed. And what did anyone gain in the end? Nothing more than a cold corpse.

"Yechen, are you all right?" Ito Miyuki came over and looked at him.

"I'm fine. Let's bury them all."

After clearing the battlefield, Yechen and the others returned to the outpost.

As soon as they returned, Nakagawa Ichirō was called away to a meeting. Seeing this, Yechen had a bad feeling, as though something major was about to happen.