The border outpost was more primitive than Shuo had imagined.
A few rows of barracks built from wood and stone, a training ground enclosed by a fence, and a mess hall with cooking smoke rising from it-that was the entirety of the Seventh Border Outpost.
About twenty ninja were stationed there, most of them weather-beaten. They visibly relaxed when they saw Team Minato and the intact supply carts.
A Chunin who appeared to be in charge hurried over. "Lord Minato! You couldn't have come at a better time! Did anything happen on the road?" He had clearly noticed the traces of battle on the convoy and its escorts.
"We ran into a little trouble. It's been taken care of."
Minato answered gently and motioned for Kakashi and Obito to help unload. "Check the supplies and distribute them as soon as possible."
Shuo leaned against a wooden post at the outpost entrance, watching everyone work.
Although he had resolved the ambush through a clever shortcut, it had taken a considerable mental toll. That final "Light Energy Ray," in particular, had almost drained the light energy he had just replenished most of, and his temples still ached faintly.
C-rank missions aren't safe either... he grumbled inwardly. What happened to "no fighting other ninja"?
Sure enough, mission rankings in the Shinobi World were all a scam.
The Outpost Leader soon finished checking the supplies, and a sincere smile appeared on his face. "Wonderful! We desperately needed these medicines and bandages! Lord Minato, everyone, thank you for your hard work! There's a hot meal ready in the mess hall. If you don't mind the humble fare, please do eat before you leave!"
Minato glanced at the sky, then at the fatigue on Obito's and Rin's faces, and nodded. "Then we'll take you up on your hospitality."
The mess hall was small, but warm.
A big pot of stew steamed away, served with flatbread and pickled vegetables. Though simple, it was a fine meal for everyone after more than half a day on the road and a battle.
Shuo found a seat in a corner and slowly sipped his soup.
It tasted all right, just a little salty.
Obito wolfed down his food while excitedly describing to Rin just how "crucial" his Great Fireball had been earlier, after being weakened.
Kakashi ate quietly and quickly.
Meanwhile, Minato spoke in low tones with the Outpost Leader, occasionally glancing toward Shuo.
Shuo could feel Minato's gaze, but pretended not to notice and focused on the flatbread in front of him.
He could more or less guess what Minato wanted to ask-about his final "Light Energy Ray" and his earlier interference with the fireball.
Explaining it would be too much trouble, and he was still figuring it out himself.
Better to play dumb.
Halfway through the meal, a scrawny orange cat slipped silently into the mess hall and prowled around the table legs, its amber eyes fixed on the food in people's hands.
The Outpost Leader spotted it and said with a smile to a young ninja beside him, "Genzo, did you let A-Ju in again? How many times have I told you? No animals in the mess hall."
The young ninja named Genzo scratched his head sheepishly. "Captain, it kept crying at the door. It was so pitiful... Just this once, I promise!" As he spoke, he broke off a small piece of flatbread from his bowl and carefully tossed it to the orange cat.
The cat glanced warily around, swiftly snatched up the bread, and darted into the shadows in a corner of the mess hall, where it began taking little bites.
Shuo's gaze followed the cat. Watching its figure appear and disappear in the shadows, he suddenly had an idea.
He set down his soup bowl and moved his fingers almost imperceptibly beneath the table, guiding a trace of light energy so faint it was nearly undetectable silently toward the corner where the orange cat sat.
It was neither an attack nor interference.
He imagined this thread of light energy as an extremely thin, faint "veil," gently and evenly "draped" over that patch of shadow.
It did not change the intensity of the light or produce any visible glow.
But in his perception, the distribution of light in that corner underwent an extremely subtle change, one that only someone exceptionally sensitive to "light"-or he himself-could detect. The outlines of the shadows seemed to soften just a little, and the refraction and diffusion of light within them were slightly "smoothed out."
This served no practical purpose. It was purely an experiment in finer control of his "Yata Mirror Hypothesis."
The orange cat seemed to notice something. Its ears twitched, and it looked up and around. Finding nothing unusual, it lowered its head and continued gnawing on its flatbread.
Shuo withdrew the light energy and resumed drinking his soup. The corners of his mouth curved almost imperceptibly.
[Conducted a "pointless but precise" Light Energy Environmental Fine-Tuning Experiment. Behavioral pattern matches the laid-back style of "practicing abilities during everyday trivialities." Imitation Points +8.] [Control precision of "Yata Mirror Hypothesis" increased slightly.]
After the meal, Minato did indeed call Shuo aside.
The two stood beneath the watchtower at the edge of the outpost, with rolling mountain forests and the national border in the distance.
"Shuo, you performed exceptionally well today."
Minato got straight to the point, his gaze gentle but serious. "Especially your handling of the fireball's aftermath at the end, and that strike that destroyed the crossbow bolt up high. Could you explain your thinking in detail? Of course, if it involves a personal secret technique, you don't have to share anything you're uncomfortable with."
Here it comes. Shuo sighed inwardly.
He gathered his thoughts and explained in a way that sounded as "casual" as possible. "There wasn't really much thinking involved... I just figured blocking that fireball head-on would be exhausting, and it might blow up the carts. So I wondered if I could make it 'disperse' early."
He gestured languidly. "The fire had already heated the air in that area into a mess, so I tossed a few 'little fireworks' in there"-meaning Light Shuriken-"and somehow they really did break it up. Lucky, I guess."
"As for the one up high..."
He pointed at his eyes. "My eyesight's decent. I saw something reflecting light, so I took a quick shot at it. No idea if I hit it."
Minato listened quietly without interrupting. Only after Shuo finished did he smile. "'Little fireworks'? 'A quick shot'? Shuo, you always like to make things sound so trivial."
He paused and looked at Shuo. "Do you know? On the battlefield, the hardest thing is to make the most 'effortless' yet most 'effective' decision and act on it in an instant. You did that today. It wasn't just luck. It was talent and... the result of extensive practice."
Shuo shrugged noncommittally.
"As for how you use 'light,'" Minato's tone grew more solemn, "I can sense that you're exploring some unconventional approaches. That's good. But remember, wielding any power requires solid fundamentals and a clear understanding. Read the scroll I gave you whenever you have time. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me anytime."
"Got it, Minato-sensei." Shuo nodded, looking reasonably serious.
Seeing his expression of "you're right, but I might not do as you say," Minato felt both helpless and amused. He
changed the subject. "By the way, the outpost captain just told me that things really have been unsettled near the border lately. Apart from the group that ambushed us today, there seem to be other wandering ninja or rogue ninja operating here. They suspect it might be connected to shifts in power within certain small countries."
Shuo's heart sank.
Seriously? There's more?
"So," Minato continued, "we may need to stay at the outpost for a day or two and help conduct a round of reconnaissance and clearing operations in the surrounding area to ensure this supply route stays safe. These are Lord Hokage's wishes as well."
Shuo said, "..." I knew it! A C-rank mission turns into B-rank, and now there's overtime too?
He could not keep a dejected "not again" expression off his face.
Minato couldn't help smiling. "Don't worry. It'll mainly be reconnaissance and deterrence. There won't necessarily be fighting. Besides..." He patted Shuo on the shoulder. "With you here, I feel dealing with 'trouble' will be much easier."
Looking at Minato's smiling face, which practically said "I've got high hopes for you," Shuo felt as though he had fallen into a gentle trap.
I've boarded a pirate ship...
He looked up at the sky and sighed.
"All right..." he answered listlessly. "We're already here anyway..."
Minato smiled and offered a few more words of encouragement, then turned away to arrange their lodging and reconnaissance plans.
Shuo stood alone beneath the watchtower, gazing at the distant mountain forests as dusk gathered.
The wind blew over, carrying the border region's distinctive scent, a blend of vegetation and a faint, elusive trace of gunsmoke.
He rolled his neck, his bones making a faint cracking sound.
Reconnaissance, huh...
Hopefully I won't run into anything that needs more "little fireworks."
With his hands in his pockets, he ambled back toward the barracks.
As he passed the mess hall, he spotted the orange cat again.
It had finished its flatbread and was curled up beside the threshold, lazily licking its paws.
The lingering sunset edged its thin frame in warm gold.
Shuo stopped and watched it for a while.
Then he quietly summoned another trace of light energy. This time, rather than draping it over the shadows, he very gently "brushed" it across the fur on the cat's back.
Light energy had neither temperature nor physical substance.
Yet the orange cat seemed to feel some extraordinarily pleasant "caress." It stopped licking its paw, comfortably folded its ears back a little, and let out a soft, rumbling purr.
Shuo withdrew the light energy, and the corners of his mouth curved again.
Oh well.
Overtime it is.
At least...
He turned and left, his retreating figure blending into the shadows of the barracks.
...I can still find a moment to play with a cat.
Night quietly fell over the border outpost.
From the distant mountain forests came the faint cries of an owl.
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