"Precision" support from the tower

The sounds of battle carried far through the silent night sky.

Shuo stood atop the watchtower with an excellent view.

He could see the golden light Minato had become flash past the edge of the woods, followed by even fiercer chakra fluctuations and the clash of metal.

The blue light of Kakashi's Lightning Release flickered on the other side, accompanied by Obito's signature Fire Release cries-though its power was debatable.

The outpost itself had sprung into action.

The ninja who stayed behind used the makeshift defenses to keep a wary watch for any other potential ambushers.

The soft green glow of Rin's medical team had already lit up the clearing in the rear.

Shuo's job was to watch, give warnings, and provide ranged support when necessary.

This job... was theoretically safer than charging down into close combat, but it was also quite taxing.

He half-closed his eyes and extended Light Perception to its fullest, casting an invisible radar net over several hundred meters around the outpost.

The infiltrators had been intercepted by Minato and Team Kakashi and were fighting fiercely. In his perception, their clashing chakra and bursts of energy looked like fireworks constantly exploding in the dark.

Most of the enemies were tied down. But Shuo's attention was fixed on a patch of shadow a little farther from the main battlefield, toward the dry riverbed.

There was a "light-and-heat" outline there that had barely moved, only occasionally adjusting its position ever so slightly. It seemed to be observing the battlefield, or perhaps waiting for an opportunity.

The "light" of this outline was so subdued that it almost blended into the surroundings. Without Shuo's unusual perception, and the tiny disturbances in the light inevitably caused by the person's rapid movements, he would probably have been very difficult to detect.

A crafty one, or someone giving orders? Shuo assessed.

Leaving someone like that alone could lead to complications.

He estimated the distance at roughly two hundred and fifty meters.

At that range, ordinary shuriken were out of the question. They would lose too much power.

Light Shuriken also had limited range and accuracy. Besides, the enemy was highly alert and might dodge or hide at the slightest disturbance.

He needed something more... "direct."

He lowered his head and looked at his right foot.

[Ding! Conditions met. Light-Speed Kick · Proficient successfully unlocked!]

[Description: Allows faster, more stable concentration of light energy in the feet for kicks. Light energy can either be converted directly into impact force at close range (increased power), or highly compressed and kicked out as a "light projectile," significantly increasing range, speed, and power. Consumption increases with power.]

Just in time.

Shuo rolled his ankle, his gaze locked on the outline in the shadows.

He did not rush to attack, but waited patiently.

The battle below reached fever pitch.

Minato seemed to have already taken down two enemies and was darting around at terrifying speed, supporting Kakashi and Obito. Obito appeared to have run into some trouble: an enemy skilled in Earth Release had trapped him with stone walls, and he was shouting at the top of his lungs.

The outline in the shadows seemed to shift slightly, its attention drawn for an instant by the commotion around Obito.

Now!

Shuo's right leg moved.

There was nothing exaggerated about the motion. It could even have been called casual, like kicking a pebble away from his feet.

But the instant his toes flicked out-

Vmmm!

A much denser, much brighter sphere of golden light tore through the night like a cannonball, shooting toward the shadow over two hundred meters away! It was so fast that it almost drew a fleeting band of golden light between the watchtower and the shadow!

The sphere's flight path was not perfectly straight. Under the faint guidance of Shuo's Yata Mirror Hypothesis, it curved at an extremely tricky angle around several trees blocking his view!

The man in the shadows reacted incredibly quickly!

The instant he heard the sphere tearing through the air, he was already dodging, his body springing diagonally backward at an unnatural angle!

But his movement seemed... just a fraction slower than expected?

He had not slowed down. Rather, the instant he was about to push off and dodge, the distribution of light across the ground beneath his feet underwent an extremely strange, imperceptible distortion, as if it had suddenly become a tiny, smooth incline!

Yata Mirror Hypothesis-a minute adjustment to the local light environment had affected his judgment of the ground's angle and distance!

That hairbreadth difference was all it took!

The golden sphere struck the ground precisely half a step behind and to the side of where he had originally stood!

BOOM!!!

An explosion far louder than the earlier "feeble sparks" rang out!

Dirt and gravel shot skyward amid blinding golden light! Although it was not a direct hit, the blast wave and scattered fragments of light energy still hurled the desperately dodging figure away. He slammed into the tree trunk behind him with a muffled grunt.

Shuo saw it clearly from the tower.

The man was wounded, but not fatally. He struggled to get up, seemingly still trying to hide.

"Tsk, missed."

Shuo pursed his lips in dissatisfaction and flexed the slightly numb toes of his right foot.

This proficient-level Light-Speed Kick was more powerful, but its consumption and recoil had also increased noticeably.

Without pausing, he drew three shuriken from his ninja tool pouch with his left hand.

The light energy attached a fraction faster than before, golden light flowing over the surfaces of the three shuriken.

This time, he attempted no curves or fancy tricks. With the most standard throwing technique, he simply sent the three shuriken in a triangular formation toward the target, who had just climbed to his feet and was still staggering!

The distance was still considerable, but the improvement to Light Energy Affinity had increased Light Shuriken's flight speed and stability.

The man had clearly noticed the incoming shuriken too, and hurriedly tried to dodge or block.

But the instant he moved-

Shuo's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. Focusing, he activated Yata Mirror Hypothesis again on the three flying shuriken and the air between them and their target!

Rather than drastically changing their trajectories, he made exceptionally precise adjustments: making the light film on one shuriken destabilize a tenth of a second early to produce faint lateral light pressure; creating a tiny asymmetry in the air resistance along another's flight path; shifting the third's point of aim slightly toward the direction the enemy might dodge...

Individually, these adjustments were almost useless, but combined in that instant of high-speed flight, they could produce extraordinary results!

In midair, the three shuriken, which should have followed fixed parabolic paths, underwent extremely strange, unpredictable shifts in trajectory! They seemed to come alive, drawing three fleeting, twisted golden trails through the air!

The man preparing to block was completely dumbfounded!

What the hell kind of throwing technique was this?!

Pfft! Pfft! Shhk!

One shuriken grazed his shoulder, drawing a spray of blood and the smell of scorching flesh-a burn from the light energy.

Another struck the kunai he had hastily raised, bursting into a small flash of golden light that disrupted his vision.

The last embedded itself in the ground just in front of his feet, barely a few centimeters from his toes. It sank deep into the soil, leaving only its faintly quivering handle exposed, with a few lingering golden particles still clinging to it.

Scared out of his wits, the man abandoned all thoughts of his mission or concealment. He turned and fled, scrambling and stumbling at more than twice his earlier speed, disappearing into the dark depths of the riverbed in the blink of an eye.

Shuo did not pursue him. His job was surveillance and support, not pursuit.

He withdrew his gaze and looked toward the main battlefield.

Minato had already rescued Obito, who was now working with Kakashi to surround and attack the remaining enemies.

The battle had become one-sided.

He extended his perception into the more distant darkness again, confirming that no other lurking enemies were approaching.

A few minutes later, the sounds of combat gradually died away.

Minato was the first to return to the front of the outpost, carrying two unconscious prisoners.

Kakashi and Obito returned in turn. Obito had suffered a few injuries, but he was brimming with excitement.

Rin immediately went over to treat him.

Only then did Shuo leisurely climb down from the watchtower.

When he landed, his right foot still ached faintly. That ranged Light-Speed Kick had put quite a strain on it.

Minato approached, glanced at Shuo's slightly awkward right foot, and asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"

"No. I used too much force. My foot went numb."

Shuo shook his foot, telling the truth.

Minato nodded without asking further questions and simply patted his shoulder. "Well done. The one hiding in the shadows was probably this squad's commander or key scout. Driving him off took a great deal of pressure off the front."

Obito came over too, his face full of admiration. "Shuo! That move you used from the tower! That golden ball of light! It was amazing! Is it a new jutsu?!"

"More or less."

Shuo answered perfunctorily, "I just thought... he was an eyesore, watching the show from over there."

Kakashi said nothing, but his gaze swept over Shuo's right foot and the distant riverbed-the site of the explosion-with a thoughtful look in his dead-fish eyes.

The outpost commander began directing the cleanup of the battlefield, treatment of the wounded, and confinement of the prisoners.

The atmosphere was still tense, but the heaviness from before the battle was gone.

Minato handed the prisoners over to the outpost's ninja, then addressed the team. "Thanks for your hard work tonight, everyone. Take turns resting, and stay alert. Shuo, does your foot need treatment?"

"No, it'll be fine after a little rest."

Shuo shook his head. He was more interested in finding somewhere to sit.

"All right. Kakashi and I will take the first watch. Obito, Rin, go rest with Shuo. We'll switch in the second half of the night."

Shuo did not refuse.

The mental strain had indeed been considerable, and his foot needed time to recover too.

He went to the dining hall-which had been temporarily converted into a rest area-found a bench in a corner, and sat down. He propped his right foot on another bench and gently rubbed his ankle and the top of his foot.

Obito and Rin followed him inside and sat nearby. Obito was still excitedly recounting the battle, while Rin listened gently, occasionally checking his bandaged wounds.

Shuo closed his eyes and brought up the system panel.

[Current Imitation Points: 467/500]

[Ability use summary: Ranged Light-Speed Kick · Proficient hit (caught in blast) one enemy commander, effectively disrupting him and forcing his retreat. Light Shuriken combined with Yata Mirror Hypothesis produced erratic trajectories, successfully intimidating and driving off the target. Combat contribution rating: A. Imitation Points +50.]

[New ability unlock progress: 93%]

Not bad. Not far from unlocking the next ability.

Although he did not know what it would be, it was a good thing regardless.

He rubbed his foot, feeling the light energy inside him slowly recover.

This battle had given him new insight into combining several abilities, especially the ingenious way Yata Mirror Hypothesis could achieve enormous effects with minimal effort in actual combat.

Looks like... I'll have to practice this kind of "underhanded" fighting more.

He mulled it over. It saved effort and worked well.

Outside the window, the sky was still pitch-black, but an extremely faint hint of grayish white seemed to be showing along the eastern horizon.

The night was almost over.

Shuo leaned against the wall, listening to Obito's gradually quieting voice and Rin's gentle replies.

His taut nerves slowly relaxed.

The ache in his foot had eased considerably too.

He yawned.

After working for most of the night...

I can finally... have a little peace, right?

With that thought, his awareness gradually blurred.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he faintly caught Minato and the outpost commander's hushed conversation outside:

"...We have preliminary results from interrogating the prisoners... They're from a small mercenary organization in the Land of Hot Water... hired by a faction looking to stir up trouble at the border..."

"Their objective was to create chaos, probe the strength of our defenses, and ideally destroy this shipment of medical supplies..."

"According to their statements, another, larger force is waiting farther to the northeast. They'll decide whether to act based on how things go here..."

Shuo's eyelids twitched, but he did not open them.

There's... another force?

He sighed silently.

Looks like...

This "night shift" won't be ending anytime soon...

He shifted into a more comfortable position.

Whatever.

Sleep first.

If the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up.

Like... that Yellow Flash.

With that thought, Shuo finally sank into a deep sleep.

Outside the window, the deepest darkness before dawn was slowly receding.