Let's go!
After sealing all the Sunagakure corpses into the scroll, Yūichi stood up and looked at Shin'un.
Seeing Shiina Kō, Shin'un, who was lying on his lap, and asked with concern.
"How about it? Is it time to move?"
"If all else fails, we can find a secluded spot to rest for a while."
Shin'un immediately sat up and sensed his internal state.
"It's okay, don't worry."
"It's perfectly fine for traveling."
After consuming the Military Rations Pill, Shin'un had regained some of his Chakra.
While they were far from being able to fight, they were sufficient for simply traveling.
Moreover, Shin'un hadn't truly exhausted his Chakra. His Qi Sea contained dozens of times more Chakra than Shin'un possessed. If he really couldn't hold on any longer, he could easily extract some Chakra from it.
"All right."
Seeing that Shin'un's complexion gradually returned to normal, Shiina Kō stopped worrying.
Shin'un stood up from the ground and stretched his fists and feet slightly.
Let's go!
After tidying up for a moment, the group once again protected Yakushi Nonō in the center of the group and headed towards the Land of Fire.
Although there were no Sunagakure pursuers behind them, Shin'un still marched at a relatively fast pace just to be on the safe side.
Two days later, Shin'un led his group close to the border of the Land of Rivers, and there was still no Sunagakure pursuing them.
At this point, the chances of Sunagakure pursuing them were slim, but Shin'un still dared not relax.
Shin'un only felt somewhat at ease when the agreed meeting point with Hatake Sakumo, the Konoha garrison on the border of the Land of Fire, appeared before him.
Without any attempt to conceal themselves, they appeared directly in the sight of the ninjas patrolling the edge of the base, leading their teammates into view.
"Stop!"
Who goes there!
Konoha Ninja squad patrolling the edge of the base spotted Shin'un and his group appearing in the forest from afar.
Although they saw that the other party was wearing a green vest and a Konoha Forehead Protector, the vigilant ninja still made him stop in place as a precaution.
To avoid any misunderstanding, Shin'un stood still and called out to the Konoha team ahead, explaining his team's current situation and mentioning that Konoha White Fang would also be arriving with his Anbu Ninja to join them.
Upon hearing the name Konoha White Fang, the patrol team ahead exchanged glances, still somewhat uncertain.
He pointed to the Yakushi Nonō, who was clearly being protected by Shin'un and his group, and asked her a question.
"Who is she?"
Shin'un shook his head in reply.
"I'm sorry, this is Anbu information and I cannot disclose it."
Upon hearing Shin'un's words, the Konoha Ninja were at a loss for what to do. They could only send one Chunin back to the base to report, while the rest stayed behind to guard Shin'un and the others.
The ninja who returned to the Konoha base ran very fast and disappeared from sight in a short while.
Soon, a Jonin who was clearly in charge led three small teams out of the base and, guided by the Chunin, quickly arrived in front of Shin'un and his group.
However, after Jonin stared at Shin'un with a surprised expression, looking him up and down.
Shin'un, who was originally prepared to answer the questions, found it a bit strange that the Jonin was staring at him.
"This Jonin, do you know me?"
Interrupted by Shin'un, the Jonin seemed to realize that it was somewhat impolite of him to look others up and down.
"Oh, I'm sorry, my apologies."
"Silver-white hair, youthful face, Jonin."
"You must be Hirakawa Shin'un."
Shin'un was somewhat surprised that the Jonin front of him actually recognized him.
Do you know me?
"I spent some time on the front lines of the Land of Rain. Although I've never met you, I've heard about you from others."
Upon hearing Shin'un's words, the Jonin offered an explanation.
Shin'un understood that his reputation as a genius was indeed very prestigious. There were nearly a hundred Konoha strongholds on the battlefield of the Land of Rain, and there were indeed cases where people had heard of his name but had never seen him.
"We'd like to rest here for a bit and wait for our teammates to join us."
"It must be Lord White Fang."
The leading Jonin seemed to have already heard the Chunin explain the situation, and took over the conversation.
He said with a serious expression:
"Of course we can, but we're at wartime now, and to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, we might..."
The Jonin didn't finish his sentence, but Shin'un already understood what he meant.
It's wartime now, and since Shin'un parted ways with Hatake Sakumo in a hurry, he doesn't have any items to prove his identity. It's normal for the other party to treat him with caution.
"Don't worry, we understand. It's your duty."
Thank you for your understanding. Please follow me.
Seeing that the other party understood, the Jonin put away his serious expression, smiled again, and with a wave of his hand, welcomed Shin'un and the others into the base.
The Jonin led Shin'un and the others to a house located on the edge of the base and then explained the situation.
"This used to be the dormitory of the stronghold, but it was left empty after the stronghold was renovated."
"However, it's cleaned regularly, so it's quite clean inside. You can stay here for the time being."
Shin'un bowed slightly to express his gratitude.
The Jonin waved his hand, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then left.
However, Shin'un could sense that a group of ninjas had been left behind to guard them.
He shook his head and led the people behind him into the house in front of him.
"Squeak~"
Pushing open the door, you're greeted by dozens of beds.
Wow~
Upon seeing so many beds, Shiina Kō's eyes immediately lit up, and he pounced on the nearest one, rolling around on it.
Not only Shiina Kō, but also Shin'un and Yūichi looked at the bed and blankets in front of them.
Heaven have mercy, they've been on the front lines for three years. For three years, they've either slept on a makeshift bed in a tent or found some random corner in the wilderness to make do with sleeping. They've long forgotten what it feels like to sleep on soft, warm ground.
I never expected that waiting here to meet up with Hatake Sakumo would come with such a hidden perk.
Shin'un then chose a bed, lay down on the soft quilt, and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling relaxed for the first time in a long time.
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was dinnertime.
"Knock knock knock!"
A knock sounded at the door, and a Genin carrying an iron pot pushed the door open and entered.
"Everyone, this is dinner that Kōsuke Jonin me to bring: stewed wild boar and steamed buns."
Please enjoy your meal.
Shin'un stepped forward and took the iron pot.
"Thank you, and please also thank Kōsuke Jonin me."
Kōsuke, the Jonin, is the one who recognized Shin'un, the leader of the outpost.
Watching the Genin brought the food leave the house, Shin'un turned around and placed the iron pot on the table in the middle of the house.
At this moment, Yūichi and Shiina Kō, who had been attracted by the aroma of meat, quickly came over.
Looking at the large portion of stewed meat in front of him, which looked delicious and smelled wonderful, with oil floating on the surface and clear marbling, and the golden-brown and very crispy steamed buns on the other side, Shin'un also felt a little hungry.
Having carried out this Anbu mission for over ten days, enduring only hard, cold rations each day, the sight of such a large portion of stewed meat was incredibly stimulating.
However, although everyone Shiina Kō Yūichi Shin'un.
She nodded and conjured a white mouse.
Despite the pain in his heart, he picked out a large piece of stewed meat from the iron pot, scooped out some broth with an iron spoon from the side of the pot, and fed it to the white mouse.
This is for testing poison.
Just as that Jonin Kōsuke was wary of them, Shin'un and his group were also cautious about them.
It's not about looking at people with malicious intent, but rather with reasonable caution and respect for one's ninja duties.
After waiting for half an hour, the white mouse was still lively and energetic, Shin'un and the others finally felt relieved and started eating the stewed meat.