After Orochimaru shifted the front lines into a defensive stance, Takeshi and the others finally had some free time.
Not only could they relax their taut nerves, but they could even stroll around the camp a few times.
Meanwhile, Shimura Ikku and Yamanaka Akira used this opportunity to spread rumors about Takeshi throughout the camp, just as Danzo had instructed.
Takeshi walked all the way to the rest area of the transport squad, searching for a familiar figure.
From Anko, he had learned that about a month ago, Asuma had joined the transport team as a Chūnin.
...
"Hey, Jōnin, give me one of your cigarettes."
A boy's voice rang out nearby. The Jōnin, cigarette in mouth and eyes closed as he rested, didn't even bother to open them. He answered on reflex,
"Get lost, brat. You haven't even grown all your hair yet. Worry about how to stay alive on the battlefield before thinking about smoking!"
As a Jōnin promoted on the front lines, and a civilian-born shinobi at that, he knew exactly what such a promotion meant. He wasn't exactly in a good mood.
His predecessor had just died at the hands of a Kumogakure shinobi. With only basic mastery of the Body Replacement Technique, Clone Technique, and Transformation Technique—plus a single Water Release jutsu—his skill level was, at best, Chūnin-tier.
He thought his gruff words would scare the kid off. But the next second, he felt a shadow loom over him, blocking out the warm sunlight.
"You little brat, do you have a death wish—"
Opening his eyes, the Jōnin was about to snap—until he saw the kid's face.
"Here, take it."
He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it over, his tone far softer than before.
Because he recognized who the boy was—the son of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Asuma.
"How ridiculous. The Hokage's son, hanging around us civilians, and not even a single bodyguard with him."
Watching Asuma deftly light the cigarette with a lighter, the Jōnin waved his hand, indicating he didn't need the rest of the pack returned.
"Keep it. I'm heading out on a mission this afternoon anyway. Probably won't get the chance to smoke another one."
"The Hokage's son, huh? No... On this battlefield, no one is anyone's son. We're all shinobi of Konoha."
Exhaling smoke, Asuma's deep gaze and already-mature face made the Jōnin rub his eyes—he almost thought he was looking at the Third Hokage himself.
"Still, sending children onto the battlefield like this... what a glorious war. Once hailed as the strongest of the Five Great Hidden Villages, even Konohagakure is in decline now."
A nearby Konoha shinobi who overheard their conversation chuckled sarcastically.
"Alright, that's enough. Here comes someone annoying."
Noticing an ANBU-clad shinobi approaching from the distance, the group of resting shinobi quickly got to their feet and left.
"ANBU, huh? That silhouette looks oddly familiar..."
Asuma stood his ground with the cigarette between his lips. Whether it was ANBU or Root, he was familiar with both and didn't need to avoid them.
But the figure in front of him was even slimmer than himself. And that hairstyle...
"Yo, Asuma. Already puffing on a cigarette, huh? Better watch out or Sarutobi-sensei will smack your butt."
The ANBU figure removed his mask, revealing a smiling Takeshi.
"Holy crap, it is you!"
Hearing the familiar voice, a grin broke across Asuma's previously stern face. He stepped up and gave Takeshi a punch to the shoulder.
"Youngest Jōnin in Konoha! You're all the village talks about lately—your battlefield feats are the stuff of legend."
"Eh, what feats? I didn't even manage to take down a single one of the three. I heard that Toroi's still out there active on the battlefield."
Takeshi scratched his head with a self-deprecating smile. In his eyes, that mission had been a narrow escape from death.
"Come on, now you're just being modest. If it were me, I'd already be on the memorial stone."
Throwing an arm around Takeshi's shoulder, Asuma snuffed out his cigarette and pulled him over to a quiet spot to continue chatting.
...
"Orochimaru, what's this about? Never thought I'd see the day you'd be the one asking me for help."
Having rushed over with Minato and the others, Jiraiya went straight to Orochimaru's tent upon arriving at the camp.
Orochimaru merely glanced up at him, then turned his attention to Minato and the young ones standing behind him.
"Hey, you—what's with the—"
Jiraiya found a seat and sat down unceremoniously, intending to toss a few snarky comments at Orochimaru. But seeing that the other man completely ignored him, he deflated a little.
"I'm taking Minato with me for a while. You'll be handling command duties during that time."
Orochimaru stood up and got straight to the point, then gave Minato a look.
Minato, understanding the signal, grew serious. He nodded at Orochimaru, then turned to instruct Kakashi and the others to wait outside.
Once the others had left, Orochimaru began explaining:
"Kumogakure is like us—fighting away from their homeland. They need to transport supplies to the front lines from their main base. But Kumogakure is farther away than we are."
"Given the frequency of Shimura Takeshi's ambushes on their transport units, I'm guessing they've set up a temporary supply depot near the border of the Land of Hot Water to maintain their operations."
"That's why I need a few high-mobility shinobi to accompany me on this mission. Got it, Jiraiya?"
Orochimaru gave a sidelong glance at the ever-lazy Jiraiya. He still had faith in Jiraiya's abilities—if not necessarily his character...
But then again, none of them were saints.
"I get it. But this is seriously dangerous."
Jiraiya looked stern, but he also knew—once Orochimaru set his mind to something, no one could talk him out of it.
"That's not your concern. I'll bring Minato back in one piece."
Orochimaru's answer was exactly what Jiraiya had expected.
"In addition to Minato, there's one more guy I need to bring..."
A dangerous smile curved Orochimaru's lips. Just looking at him gave Jiraiya the chills.
Orochimaru wanted the war to end more than anyone. To him, this whole thing was meaningless—just a barrier keeping him from making money and advancing his research.
He would do anything to end it.
...
"Toroi, how are you holding up?"
At the Kumogakure camp, the young A, now mostly recovered, looked at Toroi with guilt.
Because of A's reckless advance, Toroi had taken a hit from one of that damn Ice Release brat's poisoned senbon to the waist.
The venom had directly damaged his kidney.
To save this respected Jōnin's life, the medical-nin had no choice but to remove the poisoned kidney.
"I'm fine."
Toroi pretended to be nonchalant in front of A. But inside, how could he not harbor resentment?
After learning that the attacker was from the Shimura clan, Toroi had started targeting Konoha shinobi from that family specifically—hunting them down on the battlefield, seeking revenge for the loss of his kidney.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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