Nayou kicked small pebbles along the ground, bored. Through her Byakugan, she spotted the formation of the lava belt and immediately leaped down from above.
Sometimes she really couldn't figure out why Shen kept messing with his enemies when he could've taken them down in one move.
That's right! In her eyes, Shen was just playing around!
Clean and decisive—that's how a ninja should be.
Even Nawaki felt the same way.
But Shen, who emerged from the ground in front of both of them, clearly didn't agree.
"Just imagine how satisfying it feels seeing your enemy furious yet helpless," he said with a grin.
Nayou turned her head sideways, her pure and bright eyes rolling slightly upward.
Nawaki's response was even more direct—he gave Shen the double middle finger, clearly showing how he felt.
"Uh… I only did that because we had plenty of time," Shen tried to explain.
Nayou glanced at him briefly before turning her gaze away again.
There was even some indescribable emotion flickering across her face.
"You're beyond help now. Even Nayou thinks you're terrible," Nawaki bluntly stated as he lowered his hands.
Then, crossing his arms over his chest, he lectured in an old-fashioned tone, "A true ninja must prioritize completing the mission!"
This long lecture left Shen rather dazed.
Since when had this thick-headed idiot become capable of summarizing the core philosophy of *How to Climb the Ninja Ranks—Fast*?
Shen's eyes were already getting heavy—he just wanted to wrap up today's mission and take a nice nap.
That's what made Konoha's Team One so different from the rest of the shinobi world.
Frontline of the Hot Water Country.
Sakumo Hatake—nicknamed the White Fang—was locked in fierce battle against a thin but dark-skinned Kumo shinobi.
The white tanto clashed continuously with the longer sword surrounded by pale blue lightning.
Both warriors exchanged deadly blows at close range. Watching from afar after escaping enemy pursuit, Yūga-nin Ritora couldn't help but feel uneasy.
As expected of Sakumo—the thought never crossed his mind that his side might lose.
"Hearing it was you who killed Yi?" the cloud ninja, gripping his long blade, dissipated the Lightning Release chakra around his body.
"No—I was one of four who killed Yi," Sakumo honestly replied before rushing forward once more.
Blades met again in violent collision.
"With our strength evenly matched like this, neither of us will probably gain the upper hand anytime soon," the cloud ninja said calmly, though the next moment his lightning-wrapped figure surged with power greater than before.
Sakumo twirled his tanto and fixed a serious gaze upon his opponent. "I cannot possibly let you walk out of this alive."
His blade instantly surged with lightning chakra and shot forward like a streak of white light.
"This is my duty as a commander!"
At his top possible speed, he pierced through the enemy's chest.
"Zzztt!"
Yet the sudden numbness told him clearly—the target wasn't solid flesh at all.
"When?! Was it when he released his Lightning Release earlier?" Realizing the truth, Sakumo crouched low and bent his waist instantly.
A long blade narrowly missed the back of his skull.
"Correct, you indeed possess the strength to kill Ji!" The Kumogakure shinobi, who had distracted his opponent using a Lightning Clone, directed his blade downward.
"Clang!"
A tanto appeared behind Sakumo's back.
Feeling the pressure from behind disappear completely, he twisted his foot and spun his body to dodge the long sword aiming directly at his heart.
A longer blade isn't always better — in this clash between long sword and short, sustaining intense close combat proved challenging.
However, Sakumo Hatake had no intention of yielding so easily.
The rapid and powerful consecutive slashes from the short sword were all blocked one by one by the long sword, but still created the perfect opening for him.
Taking advantage of his opponent's gradually decreasing defensive strength during continuous attacks, Sakumo exerted force through his feet and unleashed an explosive slash.
The attacking Kumo ninja couldn't react in time. During his retreat, a shallow wound was still carved into his chest from the Lightning Release imbued tanto.
"Leaf ninja, what should I call you?" The Kumo ninja steadied his slightly trembling right hand as these words fell, returning it to normal condition.
Sakumo, whose right hand also trembled slightly after exchanging hundreds of blows with his opponent, answered in kind: "Legend of the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake."
"Well then, my name is Hei." With a flick of his long sword, Hei from Kumogakure launched another attack.
These two commanders who had acknowledged each other on the battlefield had no room to hold back against their foe.
When sunset approached, both men covered in sword wounds simultaneously raised their hands to stop their subordinates behind.
Hei sheathed his long sword, watching his opponent do the same: "White Fang of Konoha, it seems today's first battle ends in a draw."
Smiling slightly, Sakumo responded with the same tone: "Hei of Kumogakure, one day I will personally defeat you."
"Hmph, I look forward to that day." As Hei turned to lead his subordinates away from Hot Water Country, he cast one final meaningful glance at his rival.
After fighting the entire day, Sakumo understood that his opponent was the same type of person as himself.
Both possessed similarly amiable personalities, and shared unwavering confidence in themselves.
The most precious thing in life is having a rival who understands you and shares mutual respect.
Unfortunately, given their positions, these opponents might soon become deadly enemies.
Issuing the withdrawal command, Sakumo knew that the next time he saw Hei, it might be another life-or-death battle no less intense than today's.
Between the White Fang of Konoha and Hei of Kumogakure, only one could survive this battlefield.
"War really is the worst," Sakumo thought to himself as he led his forces forward.
Without this war, perhaps these two rivals who acknowledged each other might have become good friends?
At least that's what Hei believed as he returned to the Land of Lightning.
"White Fang of Konoha, Sakumo Hatake," Hei muttered while looking toward the direction of Hot Water Country. Truthfully, he didn't want to take revenge for Yi, his countryman.
Every ninja who steps onto the battlefield does so knowing they may never return.
It was Yi's own weakness that led to his death.
As Hei of Kumogakure, he had known and accepted this truth since he was a child.
The successive Raikages have always been named A, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki always named B. Hei exists solely for battle.
Dissatisfied with the ongoing war, the Third Raikage personally deployed Kumogakure's third strongest fighter, hoping to secure a decisive victory over the Hot Water Country with his most powerful lineup.
If B were in better shape right now, the current Raikage might have already come to the battlefield himself.
Hei knew well that aside from his own admiration, his opponent's strength was not something he could overcome in a short amount of time.
Back at the camp, Sakumo thought the same while bandaging his wounds.
The Third Hokage had ordered him to drive back Kumogakure's assault while keeping casualties to a minimum.
Looking toward the Land of Lightning, Sakumo—known within Kumogakure as Hei—quietly made a decision in his heart.
A decision that would change the course of his life forever.
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