And soon they started moving back swiftly, their mission considered fully complete.
The larger Konoha company had been ordered to secure a forward zone in central Land of Hot Water, near the approaches Kumo was using to infiltrate from the north.
Ryusei's little squad, previously under Okabe, now under him, had been dispatched as part of a screening operation, find and neutralize the Kumogakure team that had been harassing supply convoys and planting disruption seals.
The orders had been simple but blunt: don't just locate them, engage and remove them.
Leaving Kumo in place would risk exposing Konoha's logistical routes and delaying reinforcements.
And so they had fought. And so they had returned.
The mood in the air shifted now, lighter, as they tree-hopped their way back.
Ryusei smirked sidelong at Kanae. "That new technique of yours was… honestly a little scary. Almost diabolical, Kanae."
Her head whipped toward him, violet eyes narrowing. "It was your idea," she snapped, cheeks already warming.
But a beat later, almost inaudible, she muttered in a mosquito-like whisper, "Still… thank you. It really made me stronger. I saw it with my own eyes."
Ryusei grinned. Mid-leap, he reached over and ruffled her hair with one hand. "Don't thank me. It's all your talent, and those beautiful eyes of yours. I just provided the concept."
Kanae's face flushed deeper, though a tiny arc curled at the corner of her cherry lips. That little crack in her cold mask was hard to miss, satisfaction at being praised.
Renjiro, of course, had already sprinted dozens of meters ahead, punching the air as if fighting invisible foes. He didn't even look back.
'He already knows better,' Ryusei thought, amused.
Renjiro's own thoughts weren't complicated. He truly didn't understand them. 'What's so fun about being so close with the opposite sex?'
Ryusei let him go, instead turning back toward Kanae.
"How do you feel after using Vital Surge this time alone?" he asked. "Would you still prefer me to 'apply it' for you?"
Kanae nearly stumbled on her next landing, her face burning. She spat out quickly, "It's fine! I'm getting the gist of it. The aftershocks aren't even that bad anymore."
She paused, then her tone shifted, oddly playful for her usual icy demeanor.
Her blush only deepened, her voice low and sharp as if trying to bite back her embarrassment.
"But don't push it too far… If you really want to touch me so much, stop using dumb excuses." She glanced away, her ears red. "At least make me as strong as you first. And give me hints… insights. About how to remove… that thing."
The Curse Mark.
Her words trailed, but her meaning was clear. And her violet eyes flickered back at him, equal parts flustered and daring.
Ryusei's grin widened, laughter slipping out, low and amused.
"Hah. You really are something, Kanae. Even when you're madly head over heels, you're still bargaining for your own interests. Blackmailing me already?"
Kanae's blush went crimson, but she didn't deny it.
Her fists clenched tighter, more in fluster than in anger.
Ryusei leaned closer mid-air, his narrow eyes glinting. "Good. I like that about you. A girl who can still bare her fangs, even while blushing, is worth far more than one who just follows. You want strength, you'll get it. You want freedom from that cursed cage, then you'll have to gamble with me. But don't worry…"
His grin sharpened, half-teasing, half-serious. "…I always pay back those who bet on me."
Kanae's heart pounded, her mind reeling between the humiliation of being teased, the relief of his words, and the dangerous thrill in them.
She quickly looked away, muttering something too faint to hear. But her lips curved again, just slightly.
By the time the three of them reached the designated resting point, the sun had already sunk behind the treeline, leaving the Land of Hot Water's forests steeped in shadow.
Inside, only a handful of other shinobi were present. Some were stretched against the rock walls, binding wounds or meditating with closed eyes, others quietly polishing their weapons.
The moment Ryusei's team stepped through the barrier, heads turned.
Eyes lingered longer than usual. Curiosity, faint respect, and something sharper—apprehension.
They weren't supposed to be openly acknowledged, not here.
Every team leader and squad captain had carefully avoided drawing attention to Ryusei, Kanae, and Renjiro.
The company command chain worked hard to keep things quiet.
But performances couldn't be hidden forever. Whispers traveled fast, even in war.
The squad that was supposed to be the weakest link—the one losing its leader only a month ago—had already returned from three increasingly dangerous missions intact.
Rumors of their victories against Kumo squads, even against jōnin, had begun to circulate.
The other shinobi didn't ask questions. They didn't need to. The glances said enough.
Some carried the curiosity of soldiers who wanted to measure rising talents.
Others, the silent respect of comrades, grateful someone was pulling their weight on this blood-soaked front.
But a few… their eyes were colder. Careful. Appraising. ANBU, maybe, hidden under the mask of "ordinary shinobi." Watching too closely for it to be a coincidence.
Ryusei caught every flicker of gaze as if he had been waiting for them.
He wore his same narrow-eyed, harmless smile, giving nothing away.
Inside, though, he cataloged them one by one, mentally noting who looked curious, who looked cautious, and who was just pretending not to look at all.
Kanae didn't flinch at the stares. Her mask was firmly back in place, her posture calm and detached, violet eyes unbothered.
If anything, she looked more composed than before, as though the mission hadn't taxed her at all.
Renjiro, on the other hand, kept his sword in hand as he walked through, deliberately ignoring the looks.
He headed straight for one of the far walls, sat down, and leaned his back against the stone, as though daring anyone to speak to him.
The three of them moved naturally to a corner of the chamber, settling together without a word.
The atmosphere was thick, quiet enough that even the sound of Ryusei adjusting his flak jacket seemed louder than usual.