Chapter 29: A Chūnin's Consolation
Seeing the bisected body of his water bat, Sasuke froze for a moment, and then his mind immediately kicked into high gear. This was a perfect opportunity—a chance to earn sympathy and put on a grand display of his Will of Fire. He was an actor about to take the stage.
"Suke! Suke, what's wrong with you, Suke?!"
Sasuke forced chakra into his eyes, stimulating his tear ducts as he let out a heart-wrenching cry. "Suke, you can't die! I've depended on you my whole life! We've shared joy and sorrow for so many years. I always raised you as if you were my own flesh and blood. I never expected that today, the old would have to send off the young..."
He collapsed to his knees, burying his head in his hands as he cradled the bat's body, his shoulders wracked with sobs. In reality, while this particular water bat had been with him the longest, it was simply the most resilient of the many he had used. If not for its strong resistance, it would have been destroyed long ago by his continuous poison tests. Raised like my own son? he scoffed internally. What kind of parent feeds their child poison every day and uses them as a lab rat?
"Alas, this is the fate of a ninja."
Seeing this scene, the other Konoha ninja, with the exception of Kagejirō, felt a pang of sympathy, but no one was overly saddened. Such things had become commonplace. For a ninja like Sasuke, however, who valued friendship and loyalty, who possessed such a strong Will of Fire, to face such a thing must be deeply saddening.
"Senior, the dead are gone. Don't be so sad," Shinnosuke said, acting the part of a mature adult as he patted Sasuke's shoulder. "The village received a batch of Sand Hawks from the Land of Wind, many with high-level summon blood. I'll find a way to get you one."
"Really?" Sasuke looked up, his eyes bloodshot and full of a sad, hopeful expectation.
"It's true," Torifune confirmed, knowing that Sasuke would easily earn enough merits from this mission to exchange for a hawk chick. He didn't, however, recommend it. A hawk's growth period was long; by the time it was combat-ready, the war might be over. It would be far more practical to exchange the merits for ninjutsu or blades. But he saw that Sasuke was grieving and decided to let him be for now.
After the battlefield was cleared, Torifune gave Shinnosuke some final instructions. Before leaving, he added, "When you file the report, list the loss of the water bat as a chūnin-level comrade. And sign Umino Sasuke's family name for the compensation." It was a common courtesy for high-ranking ninja, a way for him to reward his capable new subordinate.
"Yes, sir!" Shinnosuke nodded, understanding the system perfectly.
"Let's go," Ye said, nodding to Sasuke before lifting the still-poisoned Asuka onto his back and leaving with Shinnosuke.
"Senior, I'm leaving!" Shinnosuke called out. "I definitely won't forget about your hawk!"
As they left, Torifune gave a subtle nod to Maru, who secretly left a shadow clone behind before following the main group.
"Lord Torifune, I still have to patrol my defense zone," Sasuke said, bidding a hasty farewell. He didn't even have time to befriend the shadow clone of the Strongest Genin before he rushed off with his own team.
"What a reliable subordinate," Torifune said, nodding in satisfaction. He turned to the quiet Aburame beside him. "Shibi, you should look after Sasuke more often. They're running low on supplies, and their combat power is at its lowest. Don't let the Sand ninja take advantage of them."
"Yes," Shibi, wearing a pair of small sunglasses, replied with a curt, indifferent nod.