When I found Shibi, he was gathered with Nawaki and the others.
Back then, Hayashi had beaten students across multiple grades to earn ninja points. Nawaki had followed behind just to watch the excitement, stirring things up and provoking people wherever he went. Even though they were not from the same class, they were all familiar with each other.
The jonin circle was not large. Every year, new ninjas graduated, but many died on missions or the battlefield. Especially after two Shinobi World Wars, those lacking either strength or luck had already been eliminated.
So even without much prior interaction, most of them knew each other. As time passed, the number of surviving comrades only grew smaller.
Among them, most were from ninja clans. Civilians who could reach jonin at around twenty years old were extremely rare. People like Minato and Orochimaru were exceptional talents, almost impossible to replicate across the entire ninja world.
Jiraiya had started out as one of the weakest in his class, but he had a great teacher and later gained support from Mount Myoboku. Those were the key reasons he rose to prominence.
In short, the paths of those three were unique. No one else could easily follow in their footsteps.
At that moment, everyone was discussing what to eat for lunch.
The base had just been established, and although battle plans were already drawn, they had not yet been issued. For now, everyone had time to relax. In a few days, that would no longer be the case.
Even though they were on the front lines, smiles were still common, and their tone carried a sense of ease.
It made sense. The Land of Water had already ended its war, and now, with the momentum of victory, they were facing the weaker Land of Rain. No one believed this would be a difficult battle.
Moreover, they had all become special jonin or jonin at a young age. During the Second Shinobi World War, they had been inexperienced, but after surviving two wars, each of them now possessed their own strengths.
This was their time to replace the older generation and stand on their own.
Just as Hayashi was feeling satisfied, Inuzuka Gaku, who had once confessed to Kushina and been firmly rejected, looked around before pulling out more than a dozen watermelons from a sealing scroll.
For a moment, Hayashi was stunned, as if he had returned to his days at the Ninja Academy.
In the heat of summer, watermelon was a rare treat. But on the battlefield, it created a strange sense of mismatch.
Were these people a bit too relaxed?
Inuzuka Gaku smiled and said, "If you want some watermelon, exchange it with merit points."
On the battlefield, missions were not paid like in the village. Instead, completing missions earned merit points. These could be exchanged for advanced ninjutsu or scrolls, or simply converted into money.
Merit points were the true currency here.
At first, Hayashi thought Gaku was joking. But judging from how practiced he was, it was clear he had done this many times.
Hayashi could not help but feel impressed. Inuzuka Gaku had a sharp sense for business.
Even Nawaki, who was usually stingy, glanced at the watermelon and stepped closer.
Gaku grinned. "Five hundred merit points for one."
Nawaki rolled his eyes. Five hundred merit points could be exchanged for a C-rank ninjutsu. The price was outrageous.
"What is this, gold-coated rind or gold seeds?"
Gaku shrugged. "Limited stock. Price goes up."
Nawaki looked conflicted. Half of his merit points had to go to Tsunade, and another portion was given to Nono. He only had a small amount left for himself.
No matter who Nawaki might end up with in the future, for now, he had already gone quite far down the path of respecting women.
He patted one of the watermelons. "Are you sure it is ripe?"
"I sell watermelons, not stones," Gaku replied.
Hayashi felt his eyelid twitch.
For a second, Nawaki's hand moving toward his pocket looked like he might pull out a kunai and start trouble. Fortunately, he only knocked on the melon before choosing one that weighed about seven or eight pounds.
"Cut it open."
Hayashi nodded and formed hand seals, condensing a small wind blade.
With a few precise cuts, the watermelon split cleanly into over a dozen pieces.
The display drew admiration from the surrounding ninjas.
For many, controlling wind nature chakra with such precision at such close range was extremely difficult.
After splitting the watermelon, Nawaki handed a piece to Hayashi, took one for himself, and shared the rest.
As Hayashi ate, he asked, "This must have cost you quite a bit."
Nawaki smiled. "It is worth it."
"Why is he even selling these?" Hayashi glanced at Gaku.
"Family business," Nawaki said after thinking for a moment.
That likely meant another story of someone destined to inherit a trade if they failed as a ninja.
Most clans had side businesses. The Nara clan, for example, raised deer to supply medicinal materials to Konoha Hospital.
So this was not unusual.
Dai, who had opened weapon shops with Hayashi's funding, hoped that Guy would at least become a chunin. That way, another son could inherit the business.
After all, supplying Konoha with weapons like kunai and explosive tags was both profitable and honorable.
The Uchiha clan, however, had little interest in such trades. They possessed significant wealth already, including mineral resources accumulated since the founding of the village.
Hayashi had learned that the clan owned numerous deposits. If he ever became clan head, those resources would naturally remain within the clan.
After finishing the watermelon, Hayashi did not join the others for a meal. Instead, he called Shibi aside.
Many eyes followed his movements. As the frontline commander, and someone with a growing reputation, his actions attracted attention. Still, everyone present was a jonin, so there was no concern about spies.
Most assumed it was related to a mission.
After greeting each other, Hayashi got straight to the point.
"The Rain ninjas are scattered across the Land of Fire. Our main task is to drive them out."
Shibi adjusted his sunglasses, a rare hint of excitement crossing his face. It was as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
But the expression quickly faded, replaced by doubt.
"For reconnaissance, the Hyuga clan is already leading their team. Whether I am there or not should not matter."
"The Byakugan has a maximum range of about one kilometer," Hayashi said. "Its tracking ability is limited."
"Tracking..." Shibi repeated, catching the key word. "You want me to infiltrate Amegakure and investigate Hanzo?"
He adjusted his glasses again, as if trying to hide himself within his coat.
Fortunately, Hayashi shook his head.
"There is no need to enter the Land of Rain. That would be too dangerous."
Shibi visibly relaxed.
"Just track their movements within the Land of Fire."
Shibi fell silent.
Hayashi patted his shoulder with a faint smile.
"I trust you can handle it. After all, with great power comes great responsibility."