The rain showed no signs of stopping—instead, it intensified, crashing down alongside distant rolls of thunder.
Within minutes, the acrid scent of gunpowder that had filled the canyon was washed away, leaving only mud and several scorched corpses behind.
Nishikawa Tetsu crouched beside one of the fallen Iwa-nin, swiftly unbuckling the man's relatively intact ninja pouch and tugging off his still-functional flak vest, though torn.
"Oi, Nishikawa Tetsu."
From the side, Uchiha Fugaku frowned deeply as he watched what appeared to be blatant looting. As the proud heir of the Uchiha clan, he'd never witnessed such... civilian behavior.
"Didn't Konoha give you enough funds? Stripping dead bodies now?"
"This vest is high-density fiber weave—goes for five thousand ryō on the black market. That pouch had three soldier pills and five explosive tags—about two thousand."
Tetsu didn't even glance up. He packed the items with practiced efficiency and slung the bulkier bag onto his already swollen backpack. His tone was matter-of-fact."Fugaku-senpai, war is about logistics. For someone like me with no clan backing, this is my supply line."
Fugaku's lip twitched. He wanted to argue, but couldn't find a counter. After a long pause, he could only mutter, "Do what you want."
Minato gave an awkward chuckle but didn't find anything wrong with Tetsu's behavior. The battle had made one thing clear—on the battlefield, anything could be the key to surviving another day.
"All cleaned. No traces left linking us—except that smoking crater," Tetsu remarked, shouldering his now-bulging bag. "Let's go. The scent of blood will attract predators or patrols soon."
"Hmph. You calling the shots now?" Fugaku huffed—but this time, when he leapt up the cliff, he kept his speed in check, deliberately pacing himself so the other two could follow.
Beyond the canyon lay a muddy plain.
This was the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire—one of the bloodiest battlegrounds of the Second Great Ninja War.
All around them were ruins. Villages reduced to crumbling walls. Mangled structures stood like graves. Stray dogs sniffed through debris. The air stank of rot and scorched timber.
Minato, who had been a touch bright before, grew quiet and somber.
This was war—only suffering and death.
Tetsu remained composed. He had long been mentally prepared for such sights—his memories of historical footage and books from his previous life had drilled into him the cost of conflict. But even so, he said nothing, instead quietly logging the terrain.
Several hours passed.
At last, beyond the rain, a line of lights emerged.
A vast military encampment spread across the plain—fences lined with barbed wire and sensory seals, towers with sweeping searchlights, and the thrum of distant movement.
Konoha's forward command base.
"Identify yourselves!"
Two ANBU appeared the moment they neared the gates, blades drawn and crossed before them.
"Uchiha Fugaku. Escorting newly deployed Genin to the front."
Fugaku stepped forward and produced both a sealed mission scroll and the summoning toad from Jiraiya.
The ANBU examined the items, scanned the toad, then nodded slightly, tension easing.
"Understood. Jiraiya-sama is waiting in the command tent."
The gate slowly creaked open.
The air inside the camp was thick with antiseptic.
Everywhere were bustling med-nin and groaning wounded. Stretchers carried missing limbs, blood-soaked bandages, and haunted eyes.
Minato flinched when a man with both legs gone was carried past him.
"Don't look away," Tetsu murmured. "You'll get used to it. If you want to pity others, survive first."
Fugaku didn't comment. He led them through the triage sector, toward a massive tent at the camp's heart.
"Come in," a deep, tired voice called before they even knocked.
They entered.
Warm air, laced with tobacco, met them.
Inside stood a large strategy table, marked with flags and maps. A tall man in a red haori, with long white hair, stood over the Rain Village sector, frowning.
He turned at the sound of footsteps.
Red face paint. A forehead protector with the word "Oil" glinting beneath the lamp.
There was no sign of his usual clowning.
Jiraiya. One of the Legendary Sannin.
"Oh, Fugaku."
Jiraiya's gaze swept over the trio, lingering on the mud-soaked Tetsu and Minato. His expression softened slightly.
"Bit behind schedule. Trouble on the way?"
"Ambushed by an Iwa-nin elite unit."
Fugaku stood tall, tone professional. "One Earth-Style Jōnin. Three Chūnin."
Jiraiya paused mid-note, frown deepening."An elite team? You got away?"
"No."
Fugaku hesitated slightly—then said stiffly, "We wiped them out."
"You what?"
Jiraiya's head snapped up, eyes bulging."You three?"
He knew this team. Fugaku was still young even if gifted. The other two? Fresh from the Academy. Surviving would've been a miracle.
"You heard me," Fugaku said reluctantly, then turned and gestured at Tetsu."Mainly because of his plan."
"Oh?"
For the first time, Jiraiya gave the inconspicuous black-haired boy his full attention. He remembered the name—perfect written scores, middling everything else.
"Nishikawa Tetsu, right?" Jiraiya stroked his chin, intrigued."Let's hear it. How'd you pull it off?"
Tetsu stepped forward, bowed calmly, and spoke just four words.
"Dust explosion."
He then briefly and clearly explained the setup—terrain, sealed space, flour and aluminum powder, and the explosive tag used to detonate the mixture.
As he spoke, Jiraiya's expression shifted from shock to bafflement… to something unreadable.
He turned to Fugaku. "Is this true?"
Fugaku's face was like stone."That Jōnin died horribly."
"Hahahaha!"
Jiraiya burst into laughter, slapping Tetsu's thin shoulder so hard the boy nearly fell over.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Blew up an Iwa Jōnin with baking flour?!"
The fatigue faded from his eyes as he looked between the three boys.
The pride of the Uchiha. A prodigy from the commoners. And… a brain that understood science.
"Looks like my Fifth Squad might just bring a little surprise to this dreary war."
Jiraiya's tone turned serious again.
"Welcome to the battlefield, hatchlings of Konoha. Rest up. Because starting tomorrow…"
He smiled.
"Training begins."