Chapter 83: The Shinobi's "Kill-Line"
The two tomoe in En Uchiha's Sharingan spun slowly, his crimson gaze scanning the dense foliage.
Behind him, two Chunin followed in a tight but disciplined formation: Ten Inuzuka and Shiga Aburame.
The trio moved in a "V" formation, maintaining a distance that was meticulously calculated. They were close enough for instant communication but far enough apart that a single wide-range Ninjutsu couldn't catch them all at once.
This was the physical manifestation of En's experience—a lesson carved into his soul by the blood-soaked dirt of the Warring States period. He still remembered a skirmish from his youth where his squad had bunched up too closely. A hidden enemy had used a Water Style binding to snag everyone's ankles at once; a barrage of kunai followed, and En was the only one who had crawled away alive.
"Any movement?" En rasped.
"His scent is everywhere," Ten Inuzuka whispered, his ninken growling low in its throat. "It's overlapping at multiple points. I can't pin down a direction."
"No insects have been triggered. The perimeter is clean," Shiga Aburame added, his voice a monotonous hum.
"Strange. Does this brat move like a ghost?" En muttered under his breath. "Even the Inuzuka hounds can't track him? It's as if he's teleporting..."
"Are you sure you saw him, Captain?" Ten asked, scratching his head. "Maybe he was here hours ago. Scent lingers in the humid air—it can play tricks on you."
Shiga shook his head. "Unless his sensory range is vast enough to detect my bug-traps from a hundred yards away, it's almost impossible to bypass our net."
Despite their lack of "genius" talent, Ten and Shiga were the most improved duo in the entire Patrol Net. They worshipped En for his veteran wisdom, and they followed his tactical drills with religious devotion. Because of this synergy, their squad had the highest record for intercepting real intruders.
Ever since Lord Hiruzen had assigned Minato Namikaze the task of "Stress-Testing" the village's defenses, the blonde teenager had treated it as his personal training. He didn't just "test" the guards; he mentored them.
When he "caught" a squad, Minato didn't mock them. He would sit down, flash that bright, sunny smile, and conduct a detailed debrief. He'd point out their blind spots, praise their specific clan strengths, and ask them how he could have been caught.
It was impossible to hate him. Even the prickly Uchiha veterans had grown to respect the kid's terrifying level of observation.
It was thanks to Minato's constant "drilling" that the Patrol Net had been sharp enough to catch the elite Grass Village spies a few weeks ago. En Uchiha had been the hero of that day, capturing two infiltrators single-handedly.
Since then, En had taken a shine to the "Yellow-Haired Brat." He often criticized Minato's form with the harshness of a drill sergeant, but he was secretly teaching the boy high-level battlefield survival tips—how to read wind currents through grass, how to judge the compaction of soil, and how to tell if a bird's chirp was a warning or just a song.
Minato always nodded politely, playing the role of the eager student, which only made the old Uchiha work harder to "impress" him.
Ten and Shiga watched the dynamic with amusement. The "Little Sun" was two steps away from tricking Captain En into handing over his entire paycheck.
"Impossible," En growled, his Sharingan narrowing. "My eyes don't lie. I saw a flash of gold in the trees. I'm not that old yet!"
Ten and Shiga shared a look of helpless resignation. En was a good man, but he was a classic Uchiha: stubborn, proud, and completely allergic to admitting he was wrong.
"Push forward!"
"The Hokage isn't paying us to stand around and guess," En barked. "We strive for perfection!"
"Listen up, brats. Do you realize how lucky you are? In the Warring States, we had to learn these lessons while our brothers were dying in the mud. Now, the village pays you a salary just to practice being alert. If you don't take this seriously now, don't blame the enemy's 'cruelty' when you're bleeding out on a real mission!"
En wasn't a "Will of Fire" zealot, but he was a professional. He saw the Patrol Net as a masterpiece of management. It secured the village, provided steady work for veterans like him, and let the old guard train the next generation.
He had actually grown quite fond of his non-Uchiha subordinates. They listened to him. They respected him. It made En realize that maybe the clan's legendary "arrogance" was a bit outdated.
"Yes, Captain En!" Ten and Shiga snapped to attention, energized by the lecture.
They continued their sweep, but after another hour, there was still no sign of Minato. Only that occasional, maddening flash of gold in the distance.
"Is the pressure getting to me?" En sighed, signaling a halt. He gestured to a small clearing. "Alright, let's wait for the next rotation. Our shift is over."
"I see the relief squad coming up the path now."
En reached into his vest and pulled out a polished metal cigarette case. He lit a smoke and took a long, weary drag.
"Captain, is that still the same pack the Hokage gave you?" Ten asked with a grin. "You've been babying that box for a month."
"Hmph! Of course I finished those weeks ago!"
En bristled, blowing a cloud of smoke. "But the case is high-quality steel. I'm keeping it. You kids don't understand the value of Resource Management!"
"A ninja's life is a struggle against poverty," En lectured, his eyes turning serious. "You make a big score on a mission, but then you spend it all on high-grade kunai, armor maintenance, and medical checkups. If you don't keep a 'Bottom Line'—a reserve of capital—you're one bad injury away from being 'Cut.'"
"In this world, if you can't afford to take a contract, you're as good as dead. That's the Shinobi Kill-Line."
"You have to rely on yourself. Friends and family are great, but everyone has their own burdens. No one is going to carry you forever."
Ten and Shiga nodded solemnly. When their own parents said things like that, it sounded like nagging. But coming from a one-armed Uchiha veteran who had survived a century of war, it sounded like a survival manual.
"Of course," En added, clearing his throat, "being frugal doesn't mean having no taste. I only smoke the same blend as the Hokage now."
"The Hokage's brand? Captain, you really are rolling in it!" Ten laughed.
En offered a small, smug smile. This was exactly the response he wanted. The Uchiha lived for Face.
The truth, however, was that En was being "efficient." After he finished the expensive cigarettes Hiruzen had given him, he couldn't bring himself to throw away the box. It was a souvenir of the day the Hokage had treated him like an equal.
So, he bought a cheap, budget brand and stuffed them into the Hokage's metal case. It made him look wealthy and connected while he saved his Ryo for retirement. It was the "Old Guard" way of winning.
"You really should cut back, En-sama," a cheerful voice drifted down from the branches above.
"But if you can't quit, you should at least smoke the good stuff."
Minato Namikaze sat perched on a thick oak limb, grinning down at them. He flicked his wrist, tossing two full cartons of premium cigarettes down to the stunned Uchiha.
They were the exact same high-end brand Hiruzen smoked.
En caught the cartons, his Sharingan spinning in shock. "You... how long have you been up there, brat?!"
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