I remained seated on my bed, still wearing all my gear. I kept my back straight and crossed my legs, more for symbolic effect than any specific need. I made myself as comfortable as possible, closed my eyes, and let my awareness sink inward. My chakra flowed beneath my skin in warm, steady currents, threading through my coils and nodes like a second circulatory system. I guided it consciously, as I had begun doing more often during my stay in the Forest of Death, making every effort to keep it slow and calm, without straining it. The fatigue from the night's run dulled slowly as I circulated my chakra.
After a while, I shifted my perception outward, stretching my senses. Riku's chakra was easy to find, as I was already very familiar with it. He was restless even in sleep, flickering like a steady flame. He was out cold on the cot beside me, chest rising and falling evenly as he snored softly, drooling into his pillow. Yukimaru lay curled near the foot of his bed, and when I brushed against the ninken's signature, I paused, feeling something new.
I could feel a flavorto Riku's chakra; it felt hot.
I could sense his affinity, I thought with astonishment. His chakra also felt larger.
"Huh," I thought quietly. "Everyone's been training..."
The thought made me feel slightly better about not just wasting my time hiding inside my apartment back in the village. I breathed in and pushed my senses farther. The edges of my perception blurred at first, then sharpened again as I adjusted mentally and reached fifty meters, maybe a little more. Not enough clarity to distinguish affinities yet, but I could definitely feel the chakra levels and guess their relative strength.
There were a lot of people around me.
Dozens in nearby tents. Patrols moving fast along the perimeter. Medics shifting back and forth near the cordoned zone. The camp breathed with every moving shinobi, the ambient chakra ebbing and surging in overlapping waves.
I stayed like that for hours, falling into a semi-trance, something between sleep and awareness.
Eventually, a familiar signature moved closer to my location, moving in a pattern probably to avoid people and objects.
Hanami.
Her chakra stopped just outside the tent flap.I opened my eyes as the flap rustled. Before she could speak, Yukimaru perked up, ears twitching. He stood, padded over to Riku's bed, and barked once right by his head.
"Bhuua!!! What... ?!" Riku jolted upright, hair wild, blinking furiously as Yukimaru wagged his tail like this was the funniest thing in the world.
I snorted despite myself. Hanami stepped inside, one brow lifting faintly at the sight. "Effective alarm system, I suppose," she said dryly.
Riku groaned, rubbing his face. "Traitor." Yukimaru barked again, unapologetically, at his partner.
Hanami's gaze shifted to me. "Tsume-san wants to speak to the entire squad. She's already spoken with the local command and has our orders."
That snapped the last traces of haze from my mind.
I nodded to her. "Understood. Let's go then."
She gestured back toward the path and waited.
I unfolded myself from the bed and stood, stretching my shoulders and spine. The meditation had done more than rest me; it left me feeling oddly clear, lighter than I'd expected. Riku was already moving, still sleepy but alert, boots half-laced as he followed Hanami out.
We stepped into the camp together. Sunlight hit me hard and fast, glaring off packed earth and canvas. Heat pressed down immediately, making sweat bead along my neck. I rolled my shoulders, instinctively circulating chakra close to my skin.
The effect was immediate as I willed it to cool me. I glanced sideways and noticed Hanami wasn't sweating at all. She was probably doing the same thing, chakra flowing in a fine layer beneath her skin, regulating temperature without conscious effort. I mirrored it, sensing her chakra and refining the flow.
How amazing is chakra... I thought. The sheer utility.
Then, darker: And we use it to wage war.
We passed rows of tents filled with shinobi resting, eating, or just staring blankly into space. Some sharpened weapons with mechanical precision. Others just sat, backs against posts, their eyes empty.
No one spoke much.
The further we walked, the heavier the air felt.
We reached a low, blocky structure made entirely of compacted earth, its walls smooth and solid, with small circular openings near the ceiling for light and airflow. It was functional and not built with any beauty in mind. Beds lined the walls. A sturdy table stood near the center, raised slightly from the ground. A map was spread across it, weighed down at the corners.
Almost everyone was already there.
Tsume leaned over the table, arms braced against the wood. Sayuri stood near her, expression composed. Takeru and Gin of Tsume's team were nearby, one hand resting on the edge of the table, earth chakra faintly humming around him. Misaki and Shigure were conspicuously absent.
Faces turned as we entered. We received a few tight smiles and nods. I stepped closer to the table with Riku and Hanami.
Tsume straightened. "Good. You're here."
She tapped the map once. "We were just getting into the details."
Her finger traced a jagged line eastward. "The Commander of this War front, Ginpei Yūhi, is assigning our squad to a constant patrol rotation for the next week in the mountain range here between the Land of Rivers and the Sand."
She pointed again. "Roughly thirty miles east of this camp."
The terrain markings were tight and uneven, indicating high elevation and uneven terrain.
"Four other squads will be deploying through the area with us," Tsume continued. "Our objective is simple: remove any remaining threats, disrupt enemy movement, and hold the entire range until a forward operating base can be established."
Her mouth curved into a feeble smile. "That's the optimistic version."
No one laughed at her attempt at humor.
She exhaled sharply and continued. "Unfortunately, despite my arguing, Shigure won't be joining us initially. Apparently, base camp needs all available medic-nin on rotation."
A subtle shift went through the room. I also thought it a shame; having a medic with us would have been invaluable.
Tsume's jaw flexed. "I don't like it either, but that's the call. She'll be joining the group that comes to set up the FOB," she said, seeing our faces.
She straightened, then pointed at me.
"Basara, you'll be leading the four-man unit within our squad."
For half a second, everything else fell away.
Me?
My pulse jumped, but my face stayed neutral.
Tsume continued without pause. "You'll be leading a unit comprised of Riku, Hanami, and Takeru."
I flicked a glance around.
Riku's eyes lit up immediately. "No problem with me," he said, grinning.
Sayuri met my gaze, offering a small, approving smile and a nod.
Hanami surprised me by speaking next. "I have no objections either. He has proven himself."
Takeru shrugged. "Works for me." Relief loosened something tight in my shoulders. It felt good to be acknowledged.
Tsume went on. "Sayuri will be attached to my unit for... reasons." Her eyes flicked briefly toward Sayuri, who gave nothing away.
Huh, what's that about...I thought.
"Basara," Tsume added, "your team will handle earth-nature support in the mountains when needed. Takeru can assist you as well, as he can use it too, but you'll be the lead on sensing any attempt at enemy terrain manipulation in the mountain regions."
I absorbed that quietly and nodded slowly.
It would not be easy, but possible.
"Any more questions?" Tsume asked, scanning the room.
Silence.
"Good," she said. "Go get food and rest. We move with the other squads in a few hours."
She stepped back from the table. "Dismissed."
The tension eased just a fraction as people began to move.
I stayed where I was for a moment, steadying my breathing.
Team lead... huh.
I turned to Riku and Hanami, nodding once. "I'm going to get something to eat." I left the room as I received nods.
Time blurred after that.
I grabbed food where I could. The simple rations were surprisingly filling, designed to keep us moving and packed with calories: rice, dried meat, and something vaguely resembling vegetable stew. I ate without much thought, standing outside the large mud building dedicated to feeding the stationed shinobi, listening to the camp's background noise: murmured conversations, the clink of gear,and distant shouted orders. There were quite a few murmurs about the new poisons Suna had been using.
Afterward, I made my way back to my assigned tent. I stripped down enough for a quick cloth bath, scrubbing sweat and grime from my skin. It wasn't luxurious, but it helped me feel better, removing the grime. I checked the fit of my flak jacket, then laid my weapons out one by one on the bed. I slowly cleaned them, ensuring they were in perfect condition, as their condition could quite literally save my life.
Riku had left the tent by now, probably with his cousin. I didn't blame him; if I had family this close to the front, I'd take any moment to spend time with them.
I was just sliding my last pouch back into place when I heard my name called from outside the tent.
"Basara?"
It was Shigure's voice. I paused, then frowned faintly.
I hadn't sensed her approach.
I let the thought go, chalking it up to my focus, and stepped outside.
She stood there in medic robes, sleeves rolled up, with dark circles under her eyes that no amount of chakra could hide. She smiled when she saw me, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Hey," I said, returning it. "Everything alright?"
She shifted her weight, clasping one hand over the other at her chest, briefly drawing my eyes there before I looked away. "It's a total mess," she said quietly. "The poisons Suna's using... we don't have antidotes for all of them yet."
I wasn't surprised. I'd seen the stretchers and the bodies being dragged out. I was wary of it as well, as I would be heading to the front soon and didn't really have a counter to poisons, which could spell my doom.
"Wasn't Lady Tsunade here...?" I asked, carefully probing, as her response could confirm some of my memories.
Her grimace was the answer I needed more than her words. "She's doing everything she can," she said. "I suppose..." she continued quietly.
Then she straightened slightly. "I came to give you this."
She pressed two scrolls into my hands.
One was a storage scroll. The other was plain, although it looked quite new too. I looked up at her, questioning.
"The storage scroll has medicinal paste and all known antidotes we've cataloged so far," she said quickly, "for field use and emergency situations."
My grip tightened around it. That wasn't just a gift; it was a veritable lifeline.
"And the other?" I asked.
She hesitated, just a fraction. "Basic wind release training exercises."
I blinked. "I didn't ask for that..."
"I know," she said, almost immediately. "Don't think too much of it. I felt bad I couldn't help you much with your Suiton training, and I don't know many ninjutsu myself. The fact that you're so good with it proves your competence, so I asked my sensei's friend for a favor."
She shrugged lightly. "Even if you're not great at it, it might come in handy."
I stared at her for a moment, then smiled genuinely at her concern.
"Thank you," I said. "Really."
She smiled back, softer this time.
We hugged briefly as I basked in her warmth, as she murmured into my ear, "Don't die, Basara."
Then she stepped back. "I need to get back," she said. "Medical's short-handed as is."
"You be safe too," I told her.
She nodded and turned, as she made her way back to the medical area.
I watched her go for a second longer than necessary, then tucked the precious scrolls securely away in my flak jacket pockets.
The assembly point was already crowded when I arrived. There were around fifty shinobi for the advanced reconnaissance force, and we were all clustered in loose formation. Jonin stood near the front, keeping their voices low. Chunin filtered in from all directions along with some genin, judging from their chakra levels.
I found my squad easily. Riku stood with Hanami near the edge, with Yukimaru sitting alertly at his side. As I took my place next to them, I noticed something else.
Uchiha.
Several of them, scattered through the formation, red-and-white crests visible on their backs. They wore their clan insignia openly on the back of their flak jackets, with pride. I also noticed that they were the only ones who still did.
I filed that away and refocused.
Tsume arrived moments later, Kuromaru padding beside her. She gave us a sharp nod, then turned forward.
The order came down the line.
Move.
And just like that, we were off.
Not the full sprint of an emergency retreat, but fast enough to eat ground. The valley stretched ahead of us, long and narrow, hemmed in by rising slopes on either side.
I pushed chakra into my legs as I ran amongst the entire force, careful not to overdo it. I kept my chakra senses wide, brushing the terrain ahead, checking for disturbances, traps, signatures that felt off.
Tree after tree passed in a blur as we ran. I stayed alert and focused as much as I could without falling out of formation. I didn't want to be caught unaware again like how I was back in the Land of the Grass.
The war had taught me that lesson brutally enough.