"Lord Haseo, what is our purpose for leaving the camp this time?"
In the dense forest of the Land of Rain, Dan Kato and Haseo were moving forward cautiously. They avoided leaving trails while staying alert to any signs of enemies around them. Their movements appeared aimless, giving off an overall impression of "leisure."
It seemed oddly out of place given the grim state of the war.
For several days now, a moderate rain had been falling steadily from the sky. As they moved, their raincoats could not fully shield them from the downpour, let alone the thick humidity radiating from the environment itself.
Haseo was completely soaked.
"There's nothing particularly important. I've just stayed at the camp for two full weeks, so it's about time I came out for some activity."
"But..."
This kind of explanation clearly wouldn't convince Dan Kato. Although Haseo did seem to be strolling around casually, he couldn't shake the feeling that his master must have his own hidden plans.
This person's mind is quite meticulous, and his intuition sharp too... Haseo glanced sideways at the man beside him before continuing, "You should know, previously, Konoha's Samehada Large Squad launched several attacks, gaining many advantages against Sunagakure, even sometimes securing decisive victories in individual engagements..."
"Yes, Lord Haseo, I'm familiar with those battle reports." It was only natural for Dan, who stood on the front lines, to know such news—it had recently become a hot topic. "I must say that deploying new forces has significantly improved our battlefield conditions. It almost feels like we're starting to influence the direction of the entire war... That's not to say this unit alone can turn the war decisively, but originally, the conflict in the Land of Rain was balanced. Now, though, we've added a significant weight to the scale."
Sometimes, introducing fresh combat power really can shift the course of a war, and judging from appearances, Konoha's Samehada Large Squad certainly gave that impression. However...
Haseo shook his head.
"Is there something wrong, Lord Haseo?"
"The Samehada Large Squad does indeed appear impressive, gathering strength that could be considered formidable. But still... If they truly were unbreakable, then the best tactical move for Sunagakure would be to avoid battle altogether. Remember, this is the Land of Rain; no matter how desperate Sunagakure's situation becomes, they won't face the dilemma of having nowhere left to retreat.
Yet what are they doing now? Even though they constantly suffer setbacks when facing the Samehada Large Squad, Sunagakure continues actively seeking opportunities to fight."
"So you mean Sunagakure is preparing countermeasures, Lord Haseo?"
"I'm merely speculating, but it simply means the enemy is certainly not foolish. Therefore, our mission this time may lack clear objectives, but generally speaking, we will remain within the operational range of the Samehada Large Squad. First, if they run into trouble, we can provide timely support; secondly... there might also be unexpected gains."
"I understand now. Truly, you're amazing, Lord Haseo. Your thinking is indeed thorough."
"Ha! It's just experience talking. Before long, you'll outpace me completely."
"Experience, my ass," Haseo muttered. He had spoken so seriously earlier, yet in the end, his entire point could be summed up by one surprisingly simple phrase—whether there was a chance or not, just take a swing first.
This strategy suited him perfectly—he wasn't one for overexertion anyway.
But from what he'd seen over the past few days, Haseo thought Dan Kato was indeed an outstanding young ninja. Although he still lacked experience, Dan was calm, thoughtful, and strong—a rare talent indeed.
Still, if he wanted to become Hokage... he couldn't surpass the Sannin and White Fang above him, nor was he on the same level as Minato Namikaze below. Frankly speaking, this would be quite a difficult task.
Becoming a leader involved more than effort and strength; it required a certain inner "quality."
In Haseo's personal opinion, the Dan before him couldn't really compare with the Minato Namikaze in his memory. However, if Dan truly became one of the Hokage candidates, Haseo would definitely cast a vote for him—yes, a vote out of friendship.
According to Haseo, their current mission—to patrol the battlefield—meant they wouldn't return to the front-line camp anytime soon. It was essentially a long wandering assignment.
During that time, the two encountered several small enemy groups, though Haseo rarely stepped in personally. Sometimes Dan Kato dealt with the enemies himself, while other times they simply let the enemies pass by unnoticed.
In this way, during the next half month, Samehada Large Squad launched another three attacks: the first and last ones targeted Sunagakure, while the middle attack aimed at Iwagakure. During all of these attacks, Haseo stayed stationed at the edge of the battlefield.
The first two attacks carried out by Samehada Large Squad went smoothly. Though their battles were no longer as overwhelming as their initial strike, they still emerged victorious with minimal losses.
Yet by the time of the final assault, things were different.
Several kilometers away from the battlefield, Haseo and Dan Kato hid themselves among the treetops of a large tree. While Dan was fully focused on observing the battle unfolding ahead, Haseo suddenly reached out and patted his shoulder.
Dan turned his head, ready to ask what had happened, only to see Haseo signaling with coded writing, instructing him to remain absolutely silent.
Dan naturally swallowed his question right away.
Then, Haseo pointed toward another direction.
Dan peeked past Haseo's shoulder and spotted a four-man squad charging toward the battlefield.
Their hiding place was exactly halfway between that squad and the battlefield.
They had caught a big fish, though this fish seemed almost too big to handle; it was so powerful that even Haseo wasn't sure if he could take it down. Facing such an enemy, Haseo himself couldn't guarantee victory.
Still, it was worth trying. Even though he often considered himself calm and composed... there were times when he actually leaned toward taking chances. He just failed to notice how reckless he could be sometimes.
"Can you get a good view of them?"
Haseo silently asked again using hand signals.
Dan gave a quiet nod.
"Can your Spirit Transformation Technique instantly control an enemy like that, sever his consciousness, and take over his body?"
Dan Kato immediately understood what Haseo was implying. His heart pounded, and his eyes burned with intensity.
It was natural for Dan to feel excited facing such an unexpected situation and realizing what he might have to do next. Fortunately, at least he managed to keep his breathing steady.
Then hesitation crept into Dan's mind. Was it worth trying? Certainly it was. However… he had little confidence in pulling off something like that. In fact, it might be outright impossible. A reckless move would only get him exposed on the spot.
So Dan slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his expression had become calm.
He shook his head—meaning he couldn't do it.
Haseo nodded in understanding before continuing, "Then control the forces around him. Our position offers us an advantage. Be bold yet careful—you know what needs to be done."
Defeating the Samehada Large Squad wasn't particularly difficult. Sending in a few powerhouse ninja along with some regular ninja would be more than enough to handle it.
Truthfully, Haseo had originally only intended to target figures like Chiyo or Ebizō.
He simply hadn't expected to run into the biggest target of all.
Was it luck... or doom?
(End of chapter)
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