Each tent was assigned to six people. Uchiha Yuan shared one with Senju Gen and Aida Kai, along with another team of genin about thirteen years old.
"Hello, I'm Senju Gen. These are my teammates, Uchiha Yuan and Aida Kai."
Facing the three boys standing on the other side of the tent, Senju Gen greeted them with a bright smile.
"Chikuu Tsuru."
"Ito."
"Yamazaki Tsuchi."
After giving their names, the three fell silent again.
Aida Kai glanced nervously at a ninja in the opposite tent—a man missing part of his lower leg. His small face went pale, and unease filled his eyes.
Uchiha Yuan noticed the fear and tension in him. Reaching out, he patted the boy's shoulder and said, "Kai, don't panic. On the battlefield, panic only brings disaster. Start taking deep breaths—slowly, steady yourself."
Under Uchiha Yuan's guidance, Aida Kai inhaled deeply several times, and his tight shoulders gradually relaxed.
"You're not afraid?" one of the other boys suddenly asked.
Uchiha Yuan turned to look—it was the one called Chikuu Tsuru.
Calmly, Yuan replied, "Only the weak fear the battlefield. I am strong. The ones who should fear… are our enemies."
Ito, the boy with the crippled leg, gave a mocking smile.
"As expected of an Uchiha. Let's hope you don't lose your nerve when you actually step onto the field."
"Don't worry," Uchiha Yuan said evenly. "The Sand Hidden will soon remember my name."
At that moment, in the large command tent at the center of the camp, Orochimaru was studying a scroll of intelligence reports.
From his sleeve, a small, finger-thick white snake slithered out, hissing softly near his ear.
Orochimaru's expression shifted slightly. "You say you caught the scent of that Uchiha from the Forest of Death… among the new arrivals?"
He picked up a roster containing the names of everyone in the reinforcements.
"Uchiha Yuan," he murmured.
There was only one Uchiha among the support troops, and Orochimaru quickly found his entry.
He chuckled darkly. "So I've found you. Age eleven, height one-sixty-eight, specialty: taijutsu… hmm? Other ninja abilities are only average?"
"The more I look, the more intriguing it becomes. If not for the serpents' special perception, you would've slipped past my sensing entirely. For one with only 'average' ability… you hide yourself too well. A secret, perhaps?"
"Uchiha Yuan—you're no ordinary genin."
Orochimaru's snake-like pupils gleamed with interest as he stared at the photo beside the name.
Just then, the flap of the tent lifted. A blond-haired man entered—it was Inozen, chief strategist for the front against the Sand Hidden.
"Orochimaru-sama, everyone has assembled."
"Let them come in."
First entered eight jōnin, each radiating lethal intent. Behind them came several dozen chūnin, lining up around the interior of the tent.
Inozen held several files. "These are the analytical reports of our recent engagements with the Sand Hidden, as well as projections for their next offensive."
He began reading them aloud. Soon, murmurs of discussion filled the room.
Elsewhere, Uchiha Yuan and Senju Gen stood atop a rise overlooking the distant landscape—an endless expanse of golden dunes.
"They say all of the Land of Wind is like this," Senju Gen said quietly.
Uchiha Yuan nodded. "Living in such harsh lands, it's no wonder the Sand Hidden refuse to surrender even after their losses. They're hoping to outlast Konoha and the other great nations—force us to the negotiation table, and then demand reparations as a so-called 'victor.'"
Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the air from the direction of the camp—an emergency signal calling all shinobi to assemble.
The two exchanged a glance, faces hardening, then leapt from the ridge and raced back.
When they arrived, they saw several familiar faces already departing with squad leaders. Soon they found Shiranui Aoma waiting for them. Aida Kai stood beside him, uneasy, waving when he spotted his teammates.
"Sensei Aoma," Yuan called, "is there a mission?"
Shiranui Aoma nodded grimly. "A reconnaissance assignment. Our team and three others will handle it. Move out."
With that, he sprang into the trees, and the three genin hurried after him.
After leaving the camp, the four-man squad quickly joined up with three other teams, speeding toward the Land of Wind.
After about fifteen minutes of running, a dense forest came into view ahead.
One of the squad leaders raised a hand, signaling everyone to halt.
"We're close to the border," he warned, turning to the other leaders. "The forest ahead may conceal Sand Hidden ambushes. We'll need to scout first."
His eyes fell on a genin from the Hyūga clan in another squad.
"Hyūga Mo," his leader ordered, "use your Byakugan."
"Yes, sir."
Hyūga Mo stepped forward, forming seals. "Byakugan—activate!"
The veins around his eyes bulged, and his vision expanded in all directions.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistling split the air—dozens of shuriken suddenly shot out from the forest, spinning toward the gathered shinobi.
"Ambush!"
Shiranui Aoma and the other three squad leaders reacted instantly, flinging their own shuriken to intercept.
Metal clashed midair, deflecting many of the incoming blades—but several still tore toward Hyūga Mo's position.
The Byakugan's insight posed too great a threat on the battlefield. Once activated, it could see nearly a kilometer in every direction—making its user an immediate target.
The shuriken came too fast. Though Hyūga Mo's eyes saw them, his body couldn't move quickly enough to dodge.
Some of the blades carried attached paper tags, already hissing with smoke.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
At the last possible moment, a wall of solid earth surged up before Hyūga Mo, blocking the barrage.
It was Uchiha Yuan's ninjutsu. Even so, three genin were struck before the wall rose completely.
One was hit in the throat—blood poured out as he collapsed, beyond saving.
Two others were impaled in the side and shoulder. They lived, but were out of the fight.
Hearing the explosions of the tags against the wall and seeing comrades fall dead or wounded within seconds, the remaining genin went pale, panic spreading like wildfire among them.
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