Night. Inside the Outpost Tent.
"Captain Yamaguchi, are we staying to guard the outpost?" Taiichi voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"Yeah, Captain. Weren't we supposed to head back right after the delivery?" Saori added.
Before Yamaguchi could answer, Yohei jumped in. "You two were busy saving lives all day, so you missed it. If an outpost is under threat, it's standard protocol for nearby teams to stay and assist."
"Right, Captain?" Yohei looked at Yamaguchi for confirmation, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Correct. Jonin Chiba requested our assistance for defense. We'll be stationed here for about three to four days until reinforcements arrive from the village," Yamaguchi confirmed.
Hearing this, Taiichi and Saori stopped questioning and started reorganizing their gear. If they were staying for a siege, they needed to be prepped.
"Captain, does the outpost have spare tanto available?" Taiichi asked.
"They do, but only standard issue. Every outpost stocks them since weapons break often in combat."
"I'll go grab one tomorrow then. My blade broke during training, and the custom one isn't ready yet." Taiichi was relieved. A significant chunk of his combat power relied on Kenjutsu.
"Yohei, stop pacing. Why aren't you prepping your gear?" Saori asked, annoyed by Yohei walking back and forth in front of her.
"Haha! I'm just a little hyped! I never thought we'd get a mission like this," Yohei said, eyes shining. "Think about it! We're like divine reinforcements! Saving the day in their darkest hour! Holding the line until help arrives! It's just like in the novels!"
Saori rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. She had no words for this idiot.
Taiichi, organizing his ninja tools, chimed in with a dry remark. "Reality is usually weirder than fiction. And what you're doing isn't called 'living a novel.' It's called 'jinxing us.'"
Saori giggled behind her hand. Yohei's face fell.
---
The Next Morning
Taiichi went to the logistics office early. After showing his ID, he requested a tanto.
By now, everyone in the outpost knew who he was. He had treated half the personnel yesterday.
"Taiichi! Aren't you a medical ninja? Why do you need a sword?" the logistics Chunin asked, though his hands moved fast to process the request.
"I'm actually a combat ninja first. Just grabbing a blade for self-defense while we're stationed here," Taiichi smiled.
The Chunin clearly didn't believe him. With medical skills that good, where would he find the time to train combat skills? But he didn't argue. Taiichi had saved his friends.
"Haha, sure, 'combat ninja.' I'll go get them." He went into the storage room.
Clang, clang.
Moments later, he returned with five different tanto and laid them out. "Pick whichever one you like." He waved his hand generously. Clearly, he was giving Taiichi special treatment.
Taiichi didn't refuse. He tested each one and picked the best-balanced blade.
After thanking the Chunin, Taiichi strapped the sword to his back and went to find Captain Yamaguchi. Coincidentally, Yamaguchi was walking over with Yohei and Saori.
"Taiichi! Perfect timing!" Yamaguchi grabbed him. "Just got a mission. Routine patrol. I'll lead you guys through it once, then you'll be handling it on your own."
Yohei and Saori looked excited. This was their first real "war-time" mission.
"Understood, Captain. I just got my sword. We leave now?"
Yamaguchi noted the new blade and nodded approvingly. "We leave now."
They moved out in a standard 1-2-1 formation, heading west. The further they got from the outpost, the fewer signs of activity there were. They stopped about 20 kilometers out.
"This is our patrol sector," Yamaguchi explained as they moved. "Border patrol is mostly about checking for illegal crossings and monitoring the environment for signs of activity."
"Focus on key choke points, mountain passes, and river crossings. Those are infiltration hotspots."
"Also, check the sensory seals set up by the previous shifts. See if they recorded any anomalies."
Yamaguchi taught them step-by-step. This was practical field knowledge, far more complex than what was taught in the Academy.
"Captain Yamaguchi! Over here!" Saori called out. She had found something.
Team 8 gathered around the remains of a campfire. Yamaguchi sifted through the ashes, checking for residual heat. Did the enemy not have time to hide their tracks? Or are they arrogant enough not to care?
"Fan out. Check for other traces," Yamaguchi ordered.
"Yes, sir!" x3
They scattered to search the perimeter.
Soon, they regrouped. Yohei was the only one with a lead. "West of here, about 200 meters out. Found foot traffic on the trees. A lot of them."
Yamaguchi looked in the direction Yohei indicated. It was away from the border, meaning the intruders came from the Land of Rain.
"Taiichi, Yohei. Return to the outpost immediately. Report the situation and tell them to raise the alert level. The enemy from before might still be in the area," Yamaguchi decided instantly.
"Yes, sir!" x2
Watching them disappear, Yamaguchi turned to Saori. "We'll scout the perimeter a bit more. See if we can find anything else."
---
Taiichi and Yohei sprinted back. Carrying urgent intel, they moved at max speed, cutting their travel time in half.
As they approached the outpost, a patrol ninja intercepted them. "Password!"
"Tempura!" Yohei muttered, twitching his lip. "Who comes up with these?"
"Enough. Let's go," Taiichi cut him off.
They rushed into the command tent and found Jonin Chiba.
"Taiichi? Why only the two of you?" Chiba's heart sank slightly.
"Commander Chiba, we found enemy tracks in our patrol sector. Captain Yamaguchi believes it might be the same group that attacked earlier. He sent us back to warn you to prepare for another ambush," Taiichi reported clearly and concisely.
"They just won't give up, will they? Do they really think we're soft targets?" Chiba felt a surge of anger, though he kept his face calm. "You've had a long run. Go rest for now."
"Yes, sir." x2
Leaving the tent, Yohei immediately leaned in. "Taiichi, do you think they'll attack soon?"
Taiichi looked at him with a strange expression. "If you say that... then yeah, they're definitely coming."
Yohei looked uncomfortable under Taiichi's gaze. "Hey, come on! I'm not actually a jinx! You can't blame everything on me!"
Seeing Yohei's aggrieved face, Taiichi couldn't help but laugh. "Haha! Just kidding."
"Alright, I'm gonna be serious now," Taiichi said, sobering up. "I'm going to check on the wounded. Battle could start anytime. If I can get even one more person fighting fit, our odds go up."