"Damn it! To hell with the Third Hokage!" Daiki Nojiri slammed the name roster onto the table at the Ramen Shop.
Unlike Musashi, the Nojiri family weren't ninjas. As publishers who had operated in the village for generations, they were major taxpayers. Daiki's name was nowhere to be found on the so-called "Project Greenleaf" list.
He was furious because Musashi was on it.
If Musashi went to the battlefield, who would discuss artistic creation with him every day? Not to mention the obvious danger.
Daiki fumed, "Has the Third gone senile? How could he issue such an order!"
Beside him, Ayame was also full of worry. "Lord Hokage... the Third really shouldn't have done this! Musashi is so young, how can he go to the battlefield?" She pinched Musashi's cheek, her pretty eyebrows knitted together. "Can't you just not go?"
Musashi sighed. "I can't. Although the wording is gentle, it's a wartime draft order."
"If I don't go, it's not entirely impossible to stay, but I could never dream of being a Konoha ninja after that."
Ayame said anxiously, "It doesn't matter if you're not a ninja! Ichiraku Ramen is your home too, Musashi!"
Daiki Nojiri: "Big Sister Ayame is right. It doesn't matter if you aren't a ninja. You can continue to..."
Musashi: "(╬￣皿￣)!!"
Daiki Nojiri: "Cough cough! Uh... continue to hang out with me every day."
Musashi shook his head gently. "Lord Hokage's order has been issued. It can't be changed. I have to go! I promised my father and the Hokage that I would be an excellent ninja just like my dad!"
"The only sad part is, Big Sister Ayame, I won't be able to stay by your side at the Ramen Shop every day."
Moved, Ayame cupped Musashi's face in her hands. "Musashi!"
Musashi took the opportunity to dive into her embrace.
"Big Sister Ayame, I will definitely miss you!"
Daiki Nojiri: (「▔□▔)/?
"Hey! Hey! There are more than two people here, you know?"
After saying goodbye to Daiki and the father-daughter duo at Ichiraku, Musashi dove straight into the ninja tool shop and started shopping.
Weapon pouches, kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, field survival kits...
The prices of ninja tools, already expensive, had skyrocketed due to the war. Musashi had to bite the bullet and buy them, nearly emptying his recent savings.
Survival was priority number one.
Money was useless if you were dead on the battlefield.
Although the official line was that they were just going to the battlefield to "experience the atmosphere" and handle some light tasks within their capabilities, the situation on the battlefield changed in an instant. No one knew what would happen next.
If danger struck, the clan kids had elders to look out for them. Musashi had no one to cover his back.
soon after, the gathered "Greenleaf" recruits of Konoha were led by ninjas to various battlefronts.
Battlefield Camp, Uchiha Clan Rest Area.
"You four are in charge of moving food and supplies. You three, camp sanitation and cleaning. You two, go to the medical area to care for the wounded..."
"And finally, you three... go help in the logistics kitchen."
A group of kids, some nervous, some excited, were assigned tasks by an adult ninja. Musashi was in the last group, assigned to the kitchen.
Compared to cleaning latrines or the physically demanding—and potentially dangerous—supply transport duty, logistics was far from the front lines and meant he wouldn't go hungry. It was a pretty good gig.
As for why this lucky break fell into Musashi's lap?
It was because after sizing up the assigning ninja from the side, Musashi had launched a targeted flattery campaign:
"Sir Ninja, your combat uniform is torn. The fighting must be intense."
"Sir Ninja, your kunai are chipped! How can someone fighting for Konoha use such weapons? This won't do!"
"Sir Ninja, compared to a weakling like me, these high-quality kunai from the Konoha tool shop suit you much better. Please, take them! Consider it my contribution to the Leaf."
A series of smooth moves secured him the job of cooking for the ninjas.
The ninja world wasn't just about fighting and killing.
Musashi's "battlefield" career officially began.
Cooking, cleaning, resting, practicing the Three Basic Jutsu.
Even on the battlefield, fighting didn't happen every second. Life in the back kitchen was actually kind of boring.
The Uchiha clan members were mostly arrogant, especially those who had awakened their Sharingan.
If Musashi's group of "Greenleaf" recruits did a bad job, they'd get a tongue-lashing. But if they did okay, no one went out of their way to cause trouble.
Thanks to Musashi's enthusiastic work and his experience at Ichiraku, he successfully elevated the food quality from "barely edible" to "actually pretty good," which earned him slightly better treatment.
At night, Musashi formed hand signs.
"Ram - Snake - Tiger. Clone Jutsu!"
Poof~ Smoke flashed, and two identical Musashis appeared.
Stepping forward, Musashi carefully examined the effectiveness of his jutsu, checking for areas of improvement.
Since arriving at the battlefield, he had paused his Taijutsu training. Aside from necessary exercise to maintain his condition, he saved his stamina for emergencies.
Instead, he resumed chakra extraction and practiced the Three Basic Jutsu.
As the graduation requirement for the Ninja Academy, these three jutsu were the foundation.
Transformation Jutsu: Temporarily changing physical appearance with chakra. Form without substance.
Clone Jutsu: Creating intangible illusions.
Substitution Jutsu: Required preparation beforehand to swap places with an object instantly to confuse the enemy.
They weren't hard to learn and were practical in low-level combat.
Musashi's goal was simple: expand his toolkit as quickly as possible so that when trouble arrived, he would have... a slightly higher chance of running away successfully.
His logic was sound, and events unfolded exactly as he feared.
Late one night, the sleeping ninjas were jolted awake by ear-piercing alarms and the sounds of slaughter.
Musashi, who had been sleeping in his clothes, sprang from his bed!
Ignoring the panic of the other "Greenleaf" kids, he rushed outside to check the situation.
Under the night sky, a massive number of enemies had appeared. Howling, killing.
"Prepare for battle! Incoming!!"
"Ah! My leg! My leg!!~"
"Kill them! Konoha pigs, die!"
"Cloud scum! Go to hell!!!"
"Hahahaha! Feel pain!~"
The explosions of ninjutsu and paper bombs were deafening. The shockwaves carried the thick stench of blood straight into his nose.
Musashi gripped his hidden weapons tightly and shouted to those behind him, "Look out for yourselves! Run for your lives!!"
With that, ignoring the screams and pleas behind him, he started moving fast.
Fortunately, being in the rear of the camp, their group of kids and Genin hadn't taken the brunt of the initial impact. He still had time to observe the situation.
He planned to find a direction where the fighting was less intense and retreat.
He couldn't find one.
Far, near, every direction was crawling with enemies!
He could only identify areas where Genin were tangled up in fights and constantly shift his position.
"Hahaha! Konoha brats, go to hell!~"
Several enemy Genin rushed toward Musashi's group, brandishing their weapons.
On the battlefield, there was no distinction between adults and children.
Only enemies!
Blades flashed, and screams rang out immediately.
Musashi dodged the gleaming red blades. Seeing no clear escape route, he picked a Genin with average speed and engaged him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!!!
Kunai and long sword clashed repeatedly, sparks flying.
While guarding against any surprise attacks, Musashi traded blows with the enemy Genin.
Five moves, ten moves, thirty moves...
Even with his training, facing an adult put him at a disadvantage in terms of raw strength.
Under the ferocious slashes of the enemy Genin, Musashi struggled to hold his ground. But he didn't dare to actually find an opening and land a killing blow.
What is the secret to survival on the battlefield? Killing the enemy?
Musashi would say no.
On the battlefield, especially in a chaotic melee, the secret to survival lay in choosing the right opponent.
In a group fight where you aren't being swarmed, as long as you pick a suitable opponent and maintain the rhythm of the fight, you can live a little longer.
Focus on not getting hurt, and more importantly, be careful not to kill the guy.
Kill one, and a second one will pop up!
He would rather use the "Run Like Hell" Jutsu than unleash a flashy ultimate move.
And so, Musashi fought on. If he spotted a better opponent, he would look for an opportunity to switch positions.
Leaving his increasingly frustrated opponent for someone who needed him more.
The battle raged on. Luckily, the Grim Reaper didn't come for him.
The enemy Genin attacking this area weren't high level. Since he was picking the weakest of the weak, he managed to perform consistently, maintaining a solid 0-0 K/D ratio.
At that moment, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.