The orders came at dawn.
No academy drills.
No training exercises.
Real deployment.
All newly promoted genin were being assigned to war fronts.
Some protested quietly.
Some tried to act brave.
Some simply froze.
Kaen expected it.
Still… hearing it officially felt different.
Childhood had ended completely now.
News spread quickly:
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru would deploy under direct supervision of Sarutobi Hiruzen. Their potential made them valuable — and risky — assets.
Protection and grooming simultaneously.
Classic wartime leadership.
Kaen's assignment came separately.
Sunagakure Front — Land of Wind.
Team Leader:
Hatake Sakumo.
Even young shinobi knew the name.
Calm. Efficient. Legendary combat instinct already forming.
Someone respected across villages.
That alone reassured Kaen.
A competent leader reduced unnecessary casualties.
His squad included:
Uchiha Hitomi — steady, emotionally grounded, strong chakra control.
Uchiha Toma — talented, sharp instincts, slightly impulsive but reliable.
Three Uchiha under one elite commander.
Politically interesting.
Strategically logical.
The journey toward the Land of Wind was harsh.
Green forests gave way to dry terrain.
Air grew hotter.
Sand began replacing soil.
By the time Sunagakure's outer conflict zones appeared…
Everything was beige horizon and shimmering heat.
A brutal battlefield environment.
Hatake Sakumo briefed them calmly:
"No heroics. Survival first. Team cohesion second. Mission success third."
Simple.
Practical.
Exactly the kind of leadership Kaen respected.
Their first encounter came sooner than expected.
A scouting patrol from Sunagakure intercepted them near a dune ridge.
Nothing huge.
Just a test skirmish.
But real combat nonetheless.
Kaen had planned originally to stay understated.
But battlefield reputation mattered.
Unknown shinobi often became targets.
Respected shinobi gained space.
So he made a decision:
Controlled demonstration.
Not full power.
Just enough.
When the sand shinobi launched projectile attacks, Kaen moved.
Observation Haki mapped trajectories instantly.
Mangekyō speed boost flickered briefly — too fast for most eyes to register clearly.
He deflected attacks effortlessly.
Then Armament-coated fingers struck the ground lightly.
Shock traveled through sand.
Opponents staggered.
Not injured seriously.
But clearly outmatched.
Silence followed.
Both sides reassessed quickly.
Hatake Sakumo watched without interference.
Testing.
Evaluating.
Approving.
The skirmish ended with minimal casualties.
Sunagakure scouts withdrew cautiously.
Not defeated decisively…
But convinced escalation wasn't worth it.
Exactly Kaen's intention.
Dominance without unnecessary bloodshed.
Afterward, Sakumo approached him.
"You held back."
Not accusation.
Observation.
Kaen nodded.
"Efficiency over display."
Sakumo's expression didn't change much.
But approval was evident.
"Good. Keep it that way."
Hitomi looked relieved more than impressed.
Toma looked impressed more than relieved.
Balanced reactions.
Word spread quickly through their unit:
Quiet Uchiha kid.
Extremely controlled.
Dangerous if pushed.
A useful reputation.
Not celebrity.
Not invisible.
Just respected.
That night, camp settled under a vast desert sky.
Kaen extended Observation Haki cautiously:
Enemy movements distant.
Allied patrols stable.
No immediate threat.
War had officially begun for him.
And strangely…
He felt calm.
Because preparation had met reality.
And preparation held.
Hitomi sat beside him again.
"You showed them enough."
"Yes."
"Not too much."
"Exactly."
She smiled slightly.
Trust intact.
Always grounding him.
Far away, storms of sand shifted across the desert.
Battles yet to come.
Points yet to earn.
Strength yet to refine.
And somewhere ahead…
Ultra Instinct still waited.
Kaen closed his eyes briefly.
War wasn't glory.
It was survival.
And he intended to master it.
Quietly.