Time passed quickly on the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, several months had gone by, and it was already nearing the end of Year 44.
What happened that day seemed to have been tacitly forgotten by the few who were present, as if it had never occurred. No one mentioned it again.
Yes, even Obito was the same.
Though occasionally, Ryouma would catch Jiraiya giving Tsunade a questioning glance.
He found himself sitting on a rocky outcrop one evening, watching the sunset paint the sky in a beautiful shade of orange and red. The war had shaped the landscape as much as it had shaped them all.
In the distance, a plume of smoke rose from what had likely been another sabotage.
He reflected on the patterns he'd noticed during his time on the front lines. The rhythm of war had its own peculiar logic—periods of relative quiet broken by bursts of activity.
In this world, during the early and mid-stages of wars between ninja villages, large-scale battles were uncommon. Instead, infiltration, sabotage, and assassination were the norm.
He had observed this pattern firsthand—each side probing for weaknesses, conserving strength, waiting for the perfect moment to strike decisively.
Only when one side felt it was time to overturn the table would massive battles involving thousands or even tens of thousands of ninjas break out.
Of course, there was another scenario: when one side faced repeated failures during frequent probing skirmishes, leaving them no choice but to act before they lost their leverage.
At that point, it usually came down to one decisive battle to determine the outcome.
The Suna ninjas seemed to be nearing such a breaking point.
Ryouma entered with a steaming cup of tea in hand, only to find Shiori and Heiji packing their belongings.
"Are we being deployed elsewhere? I haven't received any orders," Out of curiosity, he asked them about it while sipping tea, only to be told that Team Inoichi was returning to Konoha for a vacation.
Wait, wasn't this the battlefield? How could the word "vacation" even be mentioned here?
Shiori didn't look up as she carefully folded a shirt. "It's in the standard field manual, page sixty-three. Didn't you read it?"
"I skimmed the combat protocols. Didn't think 'vacation scheduling' would be crucial battlefield knowledge. If Team Inoichi is going on break, why didn't I know about it?" Ryouma scratched his head in confusion.
Shiori glanced at him and said, "Aren't you planning to transfer to Minato's squad soon? Didn't anyone tell you that squads on the battlefield rotate for breaks?"
"I'm not transferring to his squad! I'm just forming a temporary team with him."
"Oh, really?" Shiori gave Ryouma a peculiar look. "Then who's been happily working with members of Minato's squad every day? Someone seems pretty thrilled, from what I've seen."
She paused her packing, eyebrow raised. "Did you think we wouldn't notice how eager you are to join their morning strategy sessions? Or how Minato specifically requests you for critical operations?"
Ryouma's intuition told him it was best to stay silent for now.
"Why don't you ask Minato-sama about it?" Heiji suggested, noticing Ryouma's silence. "He's always straightforward."
"Good idea, but I don't think it will change anything. Recently, the missions with him have been going very smoothly. It seems like the village has already tacitly approved of me continuing with his team," Ryouma replied.
Shiori interjected, "Ninjas are just tools for the higher-ups. The village wouldn't let such a useful tool go to waste."
"Is that the Uchiha speaking, or you personally, Shiori?" Ryouma asked.
"Is there a difference? My clan expects certain things. As does your new squad's captain, I imagine."
Shiori's return to Konoha wasn't just for a rotation break. More importantly, over the past few months on the battlefield, she had fully adapted to the power of her three-tomoe Sharingan. She planned to apply for resources from her clan for further training, such as advanced genjutsu techniques compatible with the three-tomoe Sharingan and higher-level Fire Release jutsu.
Meanwhile, Heiji enthusiastically said, "That's great! If things continue , maybe you'll even become Hokage someday!"
He was genuinely happy for Ryouma. For those like himself, who were born without much freedom, seeing others shine brought different reactions: jealousy, resentment, or simple admiration and blessings.
He belonged to the latter group.
There were always those who, despite being mired in the mud, will still smile at flowers blooming in the sunlight.
"Thank you, Heiji, but becoming Hokage is way too far-fetched for me."
"You say that, but I still think you'd be perfect for it."
"When you return from leave, bring me some of those spiced dangos. That's all the recognition I need," Ryouma said with a smile.
Heiji laughed. "Done! Though Shiori will scold me for smuggling 'contraband' to the front lines."
"I heard that." Shiori said from across the tent.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen held a pipe in one hand while flipping through a scroll with the other.
It was a recommendation scroll from Minato, nominating Kakashi and Ryouma for promotion to chunin.
Setting down the recommendation scroll, Hiruzen picked up Kakashi's mission record.
[Hatake Kakashi, Ninja ID: 009720
For a newly graduated genin, though many of these were short-term wartime assignments, this record was undoubtedly qualified or rather, exceptionally outstanding for a chunin.
The missions span across all ranks, with a significant number of high-level ones. There was even an S-rank, high-risk mission that Hiruzen distinctly remembered.
It was a rescue mission to save an entire squad.
The squad had originally been tasked with contacting Konoha's spies embedded in Suna and returning with critical information. However, the mission was compromised when a Suna spy in Konoha discovered their plans.
By the time Konoha apprehended the Suna spy, it was too late; the information had already been leaked.
Although the time gap allowed the squad to complete their contact and secure the intel, they were likely already being pursued by the enemy. This put the critical information at great risk of not making it back to the village.
He therefore dispatched Minato's team, known for its high mobility, to rescue the squad. However, the true objective was not just the personnel but the intel.
Of course, rescuing the team would be ideal, but if that wasn't possible, the intel had to be retrieved at all costs.
It was harsh, but such was the reality ninjas had to face.
Fortunately, Minato's team arrived in time and saved the squad, who were being chased by more than ten Suna ninjas.
This success was largely thanks to Ryouma.
In the mission report submitted by Minato afterward, it was noted that the boy had been present when the team received the mission. He volunteered to join this dangerous and time-sensitive emergency mission.
Later, Ryouma's sensory abilities, which surpassed even Minato's range, played a critical role in precisely locating the squad.
Reflecting on this, Hiruzen couldn't help but smile.
This mission not only stood out in his memory but was destined to become a case study for the Ninja Academy.
It perfectly embodied the Will of Fire.
To him, nothing was more gratifying than witnessing the growth of Konoha's next generation.
Something would be an entry in a book he might write: [Despite the war, despite the constant threat of death and loss, somehow the Will of Fire continues to find worthy vessels. Perhaps, in the end, that is the true measure of a Hokage's success—not victories in battle, but the quality of ninjas who will carry on after you are gone.]
Exhaling a puff of smoke, he picked up Ryouma's mission record.
[Aotsuki Ryouma, Ninja ID: 010884
In my decades as Hokage, I've never seen a mission distribution quite —especially for a genin barely out of the Academy.
Hmm, one could say this was incredibly specialized.
But it wasn't hard to understand. After all, Ryouma had barely entered the battlefield when he showcased his immense skill in ninjutsu.
He was then paired with Minato to form a somewhat experimental temporary strike squad.
The combination of these two on the battlefield yielded performances that could only be described as extraordinary.
Minato's mobility, coupled with Ryouma's destructive power, created synergy that was far beyond expectations—like 1 + 1 equaling 10.
Within just a few months, they destroyed every logistical hub Suna had in the Land of Rivers. They even infiltrated the Land of Wind, forcing Suna to nearly abandon their frontlines in the Land of Rivers entirely.
The two of them accomplished what Konoha's forces, numbering in the thousands, had failed to achieve over several years.
Even Hiruzen had recently found himself looking more favorably upon Danzō, as it was him who had proposed pairing Minato and Ryouma into a two-man team.
As for Danzō's later suggestion that the squad's command be handed over to him—Hiruzen had conveniently ignored that part.
His philosophy was simple: take the good and leave the bad.
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