Although that black dog looked unreliable, it proved surprisingly good at logistics. It managed to avoid every danger along the way, and its service was efficient and dependable.
Still, it talked far too much, constantly promoting its so-called company philosophy. In short, its favorite line was always, "Boss, get a card!" — just like those overly persistent hair salon promoters back on Earth.
Fortunately, before Hayashi lost his patience, their group finally made it back to the Konoha camp. After such a long and grueling mission, everyone felt a wave of relief. The journey had been difficult, filled with near-death moments and endless tension.
Even though Hayashi wanted nothing more than to rest, he still went to report the mission details to Orochimaru. The war in the Land of Rain was at a critical phase. Konoha's forces were stretched thin across multiple fronts, and reinforcements were running low.
But no matter how tight resources were, elite Jōnin had to be sent to assist Sakumo Hatake. After all, the enemy included a Jinchūriki — one loose beast on the battlefield could cause devastating losses. If Sakumo fell, Konoha would lose one of its key combat pillars, and no one could afford that.
Thanks to the successful completion of this B-rank mission — along with his two previous A-rank missions — Hayashi was officially promoted to Chūnin under Orochimaru's recommendation. His strength and accumulated merit made the promotion inevitable.
However, Mikoto and Nawaki remained Genin. The reason was simple: if all three members of a team became Chūnin, the unit would automatically be disbanded. Given the state of war, it was wiser to maintain a stable team that already had strong coordination. Since Orochimaru had no time to lead the team personally, promoting Hayashi to Chūnin and letting him lead made the most sense.
Inside the tent, Tsunade looked him up and down with a faint smile.
"Not bad, kid. You look good in that Chūnin vest," Tsunade said, patting his shoulder.
Orochimaru didn't comment, but his expression clearly conveyed, "This is what my disciple should look like."
"There's nothing else for now," Orochimaru finally said. "I still have some matters to discuss with Tsunade. You can go rest. And don't take any missions for the next few days. Stay in the camp."
He paused, looking slightly exasperated. "Every time you go out, something happens. Even if I don't believe in bad luck, I can't ignore the pattern." Indeed, Hayashi's last mission — meant to be a simple reconnaissance — ended up with them clashing against a Jinchūriki. Better to keep him grounded at the camp for now.
Orochimaru didn't believe anything serious could happen there unless Hanzo himself launched an attack, which was highly unlikely.
Hayashi nodded and left the tent. He knew Orochimaru and Tsunade were likely discussing the movements of the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki, as well as the plans of Iwa and Suna forces. Such matters were classified and beyond his clearance.
As he walked through the camp, the new Chūnin vest drew quite a few glances. At his age, promotion was impressive.
On his way back, he unexpectedly ran into Minato Namikaze, who was waiting outside his own tent like someone expecting a long-lost friend. Seeing Hayashi, Minato's face brightened.
"Long time no see!" he said, grasping his friend's hand warmly.
Hayashi subtly withdrew his hand, noticing Minato's worn condition. His body still bore cuts and bruises, with a fresh bandage over his cheek.
"Minato, what happened to you? Why haven't you gone to a medical-nin?"
Minato gave a tired smile. "If I could, I would've already gone. But right now, most of the medics are focused on the severely wounded. For small injuries like ours, we just have to wait it out."
Hayashi frowned. The shortage of medical-nin had reached this level already? With Konoha fighting on three fronts, the strain was obvious. From the looks of it, the war in the Land of Rain was nearing its end — no side could keep this up much longer.
"By the way," Minato continued, glancing at Hayashi's vest, "everyone's been talking. Is it true your team went on a high-level mission?"
Hayashi chuckled. "Yeah. I just got officially promoted — freshly baked Chūnin, as they say. High-level cannon fodder, I guess."
Minato grinned. "Still, congratulations! You're the first among us to make Chūnin."
"The battlefield works differently," Hayashi replied. "As long as you perform and rack up enough merit, promotions come fast."
War had a way of rapidly creating Chūnin and Jōnin — though not all lived long enough to enjoy the title.
They walked together toward an open area, talking casually after so long apart.
"What about you?" Hayashi asked.
"Guard duty," Minato sighed. "We're in charge of maintaining the perimeter's safety. Most Genin are stuck doing that." He had only just returned from patrol when he heard Hayashi's team was back, so he rushed over.
"Our team hit an intelligence post," Hayashi said. "Ran into a squad of Iwa shinobi — tough bastards. We barely made it back alive."
Minato's eyes lit up with admiration. "That's amazing! I wish I could see the real battlefield too."
Hayashi shook his head. "There's nothing amazing about watching your comrades die. We were lucky this time. Others at the outpost weren't."
"Jiraiya-sensei still won't let me go," Minato admitted, scratching his head. "He says it's for my own good."
"Speaking of your teacher," Hayashi said, "I didn't see Jiraiya around the camp. Where'd he go? Off to gather... material again?"
Minato's face twitched. "No way… There's not even a proper bathhouse around here!" he protested weakly, though his tone didn't sound convinced. After all, Jiraiya's last book had flopped miserably, and the publisher even went bankrupt. The man had been obsessed with finding new "inspiration" ever since.
"There are still a few small towns nearby," Hayashi said. "Don't underestimate them — some areas in the Rain Country have surprisingly thriving… entertainment industries."
Minato froze. His confidence wavered immediately. Could Jiraiya really have ditched him again for "research"?
Feeling a bit sorry for his friend, Hayashi sighed. Jiraiya would soon leave Minato anyway, heading off to train students in the Rain Country for three years.
"Forget it," Minato said, shaking off the thought. "Let's talk about something else. I have a few questions about Wind Release. Do you have time tonight?"
"Sure," Hayashi nodded.
"Great! Then stay at my place tonight. We'll go over the details slowly."
Hayashi blinked. "…Alright."
As the two headed off together, the camp lights flickered softly in the rain, and for a rare moment amid the chaos of war, there was a sense of calm.
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