The next morning, Uchiha Hayashi, looking weary, greeted Nawaki with a tired smile.
"Morning, Nawaki."
"Hayashi, where did you go last night?" Nawaki asked curiously.
"Minato kept me up all night, talking about ninjutsu theories," Hayashi replied, rubbing his eyes and trying to sound energetic.
"But… I just ran into Minato. He looked completely refreshed!"
"Who knows how he does it," Hayashi muttered with a faint sigh. "Come on, let's head to the mission point."
He led the way toward the camp gate, Nawaki following behind.
The night before, Dabai had relayed a message from Orochimaru, instructing them to join the Genin patrol squad. According to Orochimaru, the mission was straightforward and safe—almost as if it had been designed specifically for Genin like them.
After the dangers they'd already faced, Hayashi welcomed an easier task. So early that morning, he gathered Mikoto and Nawaki, and together they went to the designated meeting point.
By the time they arrived, several Genin teams were already assembled. Hayashi's light-green Chunin vest stood out among the group.
"Are you Hayashi's squad?" came a calm, gentle voice beside him.
Hayashi turned and saw a Jonin in his early twenties with blue hair and a composed demeanor. His presence carried a quiet confidence.
"Yesterday afternoon, I received notice that a new team would be joining us," the man said.
"Yes, that's us," Hayashi replied, gesturing to Nawaki and Mikoto.
"Are you… Kato Taka? Uh, no—Kato Dan, sir?" Hayashi caught himself mid-sentence, realizing he'd almost said the wrong name.
Kato Dan chuckled softly, not minding the slip. "That's me. I'm the Jonin in charge of the reconnaissance unit. Welcome to the team."
Standing behind him were three familiar faces—Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza, the inseparable trio from the academy.
"Becoming a Chunin at ten years old, Hayashi, you're something else," Dan said warmly, patting him on the shoulder. "Unlike my three hopeless disciples here."
"Teacher, being a Chunin sounds like too much work," Shikaku complained, his trademark laziness showing.
Dan only smiled helplessly, already used to Shikaku's attitude.
"Long time no see, Hayashi, Nawaki, Mikoto," Shikaku said, giving them a casual nod.
Hayashi returned the greeting with a small grin. Since they'd been under Orochimaru's command for a while, it had been some time since they'd last seen their old classmates.
"That Chunin vest looks nice," Choza said, reaching out to touch it with fingers still dusted in snack crumbs.
Hayashi quickly sidestepped and blocked the greasy hand before it could reach him.
Seeing his prank fail, Choza simply licked his fingers clean with a sheepish grin.
"Hayashi, I heard you've been to the battlefield. How was it?" Inoichi asked, leaning forward with interest.
Despite their roles as ninjas, they were still kids—curious and eager for stories.
"It was fine," Hayashi said casually. "We ran into an Iwagakure shinobi with Explosion Release—Gari."
The trio exchanged wide-eyed looks, clearly impressed. Even if they'd been at the main camp the whole time, news of Explosion Release users was enough to make any young ninja shiver.
Still, Shikaku and his team hadn't changed much; they were as laid-back as ever, content with minor missions and reconnaissance work.
Kato Dan flipped through a clipboard of assignments nearby. He'd reviewed Hayashi's records the day before and couldn't help but feel surprised. Despite his young age, the boy had a calm maturity far beyond his years.
After a moment, Dan clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, enough chatting. Each squad's patrol area has been decided. Hayashi, why don't you join Shikaku's team for now? Get used to the patrol routes."
Hayashi nodded. "Understood, Kato-san. We'll follow your lead."
With that, the two teams set out together toward their assigned patrol zone.
---
The so-called "mission point" turned out to be a small, concealed station deep within the forest—little more than a lookout post hidden among towering trees.
"Is this what they call reconnaissance?" Nawaki muttered in frustration, his voice muffled as he peeked out from a rain-soaked hollow in a massive tree.
He had expected something more… exciting. But instead, they were simply ordered to hide, observe, and remain silent.
No wonder Kato Dan had said it was safe.
Still, Nawaki had changed since their last mission. The near-death experiences had forced him to grow up fast, even if his restless energy remained.
He sighed and adjusted his position, straining his eyes to spot Hayashi or the others through the thick curtain of rain.
But the forest was eerily still. The rest of the squad had suppressed their chakra and movements so well that even Nawaki couldn't sense their presence.
Grumbling quietly, he leaned back into the hollow.
About ten meters northeast, Hayashi was lying inside another tree cavity, resting with his eyes half-closed.
Outside, rain poured through the canopy, drumming softly on leaves and branches. The forest was wrapped in gray mist, the air thick with the smell of damp earth.
Through the narrow opening, Hayashi watched droplets slide off the leaves and disappear into the mud. Despite the dreariness, it was oddly peaceful.
Every shift of wind, every brush of grass within a ten-meter radius was being tracked by Dabai, who maintained an invisible field of awareness around them.
Just as Hayashi began to drift toward sleep, his eyes snapped open.
Through the curtain of rain, he saw faint silhouettes moving among the trees ahead—silent, coordinated, and fast.
The familiar red-and-brown uniforms confirmed it.
"Iwagakure shinobi," Hayashi whispered under his breath.
His expression hardened. He tapped his communicator twice, signaling the others with a prearranged code.
Within seconds, faint chakra signatures flickered back in acknowledgment. Nawaki, Mikoto, and Shikaku's trio had all received the warning.
The rain grew heavier, masking their movements perfectly.
Hayashi narrowed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "So much for an easy mission."
Outside, flashes of movement appeared through the mist—enemy scouts slipping between the trees like shadows.
_____
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