Each tent was assigned to six people. Uchiha Gen and his two teammates ended up sharing one with a Genin squad of youths who looked to be around thirteen.
The three newcomers stood near the entrance.
"Hello," the Senju boy said with a bright, open smile. "I'm Senju Gen. These are my teammates—Uchiha Gen and Aida Kai."
After a brief pause, the three Genin inside the tent replied one by one.
"Chizuru."
"Ichimomo."
"Yamazaki Tsuchi."
That was all. The atmosphere quickly fell silent.
Aida Kai's gaze drifted to Ichimomo—the boy missing a lower leg. The crude prosthetic strapped to his thigh was impossible to ignore. Aida's face paled, his fingers tightening unconsciously as fear and unease surfaced in his eyes.
Uchiha Gen noticed immediately.
He reached out, placing a steady hand on Aida's shoulder. "Aida, don't panic. Panic on the battlefield only invites death. Breathe slowly. Calm your mind."
Guided by his words, Aida Kai took several deep breaths. Gradually, the tremor in his body eased.
Chizuru watched the exchange for a moment before asking quietly, "Aren't you afraid?"
Uchiha Gen turned his head toward him, his expression calm and unwavering.
"Only the weak are ruled by fear on the battlefield," he said evenly. "I am strong. The ones who should be afraid are the enemy."
Ichimomo let out a short, mocking laugh. "As expected of an Uchiha. I hope you don't freeze once the fighting starts."
Uchiha Gen met his gaze without flinching. "Don't worry. It won't be long before Sunagakure remembers my name."
---
In the massive command tent at the center of the camp, Orochimaru was examining a freshly delivered intelligence report.
A small, scaleless white snake—no thicker than a thumb—slithered out from his sleeve and raised its head, hissing softly.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're saying you sensed Uchiha's chakra in the Forest of Death back then… and that he's among the newly arrived forces now?"
He reached for the personnel roster and flipped through it methodically.
"Uchiha… Gen."
There was only one Uchiha listed in this support unit.
His lips curled upward.
Hehehe… so it's you. Eleven years old. Height: 168 centimeters. Specializes in taijutsu.
Hm? His other ninjutsu and genjutsu evaluations are merely average.
Interesting… far too interesting.
If not for the sensory acuity of the snakes, even I might have been deceived.
An average talent hiding beneath the surface… Are you deliberately suppressing yourself?
Uchiha Gen—you are no ordinary Genin.
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes glinted as he studied the photograph attached to the file.
At that moment, the tent flap was pushed aside.
A blond-haired man stepped inside. He was Ino Zen, chief of staff overseeing the Konoha forces stationed against Sunagakure.
"Lord Orochimaru," he said respectfully, "all personnel have arrived."
"Let them enter."
Eight Jonin entered first, their presence alone radiating a chilling aura forged by countless battles.
Behind them, dozens of Chunin followed, filling the tent in orderly rows.
Ino Zen raised several documents. "These are the reports from our recent skirmishes with Sunagakure, along with our projections of their next offensive."
As he began reading aloud, the tent gradually filled with low discussion and strategic debate.
---
Elsewhere, Uchiha Gen and Senju Gen stood atop a rise overlooking the camp.
Beyond the perimeter, a vast sea of sand stretched endlessly into the horizon.
"I heard the Land of Wind is nothing but desert," Senju Gen said quietly.
Uchiha Gen nodded. "Living in conditions like this… it's no surprise Sunagakure hasn't backed down, even after suffering heavy losses."
"They're probably stalling," he continued. "Waiting until Konoha and the other great nations can no longer sustain the war. Then they'll push for peace as 'victors' and demand enormous reparations."
A sudden, piercing whistle cut through the air.
An emergency assembly signal.
Both boys stiffened instantly.
Without another word, they leaped from the ridge, their figures flashing as they rushed back toward the camp.
---
Chaos had already begun to stir.
Squads were forming rapidly, familiar faces departing under their respective leaders.
Soon, the two spotted Shiranui Aoba, who was waiting for them. Aida Kai stood beside him, visibly tense. Upon seeing them, he waved quickly.
"Sensei," Uchiha Gen asked, "is there a mission?"
Aoba's expression was grave. "Reconnaissance. Four squads total. Move—now."
With that, he vanished in a blur of motion.
The three Genin followed closely.
After leaving the camp, the four-person squad linked up with three others and headed straight toward the border of the Land of Wind.
After roughly fifteen minutes of high-speed movement, a dense forest appeared ahead.
One of the squad leaders raised his fist, signaling everyone to halt.
"This is close to the border," he said quietly to Aoba and the others. "There could be a Sunagakure ambush inside. We scout first."
He turned toward a Genin in another squad. "Hyuga Sumi."
"Yes."
Hyuga Sumi stepped forward, formed hand seals, and spoke calmly.
"Byakugan—activate!"
The veins around his eyes bulged as his field of vision expanded in all directions.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound split the air.
More than a dozen shuriken burst from the forest, flying straight toward the group.
"Enemy attack!" Aoba shouted.
The four squad leaders reacted instantly, hurling shuriken of their own.
Clang! Clang!
Several projectiles were knocked aside—but not all.
Multiple shuriken streaked toward Hyuga Sumi, some bearing explosive tags already smoking.
The Byakugan was a terrifying asset on the battlefield. Once activated, it could survey nearly a kilometer in all directions—making its user an immediate priority target.
Hyuga Sumi saw the attack coming.
But his body couldn't keep up.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A thick earthen barrier erupted from the ground just in time, shielding him from the brunt of the attack.
It was Uchiha Gen's jutsu.
Even so, three Genin weren't as lucky.
One was struck in the neck—blood spraying as he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
The other two were pierced by shuriken, screaming as they fell, their combat capability instantly lost.
Behind the wall, explosive tags detonated with deafening blasts.
Smoke filled the air.
Faced with death and injury in an instant, the remaining Genin went pale—panic and confusion spreading rapidly across their faces.
---
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