Chapter 52: Instructions
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The four moved rapidly through the forest.
Tonbo Tobitake remained in the center of the formation, maintaining his sensory ninjutsu to monitor the area. The other three fanned out, with Hayama Shirakumo leading the point while Itachi Uchiha and Anko guarded the rear flanks.
They had maintained this formation for a long time. Ever since they eliminated the two Kumogakure squads three days ago, they had been patrolling in this exact manner. On that day, they had rushed to the rendezvous point the Cloud ninjas had agreed upon, only to find no trace of the enemy. They realized then that someone in the squads they had wiped out must have used a specialized method to send intelligence out before dying.
Because of this, they were now patrolling at a high tempo. With his teammates guarding him, Tonbo could focus entirely on his sensory range without distraction.
"Stop."
"Did you find something?"
The four came to a halt, looking toward Tonbo.
Gurgle—
Tonbo's stomach let out a loud rumble. "My apologies. I'm hungry."
Anko and the other two were speechless.
Finding a sheltered spot away from the wind, they hunted some game and started a fire to cook.
Sizzle!
"Captain, we've patrolled the border line connecting to the Land of Iron twice now, and there's still no sign of the enemy. We may need to send someone into the Land of Iron itself to gather intelligence," Tonbo suggested as he flipped the roasting meat, addressing Hayama Shirakumo.
Over the past two days, it wasn't just him sensing; Anko had been using her snake-based scouting, Itachi had been carried into the sky by Tonbo to survey the land with his Sharingan, and even Hayama had employed professional battlefield scouting techniques. It was a literal carpet search.
Aside from killing a few wandering ninjas trying to slip into the Land of Fire, they had gained nothing. It had left them exhausted. Working day and night made Tonbo miss his wife and her homemade ramen. A worker's life is truly that of a beast of burden, he thought.
Itachi and Anko were also physically and mentally spent. Itachi, despite his outstanding talent and mature mind, showed clear signs of fatigue in his eyes beneath his calm exterior.
Hayama Shirakumo spoke: "I have already sent a report to Lord Hokage. For now, we will slow down the patrol pace and wait for his instructions."
"Understood." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Tonbo relaxed as well. This was exactly the sentence he was waiting for, though he couldn't be the one to say it. He was a dedicated "worker" who would give his all for Konoha; how could he utter such passive words?
"Come on, while we're idle, I'll teach you some battlefield experience. These are the great lessons of a ninja who participated in the Third Great War!" Tonbo stood on a tree branch, lecturing Itachi and Anko.
Hayama glanced at him. This classmate of his simply loved to show off in front of teammates, yet he was unexpectedly steady, experienced, and always provided effective advice. Hayama sat against the trunk, clutching his blade and closing his eyes to rest.
"Did you know? Back in the Third War, I was invincible across the map. I never lost a single skirmish, striking fear into the hearts of the enemy..." Tonbo's words flew like spray as he bragged about his "great achievements."
Itachi listened with genuine interest.
"Get to the point! Almost everyone who lost on the battlefield is dead; can you stop bragging?" Anko's veins bulged. "And what 'striking fear'? The only ones who did that were Senior White Fang and the Fourth Hokage. Even the Third and the Sannin didn't have that specific reputation..."
She had experienced the war too. She thought Tonbo had some valuable insights, but he was just here to blow his own horn. She debunked him without hesitation.
Itachi's eyes lit up upon hearing her. "Could you tell me stories about Senior White Fang, the Fourth, and the Sannin?"
Anko looked at his "cute" expression and cleared her throat, feeling quite smug. She began recounting the legendary feats of those seniors. Because she had followed Orochimaru, although some of her memories were sealed, those were specifically related to Orochimaru's crimes. She hadn't lived all these years for nothing; her storytelling was vivid.
Tonbo was speechless. The point was supposed to be his achievements. How annoying. However, there were things even Tonbo didn't know that Anko did. For instance, the specific details regarding Sakumo Hatake and the Sannin. Most of Tonbo's intel came from reading the memories of random people; he hadn't met the legends in person. Anko was different; being at Orochimaru's side, she had seen and heard much more.
As she spoke of White Fang's suicide for the sake of his comrades, the Fourth's sacrifice to save the village, and the Sannin standing against the "Demi-God" Hanzo, both listeners were enthralled.
Tonbo felt a bit left out. Wasn't I supposed to be the one boasting? How did it turn into Anko praising others?
For Itachi, many thoughts flashed through his mind. These were the great predecessors of the village, the embodiment of the Will of Fire. This hard-won peace should not be destroyed by the radicals within his clan.
"Alright, I'm done." Anko wiped some sweat away, exhausted from talking. But she felt great.
"Finally finished? Then it's my turn. I'll teach you some actual combat techniques," Tonbo said. Since he had led a Genin squad once, he found that educating others was quite satisfying—especially when it involved two famous figures from history.
Anko and Itachi listened intently. One was a student of Orochimaru, the other had clan masters, but Tonbo's ability to take down a Jonin solo proved his strength was unusual. He was worth learning from.
Tonbo didn't phone it in. He seriously explained techniques for battlefield intelligence gathering, first aid, support maneuvers, trap design, and more—practical, hard-earned experience.
"Finally, one of the most important points..."
As Tonbo's voice dropped, Itachi and Anko focused. Everything he had said so far was highly beneficial, and that wasn't even the "key" point yet?
"Intelligence is a ninja's lifeblood."
The two nodded in agreement.
"Analyzing the current situation is your trump card for victory."
They nodded again.
"Mastering diverse methods is the foundation that allows you to counterattack once you've analyzed the enemy."
This was profound; they nodded.
"Lastly, every ninjutsu has a weakness. Find it, overcome it, and you win."
Screech—!
Just as Tonbo finished and the two were deep in thought, an eagle's cry echoed from the sky. Hayama Shirakumo opened his eyes and wove a sign. The messenger eagle spiraled down from the clouds and landed on his shoulder, a small pouch strapped to its back.
The trio looked toward their Captain, knowing the Hokage's orders had arrived.
"Captain, check it quickly! What are Lord Third's instructions?" Anko was already impatient to show off her skills.
Hayama didn't dawdle. He opened the letter and began reading. His brow furrowed, then slowly relaxed.
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