"A promotion mission issued by the Hokage Tower?"
"Due to wartime conditions, the Chunin Exams have been canceled and replaced by a combat assessment. My assessment is to team up with Nawaki and head to the Rain Country battlefield where Orochimaru is stationed?"
Night Namikaze, who had slept in until the next morning, received this surprising mission.
Thinking about it, the Second Great Ninja War was nearing its end. Konoha had absolute dominance on the main front, so the risk of going there was significantly lower. The war would probably be over soon.
Sending Nawaki to the battlefield was likely planned long ago—a rite of passage. A towering tree couldn't grow in a calm greenhouse.
As for Night, he was probably thrown in as "insurance" because he exposed some of his strength to Tsunade yesterday.
Of course, it was also possible that Hiruzen finally remembered the "Genin" who had been idling at home.
Since the mission was issued, he had to accept it. Departure was set for tomorrow, giving him today to prepare.
Night had originally planned to contract a summoning beast. Going to the front lines might actually offer better options.
Whether it was the Toad Mafia of Mount Myoboku or the Snake Cult of Ryuchi Cave, both were on Night's radar—especially for their coveted Sage Modes.
Before leaving the house, he checked his body. The soreness from opening the Eight Gates had completely vanished overnight. His muscle density had even increased.
In terms of pure physical stats, he might be slightly inferior to the Senju Sage Body, but in terms of vitality and recovery, the Uzumaki were miles ahead.
Recovery relied on vitality. Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, died young due to overuse of his regenerative abilities in battle.
Meanwhile, his wife Mito Uzumaki, who suppressed the Nine-Tails inside her as a debuff, was still alive and kicking. And she didn't rely on "mutual understanding" with the fox; she used Adamantine Sealing Chains to suppress it by force.
Stepping onto the bustling streets of Konoha, Night headed straight for the famous "Ninja Tool Emporium."
As soon as he walked in, the owner greeted him enthusiastically, not minding that he was just a kid.
"Ninja-sama, what do you need?"
Night scanned the shop. He rarely came here because he used to be broke and standard-issue tools were enough. The only time he came specifically was to buy explosive tags after depleting his stock in the Land of Whirlpools.
Now that he was heading to war again and had some cash, it was time to stock up properly.
"Boss! Do you have any good ninja swords?"
"Of course! How about this one? It contains a fair amount of Chakra Induction Metal. Very durable and sharp!" The owner eagerly presented a sword.
Night took it and tested the balance. It wasn't as precious as Nuibari, but it felt good in his hand. He decided to buy it.
"How much?"
"55,000 Ryo." The owner said the price casually.
"50,000?"
"Deal." The owner smiled instantly.
Night immediately wondered if he had offered too high, given how quickly the owner agreed.
But the words were out. He added some kunai and explosive tags, bringing the total to 71,000 Ryo. The owner "generously" rounded it down to 70,000.
As expected of Konoha's biggest shop—he spent a fortune in the blink of an eye, yet the service made him want to come back.
Just as he walked out, he heard a loud argument nearby.
A simple-looking farmer was confronting two Uchiha Police Force officers, crying out his innocence:
"Why are you arresting an innocent man?! I didn't do anything!"
"You are a major suspect. Move." The Uchiha officer said coldly, ignoring his pleas and moving to arrest him.
The surrounding villagers watched with hostility, clearly unhappy with the Uchiha's heavy-handedness.
Even as the man shouted, "Abuse of power!" and "Uchiha bullying honest people!", the officers remained expressionless. The arrogant Uchiha disdained explaining themselves to outsiders.
Finally, a villager couldn't take it anymore and stepped in. "Akita-kun isn't that kind of person! If you're taking him, show us the evidence!"
The lead officer glanced at the villager. His eyes instantly spun into scarlet Two-Tomoe Sharingan. Without saying a word, the ominous red eyes forced the villager back in fear.
"I am Yashiro Uchiha. If you have objections, come to the Police Headquarters to find me." His tone was flat but carried undeniable authority.
The crowd parted instinctively. Yashiro walked forward without looking sideways, while his partner dragged "Akita-kun" behind him.
Night watched and understood why the Police Force had such a bad reputation.
Whether it was Uchiha arrogance or necessary confidentiality, this cold, uncompromising style easily bred resentment.
Coupled with the high-level suppression since the Second Hokage's era, the Uchiha were increasingly isolated. By the start of the main plot, they would be enemies of the village.
The villagers might be blind, but Night noticed something wrong.
Yashiro Uchiha hadn't arrested the wrong man. If "Akita-kun" were truly a farmer, his hands would have calluses from farm tools. But his hands were smooth, pale, and agile.
A ninja disguised as a farmer. His purpose was obvious—likely a spy.
Witnessing the Uchiha's cold efficiency and remembering Nawaki's "goofy rich kid" persona, Night shook his head. No wonder the Uchiha weren't popular.
With his new sword, Night headed to the training grounds to test it out. Although he had "downloaded" Kushimaru's skills, practicing in person felt safer.
As he reached the edge of the training grounds, two familiar figures came into view.
"Oh crap." Night panicked internally and turned to leave before they saw him.
But as soon as he turned, he felt a grip on his collar. Tsunade appeared behind him like a ghost and said calmly:
"Namikaze kid. Perfect timing."