Under the shadows of the trees, the space seemed to ripple, and a slender figure slowly emerged.
He wore a standard Konoha Jonin uniform with the common green flak jacket. His long, jet-black hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall, and his skin was a sickly pale, as if it hadn't seen the sun in years.
His snake-like vertical pupils flickered with a cold, amused, and dangerous light.
He stood there casually, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if the brutal battlefield before him wasn't a slaughterhouse, but an interesting experiment.
It was none other than Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha.
"Retreat."
Floating in the air, Onoki spoke flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. "This time, Konoha wins."
Orochimaru watched as the Stone ninjas retreated in an orderly fashion. He didn't attempt to stop them.
In the ninja world, being able to fly essentially made you invincible. Not to mention Onoki's Dust Release, which dealt overpowered damage that ignored durability.
There was also an unwritten rule on the battlefield: unless it was a full-scale final battle, Kage-level powerhouses didn't casually slaughter low-level ninjas.
Without this rule, a Kage could just fly over the enemy lines and unleash "Musou Mode," turning thousands of Chunin and Genin into cannon fodder instantly.
Onoki's interference earlier had already crossed the line, but rules were written by the strong. As the strongest person on the battlefield right now, no one dared to call him out.
If Onoki hadn't swallowed his pride and intervened repeatedly to save his troops, the Stone forces would have been pushed back to their border long ago.
"Heh. Return to camp."
Orochimaru ordered the reinforcement squad. As the supreme commander of this front, he had been monitoring Onoki's movements closely, which allowed him to appear just in time.
Back at the camp, Orochimaru immediately summoned Nawaki's squad.
"Sensei!"
As soon as they entered the main command tent, Nawaki bowed respectfully and called out eagerly.
"Mm."
Night watched as Orochimaru's face showed a rare, genuine smile. Clearly, he approved of Nawaki.
Setting aside his relationship with Tsunade, Nawaki's unpretentious and cheerful personality was perhaps his most precious trait.
It could be said that Orochimaru's obsession with immortality in the future might have been triggered by Nawaki's premature death. He just lost his way while pursuing it.
Eventually, he would become the cold-blooded scientist who said, "Lamenting the dead is meaningless. If death has meaning, it only exists when it can be utilized."
But right now, Orochimaru, though cold, still possessed the charisma that earned him his title.
"Have you completed the homework I gave you?" Orochimaru asked with a raspy voice, testing his student.
"Those jutsus? Mastered them ages ago!" Nawaki beamed with confidence.
"But I heard you lost in a spar to the Namikaze boy next to you."
With one sentence, Nawaki's confidence crumbled. His bragging choked in his throat.
"Night Namikaze. You are impressive. Graduating top of the class as a commoner. And your recent record is even more fascinating. It seems you have quite a few secrets."
Orochimaru suddenly turned his attention to Night, who had been trying to blend into the background.
Caught off guard, Night responded calmly, "I went through a lot in the Land of Whirlpools. I had a breakthrough."
Knowing he couldn't completely fool the sharp-witted Sannin, Night offered a plausible half-truth. Who said commoners couldn't be geniuses? Orochimaru and Jiraiya themselves were prime examples.
If they hadn't possessed extraordinary talent, Hiruzen wouldn't have taken them as disciples, no matter how much he wanted to promote commoners.
Sure enough, Orochimaru nodded almost imperceptibly, accepting the explanation.
"Get settled in the camp. The situation on the battlefield changes rapidly. Missions can come down at any time."
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Your other teammate is waiting outside. Don't keep him waiting too long."
"Yes, sir!" The two replied in unison.
Stepping out of the tent, they saw a figure standing quietly in the dark, wearing sunglasses even at night.
"Ah! Shibi! It's you!" Nawaki greeted him loudly, surprised.
It was Shibi Aburame, their classmate and the second-ranked graduate of their year. The top three of Night's graduating class were now reunited on the front lines.
Night understood immediately. Despite Tsunade's tough talk, she was worried about Nawaki.
Shibi Aburame was a truly brilliant ninja with a boundless future. The anime proved this later.
Not only did he father Shino (one of the Konoha 12), but his own feats were insane.
He teamed up with Minato to fight Mukade in the Lost Tower arc, went toe-to-toe with Konan during Pain's invasion, and guarded Naruto during his training on the Turtle Island in the Fourth War.
He was the ultimate support carry, a super-strong background character active from the start of the series to the end. The title of "Most Versatile Ninja" wasn't unearned.
"Long time no see."
Shibi's personality was exactly like Shino's—flat tone, few words, and that characteristic Aburame silence.
"Indeed, long time no see, Shibi. Looks like we'll be counting on you again," Night replied with a smile. He considered his relationship with Shibi to be pretty good.
Shibi stiffened slightly when Night spoke to him. Memories of the graduation exam flooded back.
In the practical combat exam, the three of them were far ahead of their peers. In terms of raw power, Night shouldn't have beaten Shibi.
But during the fight, Night had asked a single question: "Where do your bugs poop?"
Shibi had frozen in confusion, pondering the biological implications. Night seized the opening and won the match.
Shibi shook the memory out of his head and said coolly, "I'll take you to the tent."
They followed him and soon arrived at their quarters. Their Jonin leader, Akira Hyuga, was already resting there.
Several Days Later.
"Squad 17, assemble." Akira ordered. The adjustment period was over. A mission had arrived.
"We have reliable intel. There is a hidden Stone logistics depot in a valley to the northeast. We are to confirm the intel and, if accurate, destroy it."
Night and the others nodded.
Their squad had a Hyuga (Byakugan), an Aburame (kikaichu bugs), and Night (secretly using Mind's Eye of the Kagura).
Calling them the "Strongest Recon Squad" wouldn't be an exaggeration. Using this lineup for a logistics raid felt like using an anti-aircraft gun to kill a mosquito.
Yet, a vague sense of unease crept into Night's heart.