This Water Release technique completely dispelled Uchiha Shisui's concerns, and the two stopped their exchange with great tacit understanding.
The remaining people also formed new teams one by one.
Kurenai Yuhi and Uchiha Tetsubi failed to team up with Aokawa, ultimately forming a team with the equally disappointed Uchiha Inabi.
Hyuga Ryosuke, along with another random extra, was taken away by Hinata Iruha.
Kakashi was still with Uchiha Obito and Rin Nohara.
When they dispersed, Obito-kun even sidled up to Aokawa, wanting him to teach him Ninjutsu of that scale so he could impress Kakashi.
Aokawa brushed him off.
At this moment, his pure kindness was real, but it was also true that he would show no hesitation when he struck at his master's wife in the future.
In the future, Konan would try to win him over with money, but ultimately failed to secure him.
This was a man who could be won over by neither emotions nor money.
Plus, with Uchiha Madara pulling the strings behind the scenes, it was better not to get too close to him... One month later.
Outside the Yunagi Pass, in a dense forest.
Aokawa, Uchiha Shisui, and Might Guy moved through the forest in a triangular formation, remaining vigilant.
The air on the Front Lines always carried a faint scent of burning, and the ground beneath their feet often showed craters left by the devastation of Ninjutsu.
"One hundred meters ahead, twelve o'clock direction. One in the canopy, one underground," Aokawa, walking in the middle, suddenly spoke, his voice kept very low.
"Two o'clock direction, four hundred meters away, there's another one."
His Byakugan provided a vast field of vision; no camouflage could remain hidden.
Uchiha Shisui, at the very front, immediately stopped and made a hand signal.
On the other side, Might Guy slightly bent his legs, his whole body tensed and ready to charge at any moment.
Shisui gave Guy a few tactical hand signals, and Guy nodded heavily.
In the next moment, Shisui's figure vanished from where he stood.
Almost at the same time, Might Guy, like a green cannonball, charged fiercely in the direction Aokawa had pointed.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
In the canopy, a Cloud Hidden Ninja who was observing didn't even have time to react before being kicked out of his hiding spot by a massive force.
A green figure quickly followed up, a Kunai slicing across his throat.
The Ninja at the two o'clock direction seemed to sense something and was about to move when a blue-and-white energy arrow whistled through the air, accurately piercing his chest.
Aokawa lowered the Spirit Bow in his hand, and the bow's form slowly dissipated.
Through the Byakugan, he saw Shisui's figure emerge from behind a large tree, his Ninja Blade stabbed into the ground.
"It's settled," he said, pulling out the blood-stained Ninja Blade.
From discovering the enemy to the end of the battle, the entire process took less than ten seconds.
The three cooperated with perfect chemistry, without a single wasted movement.
"Beautiful teamwork!" Might Guy gave the two a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing in the sunlight. "This is the cooperation of youth!"
Shisui also smiled. "Aokawa-senpai's sensory abilities and long-range support have greatly improved our operational efficiency."
He had only recently learned that when Aokawa first said he "possessed long-range attack capabilities and large-scale strike methods," he was referring to his other Kekkei Genkai.
During these days of patrolling, he could feel the speed and power of these energy arrows; they were truly a Sharp Weapon for carrying out missions.
Having completed the patrol of his assigned area, Aokawa couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
Since their squad was formed, they had been in a constant state of patrolling.
Without realizing it, a month had already passed.
During this time, Orochimaru first took advantage of the Cloud Hidden's unstable footing and sent a large army out from the Yunagi Pass.
Striking first to gain the upper hand, they fought a fierce campaign and reclaimed a significant amount of lost territory with unstoppable momentum.
They were even close to retaking the Outpost Base at one point.
However, with the arrival of the Fourth Raikage A and the assistance of Nii Yugito, the Konoha side suffered many setbacks and was pushed back once again.
Orochimaru was forced to take action personally, leading the army to reclaim parts of the area once more.
On the land of the Land of Hot Springs, both sides engaged in a back-and-forth, reckless slaughter.
Finally, a stalemate was reached in a dense forest between the Yunagi Pass and the Outpost Base.
By now, Orochimaru had realized that the next generation of Cloud Hidden's combat power had risen.
Meanwhile, on Konoha's side, because the Village's understanding of the Cloud Hidden was still stuck in the Second War, the high-end combat power dispatched was severely insufficient.
As the commander-in-chief, he couldn't personally charge to the Front Lines every time.
Under these circumstances, he could only slow down the pace of the offensive to maintain the battle lines while simultaneously requesting reinforcements from the Village.
While they were at a stalemate on the surface, both sides secretly dispatched Ninjas to scout and test each other.
The areas near their own camp were patrolled by squads composed of Chunin and Genin like Aokawa.
They had to patrol their assigned areas almost every day.
But it wasn't without rewards; multiple battles had increased the variety of his Five Elements Ninjutsu and earned him over 1,200 energy crystals.
The three finished cleaning up the scene and were preparing to return to camp.
A masked Konoha Anbu appeared silently before them.
"First Patrol Squad: Uchiha Shisui, Aokawa, Might Guy." The Anbu's voice was flat. "Lord Orochimaru orders you to report to the frontline headquarters immediately."
Orochimaru?
The three looked at each other, seeing the seriousness in each other's expressions.
A sudden summons from the Battlefield commander would never be about something as trivial as a patrol mission... In the frontline headquarters, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
A massive battle map covered the entire table, marked with dense arrows in red and blue indicating the movement of the Front Lines. Several Jonin officers stood to the side, their expressions solemn.
Orochimaru sat in the main seat, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.
As Aokawa and the others entered the tent, they immediately felt an invisible pressure.
Orochimaru looked up, his snake-like eyes sweeping over the three of them, finally lingering on Aokawa's face for a moment longer.
"First Patrol Squad!" His voice was raspy, with a unique magnetic quality.
"Yes." As the squad leader, Uchiha Shisui stepped forward and replied respectfully.
Orochimaru flicked his tongue and stood up, walking to the map. He picked up a baton and pointed to a specific area on the map.
"According to intelligence, a supply unit from the Hidden Cloud Village has already crossed the Fuyuan Bridge and secretly stored a batch of important strategic materials in an abandoned mine southwest of our former Outpost Base."
He drew a circle around the mine's location with the baton.
"These supplies include enough Explosive Tags, ration pills, and various Ninja Tools to support them through a single campaign."
...
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"