Three days later, nightfall.
In the southwestern region of the Land of Lightning, within a dense forest near the border, a force of more than three hundred shinobi was taking a brief rest in a clearing among the trees.
The Shinichi Battalion.
They had set out with five hundred men. After the first raid on Kumogakure, just over four hundred remained. And after so many days of relentless fighting, the force had now dwindled to barely more than three hundred.
Almost everyone was wounded. The lightly injured had only torn clothing and blood-seeping bandages wrapped around their bodies. The heavily injured leaned pale-faced against tree trunks, resting while barely maintaining their combat capability.
Yet regardless of the severity of their wounds, every pair of eyes still burned with light.
It was the pride born from achieving astonishing victories day after day—of toying with mighty Kumogakure and enemies more than ten times their number as though they were dancing in the palm of their hands.
But beneath that light, a deep exhaustion could no longer be concealed.
Days of nonstop high-intensity maneuver warfare, rapid assaults, skirmishes, and counter-encirclement battles had continuously drained everyone's stamina, mental energy, and chakra.
Even with the specially made medicine provided by their captain, Higashino Shinichi—medicine whose effects far surpassed ordinary medical treatments—as support...
Even though every one of them was an elite shinobi with powerful conviction...
In the end, the captain's medicine was not some miraculous cure, and they themselves were still flesh and blood.
Especially over these past three days, Kumogakure's pursuit forces had suddenly intensified. The frequency and brutality of encounters had risen sharply, and every fierce clash came with casualties.
The more than three hundred people still standing now had nearly all reached their limit. Their chakra was on the verge of depletion, their bodies severely overdrawn, sustained only by sheer willpower and burning fighting spirit.
"Captain, enemies approaching from the east. Around five hundred men advancing this way."
"Captain, approximately five hundred more in the western mountain forests. They've already sealed off the pass."
"Captain, multiple enemy battalions spotted at the northern valley entrance. They're tightening the encirclement. Estimated numbers no lower than eight hundred."
"Captain, the southern side has the largest force. Estimated at over a thousand men. They've already blocked the road leading toward the border."
Within the Shinichi Battalion, reconnaissance shinobi led by Inuzuka Ryō and his wife, along with the Aburame brothers led by Aburame Shibi, continuously gathered the bad news arriving from every direction and delivered it to the center of the formation—
To the young captain who stood there with his eyes lowered slightly, as though resting with them closed.
They were surrounded.
That realization rose in the minds of everyone present.
Completely encircled in unfamiliar enemy territory by foes ten times their number—perhaps even more.
What kind of end awaited them?
Perhaps there was only one answer.
And yet, the panic everyone had expected never appeared.
Instead, a strange calm—almost one of relief—rapidly spread through the small forest clearing.
Every gaze turned in unison toward the young captain standing at the center.
They were waiting.
Waiting for their commander to issue what would very likely be the final order of their lives.
Shinichi slowly raised his eyes, calmly sweeping his gaze across every face—young or weathered, bloodstained or resolute.
Then, suddenly, he smiled.
"Looks like Kumogakure really paid a heavy price this time. They're dead set on leaving us buried here."
"But honestly, fair enough. We've spent these past days strolling in and out of their village like it was our own backyard. We smashed their Raikage Tower again and again. If I were them, I'd want to skin us alive too."
The moment the words fell, the battalion members froze briefly in surprise.
Then someone burst out laughing.
The laughter spread like an infection.
One after another.
From restrained chuckles to carefree laughter, from low snickering to full-throated roaring laughter, it echoed throughout the forest.
All around them stood enemies ten times their number.
The encirclement tightened from every direction.
And yet here they were, laughing without restraint—laughing to their hearts' content.
At that moment, Shinichi's smile slowly faded, his expression once more returning to tranquil calm.
"Less than fifty kilometers ahead lies the border of the Land of Lightning. As long as we break through this final encirclement, we can successfully escape and regroup with Third-sama's main forces at the Frost Country front."
"But Kumogakure has made it obvious this time—they intend to completely block us here. Their forces outnumber ours ten to one, and the encirclement is rapidly closing in. If we want most of our people to successfully break through, then someone has to voluntarily stay behind to cover the retreat, draw the enemy's attention, and delay their pursuit."
He slowly swept his gaze across everyone present.
"So..."
"Who will do it?"
The moment the words fell, the forest clearing first sank into deathly silence.
Then in the very next instant, it exploded like a volcano that had been suppressed for far too long finally finding an outlet.
"I'll stay behind!"
"I'll do it! Count me in!"
"The hell you will! Your wife just gave birth to a son a few months ago. Your whole family's still waiting for you back in Konoha. Let a bachelor like me handle it instead!"
"Bullshit! You already know I've got a kid, and you haven't even left behind a bloodline yet, so get lost!"
"My Wind Release techniques counter Lightning Release best. I can hold them off longer if I stay!"
"My leg's injured anyway. I won't make it far. Perfect chance to die taking some Kumogakure bastards with me!"
"No! I'll do it!"
"Let me!"
Shouts, arguments, and even profanity-filled yelling instantly filled the small forest clearing.
Not a single person retreated.
Not a single person tried to avoid it.
Every single one fought to take upon themselves that certain-death mission, as though it were not a hopeless end at all, but some supreme honor.
The voices rose one after another, each louder and more urgent than the last.
Then, after a moment—
All the shouting suddenly stopped.
Every gaze silently turned toward the center once more.
Toward the young captain who, from beginning to end, had merely watched them argue in silence without saying a single word.
Seeing everyone's eyes turn toward him, the boy suddenly smiled again.
In the oppressive night and the suffocating atmosphere of impending slaughter, that smile seemed especially abrupt—
And especially bright.
Like the first ray of dawn tearing through heavy storm clouds, clean and open, carrying an almost unbelievable warmth.
"Captain." Haruno Kizashi scratched at his already hopelessly messy hair and asked in confusion, "What are you smiling about?"
Shinichi's smile deepened slightly at the question.
"I'm smiling because every single one of my men values loyalty and brotherhood. Every one of you is the real deal."
"So I can't help but feel happy. Which is why..."
At that, Shinichi slowly rose to his feet.
It was a simple movement, yet it seemed to carry the weight of a thousand tons. The moment he fully straightened, an immense, mountain-like pressure suddenly spread from him.
At the same time, an ominous premonition rose in everyone's hearts.
"So none of you are allowed to die here! Which is why... I'll be the one staying behind!"
"What?!"
It was like a thunderclap exploding out of nowhere.
The entire forest clearing instantly fell into absolute silence.
And then—
"Captain! You can't do that!"
"If you leave, who's going to lead us?! The battalion can't function without you!"
"What kind of Shinichi Battalion is there without Shinichi?!"
"If anyone's staying behind, it shouldn't be you! You're still young! You still have a long future ahead of you! Let old bastards like us handle this instead!"
"No! Shinichi, you can't do this!"
Even Yūhi Shinku, the vice commander, immediately strode forward and grabbed the boy by the shoulder with tremendous force, as though trying to physically pin both his body and his decision in place.
"Shinku-senpai."
Shinichi shook his head.
Slowly, he removed Shinku's heavy hand from his shoulder. His gaze swept across the flushed faces filled with shock, anxiety, and anger before he spoke softly.
"Five years ago, when I was still in the Ninja Academy, someone once asked me a question that left me in a difficult spot."
"He asked me... if one day in the future, as a captain leading my comrades on a mission, we were hunted down by enemies and driven into a hopeless situation where someone had to stay behind to cover the retreat... what would I do?"
"At the time, my answer was this: if that day ever came, then the one responsible for protecting the team and bearing the greatest risk should naturally be me, the captain."
"So today..."
At this point, Shinichi's voice became very soft, as though he were merely talking about something ordinary.
"It's time for me to fulfill that promise."
As his words faded away, only the mournful sound of the wind remained in the forest.
"But that was just something a child said, how could you—"
"And besides..." Shinichi raised a hand, stopping one of the battalion members from continuing.
"And besides, the person Kumogakure truly wants dead is me. To put it bluntly, all of you are just extras added on the side. As long as I'm still alive, the pursuit will never stop no matter who stays behind. So from the very beginning, there has only ever been one person who could remain to cover the rear."
"And that person is me."
"Then we'll risk our lives to escort you out, Captain—"
Shinichi raised his hand again, cutting him off before directly issuing an order.
"All members of the Shinichi Battalion, hear my command! You—"
"No! Shinichi! You cannot give that order!"
Shinku abruptly interrupted him.
The usually composed vice commander was visibly emotional now, his voice trembling as he spoke.
"Kurenai... If Kurenai finds out I stood by and watched you march off to your death, she'll never forgive me for the rest of her life! And neither will I!"
"I believe Kurenai would understand that I made this choice in order to fulfill my promise. So if senpai couldn't stop me, she would definitely understand your side as well."
Shinichi shook his head lightly before speaking in a serious tone.
"Then from this moment onward, Shinku-senpai... you are the captain. You'll be responsible for leading everyone safely home."
After saying that, he decisively turned away, not giving anyone another chance to object, plead with him, or even say goodbye.
And the moment he turned, the battalion members immediately stirred and rushed forward, intending to follow him—
Only to be stopped cold by Shinichi's sharp shout.
"Stand down! That is an order! Carry it out immediately!"
That shout was like an invisible wall, forcibly halting everyone in place.
Their steps froze where they stood.
All they could do was watch helplessly as that young yet pine-straight figure steadily walked deeper and deeper into the growing darkness ahead.
His outline gradually blurred.
And in the end, it was completely swallowed by the shadows and vanished from sight.
Yūhi Shinku's outstretched hand still hung stiffly in midair, his fingers curling slightly, yet grasping nothing at all—feeling only the icy night wind slipping through the gaps between them.
...
Heh...
The setup might have been old-fashioned...
But damn...
It really worked well.
With his back turned to everyone, the corner of Shinichi's mouth quietly lifted ever so slightly the moment he fully disappeared into the darkness.
Now then...
It was finally time for his performance.
After Shinichi left, the forest clearing sank back into dead silence. Only the heavy breathing that had yet to settle remained, along with the battalion members standing there blankly in a daze, completely at a loss.
Ten minutes later—
BOOM!!!
A chain of enormous explosions suddenly erupted deep within the distant forest!
Firelight tore through the night. Even from so far away, the faint tremor traveling through the ground could still be felt.
Immediately afterward, a clear yet immensely penetrating young voice rode the aftermath of the explosions, echoing throughout the entire forest like a declaration to the world itself: "Konohagakure! Higashino Shinichi is here!"
That single shout was like a spark thrown into boiling oil.
In an instant, the vast forest—which moments ago seemed to contain nothing but the sound of wind—suddenly came alive.
All the killing intent hidden within it erupted at once!
From every direction, treetops shook violently and branches rustled madly as shadow after shadow burst forth like wolves catching the scent of blood. No one bothered concealing themselves anymore as they exploded forward at full speed toward the source of the voice!
For a time, footsteps, rushing wind, and the sounds of hand seals intertwined within the darkness into an inescapable net.
More than ten minutes passed again.
The explosions and battle cries gradually grew more distant, shifting deeper into the forest.
"The surrounding Kumogakure reconnaissance squads and the main pursuit forces... have all been drawn away by the captain."
Aburame Shibi withdrew his kikaichū, his voice low as he looked toward Shinku, who had stood there in silence the entire time like a stone statue.
Shinku closed his eyes.
His chest rose and fell violently once before he slowly—extremely slowly and heavily—took a deep breath, then reopened his eyes and said in a deep voice: "We retreat."
With that, he turned first and began walking southwest, in the exact opposite direction of the explosions.
The battalion members silently followed behind him, their steps heavy as though filled with lead.
Yet after only a few minutes—
At the rear of the formation, more than a dozen figures suddenly stopped almost simultaneously.
None of them exchanged glances.
None of them spoke.
And yet with perfect unspoken understanding, they all turned around at the same time and sprinted back toward the direction they had come from!
"Stop! What do you think you're doing?!"
Shinku flashed in front of them in an instant and barked furiously: "Do you intend to waste the opportunity Shinichi bought for us with—"
"I'm going to support the captain!"
The one who interrupted him was a young chūnin whose voice had already gone hoarse.
"I can't just stand here and watch him die alone! He's only eleven years old! He's younger than my little brother! Someday he's definitely going to become Hokage and lead the village into an even greater and brighter era! How can someone like him die in a place like this?!"
"You intend to disobey orders?!" Shinku stared directly at him, his gaze sharp as blades.
"That's right, Vice Captain Shinku! I am disobeying orders right now!"
The young chūnin met his eyes head-on without the slightest retreat.
"There's no reason to obey an order like this in the first place!"
"That's right!"
"Count me in!"
"And me!"
"I'm going too!"
The suppressed emotions instantly ignited.
More and more battalion members stopped in their tracks, voices rising one after another as the situation rapidly spiraled toward losing control.
Shinku suddenly stopped walking.
He slowly turned around.
His expression was grim, his gaze like a blade as it swept across face after face.
He did not immediately shout at them.
Instead, he once again took a deep breath—
Slowly.
Very slowly.
"Fine."
He looked around at everyone. His voice was no longer emotional. Instead, it carried a strange sort of calmness.
"Then tell me this."
"How many of you still intend to disobey the retreat order?"
"Or rather... how many of you want to turn back and support our captain?"
The instant those words fell—
Swish!
Every single person present raised a hand almost simultaneously.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
More than three hundred hands rose together beneath the night sky like a suddenly grown forest.
Shinku stared at that sea of raised hands in silence for a long moment.
Then suddenly, he laughed.
The laughter echoed through the darkness, carrying relief, resolve, and something far more indescribable.
"Good!"
He abruptly turned around to face the direction they had come from, his voice suddenly rising to a roar.
"Shinichi Battalion! All members!"
"YES, SIR!!!"
"Mission parameters changed! Everyone, turn around!"
Shinku swung his arm fiercely toward the rear and shouted loudly: "Advance at full speed and reinforce our captain—Higashino Shinichi!"
"YES!!!"
Amid earth-shaking responses, more than three hundred battered yet bright-eyed Konoha shinobi erupted with far greater speed and momentum than they had shown during the retreat.
Like a bursting flood, they violently turned back toward the captain they had just "abandoned"—
Toward that certain-death battlefield—
Charging forward without the slightest hesitation.
Kurenai...
Forgive your father.
As he sped forward, that thought flashed through Shinku's mind.
Then his figure completely merged into the suicidal torrent charging toward death.
Shinichi had no idea that the "rear guard" drama he had painstakingly orchestrated—his attempt to shoulder everything alone in exchange for his subordinates' survival—had, not long after it began, ended with the entire cast ignoring the script and storming back onto the stage.
Had he known, perhaps even amidst his cold calculations, he would have let out a complicated sigh from somewhere deep within his heart.
The hearts of men stand with me?
And does the tide of fate stand with me as well?
…
At this moment, he was acting as both the most precise hunter and the most dazzling bait, rapidly weaving through the forest while drawing wave after wave of Kumogakure pursuers farther and farther away from the direction his subordinates had retreated.
A moment later, he stood atop the horizontal branch of a giant tree, his gaze passing through gaps in the leaves toward a five-man Kumogakure squad searching below.
Just as he was about to move—
Slash!
An incomparably sharp vacuum wind blade shot soundlessly out from the shadows at the side without warning, so fast it surpassed the limits of vision itself.
A flash of cold light vanished instantly.
The five Kumogakure shinobi did not even have time to react before thin lines of blood simultaneously appeared across their necks.
Then their heads rolled to the ground as their bodies collapsed soundlessly.
Oh?
Shinichi raised an eyebrow.
He withdrew the hand that had been about to draw his sword, countless glass-like lights flickering deep within his eyes.
From the darkness, a figure slowly stepped out.
Brown hair.
Neatly trimmed sideburns.
A thin frame stretched long beneath the moonlight.
He did not walk quickly.
But every step was steady.
Perfectly steady, without the slightest wavering.
Shimura Danzō.
What's he doing here?
Could he be here to kill me?
...Probably not, right?
Shinichi felt puzzled, unable to understand why this man had appeared here at all, but he still jumped down from the branch.
"Elder Danzō? What brings you here?"
Shimura Danzō did not answer.
He stopped in front of Shinichi, gave the boy a cold look, and then spoke.
"Idiot."
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