Itsuki POV
As the mist thickened further, I activated my Sharingan.
Only a single tomoe but even so, my perception sharpened noticeably, my focus narrowing as the world slowed just a fraction. Of course, against Kirigakure's mist, its effectiveness was limited. Visibility was still close to nonexistent.
Still, I wasn't out of options.
"Captain"
"Senior Shinku"
Ignoring the shouts of the some paniced squad members I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, shifting my awareness inward.
Even though I wasn't the one who had cast the Hidden Mist Technique, the longer I remained within it, the more familiar it felt, its flow, its density, the subtle disturbances within it. That familiarity was likely the result of the Chōjūrō template.
Found you.
In the same instant, I flicked my wrist and hurled three kunai in different directions.
"Argh!"
"Aaaagh!"
"Clack!"
Thud. Thud.
Two bodies hit the ground somewhere within the mist, their cries abruptly cut short. I ignored them entirely.
My focus locked onto the third target, the one who had intercepted my kunai.
A jōnin, most likely.
Getting my hands on the future Mizukage's template really was absurdly lucky. With the assimilation of Oden progressing, my physical strength continued to rise, and my kenjutsu grew sharper by the day. Still, there were limits.
I hadn't unlocked Haki.
Though the shinobi template had advanced far more rapidly than the samurai's, even the progress is more.
Perhaps it was because I was a shinobi myself.
Because I understood chakra.
That understanding had already borne fruit, I had unlocked my second elemental affinity.
Water Release.
On this battlefield, there was no element more valuable.
As an Uchiha, my natural affinity had been Fire, just like the most others of the clan. And against Kirigakure, Fire was the worst possible choice. Their Water Release countered it perfectly, turning one of our greatest strengths into a liability.
To survive here, I had been forced to learn Earth Release as well. Unfortunately, my progress was slow. Time was the problem. Between missions, injuries, and constant redeployment, there simply wasn't enough of it to properly refine that nature transformation.
Sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder.
Was sending the Uchiha to fight Kirigakure really just a tactical decision?
Or was it a trap laid by those higher up?
It wasn't as though we were the only ones deployed here. There were Hyūga, Nara, hatake and other clans were present too. But the distribution was uneven. Each major battlefield had effectively been assigned a "responsible" clan.
And this one?
This battlefield belonged to the Uchiha. The others were support. Their numbers were small, their presence secondary. We were the ones expected to bear the brunt of the fighting.
To bleed.
To die.
…Forget it. There was no point dwelling on it now.
This was the battlefield. Overthinking wouldn't change where I was standing, or who the enemy was.
More importantly, I wasn't walking into this blind.
The Kirigakure jōnin template had already paid off. Along with it, I'd gained Water element affinity. And since the original owner of the template had been a jōnin, it stood to reason that Water wasn't his only mastery.
Most jōnin didn't survive to that rank with a single element. Which meant there was likely a second affinity buried in there somewhere, waiting to surface once my assimilation progressed far enough.
I hoped it would be Lightning.
Water and Lightning complemented each other far too well to ignore.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Metal struck metal somewhere within the mist.
Looks like Captain Shinku had already made contact.
"Genma! Tai!" I shouted without hesitation. "Wind Style now!"
I wasn't the vice-captain. But on the battlefield, strength spoke louder than rank.
No one questioned the order. There wasn't time for that anyway.
"Wind Style: Breakthrough!"
"Wind Style: Breakthrough!"
Twin shockwaves tore through the mist, the compressed air ripping forward with violent force.
Both shinobi were commoners, but the difference in output was obvious.
Genma's jutsu was sharper and stronger. He had potential.
If memory served me right, he was officially only a special jōnin during the Chūnin Exams arc yet he had held his own against Baki, a full jōnin from Sunagakure.
Not a small feat.
Of course, talent like that didn't go unnoticed.
That was why, in the future, Genma would serve directly under the Fourth Hokage.
It came with rewards.
And consequences.
When the Third returned to power, people like Genma became convenient targets.
Just like those who had once stood beside the White Fang are getting Targetted now.
The mist hadn't vanished completely, but visibility had improved enough for everyone to see the silhouette of Captain Shinku locked in combat.
"Everyone, protect Yūsō!" Genma shouted.
He moved instantly, placing himself in front of the Yamanaka shinobi. Others followed without hesitation, forming a protective ring around him.
I was no exception. And no one foolishly asked why.
Everyone understood the stakes.
If the sensory ninja died, the chances of walking into a trap would skyrocket.
And the chances of avoiding one would plummet just as fast.
"Yūsō, can you sense what's happening?" Guy asked, voicing the question all of us were thinking.
Yūsō focused for a moment before answering.
"The opponent's chakra reserves are nearly equal to the captain's."
That confirmed it.
The enemy was a jōnin.
That was a problem.
When two shinobi of the same rank clashed, victory wasn't decided by strength alone. Skill, experience, terrain, timing, available resources, luck, any one of them could tip the balance. And right now, the battlefield heavily favoured Kirigakure.
If this dragged on, the odds would only worsen.
We needed to support the captain.
Otherwise, the mission would fail.
And while I didn't particularly care about pushing deeper into the Land of Water, I very much cared about the consequences of failure. Mission penalties weren't light, pay cuts, reduced dividends, even rank demotions. All of it would limit the level of missions we could accept in the future.
That alone was reason enough to act.
Especially since we wouldn't be receiving our full pay immediately after the war ended.
Also if he dies, it means I die too.
I didn't hesitate.
My hands moved immediately weaving hand signs.
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Non OP Template from other verse