Chapter 49 - Enemy Presence Detected
Early Morning – Entrance to Orochimaru's Camp
The first light of dawn cast long shadows over the Konoha encampment, the crisp morning air filled with the murmurs of assembled shinobi. Standing near the entrance, a group of high-ranking ninjas had gathered for a farewell—one that held a weight far heavier than simple goodbyes.
Among them stood Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze, Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, and several Uchiha clan members, their gazes fixed on the young shinobi about to depart. Even Jonin-level warriors like Moonlight and Akita had arrived to witness this moment.
Kazane adjusted his newly acquired Jonin vest, rolling his shoulders as if testing the weight.
It felt unfamiliar—yet undeniably right.
"Kakashi," he called, his voice tinged with amusement. "I hope that the next time we meet, you'll be wearing one of these too."
Kakashi, standing beside him, stiffened slightly before scoffing.
"Tch… I don't need your encouragement. I'll surpass you soon enough," he muttered, crossing his arms.
Farewells were always the hardest, especially in times of war.
There was no guarantee that this departure wouldn't be their last.
None of them could be certain they would survive until the war's end.
But Kazane didn't want to leave behind a heavy atmosphere.
So, he turned to someone he knew couldn't resist speaking up.
"Chihaya, the next time we meet, I'll have my own Jonin vest too!"
Obito Uchiha's voice cut through the silence, filled with his usual boundless energy.
"Just wait—soon, you'll be calling me 'Jonin Obito-sama'!"
Kazane raised an eyebrow, turning to Obito with a skeptical look.
"You?" he repeated, drawing out the word as if contemplating an impossibility.
His smirk widened.
"You should worry about making Chunin first before dreaming about Jonin."
Obito's entire face twisted in outrage.
"You bastard! What did you just say?!" he exploded, stepping forward as if ready to physically fight the insult.
"I'm going to be Hokage, damn it! Don't underestimate me!"
His furious outburst sent a wave of laughter through the group.
Even Orochimaru, usually stoic, let out a rare, quiet chuckle.
The weight in the air lightened.
Kazane, satisfied with the mood, nodded to himself.
Eventually, the laughter eventually settled, replaced by a solemn understanding.
The time had come.
"Kazane," Minato finally spoke, stepping forward. His blue eyes, always warm, carried a weight of both pride and concern.
"Stay sharp. The war isn't over yet."
Kazane nodded, meeting his gaze head-on.
"I'll be fine, Minato Jonin," he assured, his voice steady. "But you should watch out for the battlefield. The enemy still has many dangerous pieces left in play."
Minato chuckled lightly. "I could say the same to you."
His gaze softened for a brief moment.
"You've done more than enough here, Kazane. Take this time to prepare for whatever comes next."
Kazane acknowledged the words, but deep down, he knew he couldn't rest just yet.
He turned to Kakashi, then to Obito, Rin, and the others, his gaze lingering on each of them.
Even if they didn't say it out loud, they all felt the same thing.
Would they ever stand like this again, laughing and teasing each other?
Or would one of them be missing the next time they reunited?
The silence stretched.
Finally, Kazane exhaled, a small smirk forming on his lips.
"Everyone," he said, adjusting his sword strap, "I'm off. Even if we're separated by distance, you'll hear my name echoing across the battlefield."
He turned.
With one last deep look at them, he imprinted this moment into his memory.
Then, without hesitation—
Whoosh!
Kazane disappeared from sight.
A gust of wind rushed past.
A silence hung over the group.
Even Obito, usually loud and boastful, found himself staring at the spot where Kazane had just been standing.
Rin clasped her hands together, her brows furrowing slightly. "He'll be okay… right?"
Obito forced a grin, but his voice was uncharacteristically quiet.
"Of course. He's Hatake Kazane," he said. "If anything, we should be worried about the people who have to fight him."
Minato smiled at the remark but said nothing.
Beside him, Kakashi adjusted the green headband that Kazane had tied around his forehead the night before.
His fingers tightened around the cloth.
"Until we meet again," Kakashi murmured under his breath.
Then, just like that, they turned back toward the camp—toward the war still raging ahead.
Elsewhere…
Meanwhile, Might Guy was on a mission with his teammates—Genma Shiranui and Ebisu—accompanied by his father, Might Duy, and their Jonin instructor, Hatano.
A small village near Konoha, lacking shinobi protection, had suffered repeated attacks from roving bandits. Desperate, the villagers had pleaded for help. Acknowledging the growing threat, Konoha dispatched a combat-ready squad to eliminate the problem.
The team consisted of none other than the future Blue Beast of Konoha, Might Guy, alongside his comrades. With them was the infamous "Eternal Genin", Might Duy, acting as their field instructor under the supervision of Hatano Jonin, a kind-hearted yet experienced leader.
Despite Might Duy's overwhelming strength, the village had never recognized his abilities. Without an official team, he had been restricted to D-rank and C-rank missions for years. If not for Hatano's generosity in offering him a place on this mission, Duy would have remained overlooked in the village, never given the chance to prove himself in real combat.
"Today is your first C-rank mission. You must be extremely cautious," Hatano instructed, his voice grave.
"Being a ninja isn't just about training drills or sparring with allies. This time, you will face real enemies. They won't hold back. They won't hesitate to kill you. If you let your guard down for even a second, you might not return home."
Might Guy and Genma straightened their backs, their expressions firm.
"Yes, Hatano-sensei! We will complete the mission with utmost care!"
However, Ebisu smirked slightly.
To him, this level of caution was unnecessary. These were just bandits—untrained, unskilled, and completely beneath him. He doubted they would even land a single hit on him.
Hatano narrowed his eyes at Ebisu's overconfidence but chose not to correct him. The battlefield would be his best teacher.
"Alright, let's move out!"
"Yes, Hatano-sensei!"
In unison, the three young shinobi responded energetically before vanishing into the trees.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The five-man squad moved swiftly, heading toward the bandit stronghold.
However, the moment they arrived, something felt wrong.
The stronghold was too quiet.
A bandit hideout should have been alive with noise—rowdy laughter, the clinking of stolen goods, the sound of movement. Even if they were resting, there should have been signs of life—talking, the flicker of campfires, the scent of burning wood.
But here…
Nothing.
A cold wind rustled the trees, and the absence of sound sent a chill down Might Duy's spine. With years of mission experience, he immediately sensed danger.
His sharp gaze met Hatano's.
Hatano caught on instantly.
Without speaking, he raised a silent hand signal—HALT.
A prearranged sign. A direct command.
The mission parameters had changed. They would not proceed blindly. They had to assess the situation first.
Everyone stopped—except Ebisu.
Apparently, the cocky Genin didn't notice.
Too eager to prove himself, he ignored the warning and rushed forward into the stronghold.
Hatano cursed under his breath but immediately moved in to protect him.
"Stay here," he whispered sharply to the rest of the team before disappearing into the stronghold after Ebisu.
As soon as he landed inside, he saw Ebisu frozen in place, his body stiff.
Hatano's eyes followed Ebisu's gaze—and his stomach sank.
Bodies.
Everywhere.
The ground was littered with corpses. Blood had seeped into the dirt, pooling around lifeless limbs and contorted faces frozen in expressions of horror.
These were the bandits they had come to eliminate.
But someone had already done their job for them.
Hatano moved cautiously, examining the corpses.
Slashed throats. Precise blade wounds. Limbs severed cleanly.
Explosive tag burns. Bodies blown apart.
These weren't the work of amateur bounty hunters.
These men had been killed by shinobi.
And not long ago—the bodies were still warm.
Foreign Shinobi Presence?
Hatano's brows furrowed.
This was deep inside the Land of Fire.
Konoha's mission records were strict—they controlled every assignment. No Konoha shinobi would have eliminated these bandits without reporting it.
Which meant only one possibility.
Foreign enemy shinobi had infiltrated their territory.
During wartime, that was never a good sign.
Hatano's expression darkened. This was no longer a simple bandit-clearing mission.
It was a crisis.
"Let's go. We need to return at once."
Without hesitation, Hatano grabbed Ebisu's collar and dragged him away.
As soon as they regrouped with Might Duy, Guy, and Genma in the forest, Hatano didn't waste time.
"We're heading back to Konoha—now."
But before they could move—
A massive blade came spinning toward them from the distance, hurtling straight for Hatano.