Maruboshi Kosuke
Among the current Chūnin, Uchiha Mingjing stands out as arguably the strongest.
If he were to face Yuxian Dalang now, Mingjing would most likely emerge as the victor.
Their team is considered a vital pillar of Konoha's forces—not yet on par with Jōnin-level powerhouses, but certainly among the most promising units.
After all, how many Jōnin are left in Konoha now?
As Kato Dan once mentioned, after enduring years of war, the number of active Jōnin in Konoha has dropped below two hundred. Other villages are in even worse condition.
Elite Jōnin combatants are expected to face off against each other. For Mingjing's team, as long as they avoid recklessness or catastrophic misfortune, the odds of surviving the battlefield remain high.
After spending a day packing his ninja tools and reviewing three months of intense training, Mingjing and his two teammates departed with the main force early the next morning.
This time, two squadrons were dispatched to the Rain Country front lines. Each was composed of Chūnin and promising Genin, led by Inuzuka Paladin and Shirogane Tokishin. Each squadron contained about ten squads.
Once at the front, the shinobi would be reorganized into specialized teams based on their ninjutsu affinities.
Mingjing hoped that Kato Dan and Tsunade could assign their team to a relatively safer unit.
The current commander of the Rain Country front is Orochimaru. Since Kato Dan and Orochimaru are close comrades, and Tsunade—Orochimaru's teammate since childhood—was also involved in deployment, there was reason to believe their team might be afforded some protection.
Still, Mingjing couldn't help but hope for more time to grow stronger—perhaps even to reach Jōnin level or beyond—before being sent into actual battle.
However, Orochimaru had clearly decided to mobilize all available forces at the Rain Country front. Except for a few areas that required minimum personnel, nearly all combat-ready ninja were summoned to the battlefield.
"Don't worry—Orochimaru's already made the arrangements."
Inside the camp, facing the nervous expressions of his three students, Kato Dan laughed heartily.
"For young shinobi like you—gifted, still young, and with strong potential—Orochimaru has already categorized you as part of the reserve force. You'll only be deployed in cases of a stalemate or crisis, when decisive reinforcements are needed."
Kato Dan then elaborated on the role and responsibilities of the reserve force. After checking their recent progress in training, he left to attend to his other duties.
As Orochimaru's deputy commander on the Rain Country front, Kato Dan was in charge of the intelligence network. But with Jiraiya and Tsunade rarely involving themselves in logistical work, many operational duties had fallen to him and Mūmu Gandao.
After that meeting, Mingjing felt somewhat reassured.
Their teacher held considerable status within the Rain front's command hierarchy, so he was unlikely to send them into the most dangerous zones.
Besides, Orochimaru understood that using talented youths like Mingjing prematurely would only weaken Konoha's future. At this point in time, Orochimaru—though enigmatic—was still a loyal shinobi of the village, regarded by many as the likely successor to the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
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Junior Troop Camp – Kato Dan's Squad
Boom!
With a flurry of hand seals, Mingjing activated a sealing scroll. Out popped a small iron pot, several containers of seasoning, preserved biscuits, and other rations.
"Heh, I figured the camp food would be terrible—just dry rations and those awful military pills. So I prepped this in advance," Mingjing grinned at his two teammates.
He had brought along two sealing scrolls: one for cooking gear and food supplies, and the other with kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and essential medical items.
"What a coincidence!" Inuzuka Rui chuckled, pulling out a skinned and gutted rabbit. "Tiewan found this while playing around on the way here."
Aburame Nami pushed up her oversized sunglasses and silently removed a pouch from her waist.
"Eating only meat can be harmful. I asked my bugs to gather some wild, edible herbs."
Mingjing was quietly pleased that his teammates had embraced his preparations.
"By the way, Mingjing," Inuzuka asked while setting up the cooking pot, "this is fine here in camp, but what about missions? Wouldn't the smoke from cooking give away our position?"
Mingjing gave a confident smile.
"No problem. I've been training my Fire Release. I'm still working on elemental manipulation, but I've made some progress. Watch this—it's my latest invention!"
He formed a quick series of seals and pointed at the stove.
"Fire Release: Super Smokeless Cooking Flame Technique!"
Inuzuka's eyes lit up.
"Nice! I just learned a clan technique to suppress scents and conceal activity. Nami, toss in the vegetables! Let's stew the rabbit and eat properly tonight—we need energy for tomorrow's march!"
He clapped his hands and activated his technique:
"Ninja Art: Hidden Scent and Trace Technique!"
But before Inuzuka could finish setting the spell, an older man outside the tent, carrying a heavy iron pot and wearing an eyepatch, paused.
The faint aroma of hot broth had caught his attention.
"Heh… isn't this the camp of that Dan kid and little Tsunade's students?" murmured Maruboshi Kosuke, the veteran shinobi often called the "Eternal Genin."
With a chuckle, he stroked his beard and approached their tent.