"Ah, taking a bath feels so refreshing," Ayane said as she walked over from the other side of the woods, her long hair still wet and her skin slightly flushed from the lingering water vapor.
Following behind her was the silent Ruri.
Shiraishi glanced at the two of them, swiftly retrieved a kunai from his ninja pouch, and said to Ayane and Ruri, "Before you approach, state your secret code."
"Secret code?" Ayane was taken aback.
Meanwhile, Ruri, with a blank expression on her face, began to perform seals, gathering chakra in her mouth before spitting it out.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu"
A massive fireball surged towards Shiraishi head-on.
Reacting swiftly, Shiraishi evaded the fireball's attack by moving to the side. As he glanced at the burnt trees left behind by the fireball, he felt a cold sweat forming on his face.
Ruri smiled mischievously, seemingly ready to release a second fireball.
Shiraishi stood up, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Yes, that's enough. It was just a joke. Why not simply call out 'Fire Release' directly?"
"It's more convincing this way, don't you think?" Ruri confidently replied.
"Yeah, it's definitely more convincing than a simple password..." Shiraishi sighed and rubbed his sore buttocks.
"Shiraishi-kun, you really had me fooled. I thought we actually had a secret code," Ayane remarked as she walked closer.
Just as Shiraishi was about to say something, Ruri scanned their surroundings, unable to spot Sakumo anywhere. She then asked, "Where is Sakumo-sensei?"
"He went to gather supplies. There isn't much food left in the backpack, so he's planning to restock tomorrow at the sentry," Shiraishi replied while taking out his backpack.
"I'm craving Ichiraku Ramen. We've been eating dry rations and dry meat for so long, I almost forgot what ramen tastes like," Ayane complained, rubbing her belly as she sat down on a stone.
"Just be patient. Things will get better once the war is over," Shiraishi reassured.
During these days, the food Shiraishi and the others consumed consisted mainly of cold provisions. Only when food supplies were scarce did they rely on local resources, such as fish from rivers or wild vegetables and mushrooms from the forest, to satisfy their hunger.
"Shiraishi-kun, didn't you invent a portable food?" Ayane asked.
"It is a possibility, but ramen is a different story" Shiraishi replied, shaking his head and dismissing Ayane's request.
"Alright, just make sure to eat more when we restock at the sentry tomorrow. By the way, did you and Sakumo-sensei find anything here earlier?" Ruri asked, carefully observing their surroundings and maintaining a high level of vigilance.
"No, Sakumo-sensei and I were just discussing the future Hokage," Shiraishi replied truthfully.
"Ney, Shiraishi-kun, are you interested in that kind of thing?" Ayane asked curiously.
Shiraishi glanced at Ayane. "Because Sakumo-sensei is the closest Jōnin to the position of Hokage. In another ten years, when the third Hokage is older, Sakumo-sensei will be the most favored candidate for the Hokage position. Even the Sannin would be at a disadvantage. He's well deserving of the title."
Shiraishi analyzed the situation objectively.
Neither Ruri nor Ayane refuted Shiraishi's opinion.
Indeed, Konoha greatly values Sakumo and considers him the most suitable candidate for Hokage. The Sannin fall slightly behind in comparison.
"A village is like a country. To advance politically, one needs more than just the support of the common people. Sakumo-sensei lacks the support of the ninja population, and his character is not suited for Hokage. Fame can be a double-edged sword. It's not only a capital for promotion but also..." Ruri paused, leaning against a tree and clasping her hands in front of her chest, wearing a serious expression. However, she chose not to continue her thought.
As a seed-type ninja trained by a prominent family, Ruri is not oblivious to politics, but she has no interest in that aspect at all.
While Sakumo possesses prestige, strength, and character, the support of the civilians alone is insufficient to become Hokage.
In Ruri's eyes, so-called civilian ninjas lack a united front. Their factions are complex, and their interests are too scattered. Without someone to bring them together, these individuals will never pose a significant threat.
On the other hand, most ninjas have already formed a community of shared interests. They know what they want to achieve, what they're willing to sacrifice, and what they're striving for.
"Listen, the so-called Hokage... it's just a tedious game of power rotation at the top, and it has little to do with the average person" Ruri remarked.
Upon hearing Ruri's words, Ayane seemed slightly concerned. "Well, Ruri, isn't it a bit harsh to say that? I believe the position of Hokage should be recognized by the entire village."
"Are you daft? Without this perspective, the reputation of Hokage would have long decayed within the village. You're from a renowned ninja clan too. Don't you stand high enough and possess enough insight to see the essence of Hokage? As for me, as long as I have the power and the ambition, the position of Hokage is within my reach. Sakumo-sensei lacks that ambition, so he's an exceptional Konoha Jōnin, but not the one who should become Hokage" Ruri confidently stated, wearing a smile that suggested she never questioned her own opinion.
Ayane pouted, feeling a little indignant.
"Alright, alright, you two. Choosing the next Hokage is still a long way off. For now, the most important thing is to complete the tasks we've been assigned," Shiraishi intervened, acting as a peacemaker.
Shiraishi had long understood Ruri's temperament. She didn't hold much reverence or awe for the position of Hokage. Her respect was reserved for the powerful ninja known as the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, rather than for the concept of Hokage itself.
As long as they adhered to this perspective, Ruri's mindset was actually straightforward and easy to understand.
After a while, Sakumo returned from hunting with two hares and some fish. This would serve as their dinner for the evening.
Before that, they needed to find a safe place to hide within the vast hunting grounds of the forest.
.....
The next day, they arrived at the nearest sentinel.
The area had suffered significant damage, with numerous buildings collapsed and more than a dozen Konoha ninjas lying in ruins, bleeding profusely.
Sakumo's team and a small Anbu squad had also arrived at the scene.
The Anbu squad consisted of a squad leader, a special Jōnin, and two chunin.
Shiraishi was doing his best to save a severely injured Konoha ninja, whose chest had been torn apart by an explosive tag. Despite being on the brink of death, the ninja's strong will to survive kept him alive.
With the sentinel building completely destroyed, Shiraishi had to provide first aid outside, but he wasn't confident about the chances of survival. They had arrived too late for surgical intervention.
Whether the injured ninja would survive or not was left to fate.
Sakumo and the others didn't disturb Shiraishi's work and began searching for other clues amidst the ruins.
"It was a large-scale earth release ninjutsu. The enemy directly collapsed the sentinel building and launched a surprise attack, leaving the people here with no time to defend. The initial encounter resulted in near complete annihilation of our forces," explained the Anbu squad leader, after conducting a professional assessment.
"So, one Jōnin, six chunin, and eleven genin couldn't even put up a fight?" Sakumo's expression turned serious.
"It's highly likely that it was the special hidden suna unit your team encountered over two months ago," the Anbu replied.
"Have you confirmed their identities?" Sakumo inquired.
"The male and female leaders, are the son and daughter-in-law of Suna's advisor, Chiyo. They are highly skilled puppet masters and belong to the elite puppet army of Suna. As for the earth release ninja who effortlessly divided the battlefield, we have no information on their identity yet" the Anbu squad leader reported.
Sakumo nodded in response.
At that moment, Ayane approached Sakumo and reported, "Sakumo-sensei, some of the supplies at the sentinel post were taken, and the rest were burned. What should we do next?"
"We'll proceed to other sentinels. Also, can you send another Anbu unit here?" Sakumo turned to the Anbu squad leader.
"It's not possible. Two Anbu teams are always stationed in the village. The other team is assisting in covert operations on the front line and gathering intelligence. Currently, we are the only team available. Even with the support of the police force, the village's defense has weakened significantly" the Anbu squad leader explained.
"Regardless, I hope we can send more people, preferably tracking experts. I understand that everyone in the village is on edge, but now is not the time to worry about that," Sakumo expressed.
"Understood. I will report to Hokage-sama. Whether or not more personnel will be dispatched depends on his decision," the Anbu replied.
"Please do."
With that, the Anbu gestured, and the other three Anbu members nodded in understanding before using the Body Flicker Technique to leave the area.
"Is it possible, Sakumo-sensei?" Ayane asked.
Sakumo shook his head, unsure if more personnel would be sent from the village for the investigation.
Relying solely on Ayane's eyesight, their scope of investigation was still limited.
The enemy forces had skilled sensory ninjas and were proficient in counter-reconnaissance tactics. They deliberately targeted weakly defended sentinels to launch their raids, causing chaos within the Land of Fire. Over time, this would exert immense pressure on the Konoha ninjas at the front line.
However, the Land of Fire was vast, and the whereabouts of the hidden sand troops were unpredictable, lacking any discernible pattern, making the search difficult.
Meanwhile, Shiraishi had finished the operation and was dressing the wounded ninja's external wounds.
"Shiraishi, how is he? Will he regain consciousness?" Sakumo asked.
"It depends on his will to survive. That's beyond my control," Shiraishi replied, putting away the medical kit and returning it to his backpack.
Sakumo patted Shiraishi on the shoulder. "You've done all you can. Medical ninjas aren't gods."
Shiraishi didn't intend to respond to Sakumo's attempt at comfort.