After submitting the necessary papers at the field office of the main camp, I slowly made my way towards the assembly area where shinobi were gathering, preparing to be sent with a convoy to Konoha for one reason or another.
I wouldn't say the past months flew by, but with the decrease in skirmishes on our directly controlled territory, and eventually their complete cessation, the service had been relatively calm and stress-free, leaving ample free time not only for rest but also for resuming full-fledged training and conducting some long-planned research. Fortunately, there were plenty of test subjects for this purpose.
During the war, I had filled Mito-chan's scroll to just over two-thirds of its capacity of four hundred sealed entities. And the number of recently deceased bodies had exceeded five hundred. Thankfully, I knew how to make such scrolls myself, and their relatively simple sealing process did not hinder their storage in other seals, unlike the protective case for the gift.
Of course, the signing of a non-aggression pact with the peace-seeking Iwagakure no Sato after a month of continuous offensive by all our forces did not guarantee an immediate end to hostilities. However, we were too far from the main front line to maintain full combat readiness, which had a very positive effect on the camp's inhabitants, including me. After all, the maximum service time during combat operations is twelve months, with few exceptions.
The farther we went, the more I wanted to throw it all away and return home to Saya's side instead of surviving on dry rations amidst stone boulders. The last few weeks of waiting had begun to wear down even my nearly steel nerves, making me look like a wolf at those around me and suppressing the urge to strangle particularly irritating individuals.
Only rare encounters with girls helped to release some steam — after such a long time on the front, I had stopped caring about political issues and no longer paid attention to clan insignias. Or maybe I just didn't care anymore? In any case, I fully understood Linley's feelings when she talked to me about the war. And although the battles with Suna were much uglier with their poisons, desert, and futon ninjutsu, I had had enough of combat with Iwa. Just as with dealing with the aftermath.
"Hey, Ryo! Wake up!"
A tug on my sleeve snapped me out of my thoughts, and I barely managed to restrain the reflex to stab the unknown person with a kunai. Living in constant tension doesn't suit anyone.
Glancing at the one who had stopped me, I immediately noticed the white-silver eyes of the kunoichi and three vertical scars on the right side of her face, as if from some animal's claws, narrowly missing her eyes. Hyuga, and judging by the headband — from the branch family. After blinking a couple of times, I focused on her oddly familiar, worn-out face.
"Kanade-sensei?" I asked the girl uncertainly.
"Nice to know you haven't forgotten me," she said with a slight smile, releasing my sleeve.
"Why are you here? Isn't it long past the time for our team to be replaced?"
I was expected to be clear, but the girl should have been replaced either before Tsume and Ritaro or at least with them. Moreover, her face clearly showed that the war had been far from easy for the Hyuga, not to mention the obvious scars.
"I extended my service period myself," she grimaced. "Do you have some time? Maybe we could talk in my tent, rather than in the middle of the camp?"
I've got more interesting stuff on patreon (+ 200 chapter)
patreon.com/Chill76