Shwoosh!
A figure suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Teacher Furukawa!" exclaimed Aomei, Ryo, and Shizuko in unison as they quickly stood up and greeted the newcomer.
Indeed, the figure was none other than Furukawa, their jonin instructor.
As a high-ranking jonin, Furukawa had far more demanding missions than his students, and naturally, he couldn't stay with them all the time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been bullied earlier by several Iwagakure chūnin.
"Sensei, is the battle over?" Aomei glanced toward the distant sounds of fading combat and asked.
"Yes," Furukawa nodded as he surveyed the three of them, a hint of approval in his voice. "You're all still alive. Good!"
Despite his praise, none of them said a word.
Furukawa wasn't bothered by their silence. Having experienced countless battles, he understood what they were feeling right now.
Still, he didn't offer any comforting words or advice. In his view, being a shinobi meant enduring what ordinary people could not. If they couldn't handle it, they weren't cut out for this life. His philosophy was survival of the fittest, and it was something he drilled into his students.
After a brief pause, Furukawa continued, "Pack up your things. In about half an hour, the convoy will move out. If we're lucky, we'll reach the main camp by nightfall. Then, you can rest."
With that, he left in a hurry.
"Let's gather our things," Aomei said to the others and began searching for his belongings.
Since they had known they'd be in the field for a long time, they had brought not only weapons and tools but also extra necessities like a change of clothes. However, during the battle, they'd thrown most of it away to avoid being encumbered.
Fortunately, they were on the winning side, so they could take their time retrieving their scattered items.
Seeing Aomei taking the lead, Ryo and Shizuko pushed their emotions aside and started gathering their things as well.
About half an hour later, the convoy was on the move again, leaving only a small team behind to clean up the battlefield.
That Night
In the center of a dense forest, inside a small tent, Aomei sat cross-legged, meditating and refining his chakra.
He had finally made it back to Konoha's main camp in the Land of Rain.
According to Furukawa, their next task was to adapt to the battlefield environment and adjust their mental state. During this period, they wouldn't be given any heavy assignments.
For Aomei, this was a rare opportunity.
He could use this time to further increase his strength.
Reflecting on the recent battle, Aomei realized that without activating his Sharingan, his combat power was only marginally better than the average chūnin. He could handle a one-on-one fight, but facing multiple enemies at once would put him in danger.
Even if his enemies didn't hold back, there was still a possibility they could injure him. Although that possibility was small, it was still there.
Activating the Sharingan would give him the upper hand over most chūnin, but in the grand scheme of the battlefield, that wasn't saying much.
Only by reaching the level of a jonin could he have some true ability to protect himself.
At his current strength, even if he unleashed everything, he couldn't reach jonin-level strength. Not yet.
He considered that if his Sharingan could evolve to the second tomoe, it would greatly boost his abilities. However, that evolution would likely take several more months.
Time was something he had, but enemies wouldn't wait for him to grow stronger. Relying solely on this method of enhancement wasn't practical.
Therefore, Aomei decided to dedicate part of his chakra toward improving his Fire Release and genjutsu techniques.
This way, he could increase his combat power in a relatively short amount of time, which would enhance his chances of survival.
Although it might slow down the evolution of his Sharingan, it was a necessary trade-off. After all, if he lost his life, his Sharingan wouldn't matter.
First, he had to ensure he could survive. Only then could he think about the future.
One Month Later
In the outskirts of the main camp, four figures moved cautiously through the forest—one adult and three youths.
They were constantly on alert, scanning their surroundings and occasionally stopping to check hidden traps and markers.
The four were none other than Furukawa, Aomei, Ryo, and Shizuko—the members of Team 17.
At the moment, they were performing their patrol duties, guarding the perimeter of Konoha's main camp.
In fact, they had been performing these patrols for the entire past month. However, as time passed, the areas they were assigned to patrol became more and more critical.
With increased importance came increased danger.
At first, they barely encountered any enemies, and the missions were relatively easy. But as they grew accustomed to the battlefield, their assigned patrol zones changed, and the missions became far from easy.
Now, every few days, they would find signs of enemy infiltration.
Most of the time, by the time they arrived, the enemy would have already retreated. But there were a few instances where they encountered enemies who hadn't managed to escape in time.
At those times, they had to fight for their lives.
After all, only the most dangerous enemies were tasked with infiltration and reconnaissance, and every encounter was a deadly risk.
Luckily, they had a true jonin as their team leader. Furukawa was capable of providing backup, ensuring they hadn't lost anyone from Team 17 so far.
Still, the battlefield had a way of rapidly shaping people.
In just one month, all traces of the students they once were had vanished. Aomei, Ryo, and Shizuko had become much more efficient and hardened.
Now, as the four of them halted, they didn't need any instructions. Aomei automatically took on the role of lookout while Ryo and Shizuko checked the nearby traps and markers.
Everything was done with quiet precision.
A few moments later, Ryo and Shizuko returned to report, "Sensei, everything is clear."
"Good," Furukawa nodded. "Let's head to the last checkpoint."
"Yes, Sensei!" the three responded in unison, and they all moved out.
The journey to the final checkpoint was quiet, and the group kept their eyes and ears sharp, alert to any threats.
Fortunately, luck was on their side today.
After completing the final check, they hadn't encountered any enemies. They all let out a collective sigh of relief.
After a brief pause to hand over their duties to the next patrol team, they returned to their temporary camp.
Late Night, Temporary Camp
Inside his tent, Aomei completed the Reflection Technique one more time. A moment later, he opened his eyes, a flash of realization in his gaze.
"So this is what it feels like at Level 4," he muttered.
He raised his hands and began forming seals again, faster this time.
In just a moment, his seals were completed. The speed was astonishing.
Not only had the casting speed improved, but advancing the Reflection Technique to Level 4 had significantly enhanced its role in promoting the evolution of his Sharingan.
Closing his eyes, Aomei focused on the unique chakra nourishing his eyes, sensing the gradual progress toward evolving his Sharingan to the next level.
After the sensation faded, he performed the technique again.
And again.
He repeated the process five times before finally stopping.
At that moment, Aomei could feel his Sharingan edging closer to evolving from a single tomoe to the second tomoe.
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