When Hotarubi received the order, he was watching his wife, Natsuhi, brandishing a feather duster to discipline their mischievous son, Sumaru.
"I'll be off on a mission then." He said. As an experienced Jonin of the Star Ninja Village, he understood the urgency of the task.
"Have a safe journey!" Natsuhi's concerned gaze followed her husband out the door. She didn't inquire about the mission details.
"Papa! Papa!" Six-year-old Sumaru, seizing the chance to escape his mother's feather duster, ran over and clung to Hotarubi's leg, "Take me on the mission with you!"
Hotarubi laughed heartily, promising to bring back treats for his son upon his return.
After bidding farewell to his family, Hotarubi arrived at the second training ground, where three figures were already waiting.
Kimimaro stood quietly. At ten years old, his stature already showed a tall and straight build beyond his years. He wore loose, dark gray training clothes with the standard Star Ninja's lightweight flak jacket over them. A brand new Star Ninja's forehead protector was tied around his head. An aura of calm and detachment, unusual for his age, surrounded him.
Most striking were his pure white eyes, the Byakugan from the Hyuga Clan's main family, now calmly watching Hotarubi's approach.
Haku stood beside Kimimaro. He is also around ten years old now. He wore a dark sweater underneath and a dark green coat over it. A gentle smile graced his delicate and handsome face, like warm sunshine in early winter.
The slightly older Yukimi, who is about fifteen, wore the standard Star Ninja's combat uniform. Her short, deep brown hair looked practical and neat. As the most talented member of the Iburi Clan, her Kekkei Genkai, [Smoke Transformation] ability, was extremely valuable for reconnaissance and special operations, making her hard to guard against.
Seeing Hotarubi, she immediately straightened her posture.
"Hotarubi-san!" The three of them saluted in unison, their voices clear with youthful vigor and respect for their senior.
Hotarubi's gaze swept over the three, without the slightest hint of contempt. He knew the strength of these three youths was anything but simple.
Kimimaro possessed the terrifying Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku. And after transplanting the Byakugan, his strength was truly unfathomable, already at Jonin-level.
Haku not only had the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, which offered both offense and defense, but also possessed incredibly skillful senbon throwing techniques.
Yukimi's Smoke Transformation Kekkei Genkai and her increasingly mature Taijutsu and Ninjutsu also made her a reliable Ninja.
They were all outstanding members of the Land of Stars' younger generation… what people commonly call geniuses.
"Cough, no need for formalities." Hotarubi's voice was steady and powerful, carrying the authority of a Jonin, "I am the leader of this support mission. Let me briefly outline our mission objectives."
"Head to the border of the Land of Darkness to support Gotta and his agricultural cooperation development team, dealing with the siege and threats from the Land of Darkness's army. Our primary duty is to ensure the safety of all our personnel and protect the land we've worked hard to remodel. Remember the orders: defense is primary, do not initiate provocation. But if attacked, counterattack with full force and rout the enemy! Understood?"
"Understood!" The three spoke in unison, their eyes determined.
"Good. Let's move out!" Hotarubi said no more, turning and leading the way, sprinting towards the direction of the lower Yuu River.
Kimimaro, Haku, and Yukimi followed closely behind. The four figures shot off like arrows from a bow, quickly disappearing down the road leading to the border.
The biting cold wind whistled across the thick snow covering the Yuu River's plains.
After a full day of pushing hard on the journey, as night enveloped the land, Hotarubi and the three others finally reached their destination.
The border of the Land of Darkness, the land that had been given new life by the Star Ninja.
This place was once a muddy, neglected tidal flat due to the Yuu River's repeated flooding.
After the painstaking remodeling by the Land of Stars' Earth and Water Release Ninja and construction teams, the banks of the Yuu River were firmly restrained by sturdy Earth Release levees. Dug tributaries guided the water flow, turning the raging floods into a source of irrigation.
The former mudflats had been transformed into a neatly planned, fertile plain waiting for sowing… a field of hope in the eyes of countless refugees.
Yet now, the scene before them was shocking.
This vibrant, fertile land was covered by a thick layer of dirty, trampled snow.
The planned ridges had been brutally trampled and destroyed. The newly built simple water conservancy facilities had also suffered varying degrees of damage.
Even more glaring was the brightly lit, heavily guarded military camp stationed outside the temporary, Earth Release-fortified outpost of the Land of Stars' Agricultural Cooperation Development Society!
Crude wooden palisades, patrolling torches, and the faint sounds of soldiers' shouts formed a cold blockade line.
The flags fluttering in the camp bore the family crest of the Land of Darkness's Daimyo and the emblems of several prominent nobles.
The camp was a mixed crowd. Most were ordinary soldiers wearing leather armor and carrying spears or bows.
Among them were a few fierce-looking Ronin wearing various weapons. One could even sense a few weak but malevolent Chakra Fluctuations… clearly hired Rogue Ninjas.
Hotarubi's eyes narrowed. He gave a stealth signal to the three behind him.
The four quickly melted into the night. Relying on their superb stealth skills, they silently slipped past the lax outer patrols and easily infiltrated the besieged Star Ninja's outpost.
The atmosphere inside the outpost was oppressive and tense.
Within the low walls built by Earth Release, space was maximized.
Besides four or five Ninja wearing Star Ninja's forehead protectors, looking weary but vigilant, there were over a hundred workers in Land of Stars' Second Construction Group' uniforms, their faces etched with worry.
But the largest group was the nearly thousand raggedly dressed, sallow and thin refugees and poor people!
They huddled in crude shelters temporarily built with Earth Release, or leaned against the low walls, gathering around campfires for warmth. Their eyes were filled with fear and confusion.
The air was thick with the smell of sweat, earth, and an uneasy tension.
The appearance of Hotarubi and the others immediately drew the attention of the Star Ninja.
Soon, they were led to a slightly larger earthen hut in the center of the outpost… Gotta's temporary office.
Gotta, with his resolute face and sturdy build, was frowning thoughtfully over a map.
He wore work clothes stained with mud, the Star Ninja's flak jacket over them. Seeing Hotarubi and the others enter, a look of relief immediately appeared on his tired face. He strode forward to meet them.
"Hotarubi! You're finally here!" Gotta clapped Hotarubi on the shoulder forcefully, his voice hoarse but full of strength. His gaze then swept over Kimimaro, Haku, and Yukimi.
A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but it was mostly trust, "And Kimimaro, Haku, Yukimi! Excellent! With you here, I feel much more assured!"
"Gotta-senpai, you've worked hard," Hotarubi said solemnly, quickly scanning the shabby office.
"Leader!" Yukimi greeted warmly.
Kimimaro and Haku also nodded in acknowledgment.
"Gotta-senpai," Hotarubi got straight to the point. "The situation seems worse than described in the intelligence. How long can the food and cold-weather supplies last?"
Gotta's face darkened, "The food can last another half month, but the cold-weather supplies can only last ten days at most, and that's if we ration strictly. Those bastards outside not only destroyed the fields and besieged us, they also cut off all our supply lines. These common people-"
He pointed outside, "-are all refugees and poor people who responded to our recruitment earlier, preparing to settle down here. The nobles of the Land of Darkness turned on them, sending soldiers to drive them out. They had nowhere else to go but to flee here. Now, the daily consumption of food and supplies for us and these over a thousand people is enormous."
Gotta's tone was full of anger and sympathy for the civilians.
Although he could lead the few Star Ninjas to fight their way through this army of ordinary people, he was no longer the man who hid with his clan in tree holes, scraping by. Here, he represented the Land of Stars.
He had much more to consider and could no longer act on impulse as he might have before.
So Gotta had been handling things with restraint, waiting for Shura's instructions.
Hotarubi nodded, repeating Menma's orders, "Shura-sama's commands are clear: hold firm and wait for reinforcements, do not initiate attacks, observe and wait for changes. But if the enemy dares to attack, counterattack with thunderous means, rout the invading enemy, show the might of our Star Ninja! Make the enemy pay the price!"
Gotta had also already received Menma's command through the Chakra Network of Hikari's Engraved Tsukuyomi. He nodded forcefully: "I am aware of Shura-sama's orders. If they dare to reach out their claws, I'll make sure they never return!"
Next, Hotarubi and Gotta discussed the defense layout.
The Ninja under Gotta's command had been on high alert for two days, their spirits greatly depleted. After discussing, they decided that tonight, Kimimaro, Haku, and Yukimi would each be responsible for one direction first. Gotta and the other Ninja would take turns covering another direction. Hotarubi would coordinate from the center, forming a support team with the resting Ninjas.
"No problem!"
"Understood!"
Kimimaro and the other two immediately accepted the orders.
Meanwhile, inside the largest, most luxurious tent in the Land of Darkness's military camp.
Doto's chief strategist, Matsuzuki Donosuke, was leisurely sipping hot tea, listening to a portly, ornately robed noble from the Land of Darkness who was spitting saliva as he described the situation inside the encirclement.
"Matsutsuki-dono, you have no idea! Inside that shoddy earthen wall, there aren't just a hundred or so Star Ninja and workers, but also over a thousand lowly commoners packed in! All useless trash, only good for wasting food! If it weren't for worrying about those Star Ninjas having some strange tricks, I would have ordered a strong assault long ago, driven them all out to feed the wolves!"
The noble waved his fat hands, his face full of contempt.
Donosuke put down his teacup. A glint of shrewdness flashed in his narrow eyes, a cold smile curling his lips, "Oh? Over a thousand refugees? That is a bargaining chip we can use."
He looked at Roga Nadare, who stood by wearing ice-blue chakra armor.
"Nadare-kun," Donosuke's voice carried a tempting tone, "The Star Ninjas are turtling up. We need to give them some 'pressure', test their depths, and incidentally… create some chaos, make those lowly commoners even more panicked. Chaos often brings unexpected 'opportunities'."
The eyes beneath Nadare's helmet showed no fluctuation. He only nodded slightly, his voice cold: "Understood. To what extent?"
"No need for a strong assault on the outpost, it would only increase casualties." Donosuke smiled sinisterly: "Take three men, infiltrate, cause some damage, kill a few Star Ninjas or workers, set a few fires, just make things chaotic inside."
"The key is to test their defensive strength and reaction speed. Remember, the commotion should be 'appropriate'… enough to hurt them, but don't push them to be driven to desperate measures, using those commoners as human shields. Withdraw immediately after completion."
"Understood." Nadare's answer was brief.
He took three Chunin, who are also equipped with Chakra Armor and emitting cold auras. The four of them melted into the night like snow leopards, silently leaving the camp and heading towards the Star Ninja's outpost.
Nadare's chosen target was the relatively weaker defended, open-vista eastern periphery of the outpost.