Compared to the raw thrill of fist-on-flesh combat, Jun actually preferred short blades—compact, easy to carry, perfect for a quick assassination strike when paired with the Sharingan's predictive vision.
Not that he'd ever trained in kenjutsu.
But with even the first Gate open, his speed and agility—combined with the Sharingan—would make blade strikes far more lethal than punches or kicks against regular enemies.
Unfortunately, poverty had delayed that plan indefinitely.
For now, he'd have to make do with kunai.
Jun patted his battered old ninja pouch and set off toward his next shopping goal.
Soldier pills. Rope. Rations that wouldn't rot. Fresh water.
Ignoring the suspicious glances all around him, Jun made his purchases and bolted straight back to the hospital.
At dawn the next day, Jun arrived at Training Ground 27, hauling an absurdly large pack on his back.
He wasn't the first to arrive.
Mizuki waved cheerfully. A mountain of a pack rested at his feet—somehow even bigger than Jun's.
Jun just sneered and ignored him.
Damn it. Poor people, every one of us.
Sure enough, when Tsume and Anko arrived, neither of the two women was carrying anything.
Sigh… Jun looked up at the sky and sighed long and hard.
There was a thing called a sealing scroll—a high-grade storage tool that used space-time ninjutsu to store enormous amounts of gear. He'd looked into it yesterday.
More expensive than that short sword he wanted.
Tsume didn't bother with small talk. With a sharp flick of her hand, she said, "Move out!"
As the rocky faces of the Hokage Monument grew smaller in the distance, Jun couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Captain… where exactly are we going?"
Just earlier, Tsume had led them to the Medical Corps' base to pick up two sealing scrolls. Jun didn't know the exact contents, but it was probably basic stuff—antiseptics, bandages, coagulants. War chewed through medical supplies like nothing else.
So the mission sounded simple.
Deliver supplies to the front. Usually, you'd meet up with a logistics squad and call it a day.
But this was the ninja world. A place where people could blink out of existence, murder you from the shadows, and make it look like an accident.
Anything could happen.
"Land of Hot Water," Tsume replied curtly, not even turning around. "You're not very Uchiha-like, brat. Where's your spine?"
In just a few interactions, she already felt a weird disconnect.
Thinking back to the usual Uchiha—arrogant, nose-in-the-air types—Tsume couldn't help asking, "You sure you're an Uchiha?"
"Absolutely!" Jun declared, puffing up his chest. "But hey, let's save face, yeah? I'm not being timid—just cautious. And the Land of Hot Water… isn't that really far?"
Mizuki chimed in, "I've heard of it. It's famous for its hot springs. I bet the women's baths are amazing."
His eyes drifted pointedly toward Jun.
Anko burst out laughing, eyes gleaming with mischief.
Crack.
Jun's fist clenched hard. "Mizuki, you got a death wish?"
This guy… a born shit-stirrer.
"Ah—sorry!" Mizuki said. "It's just that I keep hearing about it from other people. I've been influenced, that's all."
Thunk!
Jun couldn't take it anymore and kicked Mizuki square in the gut, sending him flying into a tree.
Mizuki clutched his stomach, groaning, but he didn't fight back—he just kept apologizing with a twisted grin.
Anko howled with laughter. "You totally deserved that, Mizuki!"
Tsume ignored their antics.
"The Land of Hot Water's a long way. To ensure safety, I'll be scouting ahead. You'll follow the markers I leave behind."
And just like that, she summoned Kuromaru, mounted up, and rode off without waiting for a response.
"Hss…" Mizuki hissed as he rubbed his gut. "I don't buy it. Captain's got some secret reason for splitting off."
Poof!
Anko summoned a pair of piping-hot mochi dango skewers from one of the scrolls and handed one to Jun.
"What secret reason?" she said. "Inuzuka are reconnaissance experts. It makes sense for her to scout ahead."
Jun took the skewer, stunned.
Damn… rich girl behavior.
"Be alert, you two," Anko said, then snatched the dango back. "No food for cowards."
Mizuki brightened. "Give it to me then—I haven't eaten yet."
He wasn't a big fan of dango, but compared to dry rations, this stuff was heavenly.
Anko gave a sly smile, stuffed both skewers in her mouth dramatically, then pulled one out halfway.
"You still want it?"
Mizuki: "…"
Jun chuckled. "You're rewarding him, Anko."
"Huh?" She froze, then turned red with rage. "You two idiots are the worst!"
"What'd I do?" Mizuki protested.
"Shut up!" she snapped, shooting Jun a death glare before storming off down the road.
Mizuki, glutton for punishment, jogged after her. "Seriously though—what did I do?"
Thud!
"Argh!"
Another kick sent him flying.
Jun lagged behind, a faint smile on his face.
Not a bad team, huh?
That night, following Tsume's instructions, the three set up their tents in a small clearing.
Apart from meals and breaks, Tsume rarely stayed with them—she spent most of her time scouting ahead, using her clan's sensory techniques.
She wasn't around now either.
Their first day on the road had left Mizuki and Anko utterly drained. They'd retreated into their tents without protest.
Jun, on the other hand, headed down to the riverbank alone.
All those years of training with Guy-sensei were finally paying off. Compared to the other two, he wasn't nearly as exhausted.
After two days of rest in the hospital, his injuries were completely healed.
No excuses left.
Fwoosh. Fwoosh. Fwoosh!
Jun formed seals with practiced ease.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Again and again, he unleashed the technique.
Whenever his chakra reached the critical point, he popped a soldier pill.
Ugh.
The taste was still awful—bitter, oddly metallic, like overcooked beans mixed with raw earth.
But the effect was clearly better than the one he'd "borrowed" from Obito's house.
Jun had spent a large chunk of his savings on these pills.
Even without Auto-Practice, he was determined to master the Great Fireball Technique on this journey.
Anything could happen. He had to be ready.
He sat quietly by the river, waiting for his chakra to replenish.
That creeping sense of urgency had returned.
Outside the Hidden Leaf, the world felt different.
The biggest difference?
No safety net.
Back in Konoha, he'd just been a small fry in a massive system. Even if trouble came, there were always stronger shinobi around to handle it.
But now?
Graduation had disrupted everything.
Haaa…
Feeling his chakra return, Jun sprang to his feet, formed seals again, and began another round of fire-style training.