It was extremely quiet inside the tent.
Everyone else had already gone to sleep. Only Uchiha Jin lay awake, staring blankly through the small window at the night sky outside. His face was clouded with frustration.
Cannon fodder simply has no human rights…
He thought about the training program for Class A in Konoha. Their teams had jōnin-level instructors to guide them, they went through exercises like the bell test, and they started with safe D-rank missions inside the village. Only after forming real bonds did they move on to C-rank tasks, slowly building experience.
And Class B?
Nothing like that.
They were given a chūnin as an instructor — cannon fodder themselves — and were thrown straight into the meat grinder. No bell tests, no lessons about teamwork. No bonds, no trust. Instead, their teams were plagued with suspicion, petty rivalries, and betrayal.
This is what it means to be cannon fodder… we're sent here to die.
Jin sighed. Thinking about the things he had faced since leaving the village made his head throb. It was already hard enough for a squad like his to survive the war, but now… now Ishikawa Itsuki was back in the team.
The thought alone made his temples ache.
---
The next morning, after a simple breakfast, Kudo Nobuyuki gathered the squad. His voice was calm but firm.
"Our mission this time is to head to the 27th garrison point on the left flank of Uzushio Country. We'll monitor the sea for signs of Kirigakure. If we detect any trace of their forces, we immediately send a signal — then find a way to delay them and buy time for headquarters. Set out."
Without hesitation, Kudo led the way.
Uchiha Jin and Nara Kazama exchanged a silent glance before following.
Ishikawa Itsuki trailed behind. He felt how out of place he was in the team, but instead of reflecting on his mistakes, he placed all the blame on his teammates.
If not for them, I would've stood out during the last clash with Kirigakure. I could've earned recognition, maybe even learned new jutsu from the front-line camp. Instead, I got dragged before the Anbu and humiliated. All their fault!
Resentment burned in his eyes as he glared at the three ahead of him. He gave a cold snort and followed in silence.
---
The four of them moved swiftly through the forest, leaping from branch to branch.
By midday, they reached their assigned post — a simple wooden shelter built on the branches of a massive tree. Hidden under layers of leaves, it provided a wide view of the sea without revealing their position.
Kudo gave his orders immediately:
"Stay alert. We'll rotate shifts — one group by day, one by night. I'll pair with Uchiha Jin, and Nara Kazama will be with Ishikawa Itsuki. For now, Jin and I will rest. Kazama, Itsuki, you take first watch. Tonight, we'll switch."
No one objected. Even Itsuki only gave a cold nod, remembering the punishment he had already suffered.
Jin shot Kazama a look, and when he saw the Nara boy nod subtly in return, he followed Kudo into the cabin.
Still, he couldn't shake the memory of Itsuki's resentful glare from the night before.
He's dangerous… I'll need to keep an eye on him.
Kazama wasn't slow either. Even without words, he understood perfectly.
---
Six days passed in silence.
The sea remained calm. No sails. No movement.
Had it not been for their earlier ambush, they might have thought Konoha's intelligence was wrong.
But Jin's unease only grew.
Unlike the others, he knew too much. Shisui had warned him personally — Kirigakure had declared war. And from his own memories of his past life, he knew the Mist would play a major role in this conflict. This was the war in which Maito Dai would open the Eight Gates, defeating the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at the cost of his life.
The calm before them only made the danger more certain.
During a shift change, Jin pulled Kazama aside.
"Be careful. Something's wrong. A real battle is coming — don't die out there."
Kazama blinked, startled, but then nodded seriously. He had grown to trust Jin's instincts.
---
That night, long after Jin had fallen asleep, Nara Kazama shook him awake.
"Something's happening," he whispered urgently.
Jin sat up instantly, while Kudo stirred awake as well.
"There's fog in the forest," Kazama continued. His tone was sharp now. "I suspect it's Kirigakure's Hidden Mist Jutsu."
They rushed to the edge of the shelter.
Sure enough — the forest below was swallowed in thick fog. The mist clung to branches and roots, muting every sound, blocking the moonlight.
Uchiha Jin's face hardened.
The enemy hadn't come from the sea at all.
Kirigakure was already here.