[Lands of Rain, Southern 'Nagare Border Fort', a month later]
The rain inside the Southern Border Fort's command tent was a familiar sound. The wet smell gave off a familiar scent. The people inside, however, were not familiar.
Commander Batto stood at the head of the scarred map table, his massive frame seeming to anchor the entire room. Arrayed before him was the new, sharpened point of his border command. A collection of faces that would have been unthinkable weeks ago.
To his right, leaning against a support beam with his arms crossed, was Mumei. The chunin's hands were no longer bandaged, though shiny pink scars crisscrossed his fingers and palms.
[Mumei – Lv. 42 (↑1) Chunin]
To Batto's left stood Kirito Shikabane, his face shadowed by his straw hat, the hem of his black robes still damp. He was utterly still, a monument of silent loyalty.
[Kirito Shikabane – Lv. 32 (↑1) Chunin]
Then came the core of the new order.
Team 11, Elite Chunin Cell
Ryugo Kagutsu stood at the forefront, his posture relaxed but radiating a new, denser kind of energy. His Storm-Sever Katana was sheathed at his hip, the B-rank blade looking like a natural extension of his body. His amber eyes were calm, analytical, taking in every detail of the room and the people in it.
[Ryugo Kagutsu – Lv. 41 (↑11) Chunin]
[Tetsu Waraiko – Lv. 35 (↑9) Chunin]
[Ameruyi Takeda – Lv. 33 (↑5) Chunin]
Ameruyi stood beside him, her silver hair tied back severely, the worst of the burns on her face faded to pink, shiny scars under the careful work of the Jōtaki medics and her own resilient constitution. Her one good eye was as flat and focused as ever.
Due to her injuries, Ameruyi had been bedridden for the most of the past month, but she had recovered just fine. Most of her days had been spent in meditation. Her expressions faded, leaving place for a cold gaze that was only warming when she was around her teammates.
Tetsu hovered just behind, his new mask, a gift from his clan, this one with a more subtle, sorrowful smile, hiding any expression.
The New Chunins
Flanking them were Goto Haribako and Yumi Hakkō. No longer just promising genin squad leaders, they now wore the dark grey chunin vests of the Amegakure General Corps, though theirs were already customized. Goto's with reinforced straps for his umbrella, Yumi's with extra pouches and a slightly larger gourd.
[Goto Haribako – Lv. 25 (↑4) Chunin]
[Yumi Hakkō – Lv. 23 (↑5) Chunin]
Their squads, Ren, Sora, Kota, and Makura, had been operating on the fields like elite genin units too. They had been blooded in the silent war of patrols and had earned their place here through results.
Batto let the silence stretch, his eyes moving from face to face. Finally, he grunted, a sound like rocks grinding together.
"The Council's dispatch arrived at dawn," he began, his voice cutting through the rain-noise. "In recognition of extraordinary service in safeguarding national resources, uncovering and neutralizing high-level treachery, and successfully executing complex diplomatic and military operations under duress…"
He paused, his gaze settling on Ryugo. "Chunin Ryugo Kagutsu is hereby brevetted to the rank of Vice-Commander of the Southern Border Fort, with all attendant authority and responsibilities, effective immediately. The promotion is to be made permanent upon his successful passage of the Jonin Trials, whenever the Tower sees fit to administer them"
There was no applause. In Amegakure, promotions were acknowledgments of utility, not celebrations. But the shift in the room was palpable. Mumei gave a slow, approving nod.
'So the student surpassed the master', he thought comically, though a hint of pride showed on his face.
Three months and a half. In that small timeline, Ryugo had changed from a young academy student to a full-fledged vice-commander of a border fort. That was fast, even for a genius. In Amegakure, it was unprecedented.
Kirito's head tilted a fraction, his head slightly bowing in respect seeing that the scroll held Hanzo's seal. It was not just anyone. It was recognition of the village's kage, a dream for most shinobi of the village.
Ameruyi's lips tightened almost imperceptibly. Not in jealousy, but in recognition of the burden being placed on her captain. Tetsu smiled, and could not help but say something
"Vice-Commander", he smirked, his voice a low rumble, "Congratulations. Now you get to listen to the rain on this roof and sign the paperwork about the rain on this roof"
Goto and Yumi exchanged a glance. Vice-Commander.
At twelve. It was unheard of. But looking at Ryugo. At the calm, calculating presence that had dissected a jonin, broken a clan's secret art, and turned their own skills into lethal tools. It somehow made a ruthless kind of sense.
Ryugo bowed slightly. "The mission is its own reward, Commander. But I accept the responsibility."
"See that you do", Batto nodded in approval. Although he never made it official, he had already included Ryugo in strategic meetings, and he had delivered. Not just in combat, but in pure leadership. His vision, though reckless and aggressive, had earned them tremendous growth on the borders. They now had the initiative.
He tossed a heavy, iron key onto the map table. It landed with a thunk. "That's for the secure vault. Logistics reports, intelligence digests, and the discretionary fund for deniable operations. Five hundred thousand Ryô"
Batto warned, knowing Ryugo's greed and frightening spending skills: "Don't spend it all on one experiment"
A ghost of a smile touched Ryugo's lips. "I shall strive to be frugal"
A statement that made Ameruyi, Tetsu and Mumei roll their eyes to the ceiling. Ryugo could be anything BUT frugal. They let that pass. Even though the atmosphere was light, they were still on the border, and a strategic meeting did not allow for overconfidence.
"Now", Batto said, leaning over the map, his finger tracing the winding line of the central canals and the jagged topography marking Tanigakure's Gorge Watch and its satellite outposts, "Status. Let's hear what our new vice-commander's hunting packs have been bringing in"
The reports were concise, brutal, and telling.
Goto went first, detailing the elimination of three more Tanigakure patrols. "Their coordination is breaking down. They're sending younger genins, poorly equipped. No chunin-led patrols have been sighted in the central network for six days. Loot recovered includes standard supplies, but also this"
He placed a small, coded ledger on the table. "Shipment manifests. They're trying to reroute supply lines through the southern marshes. It's slower, more dangerous, but they don't get raided by us"
Yumi followed, her report laced with her usual morbid cheer: "My spores are thriving in the damp"
Her smile was terrifying. Batto had heard of joint training, but Ryugo's hunting subordinates were not normal either. They were hunting dogs with their own specialty, their own quirks. Goto was bloodthirsty, eager to prove himself, and sought strength to be acknowledged by Ryugo. Yumi was different. She took pleasure in her enemy's suffering.
She continued: "We successfully set up 'gardens' near their suspected marsh routes. Two days ago, a supply party of four stumbled through one. The garden captured its prey. We recovered the cargo, medical supplies mostly, before it was fully digested. Basic, but probably worth in the dozens of thousand of Ryô. We also retrieved some low valuables. Trinkets mostly, but it can fetch a few more coins in dark markets"
Mumei reported on the fort's overall readiness and the integration of the new Takeda contingent sent by Haruto: a dozen stern, silent genin-level swordsmen who asked no questions and followed orders with terrifying precision. Overall, it more than made up for the losses of the Zenitsu's followers.
Kirito's report was the shortest. "The dead from their patrols have been… repurposed. Morale effect on their forward scouts is significant. They fear the water now"
Finally, Ryugo spoke. He didn't recount kills or loot. He synthesized.
"Pattern analysis confirms Tanigakure is in a defensive crouch. Commander Boro Mizuchi is consolidating his remaining chunins and any jonin-level assets at the Gorge Watch itself. The outposts…"
He tapped three smaller marks on the map, each about five miles apart in a rough arc east of the Watch. "…are weakened. Garrisons reduced to one chunin squad leader and ten to twelve genins each. They're relying on terrain and the hope that we won't risk a direct assault on a fortified position"
He looked up, his eyes meeting Batto's. "They're right to think a full Border Corps assault is politically untenable and a waste of resources for a marginal gain. But they're wrong to think the positions are untouchable."
Batto's eyes narrowed. "You're looking at Outpost Theta. The one in the limestone caves"
"Yes. It controls the head of the southern marsh supply route they're trying to establish. It's also the farthest from the Gorge Watch. Reinforcement time: forty minutes at best, in this weather, if they even realize it's under attack before it's too late."
"You propose a covert strike", Batto stated.
"A raid", Ryugo corrected, "My team, plus Goto's and Yumi's combined squad. Total: nine shinobi, including me. We move fast, hit hard, eliminate the garrison, destroy the outpost's infrastructure, and exfiltrate before the Watch can respond. We take any valuable intelligence and loot. We further cripple their logistics. The message will be clear: nowhere is safe. Not even their fortified holes"
The room was silent, the only sound the rain. It was an aggressive, risky move. A deep strike into acknowledged enemy territory. The crystallization of a month of probing and attrition in the Lands of River. A strategy that screamed Ryugo's style.
"You'd be on your own", Batto said slowly. "I cannot authorize the Corps to move in support without Council approval, which would take days and leak. This would be a Dark Hall-style operation, but using Corps assets. Deniable, until it's not"
"Understood", Ryugo said, "We are the deniable asset. The newly promoted chunin cell and their attached specialists, acting on the initiative of the new, overzealous vice-commander. Plausible insubordination if it fails. A devastating victory if it succeeds."
A grim smile spread across Batto's scarred face. He'd made his reputation on brutal pragmatism. This was that, distilled. Ryugo was not just a subordinate to the commander. He was a proud master. And Ryugo a proud student. They understood each other, both in qualities and flaws.
"Objectives?", he asked
"One: Total elimination of Outpost Theta's garrison. Two: Destruction of its stores, signaling towers, and cave fortifications. Three: Acquisition of all intelligence and loot. Four: Return before dawn tomorrow"
Batto looked at the others. "Mumei? Your take on that? You were their teacher."
Mumei studied Ryugo, then the map. "It's arrogant. Reckless. The kind of plan that gets ambitious chunins killed"
He paused. "It's also exactly what they won't expect. And the team has the specific tools to do it. Tetsu can mask their approach and lock the garrison down. I can testify to it. Ameruyi and Ryugo can break any hardened defense. Goto and Yumi are perfect for area denial and clean-up. I don't like it… but I can't say it won't work"
Ameruyi did not speak. She did not see any reason to. The plan was good enough in her eyes. Even if the enemies were strong, they had not stayed idle in the past month.
Tetsu simply nodded, a dark eagerness in his posture.
Goto cracked his knuckles. "We've been picking off strays. Time to hit the den."
Batto made his decision. He straightened up, his command presence filling the tent. "Vice-Commander Kagutsu. You are authorized for Operation Stone-Cutter. Take your chosen units. You have until dawn. Failure will not be tolerated. dismissed"
As the group filed out, already speaking in low, tactical tones, Batto remained at the table, staring at the map. He smiled unknowingly. A rare expression that highlighted the changes that had happened over the past month. A smile that was caught by both Kirito and Mumei. They, too, had seen the changes over time.
Ryugo was oblivious to those.
[New Mission: Operation Stone-Cutter (B-Rank)]
[Objective: Infiltrate and destroy Tanigakure Outpost Theta (0 / 1)]
[Rewards: 6000 EXP, 80 Dark Hall Promotion Points, 90,000 Ryô, +100 Reputation with Southern Border Command, +200 Reputation with Team 11/41/42, B-Rank Equipment Crate (Random), B-rank Jutsu Scroll (Random)]
After 26 C-rank successful hunting missions and nearly a hundred Tanigakure genin kills, Ryugo had finally gotten a proper B-rank mission. The borders were rewarding, but an operation of this scale was...incomparably better.