Senju Haruto moved quietly within the unit, making no effort to separate himself from them.
After all, their destination was Wakanda as well. Watching how these soldiers performed would be… interesting.
Among them, Soldier One stood out the most.
He was already the most perfect product of the super-soldier serum. With the addition of the Heart-Shaped Herb, his strength, speed, and reflexes had all undergone a qualitative leap. He had even awakened a rudimentary form of heightened perception.
It didn't take long for him to notice Haruto's presence among the ranks.
But out of respect for General Ross, he held his tongue.
Still, deep inside, he hadn't forgotten Haruto burning that military uniform.
To him, the uniform was sacred—an untouchable symbol.
Someone like Haruto should have considered it an honor just to wear it. To set it aflame? Unthinkable.
And so, when he spotted Haruto, resentment surged once again.
"You again."
Soldier One strode quickly to Haruto's side, his voice dripping with displeasure.
Haruto only lifted his gaze briefly, then lowered it again and kept walking.
Even empowered by the Heart-Shaped Herb, a lab rat remained a lab rat.
It didn't make him human, nor did it make him worth a second glance.
Such dismissal only fanned Soldier One's irritation.
"You don't belong here. This is a battlefield, not a sightseeing tour. I suggest you return to the ship. If something happens out here, I can't guarantee I'll be able to save you."
He spat out the words, then pushed past Haruto to take his place at the front of the unit.
Soldier One wasn't just Ross's most favored fighter—he was also this squad's commander. Deployment, tactics, orders—everything depended on him.
Haruto, for his part, felt slightly bemused.
What was this man's problem?
Was he actually… worried about him?
It wasn't impossible. After all, Haruto had been the one to present the Heart-Shaped Herb before Ross and Soldier One, and it was Haruto who had used it to empower him.
Soldier One knew better than anyone just how significant that gift was.
"So in his eyes, I've become someone important now?"
Haruto mused to himself. It seemed likely.
But he had no intention of explaining or clarifying anything.
There was no need.
With a sweep of his spiritual sense, he counted roughly sixty-two men in the squad. Other than Soldier One, he detected no additional serum-enhanced warriors.
That meant Ross had likely split the six enhanced soldiers across six different squads, each leading ordinary troops in separate missions.
It made sense.
Wakanda wasn't some small village or outpost—it was a vast country, even if it appeared agrarian.
Concentrating all their forces in one push would only make them an obvious target. And it wouldn't help in gathering intel.
As Haruto considered this, Soldier One suddenly raised his hand and signaled.
The entire squad stopped in perfect unison.
The men nearest to him dropped into a crouch, trained reflexes kicking in.
Though Haruto was some distance back, his dojutsu cut through the intervening obstacles.
Byakugan—open!
With its 360-degree vision, Haruto saw everything.
Soldier One's men had pulled several black, compact drones from their packs. After a flurry of adjustments, they powered them on and sent them soaring into the air.
On the surface, Wakanda looked like nothing more than a backward agricultural nation.
But Haruto knew better.
Its vibranium-based technology was leagues ahead.
In Avengers: Infinity War, Wakanda's energy barrier had even withstood Thanos's armies.
"If I remember right," Haruto thought, "in the comics, Wakanda's tech was so formidable that Thanos's forces were forced to descend from the skies and fight them directly."
Which meant the energy shield was strong enough to repel the cannons of an alien warship.
For so many years, Wakanda had hidden this strength flawlessly.
Their disguises and secrecy were nearly perfect.
For anyone to think a few toy drones could casually capture footage inside Wakanda…
That was nothing but wishful thinking.
Even so, Soldier One stared intently upward, full of anticipation.
But events unfolded exactly as Haruto expected.
The drones hadn't lasted three minutes before they sputtered, shorted out, and came crashing down.
The sudden failure caught Soldier One off guard.
And on the USS Stennis, General Ross was just as shocked.
Every movement from Soldier One and his team was transmitted back to the command center's screens.
It wasn't just his drones either.
Across all units, every drone launched had met the same fate.
All of them fell.
And no one could determine why.
"What the hell is going on?"
Maverick's voice carried disbelief. In all his years of service, he had never seen anything like it.
Not that their technology was invincible—but because in his mind, Wakanda had always been a primitive agricultural state.
Its people lived in poverty, wearing scraps of clothing, men tilling the soil while women wove cloth.
They couldn't possibly possess modern infrastructure, let alone advanced technology.
At best, they should have looked upon drones as miraculous.
But the reality was the opposite.
Every drone had been swatted from the sky. Without exception.
The mystery surrounding Wakanda only deepened.
And with it, the dark weight in Ross's chest grew heavier.
Still, however uneasy he felt, retreat was impossible.
If command learned he had mobilized a carrier strike group only to slink home empty-handed, both he and Maverick would face military court.
Whether Wakanda's mines existed or not, he was already committed.
"Soldier One, Three, Six, Seven, Nine, Twelve—advance. Bring back a complete reconnaissance report. No excuses."
Ross's voice was low and grim. He had no other choice.
If drones were useless, then they would have to rely on living "biological drones"—human beings.
"Yes, sir."
Soldier One answered crisply, signaling his men.
The squad began moving again, crossing the border and stepping fully into Wakanda.
And Haruto noticed something.
The massive energy shield that protected Wakanda…
Wasn't active.
The drones hadn't crashed because they slammed into it.
"Interference devices, then."
Haruto's eyes narrowed.