The Third Hokage received the report of the Kazekage's disappearance and felt a deep sense of dread.
His unease refused to settle.
But there was something he had to deal with first—
Yue's team assignment.
"Lord Hokage."
Hyūga Oita walked into the office and bowed respectfully.
"Oita," Hiruzen finally spoke after long consideration, "I've decided to form Team Oita, with you as captain. The members will be Yue, Yamato, and Nara Roku."
"Roku is a chūnin. He has inherited the Nara clan's exceptional strategic talent—excellent tactical planning and battlefield command."
"This will form a complete combat team.
Reconnaissance is your specialty.
Strategy and tactics belong to Roku.
And Yue possesses strong frontal combat ability."
"The core mission of your team is to protect Yue. If necessary, you are permitted to abandon the mission entirely. His safety comes before anything else. That child is too important to the village."
Hiruzen emphasized Yue's importance again.
His Wood Release was simply too crucial.
When Yue grew enough to freely wield Wood Release, he would be able to control tailed beasts at will…
At that point, Konoha would no longer have to fear the bijū militia of other nations.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Oita accepted the order with a respectful bow.
After Oita left, Hiruzen immediately summoned his subordinates and ordered increased surveillance of Wind Country—and to monitor all surrounding nations at once.
---
Training Grounds — Team Oita Assembles
Today marked the official formation of Team Oita.
Yue glanced at the newcomer—
The clan crest on his sleeve made his identity obvious.
A member of the Nara clan.
"Today marks the establishment of Team Oita. I am your captain, Hyūga Oita, jōnin. Let's begin with introductions."
Yue and Yamato already knew each other, but since a new member had joined, Oita still had to go through the formal routine.
"I'm Yue, six years old, a genin."
"I'm Yamato, age nine. Currently a chūnin."
"I am Roku, age twelve—also a chūnin."
Roku quietly observed his new teammates.
He found it odd that he, a chūnin, would be placed in a team structured like this.
A typical squad consisted of one jōnin leading three genin, and the team would disband once they grew into chūnin.
But this… setup was unusual.
"From today on, we will entrust our lives to one another," Oita said. "Get familiar with each other, then we'll start training formation maneuvers and coordinated combat."
Team Oita officially entered its formation phase.
---
The World Erupts Into Chaos
Lightning Country—having taken advantage of Wind Country's turmoil—launched a surprise assault, inflicting heavy losses on Sunagakure.
Various daimyō condemned the attack…
But the Raikage, instead of backing down, directly urged his own daimyō to declare war on the Lands of Fire and Earth.
Diplomatic ties shattered.
The Five Great Nations tore up the peace agreements.
The Third Great Ninja War erupted.
War machines roared to life.
Tens of thousands of shinobi marched to the front lines.
"Sigh… the Third Great Ninja War still arrived on schedule."
Yue murmured at home.
In both his past life and this world, war felt equally distant yet terrifying.
War meant death—countless deaths.
"Yue-sama, Team Oita has received a mission. We depart tomorrow to escort strategic supplies to the front."
Oita stepped into the house and delivered the news.
"Understood, Oita-sensei."
So Hiruzen truly was protecting him—
allowing him to experience war, but in a controlled way.
An escort mission, not front-line combat.
Yue could see right through the Hokage's intention.
---
The next day, Team Oita began escorting crucial supplies to Konoha's front line against Iwagakure.
The journey through the Land of Fire remained quiet and safe.
But Yue knew all too well where this road led—
the front line near Kanabi Bridge.
Since he was already here…
Would he really just watch history unfold?
Shouldn't he at least try to change something?
These thoughts swirled in his mind.
---
Night Before Reaching the Front
Just as usual, Oita kept the night watch—
his Byakugan made him the perfect sentry.
But tonight…
A squad of Iwagakure shinobi crept through the darkness toward them.
"Twelve enemies."
Oita's Byakugan saw everything.
"Enemy attack!"
He immediately woke the team.
"How many?" Roku asked.
"Twelve."
"Since they haven't detected us yet, I'll act as bait," Roku said after a brief calculation.
"Oita-sensei, Yue, Yamato—you circle from the flanks and take out as many as possible before they regroup. We eliminate them all."
Team Oita had already grown accustomed to Roku's tactical leadership—
Though not as monstrously intelligent as Nara Shikaku or Shikamaru, he was undeniably talented in this field.
The four scattered silently into the night.
---
Yue was the first to locate an isolated Iwa-nin.
He crouched in the grass, breath controlled, waiting for the perfect moment.
Now.
"Special delivery—one kill, free of charge!"
Yue leaped high, appearing in front of the unsuspecting shinobi mid-air, driving his kunai deep into the man's chest.
Splurt—
Blood sprayed across Yue's face.
The Iwa-nin died before he could even scream.
Warm blood streaked down Yue's cheek.
His heart thumped hard.
This was the first time he had truly killed someone.
The previous time had been in a berserk state—he hadn't felt it like this.
Even with mental preparation, taking a life with his own hands rattled him.
He forced himself to calm down.
This was a world where the weak were food.
War meant kill or be killed.
If he wanted to survive…
He couldn't afford mercy.
A sharp rumble echoed—
"Earth Release: Earth Spear Thrust!"
A massive spike erupted from the ground toward Yue.
He dodged aside, spotting two Iwa-nin in the distance.
"Twelve shinobi divided into squads of three, huh? So much for silently thinning their numbers…"
Yue inhaled deeply, forming a shadow blur as he launched forward.
"Rasengan!"
"Enjoy your complimentary full-body massage!"
The swirling chakra sphere smashed into one Iwa-nin, sending him spinning through the air before slamming him into a large tree—dead instantly.
Yue's right hand drove a kunai into the second ninja—
—who promptly turned into a puddle of mud.
"Replacement technique. When did he cast it? Impressive…"
Yue muttered.
A furious roar echoed:
"You brat—you dare look down on me!? I'm a jōnin of Iwagakure! You won't leave alive!"
The remaining Iwa jōnin charged.
~------------------------------------
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