"Tatsuma-kun, the sensing duty for the downstream section is in your hands."
Deep within the Land of Rain, under a canopy that blotted out the sun, a squad of shinobi gathered by a riverbank. This was a moment for resupply, but also an opportunity to scout the surrounding environment.
The dogs—often seen by those who fear them as constant barkers—remained unnervingly silent here. They moved with extreme care, their soft paw pads ensuring that even stepping on wet, decaying leaves produced no sound.
These ninja hounds constantly sampled the air, their canine features twisting into human-like expressions of focused deliberation as they cataloged every scent and its source. Beside each hound was a member of the Inuzuka clan, crouched low and mimicking the movements of their companions. Ninja like dogs, dogs like ninja—it was a phenomenon unique to this clan.
Nearby, members of the Aburame clan stood shrouded in long raincoats with hoods pulled low. Even in the gloom of the rainforest, they wore their signature dark glasses, constantly releasing specialized insects from their bodies.
Next to a pair of boys—one silver-haired, one blonde—a heavily muffled Aburame ninja spoke in a hushed tone to Sakamoto Tatsuma.
Tatsuma nodded. He approached the water's edge and wove the Dog seal. His right hand then shifted into a specialized mudra: the thumb and pinky touching, while the middle three fingers remained relaxed.
This was part of a codified system of specialized hand signs known as Inkei. In this system, each finger corresponds to a specific chakra element—remarkably similar to the Yoga mudras from Tatsuma's previous life. The thumb represented Fire, and the pinky represented Water. Despite the components, the mudra was called the Water Hand Seal (Suishuin), symbolizing the "Harmony of Water and Fire." It signified communication and openness, and when applied to sensory ninjutsu by Tobirama Senju, its efficacy was peerless.
Tatsuma plunged his right hand—scrubbed so clean of scent that even the ninja hounds found it suspicious—into the river. As the current rushed past his fingers, he anchored his chakra to the flowing water.
This particular technique wasn't fast; its range was dictated entirely by the speed of the current. Of course, water that moved too violently wouldn't work either, as turbulence could break the chakra's connection. Fortunately, it was now September. While the monsoon season was reaching its end, the rivers were still swollen and moving significantly faster than usual.
The Aburame ninja knew this method was slow, but its primary virtue was safety. If the enemy had sensory ninja of their own, they might detect the presence of hounds, insects, or chakra vibrating through the ground or air. However, almost no one would notice chakra clinging to a constant, natural flow of water. It was an incredibly difficult trail to find, and a technique very few had ever mastered.
As a concealed support unit, Tatsuma's squad had plenty of time. They prioritized safety over speed; their mission was to ensure they remained ghosts.
After nearly half an hour, Tatsuma finally withdrew his hand. "Five kilometers downstream," he reported. "Residual chakra detected. Someone was walking on water, heading further downstream."
The Aburame leader nodded. "Cautious as always. Even on their own turf, these Rain ninja are obsessive about masking their trails." He shook his head. "Still, if they're heading downstream, we're likely safe for the immediate future. Set up camp here. I'll coordinate with the other squads."
Patrols in these uninhabited rainforests couldn't be frequent. Even a Great Nation wouldn't have the manpower to blanket their entire border with constant surveillance, let alone a small nation like the Land of Rain. With the Leaf and Sand turning the country into a battlefield, the Rain's forces were likely concentrated near the front lines. A patrol through this wilderness once every week or two was likely the limit.
Tatsuma stepped aside, vigorously rubbing his right hand. The river water wasn't pure; the floods likely dragged all sorts of stagnant rainforest filth into the current, and his skin was already starting to itch. He didn't feel at ease until he had thoroughly scrubbed his hand with alcohol-soaked gauze.
Minato approached him, handing over a canteen. "I've filtered and treated this with disinfection tabs," he said.
"Thanks." Tatsuma took a small sip before stowing the water in his pack.
"That sensing method," Tatsuma whispered, "do you want to learn it?"
In a camp full of sensory experts, whispering was a moot point. However, the intent was clear, and the surrounding Inuzuka and Aburame ninja moved away to give the two boys some privacy.
Minato looked hesitant. "Is that okay? I heard Tsunade-sensei gave that to you... and that it was the Second Lord's research."
"I asked her before we deployed. She doesn't mind. Besides, my hand can't take being soaked in a river every day; if you learn it, you can take some of the shifts."
Tatsuma draped an arm over Minato's shoulder. Minato thought it over and nodded. "Alright. But I'll share any new jutsu I learn with you in return."
Minato felt a mounting sense of debt toward Tatsuma. During a recent talk with Jiraiya, he had learned the full story behind how they had acquired the Shuriken Shadow Clone technique. Jiraiya had been blunt: without Tatsuma, Minato never would have learned a signature jutsu like that so early.
Minato was sharp; he realized the risk Tatsuma had taken by making demands of the Hokage in his office. Had Hiruzen taken offense, Tatsuma would have been branded as arrogant and opportunistic. Tatsuma had shouldered the political risk, while Minato had simply reaped the rewards without even realizing there was a gamble.
Minato remembered all the times Tatsuma had protected him on the battlefield, even taking injuries for his sake. Now, faced with such generosity again, Minato felt he had nothing left to offer but a promise on his future.
Tatsuma just waved it off. In truth, Minato had nothing left to give that Tatsuma hadn't already "harvested." The talents for projectile weapons, space-time, sensing, and development were already his. He'd even surreptitiously developed the Rasengan—a move Minato wouldn't invent for years—keeping it as a hidden trump card.
If Minato felt indebted, Tatsuma felt the same. He felt he owed Minato for the purity and sincerity of a friendship he had initially approached with calculation. This was his way of balancing the scales.
Tatsuma hadn't brought the physical scroll, but his memory was perfect. He began transcribing Tobirama's notes for Minato.
Over the following weeks, Tatsuma spent his free time tutoring his friend. As he expected, Minato's talent for water-based sensing was poor. He struggled with ground-based sensing as well. It was a stark contrast to Tatsuma, who had begun using the techniques effectively after a single reading. The reason was simple: Minato lacked affinities for Water and Earth.
But the blow to Minato's confidence didn't stop there. When they tried air-based sensing, the progress was equally agonizing. The air in the Land of Rain was so heavy with moisture that the chakra signals were constantly muffled or blocked by the humidity—a variable even Tatsuma hadn't fully anticipated.
"I guess my talent really is nothing compared to yours, Tatsuma," Minato sighed.
It was New Year's Eve—their first New Year spent in the field. As they looked back on the year, Minato's summary was bleak. Of the five elemental sensing techniques, he couldn't even attempt two, and the Wind-based one was useless in this climate.
Tatsuma found the comment hilarious. Hearing Minato Namikaze complain about having "no talent" was on par with Naruto Uzumaki claiming he wasn't good at "Talk-no-Jutsu."
But from Minato's perspective, the year had been a series of eclipses. In the second quarter, Tatsuma had been a monster on the battlefield. In the third, Tatsuma had led their training in the village. And now, Minato was failing at the very skills Tatsuma mastered with ease.
Tatsuma patted his friend's shoulder. "It's just the environment, Minato. Besides, have you noticed your range has expanded significantly since we moved further north?"
They were nearing the border of the Land of Earth, where the humidity was dropping. Their clothes were finally starting to dry out, and Minato's Wind sensing was actually flourishing. It was just that two weeks of progress felt insignificant against a year of frustration. Minato offered a weak smile, clearly thinking Tatsuma was just being nice.
"Happy New Year."
The Aburame leader's voice broke the silence. Despite the miserable surroundings and the damp cold, smiles appeared on every face. They had survived another year.
"Let's all make a wish," the captain suggested.
An Inuzuka ninja, busy grooming his hound's paws, spoke up first. "My wish... I hope the war ends this year."
The sentiment was echoed by almost everyone. Only Tatsuma's smile was forced. If his memory of the timeline was correct, this year wouldn't bring peace. It would bring the official start of the Second Shinobi World War.
But he was just a "bolt in the machine." Even with his knowledge, he couldn't stop the tide. The war was no longer the will of two Hokage or Kazekage; it was the will of two nations—from the Daimyo down to the commoners.
While the support unit shared a brief moment of warmth, further north, the situation was dire.
Inside a damp cavern, Tsunade withdrew her hands from a prone Jiraiya. Her face was slick with sweat. Jiraiya lay with his teeth clenched, his injuries clearly severe.
Tsunade popped a Soldier Pill to replenish her stamina and looked toward the entrance where Orochimaru stood guard. "Orochimaru, we need to call for backup. With Jiraiya's condition, we can't move fast enough to stay hidden."
Orochimaru looked back at his teammate, his eyes filled with internal conflict. After a long silence, he shook his head.
"We have to hold out. At this distance, the support unit would have to sprint to reach us. They'd blow their cover instantly, making the last three months of infiltration pointless. We need to move further south first. We can't let the Rain find out we have an army on their doorstep. Besides... you're still strong. We can make it."
Tsunade reached up and touched her forehead protector. Beneath the metal, the diamond-shaped mark she had spent a year cultivating was now nearly invisible.
Her "Strength of a Hundred" was almost spent.
Jiraiya opened his eyes, gasping for air. "Haha... don't be so gloomy. I'm fine. If they catch up..." He winced as he pressed a hand to his abdomen. "I can hold them off while you two escape. The intel is more important than I am. I agree with Orochimaru—don't call them."
Orochimaru didn't respond. His expression suddenly hardened. "Iwa ninjas are closing in. Tsunade, can you carry him?"
Tsunade tried to clench her fist, then shook her head. "You take him for a stretch. I need a minute to recover."
"Fine."
Orochimaru hoisted Jiraiya onto his back and slipped out of the cave, heading south. Tsunade followed a few paces behind. As soon as her teammates' backs were turned, she reached into her pouch.
She pulled out her communication device and pressed the emergency signal.
Without a word, she shoved the blinking device back into her bag and ran to catch up.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
+100 chapters on: patreon.com/Shinobi_Scrolls