Chương 64: Strategy and Scouring

Dawn broke on the second day, and Yunmi Gekko escorted Zhen to the command tent for a strategic briefing. The high-ranking Jonin had spent the previous afternoon dissecting the shifting tides of the conflict; today's session was purely for the allocation of field duties. Dongye Zhen's presence, though he was merely a Genin, was non-negotiable. He was a sensor of the highest caliber.

While most elite shinobi possessed a vestigial "sixth sense"—a combat instinct limited to their immediate periphery—true specialists capable of sweeping vast distances were a vanishing rarity. Inside the tent, Orochimaru occupied the seat of honor. He appeared uncharacteristically listless, his golden, slitting eyes fixed on nothing in particular. In contrast, Fugaku Uchiha was leaning in, poring over the tactical maps alongside Suzaku Nara with grim intensity. Zhen scanned the room.

He spotted Terai Hyuga, a Jonin who had arrived with the recent reinforcements, and Aoba Yamashiro, identifiable by his signature dark glasses. Zhen had initially mistaken Terai for Hizashi Hyuga, but the latter had traveled north with the main branch to safeguard his brother, Hiashi. The Hyuga presence on the Mist front was modest, comprised mostly of branch house members and fresh recruits. It was a site of lingering shame for the clan.

Months prior, an arrogant member of the Main House had blundered into a Mist ambush. Before his death, he had only managed to destroy one of his eyes; the other had become a coveted war prize for the Hidden Mist. Rumor had it the ninja who claimed the trophy (Ao) had fled to the southern isles to clash with the Sand, leaving the puppet masters of Suna to curse Konoha's incompetence every time they faced the stolen Byakugan. Once the room settled, Suzaku Nara addressed the assembly.

"The Hidden Mist's defeat in this war is an inevitability. We have already deduced their singular remaining objective. Every move they've made in the past few days has been intercepted, driving them to a state of desperate finality." He tapped a point on the map.

"Yesterday's assault on our lines was a mere feint. Intelligence confirms that an elite detachment has once again slipped into our rear. The complication, however, is their sensor—a specialist of such caliber that they have effortlessly evaded our standard scouts. Eliminating them is simple; finding them is the ordeal." Fugaku Uchiha glanced at Orochimaru, but seeing the commander had no intention of speaking, he took the lead.

"Aside from those maintaining the outposts, you are the finest trackers we have. Jonin Terai Hyuga, Special Jonin Nobuhiko Yamanaka, Chunin Aoba Yamashiro, and Genin Dongye Zhen. The command will form four search parties centered around your respective squads. Your mission: root out these rats." Terai Hyuga, despite his status in the branch house, possessed a Byakugan that rivaled the purity of the main line. Nobuhiko was a Yamanaka, a clan synonymous with sensory excellence.

Aoba, meanwhile, was a versatile operator whose skill set included tracking—though many often mistook him for a Yamanaka, his pedigree was his own. Terai raised a hand.

"If the enemy is as elite as you say, and their sensor's range exceeds our own, how do we guarantee the safety of the search parties? Particularly the squad led by Aoba?" If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. The implication was clear. Aoba's team included Asuma Sarutobi—the Hokage's son. If the "Prince of Konoha" fell in the rear, heads would roll.

Even if they tried to bench him, the boy's rebellious streak meant he would likely shadow the mission regardless, creating an even greater liability. Zhen and Yunmi exchanged a quick look. With a nod from his sensei, Zhen spoke up.

"Seniors, you only need to locate the general trail. Once you find a scent, notify me." Terai's gaze sharpened.

"Genin Dongye, I am aware your range is formidable, but how do you ensure they don't spot you first? This is a lethal game of cat and mouse. One misstep costs lives." Orochimaru's interest finally flickered. He flicked his tongue out, a serpentine gesture of curiosity.

"Oh? Dongye-kun, is your sensory domain... unique?"

"It is, Lord Orochimaru. My technique doesn't just detect; it shrouds. I can mask the presence of everyone within my radius. If Nobuhiko-senpai and Aoba-senpai would care to try and find me right now, they'll understand." The two men immediately closed their eyes. A moment later, they snapped them open, wearing identical looks of bewilderment.

"Incredible," Nobuhiko whispered.

"I'm looking right at you, but my mind insists there's nothing but empty air. How is this possible?" Yunmi cleared his throat loudly, a subtle warning against prying into a ninja's trade secrets.

"My apologies," Nobuhiko added quickly. The light in Orochimaru's eyes intensified, though he remained silent. The world was full of developmental anomalies and esoteric jutsu; it was this very variety that fueled his obsession with immortality. Before Suzaku Nara could speak, Fugaku Uchiha made the call.

"Then Team 3 shall lead the vanguard. I will detach an elite Uchiha squad to act as their shield. If any other team finds a trace, do not engage. Relay the coordinates to Yunmi's team immediately. We will pin these rats against the border and erase them."

"Understood!" Outside the central pavilion, Team 3 met their Uchiha escort. Fugaku had clearly handpicked this group; among them was a face very familiar to Zhen.

"Yo, Shisui. It's been a while." The youngest member of the Uchiha squad beamed. Shisui had been a ghost on the front lines since finishing his requisite D-rank quota, but their schedules had never aligned until now. He looked older, more weathered by the realities of war, but his eyes were as bright as ever.

"Long time no see, Zhen! Hayate, Yugao—it's good to be working with you." Shisui performed the introductions. Their lead Jonin was a man with premature gray hair and a stern countenance: Yashiro Uchiha. The other two were Inabi, a young man who looked to have just reached adulthood, and Tekka, a teenager a few years Zhen's senior. Zhen recognized them instantly. This was the trio that, in the original timeline, Itachi would eventually dismantle in a single heartbeat.

To see them now, acting as the clan's stalwarts, felt like a strange echo of a future yet to be written. The Uchiha trio looked at Dongye Zhen with undisguised curiosity. A boy who could trigger an Uchiha's Awakening through words alone was a living legend within their compound. Had Shisui not been so gifted, the elders might have kidnapped Zhen just to have him lecture the youth daily. With introductions finished, the combined force moved out.

They focused their search on the sodden lowlands and river veins of the southeast. Deep within the command structure, some had whispered about capturing the Three-Tails' chakra for research, but Hiruzen Sarutobi had vetoed the idea. To the Third Hokage, the Tailed Beasts were a taboo that invited only more conflict. Whether Orochimaru intended to obey those orders was another matter entirely. Ever since the realization that the Hokage's seat was likely beyond his reach, the Sannin had begun to act with a certain...

lack of inhibition.