Chapter142

Returning Tsume's pet, I waved at both of them and trudged to my tent, automatically responding to the welcoming nods of those around me, dreaming only of a normal bed, a full eight hours of peace and quiet.

"Sempai! Sempai! Ryo-sempai!"

Hearing that familiar, high-pitched voice, I mentally groaned and fought the urge to pretend I was deaf—I'd probably never see my favorite pillow again! Turning in the direction of the calls, I confirmed my fears—it was indeed Chifuyu Uchiha rushing from the infirmary.

"Kohai," I nodded, letting out a resigned sigh.

"Sempai, you're back! I urgently need your help!" Without stopping, the kunoichi ran up, grabbed my hand, and dragged me back.

I'll find out who reported this—I'll make them regret it!

I only stumbled out of the infirmary three hours later, completely exhausted, angry, and also hungry, as we had grabbed our rations on the move around three in the afternoon, and it had been over eight hours since then. So the first thing on my to-do list was to get some food of any kind, followed by sleep. And if anyone tries to delay my well-deserved rest again, they'll regret it deeply!

"Ryo! Ryo!"

Hearing my name just as I reached the threshold of my tent, I suppressed the urge to bash my head against the nearest rock. Why did I let myself be talked into this? Turning back with resignation, I saw a very tired Rotaro hurrying through the camp. He looked definitely drunk and, judging by his clothes, had spent time with his girlfriend. Still, his worried face made me uneasy. I could almost sense, if not imminent trouble, then at least some unpleasant news. After all, my partner wouldn't be looking for me at such a late hour without a good reason.

"Ryo, did you hear?" Rotaro asked, after stopping and catching his breath.

"Heard what?"

"Didn't you hear? The reinforcements' genin should have already spread the word to everyone…"

"Genin?!" I interrupted Ishii. "Are they sending genin to the front now? Have the advisors and Hokage completely lost their minds?!"

What the hell! This situation isn't serious enough to throw newly graduated academy kids into the war's grinder! Even Onoki is keen on preserving his genin despite the dire state of his forces!

"Forget about the genin! The commander isn't planning to send them beyond the camp's perimeter," my friend dismissed. "The real issue is—Konoha has been attacked!"

"What?!!"

***

The news that the village had been attacked hit me like a sledgehammer. I could only stare blankly at my partner, struggling to grasp the fact that despite the fully closed borders from Iwa's side, someone had managed to secretly mobilize enough forces to launch a serious attack on Konoha, even with significantly weakened defenses. It's baffling, considering the village always has at least a couple of thousand active shinobi, not to mention Danzo's forces.

"Yeah, I had the exact same shock when I heard the news," Ishii nodded, assessing my reaction.

"When did this happen?" I managed to ask, overcoming my shock.

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