The Land of Grass lay between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire, forming the shortest route connecting the two.
Because of this strategic position, it served not only as Iwagakure's forward bridgehead for invading the Land of Fire, but also as a key node in Konoha's defensive network.
Iwagakure had deployed several thousand ninja here. However, due to the distance involved, maintaining combat effectiveness and guarding against potential Konoha counterattacks required regular resupply operations to the Grass Country front.
For this purpose, Iwagakure maintained supply units of varying sizes.
From an organizational standpoint, Chūnin Yoshida belonged to one such unit—a twelve-man logistics squad.
Though small in scale and limited in transport capacity, the supplies they carried were critically important.
Medicine.
Their task was to regularly deliver urgently needed medical supplies to the front lines.
Most of the transport routes lay within Iwagakure territory, making the journey relatively safe. Even so, out of habitual caution, the squad still moved carefully.
After each delivery to a forward base, they would rest for one day before immediately returning the next.
This routine repeated again and again without incident.
Gradually, their vigilance dulled.
They had no idea they were already being watched.
This mission proceeded as smoothly as ever.
Supplies delivered, the squad departed the outpost. After traveling for half a day, they halted according to plan to rest.
Yoshida was assigned guard duty.
Suddenly, from a dried-up reed bed not far from their resting place, strange rustling and movement echoed.
Enemy contact?
The Iwagakure ninja immediately went on alert.
"Yoshida! Go check it out," the squad leader ordered.
"Huh? M-me? Alone?"
Chūnin Yoshida hadn't expected the task to fall on him.
"Is there a problem?" the leader asked calmly.
His tone hadn't changed at all—but Yoshida still shuddered.
"N-no!"
After replying, he scurried off toward the reed bed, head lowered.
He pretended not to hear the murmurs behind him.
"How did someone like that even become a chūnin?"
"And why was he assigned to our squad?"
"That coward—how did he survive the battlefield? I heard he used to fight on the front lines."
None of it was wrong.
Yoshida was twenty-seven years old. Early in the war, he had been ambitious and eager, fighting aggressively—
Until he experienced a brutal frontal engagement against Kumogakure.
That battlefield had been hell.
He never wanted to remember what happened there, yet the images clung to his mind, refusing to fade.
Surviving by sheer luck, he transformed—from a driven young ninja into a man terrified of death.
Unable to return to the front, he was reassigned to harmless logistics work.
Because of that, no one in the squad respected him.
In their eyes, he didn't deserve to be called a ninja.
At first, spurred by the leader's command, Yoshida moved quickly. But as he drew closer to the reeds, his pace slowed.
He took a few steps forward—then suddenly jumped back, startled by nothing.
Nothing happened.
He scratched his head, then seemed to remember something. He fumbled in his ninja pouch, pulled out a kunai, and finally advanced into the reeds with exaggerated caution.
The squad watched in silence—first tense, then dumbfounded.
You're just pulling out a weapon—why are you acting like that?
From this distance, everyone could clearly see Yoshida's absurd behavior. They honestly didn't know whether they were supposed to laugh.
Yoshida, however, was in no mood to laugh.
His nerves were stretched to the limit. All he could hear was his own pounding heartbeat, his breathing growing heavy.
The reeds were dense.
He couldn't see his teammates—and they couldn't see him.
Suddenly, the vegetation ahead shook violently again.
Yoshida nearly screamed.
Fortunately, he stopped himself.
Looking closer, he realized it was just a wild boar's nest. The disturbance had been caused by animals.
Relief washed over him.
"Captain! Nothing's wrong!"
Yoshida shouted loudly.
The moment his voice faded—
Something changed.
Behind him, as if appearing from thin air, a hand emerged. The index and middle fingers were pressed together into a sharp point—
And tapped the back of Yoshida's head.
That was all.
High-voltage current silently scorched his brain.
Yoshida lost consciousness instantly.
A supporting hand gently guided his body to the ground. Not a single sound was made.
Then the hands unfolded a scroll—marked with the character 「尸」.
In an instant, Yoshida was sealed within it.
"Found anything?" the captain asked calmly as Yoshida returned.
Yoshida still looked timid as ever.
"N-nothing… It was just a wild boar making noise."
"What about the boar?" someone asked—clearly thinking about improving their rations. After all, missions mostly meant soldier pills and bland provisions.
"It's still there… I-I was afraid killing it would leave a blood scent and attract enemies."
The squad fell silent.
This again.
They were practically back in the Land of Earth already—entirely Iwagakure territory. Where would enemies come from?
The captain said nothing.
In truth, he partially agreed with Yoshida's reasoning—but some deeper emotion prevented him from acknowledging or praising him.
A coward wasn't worth it.
"Erase our traces. We move immediately."
"Yes!" the squad responded in unison.
Following orders, the Iwagakure ninja tidied up and departed.
As for Yoshida—
From beginning to end, he never once looked back.
As they passed beyond the reed-covered slope, one might ask:
Did you ever hear of a ninja who once came here?
The return journey was faster, unburdened by cargo.
Yoshida remained as pathetic as ever—jumpy, paranoid, overly cautious. His behavior was no different from usual and raised no suspicion.
After all, Yoshida was just Yoshida.
Who would waste attention on him?
Yet as evening fell, he inexplicably sought out the captain himself.
"C-captain… I heard this squad might be disbanded and reassigned. Is that true?"
The captain shot him a sideways glance, irritation flashing briefly. Still, he couldn't punish Yoshida over a question.
"Who told you that?"
"I…" Yoshida stammered, unable to answer.
The captain didn't doubt the rumor. In fact, it was circulating within the squad.
And he knew exactly what Yoshida feared—
Being reassigned to a mission that would send him back to the front lines.
His contempt deepened.
"I've received no such orders," the captain replied coolly.
"And don't overthink it. These decisions are made by higher command. You and I have no say."
He had already made up his mind.
If a suicide assignment ever came—
Yoshida would be first.
After all, Yoshida was useless—to the squad, and to Iwagakure as a whole.
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