Chapter 329: Stepping into the Sea (6)

The weather becomes slightly cooler after nightfall. A full moon hangs in the sky surrounded by stars, emitting bright silver light. Autumn is approaching quietly.

The camp set up outside the Konoha Ninja Village gradually became quiet, with most of the ninjas gathering in tents in small groups to rest. It was still early and talking was not prohibited, so there was still a lot of whispering in the camp.

Uchiha Keiji led the team to patrol the camp continuously, occasionally stopping to listen carefully. Even though there was no expression of displeasure on his face, the increasingly gloomy expression on his body told it all.

After returning to the command tent, Uchiha Keiji sat on a chair, with his nephew Uchiha Fumikawa standing in front of him, who had a thoughtful look on his face.

"Wenchuan, tell me what you think."

Uchiha Fumikawa smiled faintly and said: "Actually there is nothing to say. It is normal for most ninjas to have complaints about this war, but it doesn't matter. It will be resolved after blood is shed."

"hope so."

Uchiha Fumikawa continued, "As for their discussion of the Hokage's governing methods and means, it is nonsense. I have searched through history books and cannot find a politician with such a broad mind as the Hokage. Time will prove who is great and who is mediocre."

"The enemy's reckless attack shows that they are really desperate. They have reached the point where they will perish if they don't gamble their lives. This also proves the wisdom of the Hokage and the correctness of the new policy. I personally believe that as long as the village follows the path set by the Hokage, the ninja world will usher in an unprecedented unified situation within 20 years!"

Uchiha Keiji nodded in approval. He picked up the water cup and took a sip of water. He said, "It's very rare that you can see this. In fact, the new policy is not just a new policy. It will eventually bring unprecedented changes to the ninja world. Several of us Hokage have mentioned this more than once in the meeting. But people are lazy and lazy. They would never stand if they can lie down comfortably. After getting used to the existing lifestyle, it is difficult for them to make up their minds to try a new road environment..."

"Forget it. There's no point in talking about it when the war is imminent. As long as we get through this, the road ahead will be much easier. Wenchuan, don't bear a grudge against me. This is all fate's arrangement."

"Uncle, I don't hate you. In fact, I am grateful to you from the bottom of my heart. If it weren't for your strong recommendation, Sanwei would not have been carried by me in the end, even though it still doesn't want to pay attention to me so far."

Uchiha Fumikawa rubbed his stomach and said regretfully: "If I had more years to prepare for communication, maybe I could have mastered some of the power of the Three-Tails and contributed more power."

"Good boy... Really good boy, I'm sorry for wronging you... Don't worry, uncle will go with you this time... Don't be afraid!"

Late at night, most of the ninjas on the front line have fallen asleep, and a small number of sensory ninjas and reconnaissance teams are active under the moonlight. They become the eyes and tentacles of the troops, and their performance will undoubtedly determine the direction of a war.

A team of three was patrolling the road, their uniforms and ninja tools behind them indicated their identities. Soon, they came under a tree, submitted the corresponding report and ended their mission tonight. But it was difficult to relax suddenly after being tense for a long time. Maybe alcohol and women could do this, but it was a pity that it was wartime and these were absolutely prohibited.

So, they set up an alcohol stove in their tent and placed a few boxes on the stove for roasting. Soon, the aroma of food wafted in the air, making them hungry and salivating.

"Beef fried rice, cranberry biscuits, dried herring, miso soup, energy drinks, and five cigarettes. It has to be said that the quality of the wartime rations provided by the village has made a qualitative leap."

The only female ninja in the three-person team turned off the alcohol stove, took down the hot tin box and said, "This is just the midnight snack. The lunch is even more abundant. Come and eat it while it's hot, and take a rest after eating."

"The village's financial and material resources have reached a staggering level. I still remember that during the war a few years ago, we could only eat compressed biscuits to fill our stomachs. As for meat, we could only have it when we won. It's a pity that the captain..."

"Okay Nanami, hurry up and eat. The captain will be fine."

Nanami has a nice name, but she is no longer in her prime. Her face is covered with traces of frost due to years of traveling, but you can still vaguely see her youthful beauty: "Captain, he did such a thing. Although it has a bad impact, it was unintentional. Hokage should forgive him."

Nanami was speaking indignantly, but suddenly she heard footsteps outside and was startled, almost getting scalded by the miso soup: "Password!"

"The sea is peaceful and the rivers are clear!"

"Chicken tonight!"

The nonsensical command came from Ye Shan, and no one else could have such a wild imagination except him.

The tent was opened and a man in his fifties walked in. He looked tired but his eyes were sparkling.

"team leader!?"

"Why are you here?"

The man smiled, sat cross-legged, picked up the beef fried rice and swallowed it in big mouthfuls, looking like a starving ghost. While eating, he said incoherently: "Hokage-sama pardoned me..."

"The beef cubes are so big and the rice is so delicious..." The man ate with big mouthfuls, his mouth full of oil: "Two hours ago, the Hokage pardoned the crimes of all ninjas in prison, on the condition that they immediately participate in the battle, and the dead and injured will be given subsidies and pensions according to regulations. You three know the conditions of my family, so I chose to accept it."

Nanami smiled happily and asked, "Then the record in the file has also been deleted?"

"Of course not. The charge of conspiracy and violence to persecute the village's top leaders will never be washed away in my lifetime."

The man smiled nonchalantly and said, "I am dead, but my sons need a relatively fair chance for promotion. The enemy's attack is just in time, otherwise I would have made up my mind to go on a hunger strike."

"It stands to reason that murdering the shadow of a village is a heinous crime that cannot be forgiven no matter where you are. Although I did not mean to do it, I have to admit it. After this meal, we will say goodbye. The favors we owe you over the years can only be repaid in the next life. I hope you don't mind."

The man kept talking as if he was talking about a trivial matter. He was saying goodbye to his companions with whom he had been together for decades, and also to himself who had committed a heinous crime. After tonight, his family would receive a generous pension, and his sons would be able to live as ordinary ninjas, no longer having to live in fear every day.

"I will not be allowed to enter the cemetery after I die, and you don't need to hold a memorial ceremony for me. Let's just say goodbye and pretend that I never existed!"

After saying that, the man put down the iron box in his hand, stood up, burped with satisfaction, and said with emotion: "This is the most delicious meal I have eaten in the past few months, thank you!"

Nanami looked sad but couldn't say anything to keep her. The once close and high-spirited teammates finally bowed their heads in front of reality. This is the fate of a ninja. As long as you survive in the village, you must always be prepared to die.

"Captain, have a safe journey..."

"It's okay, I'll go see what's going on, ha ha!"

The man left, and it was conceivable that he would soon reach the end of his life. The other two people in the tent remained silent. After Nanami packed up, she took out a blanket, spread it on the ground, and fell asleep.

After a long time, Nanami, who couldn't fall asleep, sat up suddenly and yelled angrily, "Don't you two want to talk about something?"

One of them sneered, "What are you talking about? We don't like his behavior. Besides, the war is imminent. Whether you and I can return alive is uncertain. Why worry about it?"

"Okay Nanami, your mind is in a mess. The captain has committed a heinous crime. It's already a great mercy that the Hokage has pardoned him. Don't expect anything else."

Nanami said with a complicated expression: "Actually, you all misunderstood. What I want to ask is not the captain, but what to do now."

"Do you want to be a deserter?" someone asked with a stern look on his face.

"I have brains."

"What do you want?"

"Ninjas should be punished for their crimes, but who should be punished when something goes wrong in the village? The top brass are always coming up with new policies that have brought disaster upon themselves, so why are we the ones who are going to die?"

"You are presumptuous!"

Someone immediately shouted angrily: "It is the obstruction of people like you with outdated ideas that has slowed down the progress of the new policy. The Hokage's ambition is higher than the sky and wider than the sea. As a member of the village, we should unconditionally implement it! I am willing to sacrifice my life and everything I have for such a Hokage, because I deeply love this village and this system, and because I am proud of my identity as a Konoha ninja!"

Nanami was speechless, and after a while she murmured, "But I don't want to die like this... What will happen to my child if I die?"

"They will grow up safely under the protection of the Will of Fire. This is one of the reasons why we are fighting here. Don't forget that it is the Hokage who has given you a good life!"

Don't take it for granted that ninjas will die passionately and participate in life-and-death fights without fear or worry. They are essentially living people with their own concerns and attachments. No one will choose to die meaninglessly. Of course, Ye Shan should bear the main responsibility for this incident, even though he has made all the preparations.

As the wheel of time rolls over, history books will only record what major events happened on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, and what impact they had. As for the ninjas who died, they will probably just be mentioned briefly. A thousand deaths is death, and ten thousand deaths is also death. Only the most brilliant ninjas can leave their surnames and names, and the vast majority of the dead can only helplessly become one of the cold numbers. As for what kind of happy life they had before they died, what kind of grand ideals they had, and what kind of beautiful character they had, probably no one is willing to see or appreciate it.

The cruelty and interest of history are mixed together. Perhaps at some point a hundred years later, someone will want to find some fun in their boring life and will dig out the thick battle records to see what thoughts and sorrows the lower-level ninjas had during the great changes of the times.

Why does Qingfeng flip through books when he can't read? The lives of many of us are not worth recording at all, because we are just repeating the stories of countless predecessors. But please remember that at least at this moment, the ninjas on the front line are worthy of your bending down and appreciating them. Their fighting will may not be strong, but their stories are moving and moving.

When the night deepens, they will start the first large-scale battle of Burning Sky and Stepping Sea.