402. So Intense?

"What the heck? Our squad only has four people, and they expect us to transport this much supplies..."

"Can’t we just use a few sealing scrolls to store all this stuff? Wouldn’t that be safer?"

At the military district’s logistics center, Chino couldn’t help but dumbfounded as she stared at the massive cart loaded with supplies.

Hearing her complaint, Kabuto, her senior brother, couldn’t help but facepalm and remind her:

"Do you really have no idea how tough life can be? Sealing scrolls are expensive. How could an ordinary logistics transport squad afford something like that?"

Hearing this, Chino scratched her head sheepishly and muttered:

"Oh, I thought those things were pretty common."

Kabuto didn’t scold her further.

After all, Chino had lived in Konoha since she could remember and hadn’t experienced much hardship in her life.

On top of that, her teacher was Danzō, and her father was En Oyashiro, the head of the Commerce Department.

While her family wasn’t exactly rolling in money, they had never had to worry about finances.

This meant Chino had little understanding of the realities of life for ordinary shinobi.

Of course, Chino wasn’t a bad person.

It was just that her comfortable upbringing had kept her from thinking about such things.

---

"Actually, having these steam trucks for transportation is already a huge improvement."

Hearing the discussion between Chino and Kabuto, a middle-aged shinobi stepped down from the truck.

This man was the captain of their transport squad, named Ueda.

He was a veteran chūnin specially assigned by Pakura to keep an eye on these three kids and prevent them from causing trouble.

He didn’t underestimate the kids because of their age. Instead, he patted the steel beast beside him and spoke in a chatty tone:

"Before steam trucks were invented, we had to use horse-drawn carts or even manual labor to transport supplies to the front lines."

"Not only was the efficiency extremely low, but we were also highly vulnerable to enemy ambushes."

"The casualty rate was much higher back then. If even half the team made it back from a mission, it was considered lucky."

As Ueda spoke about the past, his tone carried a hint of nostalgia.

Instantly, a wave of battlefield cruelty washed over the three kids.

"So brutal..."

Chino felt ashamed of her earlier remarks, her face showing a hint of embarrassment.

Itachi Uchiha, on the other hand, seemed deep in thought, though it was unclear what he was pondering.

As for Kabuto, he pulled out a small notebook and began jotting down the veteran shinobi’s feedback on the new equipment, considering if there were any areas for improvement.

---

"Anyway, all of this is thanks to Lord Danzō!"

"If it weren’t for Lord Danzō’s innovative inventions, like these steel beasts, who knows how many more lives would have been lost in a single war!"

When Ueda mentioned Danzō’s name, his face was filled with admiration and loyalty, his tone brimming with reverence.

This attitude made Kabuto nod inwardly.

Indeed, his teacher’s status in the hearts of these grassroots shinobi was irreplaceable.

Even the perceptive Itachi could tell that the middle-aged shinobi’s words were sincere.

---

However, Ueda’s reminiscing and nostalgia didn’t last long.

With a loud honk, the dense rumble of engines echoed through the logistics center.

Numerous steam trucks roared to life, their tractor-like chugging sounds filling the air as they set off along the planned route.

"It’s time for us to move out!"

Ueda climbed into the driver’s seat and called out:

"Kids, get in!"

Hearing this, the three kids exchanged glances.

In the end, the youngest, Chino, took the passenger seat, while Kabuto and Itachi, who were skilled in reconnaissance, stayed in the back with the supplies...

As Ueda started the vehicle, a violent shudder ran through the truck.

Then, a mix of exhaust fumes and steam spewed out, and the truck officially began its journey.

Chino, who had never experienced anything like this before, widened her eyes and pressed her face against the window, looking around excitedly.

The scenery rushing past outside was undoubtedly a novel experience for her.

This kind of stimulation was something she had never felt in the ninja school.

As for Itachi and Kabuto in the back, they tacitly summoned crows and white pigeons to scout the surroundings from above.

---

The journey was quiet.

The military district was vast, and it would take a long time to reach their destination.

After the initial excitement wore off, Chino began to feel tired and closed her eyes to rest in the passenger seat.

Even Itachi and Kabuto, who were responsible for reconnaissance, began taking turns on watch, alternating between rest and duty.

Only Ueda, the squad captain, silently smoked as he drove relentlessly toward their destination.

---

As the sky began to darken, Kabuto’s shout of "Alert!" shattered the peaceful journey.

Chino, in the passenger seat, woke up instantly, while Itachi’s hand immediately reached for his ninja tool pouch.

"One o’clock direction, over four kilometers away, combat in progress."

The reason the information was so vague was that Kabuto, through the white pigeon’s perspective, could only catch a glimpse of flashing lights.

It looked like an explosion...

Sure enough, shortly after Kabuto spoke, the dull sound of an explosion reached their ears.

But before anyone could react, an even more terrifying roar followed.

What left them stunned was the sight of a massive pillar of fire shooting into the sky against the darkening horizon!!

Even from several kilometers away, the pillar of fire was blindingly bright and...

utterly horrifying!!

It was hard to imagine what kind of jutsu could create such a terrifying scene.

Ueda, sitting in the driver’s seat, immediately turned grim when he saw this.

His hands, gripping the steering wheel, began to tremble slightly.

Seeing this, Kabuto quickly realized something.

"If I’m not mistaken, the direction of that pillar of fire is..."

"Military headquarters!"

Kabuto’s words instantly made Ueda’s expression even graver.

Chino, on the other hand, was stunned and asked blankly:

"Headquarters? Did the Blue Team already reach headquarters?"

In response to her confusion, Kabuto adjusted his glasses with a serious expression and asked the driver:

"Captain Ueda, has something like this ever happened in previous exercises?"

Perhaps worried that his explanation wasn’t clear enough, Kabuto added:

"Something this... intense?"

Facing this question, Ueda shook his head.

"Never. At least not under Commander Kōyōu’s leadership."

This unusual situation gave Kabuto a bad feeling.

But since they couldn’t confirm the facts yet, their squad couldn’t just abandon the mission. Doing so would result in military punishment.

Therefore, they had no choice but to press on...