401. Military Exercise

The so-called military district was an extremely vast area.

It not only included living quarters for daily residence, training grounds for practicing ninjutsu, recreational areas for relaxation, but also specialized zones for military exercises.

This area encompassed large stretches of primitive forests, with several mountain peaks scattered throughout.

The environment was harsh, teeming with wild beasts, including powerful summoning creatures and chimeras specifically released by the research institute for testing.

This was the place where Konoha’s higher-ups conducted realistic combat drills.

The purpose was to train a fearless and capable army even in times of peace.

Thanks to their special status as Danzō’s disciples, Kabuto and the others smoothly entered the heavily guarded military district and successfully met the commander of the central military district—

Shimura Kōyōu, also known as Pakura of the Sand, the renowned "Scorch Style User."

After Danzō voluntarily handed over military authority to Minato, the latter reciprocated by appointing Pakura as the commander of the central military district.

This move demonstrated that the young Fourth Hokage and the elder leader, Danzō, did not harbor the kind of power-driven discord that some conspiracy theorists speculated about.

As for whether Pakura’s appointment caused controversy?

Of course, it did.

However, when Minato presented her combat records and files from the Mist battlefield, retrieved from the Root, the murmurs quickly died down...

---

"Big Sister Kōyōu, please agree to our request!"

"We also want to see how powerful those professional shinobi really are."

"Once we understand the gap, we’ll be able to train even harder, right?"

In the commander’s office, little Chino clung to Pakura’s arm, pouting and hoping she would make an exception to let them deeply participate in the exercise and experience it firsthand.

However, Pakura wasn’t swayed by the kids. She continued to scrutinize the three children before her with a stern gaze.

One was Danzō’s second disciple, a young prodigy who had already demonstrated exceptional medical skills and possessed a rare affinity for natural energy, making him a potential candidate for mastering sage techniques.

Another was the heir of the Blood Pool clan, possessing the Kekkei Genkai "Blood Dragon Eye," and Danzō’s only female disciple.

The last was the eldest son of the Uchiha clan, Itachi, hailed as the Uchiha’s top genius.

If anything happened to even one of these kids under her watch, Pakura would face immense trouble.

Under normal circumstances, she would never allow these children to fool around in her jurisdiction.

But under Danzō’s instructions, she could only narrow her eyes and say coldly:

"Although this is just an exercise, the higher-ups, in order to maintain realism, approve a sufficient casualty list every time."

"This means that injuries, or even deaths, are possible during this exercise!"

"If you’re not careful, you could be killed by explosive tags or traps."

"Given this, are you still sure you want to participate?"

Pakura, after all, was one of Konoha’s strongest shinobi, close to Kage-level, and had spent over a decade fighting on the battlefield.

As her tone grew serious, a chilling killing intent seeped into the hearts of the children.

Fortunately, the kids standing before her were no ordinary children.

Kabuto, for one, had dissected countless corpses since childhood.

While Pakura’s killing intent made him uncomfortable, it didn’t scare him.

Itachi was much the same.

As the eldest son of the Uchiha clan, he had undergone rigorous training and didn’t flinch under such pressure.

Even the youngest, Chino, trembled for a moment before her face lit up with excitement, and she eagerly said:

"We’re sure!!"

Seeing her expression, Pakura couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

This little girl probably had no idea what she was about to face...

Although Danzō doted on his youngest disciple, when it came time to temper her, he wouldn’t hold back.

"Very well, then you’ll join the Red Team."

"Here’s the mission scroll. Take it and report to the front lines." With that, Pakura tossed a mission scroll to Kabuto.

Just as Kabuto was about to open and examine the scroll, Pakura spoke again.

"Alright, you can leave now. I have a lot of work to do."

Under her blunt dismissal, the three children finally left the office.

---

"Hmph, so full of herself!"

"When I become Hokage, I’ll make Big Sister Kōyōu clean my office every day!!"

As soon as they left the office, Chino dropped her earlier flattering attitude and started complainig.

However, she quickly shifted her attention to the mission scroll and urged, "Senior Brother, hurry up and see what our mission is!"

Hearing this, Kabuto quickly opened the mission scroll Pakura had given him.

Under Chino’s expectant gaze, he briefly explained the mission’s content.

"This exercise simulates a foreign force attacking Konoha’s military base. Our goal is to repel the enemy before the base is completely taken over."

"Our team is part of the Red Team, the defending side."

"Our role is as a logistics transport unit. Our task is to deliver supplies to the front-line base and ensure the safety of the base’s resources."

At first, Chino’s expression was excited.

After all, this was her first time experiencing the battlefield up close.

But soon, her face fell.

"What? We’re just delivering supplies?"

"I wanted to fight on the front lines like Teacher..."

Chino plopped down on the ground, her eyes darting around as she undoubtedly began scheming something.

Fortunately, Kabuto, well aware of his junior sister’s mischievous nature, promptly gave her a sharp knock on the head.

"I’m warning you, don’t try anything funny."

"Even though this is just an exercise, it’s still dangerous. If someone dies because of you, do you think Teacher will forgive you?"

Hearing the warning, Chino shrunk her neck and abandoned any inappropriate ideas.

Kabuto was right. Although Danzō was usually lenient and doting toward her, when it came to matters of life and death, he might truly lose his temper.

Getting scolded wasn’t a big deal, but Chino didn’t want to lose her teacher’s favor.

So, she pouted and reluctantly said:

"I get it!!"

Seeing this, Kabuto finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His goal was simply to let Chino experience the harsh realities of the battlefield, not to cause any major incidents.

However...

Some things don’t always go according to plan.