Naruto: The Hidden Shadow Style

Each ninja team and every individual ninja were capable of adapting on the battlefield. Of course, they weren't fragile, but in a confusing night like this, what Konoha feared most wasn't fighting alone—it was panic spreading among the ranks, worsening the chaos and potentially collapsing the entire camp.

With the command structure already compromised, such a scenario wasn't impossible. But just when things seemed most dire, Susanoo made its appearance.

The "giant" sent shockwaves through both friend and foe alike. To the Uchiha clan and other Konoha ninjas, Susanoo was an extremely rare and unusual jutsu. Some momentarily couldn't tell whether this technique was being used by one of their own or by an enemy. However, once it transmitted Konoha's coded signal, its allegiance became clear.

At this point, Kagami Uchiha issued just one order: "Hold your ground and defend against incoming enemies," which alone was enough to pull Konoha's ninjas back from the brink of chaos.

It wasn't about how brilliant the command was—it was about proving that Konoha still had command capability. Fully aware he couldn't issue more detailed orders, Kagami chose to delegate authority down to lower tactical units.

Maybe Kagami judged that small-unit tactics were the way to go now—or maybe giving that one order was all he could manage. Either way, Haseo and Hatake no longer rushed recklessly toward the command headquarters.

"Fighting independently might indeed be a correct decision… however," Haseo climbed to the top of a pillar, gazing up at the ongoing battle near the command headquarters.

Yet in the darkness of night, the situation over there was impossible to make out clearly.

Haseo knew, though, that even with the intimidating presence of a non-complete Susanoo, it wasn't truly invincible. Furthermore, casting this technique consumed massive amounts of chakra, severely draining the power of the Sharingan, damaging the user's body, and causing unbearable mental strain.

Kagami Uchiha clearly didn't possess the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan… Was real backup really unnecessary at the command headquarters?

But in truth, this question didn't require Haseo's consideration—because even if support was needed, the ninjas where he stood wouldn't move recklessly now. Tonight, the fiercest battlefield was undoubtedly Konoha's command headquarters—but the second most intense site would be Haseo's location: Konoha Hospital.

Predictably, the upcoming battle here would only grow more difficult.

One of the most basic and crucial goals in war is to cripple the enemy's ability to fight. Thanks to medical units, ninjas weren't treated like disposable tools. If Konoha's frontline medical system was destroyed, their ability to keep fighting for long would be gone. At that point, unless Suna's leadership was completely foolish, they'd seize the opportunity to launch a full-scale assault aimed at breaking Konoha's entire front line.

Fully aware of their strategic importance, the staff at the frontline hospital sprang into action the moment they noticed tonight's outbreak of conflict.

All the wounded were being directed by medical ninja, moving collectively toward a specific location in the Frontline Hospital.

Whether they were injured or not, personnel were given top priority for protection, while other medical resources and equipment had been placed in secondary positions.

"Haseo!"

Haseo heard someone calling him by his given name. He turned around and saw Kōga, along with more than ten ninja following closely behind.

Quickly leaping down from his elevated position, Haseo made his way toward them, then listened as Kōga continued, "Next, the wounded and medical ninja without combat capability will gather in the center of the hospital. We're planning to deploy a defensive barrier there, while the ninja capable of fighting will guard the outer perimeter of the hospital..."

"I understand. I'll stay outside. So... how many people do we have on our side?" Without waiting for the rest of the explanation, Haseo decisively chose to remain outside the barrier.

The defensive barrier was clearly a precautionary measure Konoha had prepared for emergencies like this. Theoretically speaking, Haseo was still a patient at the hospital; if he wanted to hide himself inside the barrier, it wouldn't be impossible—but in reality, he felt perfectly fine.

Therefore, he would choose to fight.

Sure, people could hesitate—but at a time like this, backing down was nothing but cowardice. Haseo even allowed himself to feel fear, to tremble, to desire survival—but he wouldn't allow himself to be a coward.

Besides, seeing all those ninja behind Kōga—wounded themselves, yet still choosing to remain outside the barrier and fight—that sight only made him less willing to ask for shelter himself.

"That's settled then. About one hundred combat-ready ninja are staying here at the hospital. Normally, that should be enough to defend this area... I'll also be staying to lead overall command." Kōga nodded.

Haseo actually wanted to persuade Kōga to hide inside the barrier. From what he knew, Kōga was a purely medical ninja, lacking the battle techniques needed for life-or-death combat. After all, not every medical ninja was a master of both healing and combat, blessed with good looks, and—let's just say—remarkable physical attributes...

Mastery of medical arts alone was more than enough for them to fulfill their roles.

Still, Haseo held back his persuasion. He couldn't interfere with another's resolution and determination.

Next, Kōga quickly deployed the available fighters to their defensive positions, and almost as soon as he completed the deployment, the dark red four-sided barrier expanded from the hospital's center, protecting a large number of personnel inside.

But just like Kagami Uchiha's Susanoo, such a massive barrier shone like a guiding light through the night, drawing enemy attention to these two powerful manifestations—especially since Sunagakure invaders now knew exactly where both the command headquarters and the hospital were located.

Haseo stood alongside Sakumo Hatake, guarding one direction together in the darkness.

"They're coming—one ahead, one behind, currently two!" Soon after, Haseo murmured to Hatake. When the enemy entered this range, his sensory ninjutsu immediately alerted him.

As he spoke, faint blue arcs of electricity began crackling slightly across his body.

"Wait, aren't you exposing our loca—"

Hatake hadn't even finished that sentence before Haseo's figure abruptly vanished from his spot. Then came streaks of lightning connecting into a single line through the night sky. In the blink of an eye, Haseo vanished and reappeared behind the enemy in the back.

At this moment, perhaps Haseo should have said something threatening to this enemy, something like "Those who defy me shall die." Yet in his mind surfaced instead only lines like "What are you looking at? If you dare try, just go ahead."

That kind of line wasn't totally weak—it had some edge to it—but it needed better timing and buildup to really pack a punch... Fortunately, he quickly recalled another phrase.

Just listen to how calmly he whispered behind the enemy:

"Is this melon ripe?"

The enemy didn't understand what Haseo had just said, but the cold, murderous tone hit him like a spike through the skull.

Before he could turn around to see who stood behind him, he already felt warmth spreading across his abdomen. Soon afterward, he smelled the faint scent of blood drifting through the air.

Only then did he finally notice the young ninja standing behind him, crackling faintly with electricity, steadily gripping a short blade in his hand—A blade now embedded deep inside his left kidney, having pierced straight through his abdominal cavity.

Oh, now he understood. The meaning behind "Is this melon ripe?" was...

Thought becomes strike, strike becomes death, death comes swift.

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