Naruto: The Hidden Shadow Style

"This kind of weather… honestly, I kind of like it," Haseo murmured.

Raindrops fell from the sky, occasionally mixed with tiny snowflakes. Spring had technically arrived, yet the cold still clung stubbornly to the air.

The cold sharpened his senses, but Haseo wasn't in a better mood because of that—it was just that he really liked weather like this… Yu; it was the name given to him, symbolizing his life.

"Really? But in weather like this, some ninja can't even keep their hands warm," Renjiro, Haseo's teammate, said beside him.

Right now, Haseo and his squad were stationed at the edge of a forest, although their position wasn't particularly concealed, since numerous Konoha ninja were gathering here in great density.

Looking forward through the wet leaves between the trees, they could already see the Sunagakure group standing in confrontation against the Konoha ninja.

"When will the battle start? What's the point of dragging this out?"

"Who knows? Both sides are probably waiting for the other to slip up or show a weakness… We all feel the same—the longer this drags on, the more it eats at our patience. And that's exactly when we need to stay cool the most." Haseo kept his eyes firmly fixed ahead, tightly watching the situation unfold. Due to the tense atmosphere of impending war, he deliberately lowered his voice while speaking.

"Captain, are you… looking forward to the upcoming battle?"

Haseo paused slightly. He hadn't realized his emotions had already shown themselves. "Am I…? Maybe just a little. I just want to test out the new jutsu I've learned."

"The battle will begin soon, and once we engage the enemy, chaos is inevitable. Konoha's formation will also become distorted. But there is one important thing you must pay attention to—our squad's movements must remain coordinated. If we cannot even maintain our squad formation, that means we're incapable of systematic combat, which further translates to defeat and death. In short—no matter how brutal or chaotic it gets out there, you can be tense, but never reckless. Keep your head clear. Don't let adrenaline rule you, and under no circumstances should you charge blindly into enemy lines… Being overly cautious is undesirable, but extreme aggression is equally unacceptable." Perhaps battle would erupt any second now, so even though he'd gone over this before, Haseo couldn't help repeating himself—it needed to be said again.

Soon, they might follow the Hokage charging into enemy ranks, yet such a charge didn't imply their squad should fall out of sync with the main Konoha force.

Haseo's gaze swept across their own battle formation. Everything appeared as orderly as middle school students lining up for morning exercises, as if this were a playground rather than a battlefield. Yet he understood clearly that once fighting commenced, maintaining such order would be both impossible and unnecessary.

"When will this battle finally start? What's with the hesitation?"

A voice came from around them, somewhat urgent, indicating that its owner had already run out of patience... but this phrase didn't come from one of Haseo's squad members—it was an unfamiliar ninja nearby.

Haseo cast a glance toward the speaker. A ninja who had already been shaken by the pre-battle tension—who couldn't withstand even the calm before the storm—how could anyone expect such a person to achieve anything meaningful on the battlefield?

If nothing unexpected happened, Sakumo Hatake should currently be with Konoha's main force. However, Haseo wasn't part of those who understood how Konoha's forces were divided and deployed. All he knew were the orders he himself was meant to follow.

A crisp cry of a hawk rang down from the sky above. Haseo raised his head just in time to see three raptors circle briefly before diving headlong into the forest concealing Konoha's army. Moments later, both earth and sky fell completely silent.

Haseo suddenly felt his heartbeat skip a beat. But soon it returned to its regular rhythm—strong and steady, just a little faster than usual.

"It's about to start."

His instincts told him—the war was beginning.

The familiar "phut-phut" sound reached his ears as smoke bombs burst one after another from deep within the woods. Almost simultaneously, thick white smoke concealed all the Konoha ninjas.

Then came a sharp whistle entering Haseo's ears.

All three squad members' eyes locked onto Haseo at once. They clearly hesitated for a moment—the attack order had seemed so straightforward. Yet when it finally came through their ears, it still caused hesitation.

But what else was there to say now? Whatever command they'd received beforehand, they had no choice now but to carry it out accordingly.

"Charge!"

That short, explosive syllable burst from Haseo's mouth. Violent chakra erupted instantly beneath his feet. The wooden tissue of the living tree beneath him abruptly splintered open, exposing its internal ring patterns in a stark display. But who cared about such details at a moment like this?

In the blink of an eye, the potential energy stored inside the ninja's body transformed into kinetic energy. Haseo shot forward like he'd been launched from a spring.

Yet he wasn't the fastest. Emerging first from the forest's smoke were summoned beasts—some large, some small, different species, yet all fierce-looking.

The ground violently trembled. All had become indistinguishable, acting like mindless war machines.

Beyond the trees lay a flat plain. Since they chose such an all-out combat strategy, trying to gain advantage through terrain or other natural obstacles had become meaningless. Thus, having chosen such a battleground, Konoha accepted Sunagakure's agreement with satisfaction.

The smoke momentarily blurred Haseo's vision—but then he too charged out of the trees. This vanguard of Konoha's forces was indeed, as he had expected, the Hokage's direct division.

And right at the front, closest to the enemy line, stood swift shinobi like Haseo himself.

They burst forth from the smoke at incredible speed, their rapidly moving figures leaving behind long smoke trails. They cut through the falling rain as it intensified into a heavy downpour. By the time the enemy could finally take in their surroundings, the leaf-clad ninja had already closed half the distance.

Haseo's eyes swept around. His squad was right behind him, and Konoha ninja from different squads flanked both his sides. Then, he glanced to his upper right. About fifty meters away, he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi.

That was where he was supposed to be, so naturally, he would appear there.

With the Hokage leading the charge, Haseo's squad fell into formation behind him, tasked with guarding his flank.

A sea of ninja surged around them, charging forward without hesitation.

Without a second thought for their own lives.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>