CHAPTER 117
Waiting for them was Hyuga Yukian.
He was still wearing the standard Konoha combat uniform. A white eyepatch covered his right eye, while his remaining left eye calmly observed the three shinobi and their prisoner as they emerged.
"Captain?"
Ebisu looked somewhat surprised.
Hyuga Yukian said nothing.
He stepped forward and stopped in front of Ebisu first.
Without explanation, he shoved a tactical backpack into Ebisu's arms. The pack was obviously heavy and bulging.
Ebisu instinctively caught it and nearly staggered from the weight. Curious, he unzipped it and glanced inside.
His eyes widened immediately.
It was completely packed with supplies.
Stacks of high-quality military ration pills.
Medical bandages and disinfectants sealed in waterproof packaging.
Bundles of explosive tags.
Kunai, shuriken, steel wire, and various other ninja tools.
The variety was extensive, and the quantity was astonishing.
Without even examining the quality, just the amount alone was probably worth at least two hundred war merit points.
Then Hyuga Yukian walked over to Shiranui Genma.
He handed him a slightly smaller but equally full leather waist pouch.
Genma opened it and discovered dozens upon dozens of senbon arranged neatly in rows.
Each senbon gleamed with a cold metallic luster.
The tips were razor sharp.
At a glance, it was obvious that both the materials and craftsmanship far surpassed standard-issue equipment.
Its value was equally impressive.
Ebisu and Genma stood there holding the backpack and pouch, their faces filled with disbelief.
For quite some time, they had wondered what Hyuga Yukian had exchanged his war merit for.
As captain, his accumulated war merit was no lower than theirs.
Whenever they asked, Hyuga Yukian simply replied, "Used it," and refused to elaborate.
Now they finally understood.
Almost all of those war merits had been exchanged for supplies and high-quality ninja tools.
And he had been quietly saving them until now.
Only at the moment of departure had he handed everything over.
After months of fighting together, they had gradually become accustomed to this silent and somewhat distant Hyuga Main House captain who always placed the mission above everything else.
Although they had experienced life-and-death situations together and trusted one another, there had always been a certain distance between them.
It was the reserve carried by both the Hyuga Clan and a Jonin captain.
Yet now, at the moment of parting, this seemingly cold captain had chosen this method to express the concern and expectations hidden deep within him.
Holding the supplies, Ebisu and Genma felt a warmth spread through their palms.
Their noses tingled slightly.
Hyuga Yukian didn't even look at their expressions.
Instead, he turned and walked toward Might Guy.
Unlike the others, he had not prepared a supply package for Guy.
He simply looked at him.
Within his remaining white eye were traces of approval, expectation, and a faint sense of entrustment.
"Guy."
His voice remained calm, though it carried more solemnity than usual.
"With you, I am at ease."
He paused.
His gaze shifted toward Ebisu and Genma, who were standing there with reddened eyes and arms full of supplies.
"What I worry about... are those two."
Then his eyes returned to Guy.
The meaning was obvious.
He would not be accompanying them.
As the strongest and most dependable member of Team 9, Guy would have to shoulder greater responsibility.
"When I'm not there... help me take care of them."
The words were simple.
But their weight was anything but.
Guy met Hyuga Yukian's gaze directly and nodded without hesitation.
Every word came out firm and resolute.
"Captain, don't worry. As long as I'm alive, I won't let anything happen to them."
This was not mere politeness.
It was a promise.
Hyuga Yukian looked deeply at him before giving a nearly imperceptible nod.
He said nothing more.
Instead, he raised his hand and firmly patted Guy's shoulder.
Then he turned around and walked back toward the camp without looking back.
His posture remained as straight as ever.
Yet somehow, his figure seemed lonelier than before.
The three stood silently and watched his retreating back until it disappeared among the tents.
Only then did Ebisu sniff loudly and mutter:
"Honestly... pulling something like this right before we leave. He's trying to make people cry."
As he spoke, he casually wiped the moisture gathering beneath his nose onto Hozuki Mangetsu's sleeve.
Hozuki Mangetsu: "...?"
The veins on his forehead instantly bulged.
Looking at the suspicious stain on his clothes, his mouth twitched violently.
Unfortunately, the collar around his neck and the remote control dangling from Ebisu's hand forced him to suppress his rage.
In the end, he could only grit his shark-like teeth and squeeze out two words.
"Bastard..."
Genma quietly fastened the waist pouch around his belt.
After checking the senbon inside, he moved to Hozuki Mangetsu's opposite side.
Together with Ebisu, they flanked him from both sides.
Guy took a deep breath and suppressed the emotions surging inside him.
He glanced at the route marked on the mission scroll and spoke in a deep voice.
"Let's move."
Escorting the humiliated and stiff-walking Hozuki Mangetsu, the group officially set out toward the Land of Rice Fields.
Behind them, the Land of Waves base gradually receded into the distance until it became nothing more than a tiny black speck on the horizon.
Along the way, Ebisu rummaged through the backpack Hyuga Yukian had given him to pass the time.
As he counted the supplies, he repeatedly clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Captain really thought of everything... He even packed medicine specifically for bruises. Huh? What's this?"
He suddenly pulled a thin booklet with a plain kraft-paper cover from one of the side pockets.
There was no title.
It appeared to be a handwritten manuscript.
"Captain's notes?"
Ebisu opened it curiously.
Guy and Genma also leaned closer.
Inside were pages filled with neat handwriting.
It wasn't mission intelligence.
Nor was it a combat report.
Instead, it contained insights regarding Chakra control, rotational force generation, body mechanics, and a far deeper understanding of the defensive concept behind the Hyuga Clan's Rotation.
Many sections expanded upon the concepts Hyuga Yukian had discussed while guiding Guy before.
There were even discussions concerning the possibility of combining similar principles with other forms of Taijutsu and various weapons.
This wasn't meant for Ebisu or Genma.
The moment Guy saw it, he understood.
This was for him.
Hyuga Yukian had secretly left it behind.
Rotation was one of the Hyuga Clan's signature techniques.
Its core principles involved the Byakugan and precise Chakra release from the body's tenketsu.
As a secret technique of the Main House, it could never be directly taught to outsiders.
The guidance Hyuga Yukian had previously given was already close to the limit of what clan rules allowed.
But this booklet...
He hadn't directly taught the technique.
Instead, he had recorded his own understanding, experiences, and insights.
He had written down concepts, observations, and possibilities.
He had quietly left a path forward.
A path for Guy.
By hiding the notes among the supplies, he had managed to avoid directly violating clan rules while still providing deeper guidance.
It was thoughtful.
Subtle.
And incredibly sincere.
"Captain... thank you."
Guy accepted the booklet from Ebisu.
To him, this gift was more valuable than any ninja tool or supply.
He said nothing more.
Instead, he carefully placed the booklet into the innermost compartment of his ninja pouch.
Only after securing it properly did he look up again.
His gaze settled on the road stretching toward the horizon.
The determination in his eyes became even stronger.
"Let's go."
Although Ebisu and Genma didn't fully understand the significance of the booklet, they could tell from Guy's attitude that it was something special.
The two exchanged a glance.
Neither asked any questions.
Escorting Hozuki Mangetsu between them, they followed behind Guy.
Three Konoha shinobi and one captive gradually disappeared into the distance, heading toward the Land of Rice Fields.