Ninja Gamer

Chapter 4: Front Lines

The forward operating base that Yuriko and squad eight was sent to was a perfect representation of wartime bases, barely controlled chaos and bleak moral. Mud and blood mixed freely on the ground and walls, several of the fortifications were heavily damaged and even with all of that, the Konoha shinobi and the daimyo's samurai still moved through the base with grim determination.

"Squad eight reporting as ordered, Goryu-taicho," sensei announced as we came to rest in front of a middle aged man who was staring down at a table dominated by a map.

"Welcome to FOB Hachi," Goryu-taicho returned with a nod looking us over with a small frown. "Sorry, but I knew we were getting genin, but... them?"

While intellectually I knew he had every right to be concerned, I couldn't help but scowl a bit in response to being dismissed like that.

"They are young, yes, but they have proven themselves and they have already bloodied their hands," sensei replied in a calm voice.

"Best I could hope for in this situation I suppose," Goryo-taicho sighed as he rubbed his face, belatedly, I realized he had bags surrounding his dark blue eyes. "Alright, onto the briefing, you're here to take part in our counter offensive against the Iwas and Kumo forces across the No Man's Land and capture the Tensei Bridge, we do that and we control their primary point of ingress into Hi no Kuni."

Sensei studied the map intently for several seconds before nodding. "What is to be our role in the battle?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Your team will be apart of the second attack wave, you will be attached to Meiji company under Jonin Saiga," the commander replied easily.

"Understood, when does the attack begin?"

"Five hours from now," Horyu answered grimly. "I'm sorry I can't give your team more time to rest, but we need to push the element of surprise while we still can, and they will notice the reinforcements sooner rather than later."

"Understood, we'll be ready," sensei replied, his face grim before turning to us with a nod, signaling us it was time to leave.

Following our sensei out of the command building we remained professionally quiet as we walked to one of the more secluded areas of the base. "Alright, I wish I could say you all are ready for this, in all honesty your aren't, not completely anyways," he admitted bluntly, the three of us exchanging looks with one another.

"Chances are high that one of us will die today, so," sensei sighed as he unsealed four cups and have one to each of us, keeping one to himself, before pouring a bit of sake into each cup. "I shouldn't b e doing this considering your ages, but... as your sensei I wanted to be able to share your first drink with you."

He held his cup out to us, the three of us hesitantly returning the gesture. "May each of you grow in splendid shinobi," he whispered gently to the three of us. "While we may march towards death, we shall not fear, for we are family and we march side by side as one."

Recognizing the cue we each spoke up. "Family," we chorus before our cups clinked together, and following our sensei's lead, we downed the alcohol.

And promptly be coughing as it burned our throats.

"And that's the non-alcoholic version too," sensei chuckled as he smiled at us warmly.

This... was a perfect representation of sensei, he was stern and foreboding, but underneath that he was a warm man who cared about our well being, he fussed over us when we were injured, made sure myself and China-chan were alright when our family was away on the front lines, taught Ali-kun those little tricks you only learn if your family were shinobi.