A deathly silence fell across the entire assembly ground as Sarutobi Sosuke stood atop the high platform with his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present before finally settling once more on Might Guy.
"Does anyone have an objection?"
No one spoke.
The Chunin from Team 3 opened his mouth slightly as if wanting to say something, but after hesitating for several seconds, he still chose to close it again.
Several people nearby exchanged glances with one another, yet not a single person dared utter a word.
Then, at that very moment, a rough voice suddenly exploded from within the crowd.
"I do."
Everyone immediately turned toward the direction of the voice.
Akimichi Choza stepped forward from the 7th Battalion's position and walked to the very front of the formation before stopping there with a grave expression.
Sarutobi Sosuke narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Captain Choza, you have an objection?"
Choza looked directly at him before speaking in a deep voice.
"Guy is one of my men. I did not know about the letter he wrote beforehand, but he is still an excellent soldier."
"He spent three full months on the supply lines without making a single mistake."
"During battle, he saved many comrades."
Choza paused briefly while his expression grew even heavier.
"He should not be treated this way."
A low murmur instantly spread throughout the crowd below.
"That's right, Guy is a good comrade. He shouldn't be treated like this."
"If it wasn't for Guy, I would already be dead. He's not a coward."
Some people nodded quietly while others softly voiced their agreement.
Sarutobi Sosuke's expression immediately darkened because to him, this was no longer merely disagreement.
It felt like offense.
"Captain Choza, do you understand what you are saying right now?"
His voice turned noticeably colder.
"Your subordinate bypassed both you and camp command and directly wrote to Konoha's White Fang."
"That is bypassing the chain of command."
"That is a direct violation of military discipline."
He stared coldly at Choza.
"Yet instead of holding him accountable, you are standing here pleading for him?"
Choza's expression shifted slightly, but he still did not back down.
"I am speaking for him because I believe he did nothing wrong."
The murmuring below immediately became even louder.
Sarutobi Sosuke's face darkened completely.
"Nothing wrong?"
He suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"So you think what he wrote was correct?"
"Do you also believe the Third Hokage made the wrong decision by transferring troops away from Mount Kikyo?"
"Do you also believe sending the wounded back to Konoha was a mistake?"
Choza's expression instantly changed.
Questioning the Third Hokage's troop deployment was already dangerous enough.
Questioning the evacuation of the wounded was even more untouchable.
After all, on the battlefield, who could guarantee they themselves would never get injured?
If wounded shinobi were forbidden from returning to Konoha and instead forced to remain abandoned on the battlefield, that would be completely inhumane.
Another captain nearby who had originally looked ready to speak also immediately fell silent.
Sarutobi Sosuke slowly swept a cold glance across Choza and then over every single shinobi gathered below.
"Questioning superior orders, undermining morale, and pleading for someone who violated military discipline."
He deliberately emphasized every word.
"Do the rest of you also want to go guard the Mountain Ridge with him?"
This time, nobody dared speak anymore.
Choza stood there with both fists tightly clenched while the knuckles on his hands turned pale white.
The others became even more afraid to say anything.
Questioning a superior during wartime was an accusation far too heavy for anyone to casually bear.
Sarutobi Sosuke observed everyone's reactions before the corner of his mouth slowly curled upward slightly.
"Anyone else?"
No one responded.
"I'll ask again. Does anyone else have objections?"
Still, no one responded.
He nodded with satisfaction and was just about to continue speaking when a very small voice suddenly rang out from the back of the crowd.
"Lord Sosuke..."
Everyone turned around once again.
The speaker was a female Medical Ninja in her early twenties whose hand was still wrapped in thick bandages.
She stood nervously at the very back of the formation with her face flushed red while her lips trembled uncontrollably, yet she still forced herself to continue speaking.
"Guy... Guy saved my younger brother."
"During one of the supply missions, he carried my brother for over ten miles all the way back to the medical tents."
"My brother said... he would have died if not for Guy."
Her voice became softer and softer as she spoke, but she still did not stop.
"He... he is not a coward."
After saying those words, she immediately lowered her head and no longer dared look at anyone.
Silence once again fell over the assembly ground.
Sarutobi Sosuke stared at her for several full seconds.
The pressure from his gaze alone made the female ninja feel her hair stand on end.
"You are part of the medical unit. Return to your tent immediately."
"You do not have the right to speak here."
The female ninja bit her lip tightly while her eyes reddened before she turned and hurriedly ran away.
Sarutobi Sosuke withdrew his gaze before once more sweeping it across the crowd.
"Does anyone else wish to speak on his behalf?"
No one answered.
Choza remained standing there silently with his jaw clenched tightly shut while the other captains either looked toward the sky, stared at the ground, or lowered their heads toward their own feet.
The entire area below the platform had become as silent as a graveyard.
Throughout the entire exchange, Might Guy stood motionless in the middle of the crowd.
He watched Choza's broad back.
He watched the female Medical Ninja being driven away.
He watched the other captains silently avoiding his gaze with helpless expressions.
A blazing fire slowly burned inside his chest.
He understood their situation.
None of them could continue speaking any further.
The accusation of questioning one's superior during wartime was simply too heavy.
Too heavy for anyone to casually bear.
But he could bear it.
Because by this point, he had already been completely trampled into the mud anyway.
Might Guy slowly raised his head.
"I'll go."
His voice was not loud.
Yet within the deathly silent plaza, every single person heard him clearly.
Sarutobi Sosuke turned to look at him.
"What did you say?"
"I said I'll go."
Might Guy looked directly at him with an expressionless face.
"I'll go guard the Mountain Ridge."
Sarutobi Sosuke was visibly stunned for a moment because he clearly had not expected Might Guy to agree so easily.
"You..."
"Wasn't it your idea?" Might Guy interrupted calmly.
"You said I should go guard the Mountain Ridge."
"So I'll go."
Sarutobi Sosuke stared at him silently for several seconds before suddenly laughing.
It was a cold laugh.
"Fine."
He only spoke a single word before stepping down from the platform and stopping two steps in front of Might Guy.
"Since you are willing to go yourself, then go."
He slowly looked Guy up and down.
"Remember this clearly. You are choosing to go willingly."
"I am not forcing you."
Might Guy remained silent.
Sarutobi Sosuke walked past him before suddenly stopping again after taking several steps.
Then he turned around and looked toward Choza and the others.
"Dismissed. Return to your duties."
After saying those words, he directly left the plaza while the two guards followed behind him.
The sound of their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Only then did the crowd slowly begin dispersing.
Some people shook their heads while others sighed quietly or muttered under their breath.
The Chunin from Team 3 passed by Might Guy before gently patting his shoulder.
He looked as though he wanted to say something, but after hesitating briefly, he ultimately swallowed the words back down, shook his head helplessly, and left.
Choza soon walked over and stopped directly in front of Might Guy.
His tall figure towered over him as he repeatedly opened and closed his mouth before finally forcing out a few difficult words.
"You... you shouldn't have agreed."
Might Guy calmly looked up at him.
"Captain, you couldn't keep speaking just now either."
Choza froze instantly.
Might Guy did not continue the conversation any further and instead turned around before walking toward his tent.
Ebisu and Genma quickly caught up to him.
"You're seriously going?!"
Guy did not stop walking.
"There's absolutely nothing there! If you go there alone..."
"I already said I'm going."
Ebisu became anxious and directly grabbed his arm.
"Are you insane?! There isn't even a tent there anymore! The supply lines don't even pass through that area!"
"If Iwagakure scouts appear while you're there alone, then what are you supposed to do?!"
"Then I'll fight."
Guy calmly shook off Ebisu's hand before turning toward the two of them with a serious expression.
"You two are not coming with me."
"I'm going alone."
"If danger appears, I can still retreat by myself."
"If you two follow me, then I won't be able to."
Ebisu and Genma both opened their mouths.
They wanted to say they would not abandon him.
But no words came out.
Might Guy had already made himself perfectly clear.
If he was alone, he could still run.
If they followed him, he could not.
A deep sense of helplessness immediately surged inside Ebisu's chest.
Genma silently stood beside him while pulling the toothpick from his mouth and tightly clenching it inside his fist.
"I... I'll bring you food."
In the end, Ebisu could only sigh helplessly.
Might Guy was slightly stunned.
"The supply route doesn't even go that direction anymore," Ebisu muttered quietly. "So I'll bring it myself. Once every three days."
Might Guy looked at him before suddenly grinning.
"Do whatever you want."
After saying that, he turned around and returned to his tent to begin packing.
He did not actually own many things.
One padded coat.
Several changes of clothes.
Two pairs of shoes.
And a single blade.
Ebisu and Genma silently stuffed all of their military ration pills into his backpack.
Guy zipped the pack shut before standing back up.
The three of them then walked together toward the camp entrance.
The two Chunin standing guard at the gate hesitated briefly before stepping forward to stop him.
"Where are you going?"
"The Mountain Ridge."
The two Chunin stared at him deeply for several seconds before silently stepping aside.
Guy did not allow Ebisu or Genma to continue following him any farther and instead walked out of the camp by himself.
After only taking several steps forward, however, he suddenly noticed a tall figure already waiting for him in the distance.
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