[NTU] [ARC-06-WAR] Chapter : 96 (Patreon)

The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow and posed his question. If the request would benefit the mission, he wouldn't refuse, provided it was reasonable. At this moment, nothing was more important for Konoha than this mission.

“I hope...” Seeing the Hokage's willingness to listen, Toshiro didn't hesitate to state his request. He was confident it would be approved.

“Is that so? Very well…” The Third Hokage frowned slightly but agreed. Toshiro's request was reasonable and would aid the mission, despite the additional cost.

“But Toshiro, I need you to understand the significance of this mission. You are aware of the current situation in the village...” The Hokage reminded Toshiro, emphasizing the mission's importance, as he feared Toshiro might not fully commit.

Toshiro's past mission records showed a tendency to be 'flexible.' There were always some 'flaws' in his mission completions. If not for his Uchiha heritage, he would have faced stricter consequences. Danzo was particularly displeased.

“Please rest assured! Uchiha also wishes for the war to end!” Toshiro assured, before leaving the Hokage’s office.

Without further delay, he set off for the frontline camp, reflecting on his precarious position. Dangerous missions seemed to come one after another, and although the Third Hokage was polite due to the current situation, the future, especially after the Nine-Tails attack, would be even harsher for him and the Uchiha clan.

Riding on a chakra creation made with the Super Beast Drawing, Toshiro hurried back to the camp and encountered an unexpected figure.

“Is this it? Is the clan already in such dire straits?”

In Uchiha Fugaku’s tent, a small figure sat upright with medium-length hair and familiar nasolabial folds. It was clear who it was.

“…”

Faced with Toshiro’s question, Uchiha Fugaku, seated at the top, responded with silence.

“It is our Uchiha’s duty to protect peace!” Fugaku finally spoke, leaving Toshiro speechless. As a father, Fugaku was devastated to send his four-year-old son to the battlefield. However, nearly all clan members who had successfully opened chakra were at the camp, including many children still in the ninja academy. As the clan's new leader, Fugaku felt compelled to set an example despite Mikoto’s objections, resulting in a heated argument with his gentle-tempered wife.

“Enough about this! Toshiro, your mission is of great importance; you must be cautious!” Fugaku emphasized. If they could force the Iwa Ninja to negotiate peace, the clan could finally breathe easier.

“…”

Toshiro could only nod in agreement. If Fugaku, as a father, was willing to risk his son, what could he say? He believed Fugaku bore part of the responsibility for Itachi’s later actions. Bringing a young Itachi to the battlefield deeply affected him, leading to the subsequent tragedy. The Mangekyō Sharingan’s influence only worsened matters.

In the Uchiha clan, those who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan often exhibited unstable mental states, engaging in extreme actions. Madara sought the Tsuki no me plan, Obito fell into darkness after losing his love, Fugaku faced death with resignation, and Shisui naively trusted Konoha's wary leaders. Due to the influence of their strong eyes, Itachi and Sasuke committed extreme acts. Even Toshiro, when he activated his Mangekyō Sharingan in the future, feared succumbing to such madness despite knowing the effects.

Leaving Fugaku’s tent, Toshiro saw numerous young figures in the camp, reinforcing his determination to complete the mission successfully. The camp had about 200 Uchiha members, half of whom were children under twelve. Their clan's sacrifices and the presence of children on the battlefield highlighted their dire situation.

“Everyone is ready!” a voice called out. It was Kirishima, the oldest of Toshiro’s friends, who handled many team affairs.

“Yes, we’re all set!” Toshiro replied, leading Kirishima toward the camp exit, where their teammates awaited. A large group of clansmen gathered at the gate, understanding the mission’s importance. The group set off, heading into the distance.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Obito, who had just earned the title of Chuunin, waited anxiously with a bouquet of red roses. His heart raced, full of anticipation like the blooming cherry blossoms around him. Rin had asked to meet here, saying she had something important to tell him.

Important? To Obito, nothing could be more important than what he was about to do.

“I must confess my love to Rin today!” he resolved. Freshly passed the Chuunin Exam, and with Sharingan awakened, Obito felt emboldened.

Hiding the flowers behind his back, he saw Rin approaching with a cheerful smile. “Are you happy I became a Chuunin too, Rin?” He asked, his confidence growing.

'It seems Rin isn’t mad at me anymore!' Relieved, Obito's nervousness eased as he watched her approach, feeling the rapid beating of his heart.

“Sorry! I’m late!” Rin greeted him with a gentle smile, clasping her hands together.

"It's okay, no problem!"

Facing Rin’s gentle smile, Obito couldn’t resist and waved his hands dismissively, indicating it was fine. He was extremely nervous, his outstretched hand trembling and sweaty.

“Everyone! Come out!”

Rin, not noticing Obito’s discomfort, called out to the surrounding people. She paid no attention to his hidden hand.

“Everyone?”

Obito was completely baffled. He had expected this to be a private moment between him and Rin. Why were others involved?

“Everyone! Kakashi has just been promoted to Jonin. Since we're all from the same academy class, I thought we could celebrate together with some gifts!” Rin continued, ignoring Obito’s changing expression. She pulled out a plan and distributed it to the ninjas, who suddenly appeared from behind the cherry blossom trees.

'Is that so?'

Watching Rin happily hand out plans and prepare a surprise for Kakashi, Obito realized how misguided his expectations had been. The roses slipped from his hand.

None of Rin's classmates, who had been hidden, nor Rin herself, busy with preparations, noticed Obito’s reaction. They had anticipated a confession scene but were surprised by the turn of events.

Everyone sighed, thinking Obito had made a fool of himself again.

---

On the evening of the third day, in a mountain valley, Toshiro and his group observed a distant stronghold through binoculars. The sight of numerous Iwa Ninja gave even the battle-hardened Toshiro a headache.

The previous night, they had conducted reconnaissance along the Iwa Ninja’s supply lines under the cover of darkness. Due to the sensory barriers, they couldn’t get too close, and their night vision was limited.

To confirm the intelligence, Toshiro had his companions observe the strongholds from a distance using telescopes to get a general understanding.

“Shisui, I’m leaving reconnaissance to you. You will lead them during our mission,” Toshiro instructed. He didn’t plan to take the younger members of his team on this dangerous mission, only involving them in the reconnaissance.

Taking many inexperienced members deep into enemy territory was too risky. Toshiro planned to take only Asuka and a few others. He tasked Shisui with leading the younger ones to find safe havens in the Country of Grass, places to retreat if necessary.

Although this task wasn’t easy, Toshiro believed in Shisui’s abilities. After all, he would become known as ‘Shunshin no Shisui.’

“Senpai, is it really okay with just a few of you? I think it’s better if we all work together; our strength would be more concentrated,” Shisui protested. Though usually humble, he was unwilling to be excluded from the mission. Having awakened the Sharingan at eight, he was considered a genius and felt slighted.

“Shisui, this mission isn’t suitable for taking everyone. More people don’t necessarily mean better,” Toshiro explained. His plan required fewer people.

“You still have important tasks here. Besides finding shelters, you need to set up traps to cover our retreat. Our escape route will depend on you.”

This wasn’t entirely a lie; Toshiro wasn’t sure he could bring everyone back safely.

“Yes, Shisui. We might need your protection from time to time,” said Asuka, patting Shisui’s hair. She cared deeply for him, seeing him as a younger brother.

“Let’s go!”

After calming Shisui, Toshiro signaled his companions. Three large black birds carried the five of them toward the Iwa Ninja stronghold.

“For this mission, we mainly need to attract the Iwa Ninja’s attention. Everyone, be careful!” Toshiro reminded them.

“Are the exploding tags ready?”

“Yes, I’ve checked everything,” a teammate confirmed.

“That’s good.”

Toshiro warned them about Iwa Ninja’s flying units. Despite the difficulty in countering their aerial bombardment, he expected retaliation.

He didn’t intend to carry out the mission conventionally. Instead, they would use aerial bombardment to draw the Iwa Ninja’s attention. This strategy, while effective, would attract hostility.

Even the Kannabi Bridge couldn’t withstand a proper aerial attack with enough exploding tags. Yet, the Third Hokage had rejected Toshiro’s original plan for this and instead supported the aerial bombardment strategy, providing them with ample exploding tags and intelligence on Iwa Ninja’s supply nodes.

Toshiro finally understood. As an Uchiha, he wasn’t meant to be the hero ending the war. He was never destined to be the battlefield MVP.

"Madara! The kid you asked us to watch has left the village on a mission!" A noisy voice echoed through the dark cave, shattering the silence.

A half-burned candle was lit, casting a dim glow over the dark space. In the flickering candlelight, a bright red eye gleamed.

"Oh, has that kid left the village?"

"Go and bring him here, White Zetsu," the old man ordered. He then closed his eyes, becoming as still as a piece of lifeless wood.

"Madara, have you truly decided on that brat?" A hoarse male voice questioned after a long pause. "He doesn't seem very smart and might not be able to carry out your plan!"

Black Zetsu clearly had reservations about Madara's chosen candidate, thinking the boy wasn't suitable. Another potential candidate seemed more fitting to be Madara's successor, given his extraordinary abilities.

"Black Zetsu, although you are the embodiment of my will, you still don’t understand the essence of Uchiha."

"That boy will be a good candidate!"