On his way home after leaving the Great Elder's residence, Uchiha Rokuro was greeted nonstop by clansmen. Even after he stepped out of the clan compound and headed toward the commercial district to buy a few things, countless shinobi approached him to strike up a conversation.
Many of them had only met him once or twice before—usually just enough for a casual nod—yet now they acted like long-lost friends.
Who said shinobi only knew how to fight and kill?
When it came to social maneuvering, they were just as skilled.
Rokuro didn't behave like certain Uchiha, who met people with cold eyes and their chin tilted toward the heavens. No matter who approached him, he responded warmly—even those he barely knew.
When you stripped it down, humans were just that realistic.
A timeless saying:
When spoken by an ordinary person, everyone says it's empty platitudes.
When spoken by a great figure, it becomes truth.
People recognize the speaker—not the words.
Now that Rokuro had shown Kage-level strength, and considering he was only ten years old, anyone with half a brain could see that the future of Konoha would revolve around him. He might even become the Fifth Hokage.
And with that in mind, of course they would want to build connections early.
Uchiha Kei walked beside Rokuro, watching everything happen at close range.
"I always thought shinobi were proud… aloof… but now it seems they're just a bunch of boot-lickers chasing status. How disappointing."
"Kei, don't be so harsh. To remain truly aloof and noble requires an enormous price. That's why, since ancient times, so few have been able to maintain it their entire lives. Many people you think are 'pure' are just fakes putting on airs. Alright, this is all part of the fishing act—keep playing your role."
"…Fine~~"
The two spent the day touring Konoha like celebrities on a promotional trip, checking in at various well-known sites around the village.
During this little "tour," they interacted warmly with over a hundred shinobi of all ranks and backgrounds. To Sarutobi Hiruzen and his circle, it was obvious: Rokuro was winning hearts, pulling at their political foundations.
As Hiruzen grew older, his combat ability had long since declined.
In the original story, the battle with Orochimaru had two versions: manga and anime.
Most people remembered the anime version—where Hiruzen looked incredibly formidable, worthy of his title "God of Shinobi."
But that was just the animation team padding his scenes.
In the manga, Hiruzen was dominated from start to finish. If Orochimaru hadn't been playing around, Hiruzen wouldn't even have had a chance to use the Reaper Death Seal.
Though Konoha Crush was still far in the future, Hiruzen's decline was already severe.
Now, with his strength fading day by day, he relied solely on acting skills and political tricks to govern the village—like certain incompetent real-world leaders who had no real ability besides giving motivational speeches and making empty promises.
Yet now he found that Rokuro—so young—understood his political methods perfectly… and with actual power behind him, Rokuro was doing it even better.
How could Hiruzen possibly sit still?
That very night, he rushed to Root headquarters, pressuring Danzō to execute the plan immediately.
Danzō despised Hiruzen's current shameless face—but he hated the Uchiha even more. Rokuro was his greatest threat.
So he personally pulled an all-nighter. No rest.
At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water
A ten-man Konoha squad was carrying out routine patrol.
Although Fire and Lightning had signed a peace treaty, everyone knew that the treaty had little deterrent effect—it merely guaranteed that there wouldn't be a full-scale war in the near term.
Small skirmishes? Impossible to stop.
Because the Land of Hot Water had been split in two, the buffer zone had weakened significantly. Patrol squads were enlarged, and each outing required utmost vigilance.
"Wooo~~"
A strange howl—part dog, part wolf—echoed from afar. Inuzuka Hana's face changed immediately.
"Enemy presence! Everyone stay alert!"
Hana had participated in the previous rescue mission and returned to Konoha with Rokuro, receiving generous rewards.
But since she wasn't strong enough to be promoted to jōnin, she remained a chūnin. With the frontlines tense, she only rested a week before being sent out again.
"How many?" the squad leader asked.
Hana opened her mouth to reply
But then another dog-like howl came from a different direction.
Her face paled.
"Not good—there are enemies over there too! We're surrounded?!"
"What?! That's impossible!"
Before anyone regained composure, a third direction echoed with canine cries.
No translation required: there were enemies there too.
Enemies in three directions—and plenty of them. The squad leader immediately ordered a retreat and fired a signal flare for reinforcements.
"Fall back! We'll regroup when backup arrives!"
They didn't get far.
Barely two kilometers later, Hana's nose picked up another wave of enemies.
"This way too!"
The squad halted instantly
At that moment, the three ninja dogs—Graywolf Triplets—stumbled back, covered in wounds, one missing a leg.
Only ninja hounds could survive that; normal dogs would've died instantly.
"How many?"
"At least fifty!"
Everyone's faces drained of color.
Moments later, the enemies finally revealed themselves
Masked shinobi, their exposed dark skin unmistakably showing their identity: Kumogakure.
Among them, one particularly large, heavily built black shinobi stepped forward. From the exposed white eyes and bulging veins around his temples, the Konoha shinobi immediately understood.
"Byakugan…! No wonder they found our tracks! Damn it!"
His name was Rerui, a direct member of the Kumogakure elite.
During the war, he'd been granted the chance to transplant a Byakugan stolen from slain Hyūga.
He was the only survivor among the four successful transplants.
The other three had all been killed by Hyūga avengers.
Unlike the Sharingan, the Byakugan wasn't as restrictive—after a month, Rerui could already use it freely.
After the treaty, war stopped but harassment missions continued. Rerui, with his Byakugan advantage, became the perfect leader for such raids. Dozens of Konoha shinobi had already died to his hands.
"Leave none alive. Kill them all!"
Fifty Kumonin charged.
The battle was completely one-sided.
Eight Konoha shinobi died.
Only the squad leader and Hana survived.
The Kumo unit escaped safely before reinforcements arrived—zero casualties.
"Damn it! If not for that Byakugan, we wouldn't have been so helpless!"
Hana almost never lost her temper—but today she exploded.
Two of her three ninja hounds had died.
Even when surrounded in the Land of Hot Water and chased by a thousand Kumonin, none of them had died—but today, in this small skirmish, she'd lost nearly everything.
Now she finally understood how decisive the Byakugan was on the battlefield.
Especially in small-scale clashes—it was a game-breaker.
"If the village hadn't recalled the entire Hyūga force, we wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses!"
"Inuzuka Hana, mind your words. The Hokage's orders are not for us to question!"
The squad leader warned her as he bandaged himself—but when gathering corpses, he quietly cursed under his breath…
After reinforcements arrived, Hana returned to camp for treatment
Only to receive a shocking order that very night:
"Retreat? Are we partially pulling back or fully?"
"Full retreat. The order just came from the village—everyone is to fall back two hundred kilometers."
"Full retreat?! What about the civilians living along the border?! Once Kumonin notice we've withdrawn, those people will face slaughter! How could the village issue such a stupid order?!"
"Inuzuka Hana. I'll warn you one last time—stop questioning the village. If you have objections, go complain to the Hokage yourself. For now, just obey."
The squad leader left sternly.
Hana was so furious she snapped the bed leg off the medical cot.
"Another political scheme…? Can Konoha sink any lower?!"
The next morning…
A day before Konoha's border forces were ordered to retreat, the influential Mitsui Family—who lived near the frontier—received a certain message.
They packed overnight and fled at dawn, moving their entire clan inland.
Early-rising farmers saw the caravan pass by.
"Huh? Looks like they're moving?"
"Maybe they bought a house in the capital?"
"No way. With capital prices? And the Mitsui family runs vineyards—what grapes can they grow in the capital?"
By noon, returning farmers saw the Mitsui estate gates wide open, belongings scattered everywhere.
"Looks like they left in a hurry… what happened?"
"Did the lord lose money and flee from debt collectors?"
"They wouldn't be escaping because Kumonin are coming… right?"
"No chance. Konoha is the strongest village—Kumo never crossed the border even during intense fighting. And there's a peace treaty now. They definitely aren't coming."
That night
The entire village burned.
Rerui swung his blade, decapitating a farmer—one of the very men who watched the Mitsui family leave earlier.
"Take everything of value. Kill everyone. Burn the houses."
Under his orders, the village was wiped out.
No survivors.
Events like this spread along the entire border over the next three days.
Kumogakure
Mabui reported the situation to the Fourth Raikage.
"So," Raikage mused, surprised,
"Shimura Danzō wasn't lying. Konoha really pulled its entire border force back two hundred kilometers? They're letting their civilians be slaughtered?"
"Yes. According to Rerui, wealthy families all escaped in advance. Only commoners and the poor were left—and they have all been eliminated. Their valuables have been transported back."
Mabui handed the preliminary inventory.
Raikage laughed heartily.
"Not bad. Much more spoils than expected. The Land of Fire truly is the richest nation—even border peasants have plenty of wealth. Perfect for expanding our forces! Honestly, I pity them. With Sarutobi Hiruzen as Hokage… they probably died without understanding why."
Mabui lifted her bangs slightly, revealing her cold eyes.
"To Hiruzen, who values power above everything, civilians aren't humans—they're tools. Only wealthy nobles are 'real people.' This looks like they suffered losses, but once things settle, those nobles can return and claim the lands of the dead peasants for free. They'll profit in the end."
"You think of civilians as tools too, Mabui?"
She shook her head.
"The Land of Fire can rely solely on ninja clans to sustain Konoha's strength. They can afford to discard civilians. But our Land of Lightning is different. If we want to surpass Konoha, we must value civilians and train talented ones. That's the practical view.
But personally?
A leader who sells his own people doesn't deserve to be a Kage.
If such a man ruled Kumogakure, he'd be assassinated within days."
Raikage laughed loudly.
"Well said. A man who betrays his own people does not deserve the title of Kage. Hiruzen digs his own grave… Inform Shimura Danzō—I accept his conditions. I'll provide support. As for Uchiha Rokuro… shame he wasn't born in Kumogakure. If he had, I might have groomed him as my successor. Blame fate."
Konoha
Kumogakure's agreement to cooperate returned to the village immediately, and Hiruzen was delighted.
The next day he summoned Rokuro.
When Rokuro and Kakashi entered the Hokage's office, they found it full.
The Konoha F4—all present.
Clan heads of Uchiha, Hyūga, Nara-Akimichi-Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Aburame… all present.
Several elite civilian jōnin—rarely mentioned in the original story—were also there.
Seeing so many big names gathered, Rokuro knew the moment had come.
"Hokage, you have a mission for me?"
"Rokuro, come sit."
Hiruzen smiled kindly like a friendly old grandfather—maximum warmth.
Rokuro noticed that his seat was arranged just after the clan heads—higher than the civilian jōnin.
"Today's meeting concerns a difficult mission. You all know that during our war with Kumogakure, several comrades died. Among them were four Hyūga shinobi whose Byakugan were stolen."
Everyone turned toward Hyūga Hizashi's elder brother, Hyūga Hiashi—
Expressionless.
This failure reflected the flaw of the Caged Bird seal.
But Hiashi didn't regret abolishing the system. Even if he chose again, he would still risk everything to free the Branch House.
He would still, without hesitation, choose to rebel—leading every member of the branch families to break free from the curse of the "caged bird."
"Thanks to everyone's efforts, four pairs of Byakugan were stolen and three have been recovered, but one pair is still missing. You all understand: the Byakugan isn't only the Hyūga clan's kekkei genkai—it's also one of Konoha's key strategic resources. If it falls into enemy hands, it will pose a tremendous threat to the village. Therefore, we must retrieve the last pair."
Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with stirring passion, and a few of the civilian shinobi actually looked inspired, a flicker of hot-blooded zeal rising in their eyes.
"Hokage, do we have information on the Byakugan? Please assign the mission to me! I'll definitely bring it back. And even if I can't recover it, I'll destroy it. I absolutely won't allow it to endanger Konoha!"
Uchiha Rokuro shot the civilian jōnin a sideways glance, then glanced toward Hyūga Hizashi—whose expression had indeed turned very ugly.
Naturally. The Hyūga clan head hadn't even spoken yet, and some random civilian shinobi jumped out first—talking about destroying the Byakugan, no less. That was basically stabbing a stick straight into Hizashi's eye socket.
Hiruzen pressed his hand downward, signaling the impulsive civilian shinobi to sit down. Then he produced a scroll.
"Just recently, the ANBU obtained intel on the missing Byakugan. It's confirmed that they were transplanted into a Kumo shinobi. Not only is this ninja an elite jōnin, he's also one of the Fourth Raikage's personal guards. His status is anything but ordinary. Killing him will be extremely difficult."
At that moment, Hyūga Hizashi rose to his feet.
"Hokage, please entrust this mission to me. The Byakugan is the Hyūga clan's kekkei genkai. As clan head, no matter the cost, I must take it back—and use that success to console the souls of our fallen kin!"
"Hizashi, I understand your feelings, but I cannot assign this mission to you—or to any Hyūga shinobi."
Hiruzen sighed, wearing an expression of deep sorrow.
"During the previous battle, your clan already paid too heavy a price. I promised you I would help recover the Byakugan. Also, if I send Hyūga shinobi, and another one makes a mistake… wouldn't that risk even more Byakugan being lost?"
Seeing Hizashi about to speak again, Hiruzen abruptly raised his voice, cutting him off.
"Say no more. This mission is far too dangerous, and we cannot afford failure. Therefore, only Konoha's strongest shinobi can be sent!"
After listening to so much nonsense, Rokuro had long since realized Hiruzen was preparing to dump this mission on him.
Of course he knew what this meant—and it was a situation he himself had orchestrated. But he couldn't appear too eager. Otherwise, Hiruzen might grow suspicious.
So Rokuro completely ignored Hiruzen's expectant gaze, letting his mind drift as he pretended not to care.
His reaction, rather than angering Hiruzen, actually eased the man's concerns. The Hokage turned his head toward Uchiha Fugaku.
"Fugaku, the Guard Corps is jointly operated by the Uchiha and Hyūga. Your clans have formed deep bonds. Naturally, in times like this, you should support each other… don't you agree?"
Fugaku was a coward, but not a fool. He, too, could tell today's matter was aimed at Rokuro.
If he were a clan head with real backbone, this would be the moment to refuse—on the simple, politically correct ground that he must protect a ten-year-old clansman from being sent to die.
But…
Fugaku held back for a long time—face flushed red—yet he still didn't dare voice objection.
"Hokage speaks the truth. Whether it's the bonds within the Guard Corps or the bonds within the village, the Uchiha carry the obligation to assist."
The moment he said this, several clan heads exchanged strange looks. Some were filled with disdain, some cold, some heavy with concern.
Nara Shikaku was the concerned one. As one of Konoha's top strategists, although he hadn't known Hiruzen's plan beforehand, the moment Rokuro entered the room he had sensed something was off. And now he was certain—this was a trap aimed squarely at Rokuro.
And precisely because he understood, a deep unease rose within him.
"This… this is going to cause a disaster."
As Shikaku's worry grew, Hiruzen finally stated things openly.
"Rokuro, in all of Konoha, only you are suited for this mission—only you can carry it out successfully. For the sake of the bond between the Hyūga and Uchiha, for the village, for the entire Land of Fire… are you willing to accept this mission?"
Except for Fugaku, everyone present turned their gaze toward Rokuro.
Rokuro glanced once at Fugaku, who was currently staring downward as if fascinated by his own crotch—too spineless to even look him in the eye. Rokuro couldn't help curling his lip. Then he slowly rose.
"Hokage, say no more. As a member of Konoha, even if the mission means certain death, I will not hesitate. And more importantly, this is to help the Hyūga clan. Captain Hizashi and I share a life-and-death bond. I will never allow Kumo shinobi to trample on my friend. Leave this mission to me—I guarantee its success."
END OF CHAPTER
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