After the initial success of recruiting Troy, the team had no further gains for several days in a row.
This left everyone feeling rather listless lately.
But just then...
As Renka rushed in with a soaking wet cloak, Sho U was wiping down the Kunai in his ninja tool pouch.
"Sho U, they're here."
Renka's breathing was a bit hurried, and rainwater dripped from his forehead protector.
"The Uchiha main force has arrived at the Konoha camp."
The others in the cave stopped what they were doing.
Sho U slowly put away his Kunai, the sound of metal scraping against metal exceptionally clear in the silence.
"Who's leading them?"
"Uchiha Yashiro."
The intelligence Renka brought back was like a pebble thrown into a stagnant pond, causing ripples in the cave.
The smooth capture of Troy earlier stood in stark contrast to the fruitless waiting of the past few days, making the Cloud Hidden Elite Ninja inevitably a bit restless.
Uchiha Sho U sat cross-legged by the campfire, the flickering firelight reflecting on his calm face as his Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated in the shadows, appearing deep and unpredictable.
After listening to Renka's report, especially upon hearing the name Uchiha Yashiro, a very faint, knowing curve formed at the corners of his mouth.
"Yashiro... he really did come."
Sho U's voice was very soft, yet it brought silence to the cave.
The Original Owner and Yashiro knew each other; both were representative figures of the Hawk Faction, but Yashiro was older, so Sho U addressed him respectfully as Senior.
"He is one of Elder Setsuna's most trusted right-hand men. He's proud and powerful, making him the perfect target for our plan."
Young Ai leaned against the rock wall with his arms crossed, his muscles knotted. He frowned upon hearing this.
"Konoha's commander is Orochimaru, and that guy is said to be very dangerous. This Uchiha Yashiro is so arrogant—won't something go wrong? Our plan has barely even started."
"It won't, or rather... not for the time being."
Sho U cast his gaze toward the endless curtain of rain outside the cave, as if he could pierce through space to see the scene inside the Konoha camp.
"Orochimaru is a typical pragmatist and conspirator. Faced with Uchiha's arrogance, he won't care on the surface and might even indulge it, because Danzo Shimura is standing behind him."
...Konoha Camp, Main Command Tent
The humid air of the Land of Rain's border seemed to carry weight, pressing down on the camp flags until they looked listless.
The tent curtain was suddenly pulled back, and a group of people walked in with a cold, damp air and an undisguised aura.
Leading them was Uchiha Yashiro. The clan crest on his deep blue clothes was striking. Although his Sharingan wasn't active, his scrutinizing and haughty gaze had already swept over every corner of the tent before finally landing on the pale, slender figure in front of the map.
"Commander-in-Chief."
Yashiro's voice was steady, yet he even omitted the honorific 'Lord'.
"The elites of the Uchiha Clan have arrived as ordered to support the Land of Rain front. Whatever missions there are, assign them quickly; we don't like wasting time."
Standing beside Orochimaru, Jiraiya's brow immediately knotted up.
He had seen Orochimaru's methods and achievements on the battlefield with his own eyes and regarded him as one of his most important comrades. Uchiha Yashiro's near-contemptuous attitude instantly ignited the anger in his heart.
"Hey! You Uchiha uncle—"
Jiraiya took a step forward, his voice loud and full of dissatisfaction.
"Jiraiya."
Orochimaru raised a hand. His voice wasn't high, but it easily cut off his companion's words.
He didn't even turn around, his gaze remaining on the complex terrain markings of the spread-out map, as if the arrival of Uchiha Yashiro and the others was merely an insignificant interlude.
Jiraiya's breath caught in his chest. Looking at Orochimaru's calm profile, he eventually let out a 'tsk', crossed his arms, and turned his face away, though the displeasure in his eyes was obvious.
Only then did Orochimaru slowly turn around. His golden vertical pupils swept over the Uchiha group, pausing slightly on the prominent fan-shaped clan crest, and a trace of an inscrutable curve formed on his lips.
"Welcome. The power of the Uchiha is indispensable to Konoha."
His tone was level, betraying no emotion.
"Missions... there are, naturally. And they require the elite of the elite."
Behind Uchiha Yashiro, several young Uchiha wore expressions that said this was only to be expected, some even looking a bit impatient.
Over the next few days, Konoha's offensive in the Land of Rain seemed to be injected with a powerful catalyst.
The squad led by Uchiha Yashiro was like a sharp blade deliberately honed to its keenest, thrown by Orochimaru time and again with precision into the most dangerous and chaotic centers of the battlefield's vortex.
On the first day, they received orders to ambush a team suspected of escorting important figures from the Hidden Rain Village, located in a swampy area with complex terrain.
The mission was completed, but the squad encountered ambushes and poison mist traps far exceeding what the intelligence had stated. Everyone returned with injuries; one Uchiha Jonin had his life saved through emergency treatment after being deeply poisoned, but he was unable to fight for the short term.
On the second day, before they could fully recover, new orders arrived.
Scout a secret Hidden Rain stronghold where troops were gathering, requiring detailed defense maps and troop configurations.
That stronghold was located on a cliff, easy to defend but hard to attack, and was surrounded by a large number of sensory barriers and explosive tag arrays.
Relying on the insight of the Sharingan and the bravery of his members, Uchiha Yashiro managed to tear open a gap and bring back the intelligence. However, they were entangled by Hidden Rain pursuit forces on the way back, and only escaped after a bitter struggle, adding new injuries.
On the third day, the mission became even more direct and cruel.
Intercept a Hidden Rain elite force flanking toward Konoha's side and annihilate them as much as possible to strike at the enemy's morale.
The battle took place in a torrential rain, with mud and blood mixing together.
They once again completed the arduous task, but the price was another person seriously injured, two dead, and the entire team's Chakra and physical strength pushed to their limits.
Konoha Camp, Main Command Tent.
Several consecutive days of high-intensity, high-casualty missions left Uchiha Yashiro and the thirty-plus clansmen he brought with a layer of unwashable fatigue and the scent of gunpowder on their faces.
Although Uchiha pride kept their backs straight, the bloodshot eyes and the unremoved bandages on some of them all spoke of the severe depletion.
At this moment, they stood before Orochimaru once again, waiting for new instructions.
In the tent, besides Orochimaru, Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had just returned from the frontline medical station, were also present.
"Thanks to your previous efforts, the pressure on the front line has eased somewhat."
Orochimaru's voice remained steady and waveless. His pale finger traced across the map, pointing to a marker near the border area between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind.
"Here, a Sunagakure supply unit was harassed by Hidden Rain guerrilla forces, and their offensive has been stalled. Their commander has sent us a request for support."
Uchiha Yashiro's brow furrowed. Supporting an ally?
This kind of mission sounded far less important than directly facing the Hidden Rain main force or raiding vital targets; it was more like a routine joint defense mission.
The clansmen behind him also stirred slightly, clearly disappointed by such a mundane task.
If Sho U were here, he would have called them crazy regardless of the circumstances.
"The mission is," Orochimaru continued in that flat tone, as if he hadn't seen their expressions.
"Set out immediately, rendezvous with the Sunagakure troops, assist them in repelling the harassing Hidden Rain forces, and ensure the safety of the supply route."
"The Sunagakure unit is about two companies in size, led by a Jonin. Intelligence shows the harassing Hidden Rain forces are few in number but quite cunning."
"That's it?"
Uchiha Yashiro couldn't help but speak up, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction that wasn't fully suppressed.
"Commander-in-Chief, our Uchiha strength is better suited for critical strikes or decapitation missions. This kind of escort and defense..."
"This is an order, Jonin Yashiro."
Orochimaru interrupted him. His golden vertical pupils met Uchiha Yashiro's Sharingan for the first time. There was no anger in that gaze, only a bottomless icy coldness.
"Konoha and Sunagakure are allies. Supporting an ally and maintaining the stability of the front line are also critical missions. Moreover..."
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the young, even slightly childish faces in the Uchiha group.
"The depletion from previous battles was great. This mission is relatively clear and the risks are controllable, which is perfect for allowing the team to rotate and adjust. Depart immediately."
He said the words "risks are controllable" with casual indifference.
Uchiha Yashiro's lips moved, but in the end, under the surface obedience to orders, he forced himself to swallow any further questioning.
He gave a cold "Yes," then turned and led his clansmen out of the tent.
The team of over thirty people quickly assembled and turned into black shadows, disappearing into the rain curtain outside the camp.
Only after their Chakra fluctuations had completely faded away did the atmosphere inside the tent suddenly change.
(Brothers, please give a good review ( ๑ŏ ﹏ ŏ๑ ))
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808