Escorting the caravan safely into the Land of Fire, the rest of the journey passed without incident. When they finally met with the Second Elder, Uchiha Ankoku handed him a sealed letter.
With that, the escort mission was complete. Technically, they could now return to Konoha—but Uchiha Kairen broke the silence.
"Let's not go back. The shinobi world is starting to stir again.
What we need now is experience—real combat—to sharpen ourselves and raise the name of the Uchiha clan once more."
His tone was calm yet firm.
"We'll divide into two groups.
One group—led by Ankoku-sensei and Fugaku's squad—will head toward the Land of Water. Hunt down enemy shinobi there, build your renown, and prepare for what's to come. Think about it—if another Great Ninja War breaks out, Konoha's higher-ups will surely send our clan to the Land of Water.
Water opposes fire—making it the perfect battlefield to bleed the Uchiha dry.
The other group—led by my uncle—will go with my team to the Land of Wind's borderlands.
There you'll find Ame-nin, Suna-nin, rogue-nin, and wanderers alike. A perfect place for battle training—and far more chaotic than the waters to the east.
We thrive in chaos. My uncle's not the quiet type either, so this route fits us best."
He paused, then continued:
"Let's set a time—half a year from now, we regroup in the village.
By then, the clan's new plans should be ready to move.
We'll have plenty to do when that time comes."
Uchiha Fugaku nodded, his expression resolute.
"Big Brother's right. Going back now is meaningless.
Last battle showed how many flaws our squad still has—our biggest weakness is lack of coordination. We can't bring out our true strength like this.
As for why you think war is coming—I don't know. But if there's even a potential threat to our clan's future, then learning to adapt to it in advance is absolutely necessary.
It's settled."
"Alright, then," said Uchiha Ankoku, turning away. "I'll send word back to the clan."
As their teacher's silhouette faded into the distance, Uchiha Kairen and Uchiha Honō watched quietly. Having already experienced one painful separation before, they understood there were reasons behind it—but the fracture left behind in their hearts was hard to mend.
After a moment, Uchiha Honō asked, "How did you know war's about to break out?"
Kairen smiled faintly.
"There's no such thing as prediction.
If no one starts a war, then we'll just spark a 'little conflict' ourselves.
In ancient times, even two women picking mulberry leaves could ignite a war between nations.
We need conflict—to divert Konoha's attention, and to rebuild our clan's place in the shinobi world.
The Third Great Ninja War will be the Uchiha's war of revival."
"Two women picking mulberry leaves could start a war?" Uchiha Retsu asked, puzzled.
Kairen nodded.
"In the distant past, long before the Warring States era of the shinobi, there were two powerful provinces — Yamato and Izumo.
The border between them was disputed, and the people often quarreled over fields and rivers. Once, two women from the border villages went to pick mulberry leaves from the same tree to feed their silkworms. They argued over who owned the tree, returned home in tears, and told their husbands.
Their husbands rallied their fellow villagers, and soon both sides were fighting. What began as a quarrel between two women grew into a skirmish between villages, then an open conflict between provinces. Like a snowball rolling downhill, the hatred spread until the two lands declared war on each other."
He said it with conviction, though inwardly he felt a twinge of guilt. That story was from another world's history, but who here would know the difference?
"So what do we do next?" Retsu asked.
Kairen's grin sharpened.
"We do nothing—except kill.
Everything else is irrelevant. Some nations will soon crave war even more than we do."
He chuckled under his breath, clearly hiding something.
Retsu scowled. "There you go again—half-truths and mystery. Can't you just talk straight for once? At least explain your 'Light Release' to me again. There's no way I still can't feel anything from it!"
Kairen groaned.
"Brother, spare me. Even if I explain it a hundred times, it won't help.
You can't even handle a single chakra nature's shape transformation properly—this isn't child's play."
He forced a laugh but sighed inwardly. Even if you mastered three elements, it still wouldn't matter. Light Release didn't come from elemental fusion at all…
They rested for a day. The next morning, the two squads parted ways—each setting out on their respective journeys.
"Up ahead's a Ame-nin squad," said Uchiha Retsu, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "What do you say—shall we have a little fun?"
"We've killed plenty this month already," Uchiha Honō replied. "If we keep this up, people will start noticing."
"They already have," Kairen said with a smirk. "Other villages may be weak, but they aren't blind. Shinobi keep dying in one direction—of course they'll suspect something. They'll probably send decoy squads soon to bait us."
"Do whatever you want," said Uchiha Kirito, shrugging. "I'm just tagging along."
"Then let's keep going," Retsu said with a bloodthirsty grin. "Let's see who's the real hunter here."
"Fine. But we'll move toward the Land of Grass after this," said Kairen.
With that, the four crept toward the Ame-nin unit.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
—Combined Style: Blazing Fire Dragon Bullet!
Retsu and Honō opened the fight with their trademark combination.
"Light Release: Luminous Chain Kick!"
"Rasengan!"
Behind them, Kairen streaked through the battlefield in golden flashes—his light-imbued kicks and spinning chakra sphere tearing through the survivors.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan!"
"Uchiha Style Kenjutsu — Blazing Tempest Slash!"
Meanwhile, Uchiha Gorou and Uchiha Danten moved in perfect rhythm—Gorou weaving illusions and throwing shuriken from the flanks, while Danten charged headlong, his sword dance cutting down any who got close.
The fight ended quickly—so fast it hardly felt like battle at all. To them, it was nothing more than practice now. These encounters were less about victory than simple attrition—thinning the enemy's numbers.
Still, whispers began to spread. Across the Rain and Wind borderlands, new titles emerged:
"The Golden Asura of Konoha," "The Twin Flames of Uchiha," "The Gale Swordsman," "The Phantom-Eyed Gorou."
At the same time, across the seas in the Land of Water, other names were rising:
"The Grim-Eyed Fugaku," "The Reluctant Student," "The Frost Phantom Mugetsu," "The Swift Blade," and "The Flame Saber."
Two squads—east and west—each leaving their mark on the shinobi world.
Uchiha Kairen didn't linger long in the Land of Grass. He pushed north, toward the Land of Waterfalls. Along the way, he left no survivors—men, women, or children.
He took no pleasure in slaughter, but sometimes, to protect one's movements, certain deeds had to be done.
What came next would determine everything—the rise of the Uchiha clan, their dominance over Konoha, and perhaps… the entire shinobi world.
For that, secrecy was paramount. Any leak, any trace of evidence—and even he could be branded a traitor.
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Read advanced chapter ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
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