Uchiha Fugaku felt the boiling blood within his body.
Battle—engaging the enemy in close-quarters combat—the surge of exhilaration that seemed to flow up from his bloodline was something he had not experienced for far too long…
This time, it was especially satisfying, utterly free of psychological burden.
High-level figures like Fugaku and Isshin had a vague awareness of certain uncontrollable elements within the Sharingan and their bloodline.
The clan records were there, after all; the history of Izanagi and Izanami was laid out plainly…
So before setting out, Isshin and Fugaku had held a small meeting with the Uchiha elites, specifically emphasizing the need to maintain discipline and absolutely refrain from any loss of control.
For example, shouting that the Sharingan was the strongest—absolutely forbidden!
They had only just been allowed out by Hiruzen. If they revealed their true nature the moment they stepped onto the battlefield, they feared there would not be another chance for real combat next time…
But once the fighting truly began, Fugaku realized this was not so easy to control—he really did feel like shouting a couple of times…
Not shouting made his chest feel stifled.
Interestingly, Fugaku discovered that if he shouted under slogans such as "Rescue the Konoha shinobi!" or "Avenge our comrades!", wrapping it in that layer of justification, it seemed acceptable…
So with each slash cutting down a Kusa shinobi, he began shouting phrases that combined Konoha and Uchiha together!
Whether it was an illusion or not…
Expressing his emotions in the name of justice, Fugaku felt that the surging emotions seemed easier to control than before?
"Fugaku, get to work." A flash of white light—Sakumo had cut his way over from the other side.
Usually somewhat offbeat and darkly sharp, once in combat mode his gaze was like the White Fang's short blade.
Taciturn, striking with extreme ruthlessness, he swept through the Kusa shinobi like a white calamity wind—each slash taking down one of them.
"To the west, around seventy enemies."
Hizashi shook the blood from his hand and said expressionlessly: "To the northeast, there are sixteen more. Among them, two are wearing animal masks—matching the characteristics of the Kusa militant faction's upper ranks."
A streak of golden light flashed as Minato also arrived. "The enemies to the south have been cleared. An ANBU squad has secured order at the scene."
Minato was no longer wearing his usual small-sun demeanor.
A faint killing intent lingered between his brows, and the three-pronged Flying Thunder God kunai was smeared with blood.
"All units, all squads, take note—I have captured Hōzuki Castle."
"I have located the position of the 'Box of Ultimate Bliss.' My unit will withdraw from Kusagakure in ten minutes."
"Accelerate the sweep. Control the prisoners at the scene in accordance with the Hokage's orders."
"After my unit withdraws, a gap will open to the south. Mobile forces must immediately close the encirclement." Danzō's cold and sinister voice echoed within the minds of the Konoha shinobi.
This was a secret technique of the Yamanaka Clan, allowing intelligence to be shared within a certain range through mental linkage—and with specialized ninja tools, the range could be further expanded.
Kusagakure was not very large, so there was no real need to enhance it.
Generally, this was only done during a shinobi world war.
And the Yamanaka Clan's enhancement ninja tools were also one of Orochimaru's next research projects.
The few of them exchanged glances.
Fugaku immediately dragged a Kusa shinobi in front of him; the three tomoe in his eyes spun madly, and at this moment he released his dōjutsu power to the utmost.
He wanted to obtain the intelligence in the Kusa shinobi's mind as fast as possible and learn the information about where the captured shinobi were being held.
This was originally part of the plan—work the Uchiha Clan was supposed to do…
But what Fugaku did not expect was this.
Danzō, Sakumo, Hizashi, and Minato—these four under Hiruzen—worked suspiciously too efficiently. When each of them cut people down, they were like emotionless machines, without the slightest feeling.
The Uchiha Clan, at the very least, would smile after cutting one down, sigh a bit, and if they were in the mood, they would even recite a couple lines of poetry.
That was the art of battle…
Even so, that did not mean Fugaku's speed and efficiency were lacking—they were already astonishing.
But those four under Hiruzen seemed to be carrying out a silent internal competition, focused in a way that was frightening…
"To the northeast there's a squad; to the southwest, underground, there's a secret cave hiding upper ranks; due north there are hidden sentries…"
Fugaku read out the intelligence in the Kusa shinobi's mind at extreme speed, then grabbed another and repeated the same.
"The Uzumaki Clan's orphan is in the wooden house to the due south!" Fugaku let out a breath—his mission could be considered complete now.
If he had dragged them down, Fugaku did not think that even if he had done his utmost, Hiruzen would blame him…
It would just be terribly embarrassing!
"Good. Hizashi goes northeast, I'll go southwest, Minato goes due north!"
"I will resolve it at the fastest speed, fill the supporting gap, and further take over Hōzuki Castle."
Sakumo rapidly integrated the information. With his status as ANBU vice-commander, he took over the battlefield and assumed the next step of command.
"Fugaku, go pick up the Uzumaki orphan, then work with Kurama Genshin to divide the prisoners into batches—move fast!"
"Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade should be close to driving the scouts to the border. We must be prepared for them to turn back immediately."
Silently, the squad further split its formation.
Each squad had to be equipped with one Hyūga and one Yamanaka member, in order to establish an absolute intelligence advantage.
And an elite Uchiha would also accompany them, serving as an all-purpose lubricant.
"I…"
Fugaku opened his mouth, wanting to say that he actually preferred to carry out a combat mission, but with a sigh he could only let it go.
He secretly regretted that he should not have played around with anything flashy, paying tribute to that gorgeous fighting style of the Great Clan Head—the "Battlefield Rose."
He should have been like the records described of Young Clan Head Izuna: killing the enemy with maximum efficiency…
'Ah, Clan Head Isshin always scolds me—if I don't have the ability, then don't imitate the Great Clan Head…' Fugaku, still in his youth, still had a fixation on imitating the Uchiha superstar, the old Madara-sama.
Before, he had even liked to complain in his mind: What's wrong with learning from the Great Clan Head? The old man is really rigid!
Having the look is good too…
Now that he looked at it, not listening to elders' advice sometimes really did mean suffering a loss right in front of your eyes.
But regrets were regrets. Fugaku did not pause for a moment; he led his men straight toward where Uzumaki Shio was, his heart somewhat shaken.
'Clan Head Isshin was absolutely right—the militant faction's path is unworkable…'
'Without figures like the Young Clan Head or the Great Clan Head, relying only on us three-tomoe, how could we possibly clash head-on with Konoha's upper ranks?'
Just Sakumo and Minato working together would already be enough to give the Uchiha a hard time.
The three tomoe could capture their movements, but not every three-tomoe body could react in time—merely seeing clearly was meaningless.
Hizashi, that Hyūga dōjutsu shinobi, also made Fugaku wary.
'This guy has had his Byakugan activated ever since entering Kusagakure, constantly scanning…'
'Can his Byakugan really be maintained for that long? Could it be that he trains twenty-four hours a day…'
'No way. No one can treat training as rest!'
Fugaku let out a sigh. And this was not even counting Danzō, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.
There was no need to mention the remaining Konoha council members.
Even setting all that aside, if one were to commit the great taboo of contemplating a decapitation strategy against the Hokage—leaving aside what meaning success would even have—who would deal with Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage?
The Uchiha Clan would probably start arguing among themselves first.
Fugaku increasingly came to understand a certain saying: Hiruzen paying the Uchiha is the most vicious move of all…
The Third Hokage's prestige could not be considered high among the Uchiha Clan, but it was indeed beginning to take root.
In such a situation, all they could do was wait for the right time…
Fugaku could not help but admire Isshin. Compared to his militant elder brother, Setsuna…
Isshin's strategy was on an entirely different level from Setsuna's!
"Kill."
Fugaku shook his head slightly, as if trying to expel the worries in his mind. A blazing Great Fireball incinerated all the fleeing Kusa shinobi before him.
When he arrived at the wooden house where Uzumaki Shio was being held—
Fugaku forcefully kicked the door open, only to see a bizarre scene.
A black-haired youth stood there holding a ninja blade stained with blood, his expression tense yet filled with killing intent as he stared at him.
A red-haired girl hid beneath the bed behind him, trembling as she looked at him.
And before them lay a floor covered with the corpses of Kusa shinobi.
"Are you from the Uzumaki Clan?" Fugaku's three tomoe rotated slightly as he spoke.
"We are Konoha shinobi. We're here to rescue you!"
In truth, that head of red hair had already confirmed most of it.
There were not many red-haired shinobi clans in the ninja world. And this was Kusagakure, with this posture of hiding…
Shio crawled out from under the bed and said with a face full of disbelief, "Eh? You're here to save me…"
"Ah! You're from the Uchiha Clan!"
Upon seeing Fugaku's Sharingan, Shio relaxed.
She ran to Tobirama, spread her arms, and shouted loudly, "They're one of us! Look—he has the same kind of eyes as you!"
Shio said this because Tobirama's acting was far too convincing.
He had perfectly immersed himself in the role of a genius shinobi who had killed until his eyes were bloodshot.
Tension, excitement, anger—he had all of them at once.
The Kusa shinobi lying on the ground were already the third batch Tobirama had assassinated in this short span.
Although it made Shio feel very reassured inside, it also left her a little frightened.
Tobirama seemed to be a natural-born killer—the more he killed, the more proficient he became…
And Tobirama also let out a sigh of relief in his heart.
For him, playing this kind of persona in front of a woman was more exhausting than killing Kusa shinobi.
There were simply too many details to maintain…
Shio's perception was very sensitive, so Tobirama had no choice but to use a certain amount of genjutsu to hypnotize himself, in order to make his assumed identity perfectly convincing.
"Ah?"
Fugaku froze. "Eyes like mine?"
Could it be that Kusagakure had even abducted a member of the Uchiha Clan?
Fugaku subconsciously examined Tobirama's eyes.
Tobirama revealed his Sharingan at the appropriate moment.
Fugaku's heart trembled.
What a pair of double-tomoe, brimming with such full dōjutsu power…
'So he really is a member of the Uchiha Clan?'
Fugaku was both startled and delighted. "Do you have a name?"
This youth's talent was truly astonishing. In an environment like Kusagakure, he had still managed to grow up—and he possessed the courage and resolve to seize the opportunity to turn against them…
And being able to rescue an Uchiha indeed made Fugaku feel at ease.
"I don't know," Tobirama said coldly, like a startled young beast, carrying a deep-rooted distrust toward unfamiliar people.
Fugaku's heart ached, and he did not feel the slightest annoyance at Tobirama's attitude.
This was exactly how an Uchiha should be…
"Please don't be angry because of his attitude—his situation is very special!" Shio grew anxious and hurriedly explained to Fugaku:
"He and I were both abducted to Kusagakure. He used to be on death row…"
"It wasn't easy for him to find a way to break free. We were just thinking about how to escape!"
"He's very strong! Please don't be angry. Both he and I have powerful talents—we're very valuable. Inside his body—"
Tobirama suddenly shouted angrily, "Shut up, Shio! There's no need for you to explain so much!"
Shio closed her mouth awkwardly, but still looked at Fugaku with a pleading expression.
Fugaku felt a pang in his heart and let out a long sigh.
Just what kind of life in Kusagakure had forced the orphans of the Uchiha and the Uzumaki into this state?
Talking about value at every turn—did ordinary shinobi not even have the right to live?
At this moment, Fugaku suddenly felt a trace of recognition toward the Will of Fire "proposed" by Hiruzen…
An environment that devours people will swallow up the innate talent of geniuses, and it will also crush others with suffocating pressure, completely alienating shinobi into tools.
"Listen…"
"We are Konoha shinobi. You and I are both members of the Uchiha Clan."
"We are here to rescue you. Both the Uzumaki and the Uchiha are part of Konoha."
Fugaku adjusted his tone, speaking as gently as possible: "Do you know Konohagakure? Do you know the Hokage? He is the strongest shinobi of Konoha—he sent us."
Tobirama maintained a wary gaze, but in his heart he genuinely wanted to laugh.
He had known this scene would probably be somewhat amusing, but he had not expected it to be this interesting…
Yes—he had never in this lifetime known Konohagakure, nor did he know who the Hokage was.
It had nothing to do with his elder brother, his previous life, or his disciple at all!
"I know of it, but I don't understand it," Tobirama said coldly. But after meeting Fugaku's three-tomoe gaze, a faint trace of trust flickered in his eyes.
Fugaku naturally noticed this, and his heart warmed.
Perhaps this was the connection between bloodlines…
"Come, Yashiro, En-dono, you two take care of them. Bring some soldier pills and water…"
Fugaku gave the order, lifting the blade in his hand. "I need to kill a few Kusa beasts to vent my anger!"
Uchiha En and Yashiro scratched their heads. To be honest, neither of them had killed to their heart's content yet.
But in front of these two orphans, they still had to maintain the dignity of the Uchiha.
En sat down and said with a genial smile, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid… Once you arrive in Konoha, the Hokage will arrange housing for you. You'll probably receive money as well."
"I remember the Uzumaki Clan's subsidies are quite generous. That brat Minato lives off Uzumaki Kushina so comfortably he's practically dripping with grease…"
Shio's eyes widened in surprise. "There are other Uzumaki in Konoha?"
"There are, there are…" En replied with a smile, then looked at Tobirama, a thought stirring in his mind.
For some reason, he felt that this boy, his face smeared with blood and ash, looked somewhat familiar…
En did not think too much of it for the moment. After all, those Sharingan eyes already proved the bloodline.
Since they were from the same clan, resembling some old acquaintance was perfectly normal…
Meanwhile, Tobirama was also pondering inwardly: 'This Uchiha's appearance… I seem to have some impression? Judging by his age, perhaps he came from the Warring States period…'
'A one-armed three-tomoe? It's been too long—I can't quite remember. Uchiha En, was it…'
'When we reach Konoha, I'll find a way to inquire about his background.'
Tobirama could not possibly remember every single Uchiha shinobi, and the name En was fairly common.
"Um… once we reach the village, if they really do give us money, I can spend it together with you…"
Shio said softly, "Thank you for always bringing me food."
"No need. Keep it for yourself. I will find a way to survive."
Tobirama said with a cold face, "Besides, I never said I would join Konoha…"
En suddenly laughed.
What a rebellious little brat!
Even setting aside Tobirama's Sharingan, just from that line alone—only a pure-blooded Uchiha could speak like that!
Arrogant to an absurd degree…
"It's better to join the village. Konoha is not what it used to be."
"Now the Third Hokage is in power—it's not like when that dog, Senju Tobirama… that fellow was around. The Uchiha Clan's situation is improving…"
"The clan will help you start a family and establish yourself. The village will too. Don't worry, kid…"
En took out the cigarette case Hiruzen had given him and contentedly lit up a cigarette that Minato had gifted him.
On the surface, Tobirama showed no expression.
But inside, he had a distinctly ominous feeling.
They could even rope him into this? Was there no sense of reason at all!
As for being Hokage, could Hiruzen really be that much better than him…
Don't joke!
Would it not be that after entering the clan grounds, he would hear the Uchiha cursing him every single day?
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