Heading to the Land of Grass Border

Three days later.

A ninja corps of more than five hundred had assembled in a forest outside the village.

When Uchiha Yoru appeared, he drew quite a few eyes. Some recognized him, while others did not.

Those ninjas' furtive gazes held both curiosity and disdain, naturally because of the rumors from the past few days.

"Yoru!"

At that moment, Uzumaki Kushina smiled and waved at Uchiha Yoru from the crowd.

Ignoring the looks directed at him, Uchiha Yoru waved back at Kushina and laughed.

"Kushina, you came too."

A sunny smile spread across Uchiha Yoru's handsome face, while Uzumaki Kushina wore her usual haughty expression. The two of them chatted with smiles under the eyes of everyone around them.

"Yoru, you really are something! So you had your sights set on Sister Tsunade!"

Although Uzumaki Kushina knew it was false, she could not resist glaring at him and seizing the chance to say it. After all, few could withstand the pride of the Uchiha.

Especially when Mikoto had clearly agreed with her that they would just go through the motions. What was this supposed to mean?

Anyone who did not know better would think he had approached her only because his true target was Sister Tsunade.

Seeing Kushina like this, Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"Kushina, you can eat whatever you want, but you cannot just say whatever you want."

As the two talked, the other ninjas muttered to themselves. The Uchiha Clan was truly shameless, using their looks to seduce Lady Tsunade and secure benefits for themselves.

The Uchiha Clan's elite ninjas all looked somewhat awkward. How could they fail to understand such obvious looks? Quite a few of them secretly felt fortunate that they were not the ones selling their bodies.

Even Uchiha Fugaku sighed inwardly at the sight. Yoru has sacrificed too much. The clan owes Yoru far too much.

As the Young Clan Head, he knew more secrets. For Uchiha Yoru to obtain such confidential information... he must have...

For the mission and for the clan, he had sold even his feelings and body. He was practically burning himself to light the clan's path forward.

To the clan, Uchiha Yoru was absolutely someone worthy of respect.

"Yoru, it seems your Uchiha Clan's reputation is not very good."

Looking at him, Uzumaki Kushina bared her little fangs in a fierce expression, signaling toward their surroundings with her eyes as she teased him.

Uchiha Yoru merely shrugged and laughed.

"It can't be helped. It's all for the clan and the village."

If he did not do this, who knew when he would ever grow stronger?

Ninjas needed more than talent; they also required countless resources to be cultivated. He knew his own situation best. With only this forbidden technique, if he relied on himself and progressed steadily, who knew how long it would take?

Now that he had the clan's support, look how little time had passed—he already had everything!

Countless people did not even have such an opportunity! Knowing the future, he naturally had to seize opportunities and acquire resources reasonably.

As for it being leaked? Or changing things?

What did that have to do with him? Only an idiot would refuse to use this chance to become stronger.

Thinking of the Uchiha's future and the village's decline, Uchiha Yoru's expression darkened with anger.

The village had been founded by the Senju and Uchiha. The Uchiha were the village.

Without the Uchiha, where would the village be?

All of this was for the clan! For the village!

"Alright, everyone, prepare to depart!"

Just then, Jiraiya and Tsunade appeared. Throughout the forest, on tree trunks and amid the grass, countless ninjas revealed themselves with respectful expressions.

Since they were heading to the battlefield this time, everyone wore silver-gray plate armor. The chest plates and bracers provided excellent protection.

This type of armor offered effective defense in large-scale ninja melees.

Even Jiraiya and Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin wore this type of armor.

"Haha, looks like everyone's morale is high this time."

Jiraiya's usual goofy laughter eased the crowd's tension, while Tsunade remained composed and inconspicuously glanced in Kushina's direction.

"Everyone, check your equipment and prepare to depart!"

"Yes!"

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were all renowned Elite Jonin within the village, though they had not yet earned the title of the Legendary Sannin.

At Tsunade's command, everyone shouted in unison and checked their ninja tools once more.

From the ninja corps emerging from the forest, all clad in plate armor without exception, it was clear that this force consisted entirely of Chunin and Jonin.

A quarter of an hour later, at Tsunade's cold shout, dense black figures leaped and darted through the dark forest, racing toward the Land of Grass.

From afar, they looked like countless densely packed fleas.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Dark figures flickered through the forest.

"Yoru."

A blond figure appeared beside him, leaping forward in rhythm with him.

Seeing the sunny smile on the newcomer's face, Uchiha Yoru returned it with a smile of his own.

"Minato."

The newcomer was his classmate, Minato Namikaze. At the same time, as the ninja corps moved swiftly, ninjas who knew one another naturally formed groups and maintained their formations.

Ninjas had never charged forward like an army. Instead, they formed groups with people they knew and maintained formation, allowing them to react quickly and in perfect coordination when danger struck.

"Yoru, it has been a long time. I didn't expect so many of our old classmates to gather together this time."

"Yes. It really isn't easy for us to fight together."

A group of familiar voices rang out. Uchiha Yoru and the others all smiled kindly and nodded.

Uzumaki Kushina, Minato Namikaze, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, Hyuga Hiashi, Hizashi Hyuga, Shibi Aburame, and the others were all of the same generation.

Though some of them were one or two years apart in age, they had all known one another at the Ninja Academy.

"Kushina."

After nodding to Uchiha Yoru, Minato Namikaze smiled and greeted Uzumaki Kushina as well.

However, Uzumaki Kushina still thought Minato was somewhat effeminate. Back then, he had stood by coldly while she was bullied, so she merely nodded calmly.

There were too many people around now. Otherwise, she would have simply snorted at him.

"This time, we're heading to the Land of Grass border. The pressure we face may be lighter, but we must also be ready to support the Land of Rain battlefield. We are comrades, and we will fight together."

Faced with Uzumaki Kushina's indifference, Minato Namikaze only chuckled without the slightest resentment. Still wearing a sincere smile, he began connecting with the others.

It had to be said that Minato Namikaze, who could become Hokage, truly possessed his own personal charm. His words and manner gave people the impression of someone sunny and easy to get along with.

Moreover, Minato Namikaze's Jonin instructor was Jiraiya, so no one dared underestimate him.

"Of course."

Facing Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Yoru also smiled calmly. Then, looking at his classmates, he displayed social skills no less impressive than Minato Namikaze's.

"Shikaku is best at battlefield analysis. This time, once we reach the border, each of us will form a squad. We will probably be assigned together, and we also have Hiashi and Hizashi's Byakugan.

"When it comes to battle deployment, I trust Shikaku's mind."

Although the Uchiha Clan was proud, not every member was like that. At the very least, Uchiha Yoru had gotten along fairly well with these people during their academy days.

At Uchiha Yoru's words, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio all smiled. Shikaku complained that it was troublesome, but still showed a trace of goodwill.

"Hey, Yoru! Even with the Byakugan around, you can't just overlook our Inuzuka Clan!"

At that moment, Kiba Inuzuka, whose face bore red markings and whose presence was full of wildness, shouted in dissatisfaction. Uchiha Yoru laughed at this.

"Of course I haven't forgotten the Inuzuka Clan's ninja hounds, or the Aburame Clan's insects. I'm just not very good at strategic deployment."

Uchiha Yoru did not force himself into the spotlight, because he understood one thing clearly: everyone had their specialty. This was ninja corps warfare—reckless command could get people killed.

Professional matters should naturally be left to professionals.