The bonfire blazed brightly, illuminating the wilderness night sky.
Amid the rustling of leaves brushing together, faint cries and distant sounds of chaos could seemingly be heard.
The three sat silently around the campfire.
Only after glancing at the other two did Uchiha Setsuna speak with a grave expression:
"The true danger of this mission stems from an unexpected development."
"Half a month ago, the Blood Pond Clan submitted a letter of confession to the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning for the third time."
"However, the envoy sent back by the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning was killed on the road, and a bounty was placed through the Underground Exchange."
"The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning was furious and intends to continue imprisoning the Blood Pond Clan."
"And knowing they had no way out, the desperate Blood Pond Clan secretly contacted Kumogakure."
"Kumogakure will send people to liberate the Blood Pond Clan. In exchange, the Blood Pond Clan will join Kumogakure and become one of Kumogakure's Kekkei Genkai Families."
Uchiha Seiichiro immediately felt puzzled. "Isn't the Blood Pond Clan itself already a Kekkei Genkai Family of the Land of Lightning? How could they agree to such terms with Kumogakure?"
Uchiha Ci shook his head slightly. Having read the Original Work, he had some guesses about this.
During the Warring States Period, a daughter of the Blood Pond Clan had married into the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning's family as a concubine.
Not long afterward, the Daimyo died of illness. The Blood Pond daughter was then subjected to jealousy and slander, and her entire clan was exiled to the Valley of Hell.
To put it plainly, the Blood Pond Clan had already risen to become nobles. Naturally, they were unwilling to lower themselves and join Kumogakure to fight and kill.
Even while rotting in prison in the Valley of Hell, they had hoped that one day they would be pardoned and once again become great nobles of the Land of Lightning.
Now that their hope of pardon had been shattered, continuing as they were held no prospects either. They could only grit their teeth and join those barbarians of Kumogakure.
Kumogakure, meanwhile, was more than happy to see it happen. With a Ninja World War imminent, the Blood Pond Clan was no insignificant source of fighting strength.
For all anyone knew, Kumogakure might have been behind the killing of that envoy.
Having figured this out, Uchiha Ci felt as though the clouds had parted and the sun had emerged when he looked at the entire affair again.
Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna did not explain much to Kiyochiro. He merely said gravely:
"You only need to know that Kumogakure is the greatest danger right now. That is enough."
"Therefore, our first priority is to safely reach the Valley of Hell and rendezvous with the Uchiha there."
"Night will fall soon. Kiyochiro, you and Ci will take turns keeping watch and set up Alert Traps around the area."
"That is all. Go do it."
Uchiha Setsuna waved a hand casually as he gave Kiyochiro his orders.
Kiyochiro had not received an answer, but he had received plenty of dirty work. Full of resentment, he got to his feet while grumbling curses.
At that moment, Uchiha Ci's eyes brightened slightly, and he asked:
"Then why aren't we traveling at night?"
"Under these circumstances, shouldn't we reach the Valley of Hell as soon as possible?"
Kiyochiro wore a look of utter disdain. He shot Ci a sidelong glance and said contemptuously:
"Ridiculous!"
"Kid, don't tell me you haven't even read the Ninja Code?"
"Want me to read it to you? The first rule says that shinobi should avoid marching at night whenever possible, lest they fall into an ambush."
[Uchiha Seiichiro looked down on you.]
Watching the text drift past his eyes, Uchiha Ci could not help shaking his head inwardly.
The logic made sense, but if they followed the usual route and set off tomorrow morning—
Wouldn't that mean the waiting Kumogakure shinobi had waited for nothing?
He had left the village for three things: battle, battle, and more battle!
Besides, Uchiha Ci had not raised the point without reason.
With that thought, Uchiha Ci smiled and rose to his feet.
"Specific situations call for specific analysis."
"Tonight is dark and windy, so black you can't see your own hand. Forget lying in wait for someone—I wouldn't even be able to find toilet paper if I squatted down to take a dump. And we're Uchiha. I honestly don't know what you're afraid of."
Ci's confidence came from the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai: the Sharingan.
Even in darkness so deep one could not see a hand before one's face, the Sharingan's dynamic vision and its ability to perceive Chakra flow meant Kumogakure's ambushes were no threat to the Uchiha.
If they did that, there was a high chance that Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Seiichiro would charge straight through Kumogakure's prepared line of defense.
And he, Uchiha Ci, had not awakened the Sharingan.
In such a battle, there was absolutely no way he could survive!
That way, he could die gloriously for nothing!
Hearing this, Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna could not help raising his eyes slightly to look at the clouds gathering overhead.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Seiichiro let out an immediate cold laugh.
Kiyochiro stepped forward, grabbed Uchiha Ci by the collar, and hauled him up hard. Leaning close to Ci's ear, he lowered his voice and said coldly:
"Uchiha Ci, let me tell you one more time—"
"Because of you, I got dragged into this godforsaken mission!"
Uchiha Seiichiro clenched his back teeth, his gaze icy and his tone brimming with disdain.
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
"You think you're worthy of questioning the Ninja Code compiled by the Second Hokage?"
"Do you know how many Konoha shinobi die every year because they refuse to heed the Code?"
As his words fell, the surroundings became utterly silent. The wind stopped, and the clouds were still.
Uchiha Ci calmly looked at Kiyochiro, clearly seeing the cold fury in the other man's eyes.
He paused, then spoke blandly.
"Senior Kiyochiro, shinobi climb walls because it is the most convenient way to get through."
"But if jumping over is more troublesome—"
"Then smashing through the wall is also an option for shinobi."
Uchiha Ci curled his lips into a grin, shot him a glance, and slapped his hand away.
"You have things backward."
As soon as those words fell, an ear-splittingly crisp sound exploded beside Uchiha Ci's ear.
[Clang!]
Hot springs were mostly found along riverbeds in mountain valleys, while the Land of Hot Water, famous for its springs, was itself a landscape of towering mountains and deep ravines.
From the Land of Fire to the Land of Hot Water, the terrain changed from hills to high mountains.
Passing through the deep ravines between those mountains was the only way to cross the Border Line between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water.
At that moment,
Beneath a large tree behind the mountain pass, two shinobi dressed in Kumogakure uniforms and carrying long swords were leisurely roasting meat.
Another Kumogakure shinobi, somewhat younger than the others, frowned and asked:
"Senior Ramui, Senior Dodai, is it really alright for us to relax our guard like this?"
"Moroi, you're wound too tight." The older Ramui remained perfectly calm. He even handed over a roasted rabbit leg before explaining, "We have Yugakure Ninja scouts watching the road ahead."
"The instant anything happens, we'll receive a signal."
"Besides, the Uchiha aren't made of iron. They've traveled all day and are exhausted. Knowing there's danger ahead, why would they dare show themselves?"
"Get some rest. The Uchiha have sent that old fossil Uchiha Setsuna this time. Tomorrow will be a hard fight."
"He has to die here. Only then can we ensure that the Two-Tails Jinchuriki destroys the Valley of Hell's garrison."
Moroi looked over the lineup of three and, after some thought, relaxed as well.
One Elite Jonin, one Jonin, and himself, a Special Jonin.
No matter how he looked at it, taking down an aged Uchiha was a sure thing.
Moreover, none of the three present were ordinary characters.
Ramui was a veteran Jonin who had survived from the Warring States Period to the present. He had attended the peace negotiations after the Second Shinobi World War and had personally witnessed Kinkaku and Ginkaku transform under Kurama's Chakra. Countless terrifying battles had failed to break this old Jonin. He was truly old but still formidable.
Dodai was an Elite Jonin. One-eyed and wearing a black hat, he was the Third Raikage's right-hand man. He possessed the Kekkei Genkai of Lava Release, had recently served as the chief examiner for Kinkaku Ginkaku, and was in his prime. His strength was close to Kage Level.
As for Moroi, a Special Jonin, he was the first squad captain of the Kumogakure Barrier Squad and the confirmed successor to the Barrier Squad Leader. With Fuinjutsu inherited from the Uzumaki Clan, he could immobilize even a Jonin if they let their guard down for an instant.
The three of them could all be considered among Kumogakure's foremost experts!
With such a lineup, even another Jonin squad would be no match for them!
For the matter of bringing the Blood Pond Clan into Kumogakure, Kumogakure had truly spared no expense this time!
They only had to wait for that Hawk Faction leader of the Uchiha to arrive,
Then bury him and his squad here for good!
Please save and keep reading! It's really important!
Before you continue