War Clouds

Late at night on January 10, Konoha Year 50.

Konoha Village, located in the heart of the Land of Fire, was utterly silent. Its normally bustling streets were devoid of people. A bright moon hung high in the sky, its light draping Konoha in a gauzy veil of silver-white, hazy and beautiful.

The Hokage Building at the center of the village was brightly lit, exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness.

Konoha Anbu in white animal masks, black bodysuits, white suspenders, and ninja swords strapped to their backs stood solemnly around the Hokage Building like wooden stakes. An invisible yet tangible oppressive atmosphere filled the air!

Suddenly, a figure in a white cloak and a pure white mask appeared on the rooftop platform of the Hokage Building and spoke rapidly. "Cloud and Sand are attacking. Notify every ninja in the village immediately."

"Have them assist the Military Police Force in evacuating civilians to the shelters as quickly as possible, then gather at the Hokage Building!"

"Yes, Commander!"

All the Anbu ninjas crouched and saluted in unison, then departed with extremely heavy hearts. Dark figures scattered in every direction throughout the village.

About six minutes later, at the western edge of the Uchiha Clan compound, an Uchiha ninja landed in front of a two-story building.

"Uchiha Gen, emergency summons. Report to the Military Police Force immediately."

"Got it."

Upon hearing the response, the Uchiha ninja swiftly vanished.

In a second-floor bedroom by the window, a figure quickly rose from a warm, comfortable bed. He efficiently put on his clothes and boots, donned his armor, fastened his ninja tool pouch, strapped on his ninja sword, then leaped out the window into the small courtyard.

Under the moonlight, the figure's true appearance was revealed. He looked twelve or thirteen years old, with sharply defined, deep-set features, eyes as dark as lacquer, sword-like brows, a high nose bridge, and faintly red thin lips.

He wore a fitted black shirt and black trousers beneath black-and-gray chest armor, arm guards, bracers, leg guards, and back armor. The Uchiha Clan's iconic fan crest was painted on the back armor. Rather than the sandals commonly worn by ninjas, he wore black breathable boots.

He looked cold and proud, yet exceptionally heroic!

"What could possibly warrant an emergency summons this late?"

"What the hell are the Third and the others doing?"

Those disrespectful words did not sound like they had come from a Konoha villager at all. They sounded more like something an enemy village spy would say.

After all, from Konoha's powerful upper ranks and clan heads down to ordinary civilians, everyone treated the Hokage and the others with immense respect. No one dared show the slightest disrespect.

In truth, Uchiha Gen was not from this world. He had come from Blue Star.

One late night, Uchiha Gen had stayed up as usual, lying in bed with one phone playing Naruto and another playing One Piece.

At some point, he fell asleep. When he regained consciousness, he discovered that he had transmigrated.

The original owner had already died from severe injuries in a corner of the battlefield. After transmigrating, Uchiha Gen found himself back at the frontline camp.

Because his injuries had been too severe to heal quickly enough for him to return to the battlefield, he had been sent back to Konoha to recuperate. It had now been three and a half months.

After recovering, he had received no deployment orders, so Uchiha Gen had spent every day cultivating in the clan compound and improving his strength.

"Damn, nothing good could happen at a time like this. It's probably war."

"Even though I inherited the original owner's battlefield experience, this will be my first time taking part in one myself. I'm nervous, but... excited."

Uchiha Gen lifted his head slightly. His black pupils instantly changed into blood-red eyes, each bearing two symmetrical black tomoe. They glowed faintly red in the night, looking wicked and uncanny!

These Sharingan had been awakened through the original owner's suffering.

He had awakened them for the first time at age ten, when he learned that his parents had died on the battlefield. They had evolved a second time after he witnessed his teacher and comrades die in battle.

Unfortunately, even after awakening the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, the original owner had lacked sufficient Chakra. Though he escaped pursuit, he had still died of grave injuries.

Whoosh. A cool night wind swept over him. Uchiha Gen cast aside his distracting thoughts, stopped dwelling on it, and vanished from the spot.

In the plaza before the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters, numerous Uchiha Clan ninjas wearing dark bodysuits had gathered. There was no chatter or disorder; they stood silently in formation.

The Military Police Force was inherently a militarized department, with rules to match.

When Uchiha Gen appeared, the Uchiha Clan ninjas silently opened a passage, allowing him to take his place at the front.

The Uchiha Clan was Konoha's foremost great clan, as well as the foremost great clan in the Shinobi World. Counting men, women, young, and old, it had more than two thousand members.

More than half of those two thousand people were ordinary civilians, and not everyone among the rest could awaken the Sharingan.

In fact, among Uchiha Clan ninjas, those who had awakened the Sharingan were a minority. Most were ninjas who had not awakened it.

One could still become an outstanding ninja without the Sharingan, but the Uchiha Clan revered it.

Thus, ninjas with the Sharingan naturally held higher status within the clan. Those with the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, second only to the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, were even part of the clan's middle and upper ranks.

Uchiha Gen was especially highly regarded because he was only thirteen this year and could be considered a genius of the Uchiha Clan.

A few breaths after Uchiha Gen arrived, three more ninjas appeared. After roll call confirmed that everyone was present, a tall ninja walked out through the main doors of the Military Police Force headquarters.

The ninja had short brown hair and narrowed eyes. He wore a dark blue long robe over a black fitted combat uniform. The Uchiha Clan fan crest was emblazoned on his back, and he wore green Jonin chain armor over it, with the Uchiha crest embroidered on both shoulders.

"Captain Yashiro," everyone said with slight bows.

Uchiha Yashiro gave a faint nod, his narrowed eyes solemn. "Cloud and Sand have launched a surprise attack and are already not far from Konoha."

"The Hokage has ordered us to evacuate civilians to the shelters at maximum speed, then gather beneath the Hokage Building."

"Move out immediately!"

Everyone's hearts sank at the news, and their expressions darkened further. Konoha was actually about to be attacked at its doorstep?

This had never happened since Konoha's founding!

Uchiha Gen's expression was grim as well. His suspicions had been confirmed. It really was war!

Cloud and Sand had struck straight for the heart of Konoha with overwhelming momentum. To protect their home, Konoha Ninja would surely give everything they had, sparing no sacrifice. This war would clearly be extremely brutal!

Yet this war did answer one question that had been lingering in his mind.

One reason Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped down while still in his prime was likely this devastating war that had reached Konoha's doorstep.

Combined with Konoha's tremendous losses in the Third Shinobi World War, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not escape blame for his poor command. He could only resign and select the Fourth Hokage.

"Yes!"

Though everyone felt immensely burdened, there was not the slightest hesitation in their answers or actions.

Figures quickly vanished from the Military Police Force headquarters. They first went to their clan compounds to wake their clansmen, leaving some behind to guide them while the remaining ninjas entered the village to wake and direct the civilians.

Thanks to the Konoha Ninja's efficient actions, the entire village soon became bright and noisy. The streets filled with Konoha villagers fleeing with their families, while the cries of infants and children rose and fell...

Since this was the first time Konoha had been attacked at its doorstep, and no one had specifically rehearsed such an evacuation before, neither ninjas nor civilians were familiar with the process. Their coordination was inefficient.

Thus, it was not until dawn was beginning to break that all civilians had been sent into the shelters.

The Konoha Ninja had no time to rest. They immediately followed instructions and gathered at the plaza beneath the Hokage Building, looking from afar like a swarm of fleas...

Friends reading this book, please don't let it sit in your library! The editor said Naruto fanfiction needs either the potential to become a major premium work or one to two hundred readers following it without a contract before it can be signed. You don't want your bookmarks, recommendation votes, investments, and time to go to waste either, right? (Sob)