Hiruzen Sarutobi

In the plaza outside the Hokage Building, Konoha Ninja had gathered.

There were Genin, Chunin, Jonin, civilian ninja, clan ninja, and Anbu ninja—around a thousand people in all.

No one whispered among themselves. Everyone stood in silence.

The approaching enemy weighed on everyone's hearts like a massive boulder. It was not enough to leave them gasping for breath, but the pressure was still crushing.

A thousand people was not much, because Konoha's main forces were tied down across the various front lines, leaving the village's defenses hollow.

After all, it was one against four, and the war had been going on for so long. It was only natural that their manpower was stretched thin. There was no time to withdraw ninja from the borders for reinforcements.

If not for the deep grudges among the four great ninja villages, which kept them attacking one another and prevented them from working together, Konoha might already have been defeated...

Wearing a Hokage Cloak and Hokage hat, Hiruzen Sarutobi, around fifty and still in his prime, appeared at the edge of the Hokage Building's rooftop. Every ninja looked up at him.

In the world of Naruto, being around fifty was not considered old. With Chakra nourishing the body, one could even be said to be at the peak of one's combat strength.

The Hiruzen Sarutobi who appeared in the original story had been far too old. Other than experience, he had been at a low point in every respect.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, raised a hand to remove his Hokage hat, and bent at the waist in a bow...

The ninja in the plaza could not help but be shaken by this "stunning" sight. Only a very small number remained completely unmoved, Uchiha Gen among them.

"Because of this old man's errors in command, Cloud and Sand were able to break into the heartland of the Land of Fire, placing Konoha under an unprecedented threat. This old man cannot escape blame."

"This old man knows that a mere bow and apology cannot make up for anything. Therefore, as atonement, this old man is willing to resign as Hokage after the Great Ninja War ends and let new blood lead Konoha forward."

"This old man's death is nothing to regret. I implore you all to do everything in your power to protect our home. We must never let the legacy of our forebears be buried in our hands."

"I beg you!"

Empowered by Chakra, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried across the plaza. Once he finished speaking, he bowed again and remained bent over for a long time.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi humble himself like this, the dissatisfaction hidden deep in the ninja's hearts faded away.

Ninja, whose education revolved around completing missions, tended to think more simply. It was not easy for troublemakers to emerge among them.

The dissatisfaction of Uchiha Gen, that troublemaker, had not completely vanished. It had merely lessened somewhat.

Uchiha Gen hated the whole act of closing the barn door after the horse had bolted, of dispensing justice after the fact. What had he been doing all this time?

Still, Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude was barely acceptable, whether it came from the heart or was forced upon him.

After all, patching things up after the damage was done was better than nothing. Nothing at all was truly frightening!

"Defend Konoha to the death!"

No one knew which ninja suddenly shouted first, but the atmosphere was quickly stirred.

"Defend Konoha to the death!"

"Defend Konoha to the death!"

"Protect Konoha to the death!"

"..."

More and more ninja began shouting. The cries went from disorderly to unified, from faint murmurs to thunderous roars. Many ninja were fired up, their faces flushed with excitement.

To avoid standing out, Uchiha Gen joined in with the crowd, putting on an impassioned and excited expression.

Protect Konoha to the death?

Give him a break. He had no sense of belonging toward Konoha. His own life was what mattered most.

Though Konoha would most likely win in the end, if things looked bad, he still had to get the hell out of there!

Once the scene had calmed down somewhat, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "All ninja are to follow Shinnosuke immediately and deploy to the southeast of Konoha to meet the enemy. This old man will join you after changing into battle gear."

Shinnosuke's full name was Shinnosuke Sarutobi. He was the commander of Konoha Anbu, and his wife was the deputy commander of Konoha Anbu.

"Yes!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... Figures shot into the air one after another, leaping toward Konoha's southeast like fleas. Cliffs, steep precipices, and deep forests might as well have been flat ground beneath their feet, though their speeds varied.

Just as the group of over a thousand crossed Kikyo Castle, a famous historic site northeast of Konoha, and reached Kikyo Mountain outside the city, four Anbu appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had changed into battle gear and caught up with them.

The four knelt on one knee. A squad captain wearing a white animal mask and a white trench coat said, "Lord Hokage, Cloud and Sand are now less than forty li from here."

"What? How could they be this fast?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi cried out, his expression turning grim.

"Damn it!"

"Send orders immediately. Rely on the Jonin and Special Jonin, and prepare to engage the enemy on the spot."

"Also, dispatch a unit to intercept them and delay their advance as much as possible."

"Remember not to get too caught up in battle. Retreat when it is time to retreat."

"Yes!"

The Anbu surrounding Hiruzen Sarutobi, including those who had just returned and had not even had time to rest, vanished from the spot in an instant. Only the Anbu Commander and deputy commander remained.

Standing atop the mountain, Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed over the endless forest that resembled a sea of trees. His heart was filled with worry, but his expression turned resolute in the next instant.

There was no helping it. The enemy had arrived too quickly, leaving no time for extensive preparations.

But no matter the cost, they had to defeat the enemy. Konoha could not be destroyed in his hands, no matter what!

With the Anbu sparing no Chakra, every Konoha Ninja soon received the news.

Under the organization of the Jonin and Special Jonin, they swiftly set up all kinds of traps with Kikyo Mountain as the center of the battlefield, stretching from the south toward the northeast.

By this point in the war, every ninja who had survived had been tempered by blood and fire. Once their superiors assigned their tasks, they carried them out in an orderly fashion.

Although every ninja was under immense pressure, none of them panicked.

What ninja needed most was calmness. Panic was a grave taboo, something repeatedly emphasized at the Ninja Academy.

In the Uchiha Clan's defensive sector, on a patch of grass, as the ninja hurriedly departed, Uchiha Yashiro suddenly called out to Uchiha Gen.

"Gen, stay behind."

Uchiha Gen replied neither servilely nor arrogantly, "What are your orders, Captain Yashiro?"

"Stay with me. During battle, remember not to stray too far from my side," Uchiha Yashiro said expressionlessly.

Uchiha Gen understood at once. Uchiha Yashiro wanted to make it easier to look after and rescue him during battle.

No wonder he had not been assigned any teammates or missions earlier.

So this is the privilege of being a genius?

It did feel rather nice, but some of his methods would be difficult to use in front of Uchiha Yashiro.

The battlefield was the best place to harvest souls. They were all enemies, so there was no need for any restraint!

"Thank you for your kindness, Captain Yashiro, but Gen does not need special treatment."

"The Uchiha are a clan born for battle. We have never feared war. I will definitely survive!"

Uchiha Gen spoke righteously, brimming with confidence.

Although his goodwill had been rejected, Uchiha Yashiro was not angry. Instead, he thought even more highly of Uchiha Gen.

This was the spirit an Uchiha Clan ninja ought to possess!

"Since that is the case, forget it."

"I will assign you as a squad captain, then."

Uchiha Gen wore a troubled expression. "Captain, I still haven't recovered from the shadow of the last time... If my teammates..."

At that, Uchiha Gen fell silent. His eyes dimmed, sorrow filled his face, and he lowered his head in silence.

Uchiha Yashiro also knew about Uchiha Gen awakening his Two-Tomoe Sharingan because his captain and teammates had died.

Understanding dawned on Uchiha Yashiro. After thinking for a while, he said, "You have already awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and after recovering from your injuries, you also learned several ninjutsu from the clan's collection. Among Chunin, your strength should be among the best."

"You do indeed have the ability to operate alone. Your only weakness is your lack of experience."

"Operating alone puts you at a serious disadvantage against a squad. Have you thought this through?"

Uchiha Clan ninja who had awakened the Sharingan were basically invincible against opponents of the same rank in one-on-one combat. But against an entire squad, the Sharingan's power was greatly diminished.

Uchiha Gen said seriously, "Captain, I have thought it through."

"If I encounter a squad led by a Chunin, I will not attack recklessly. I will focus on striking Genin squads instead."

"Even when I do act, I will use methods such as luring them away, separating them, and launching sneak attacks to defeat them one by one. I will never confront them head-on."

"If I encounter a Jonin or a Jonin squad, I will turn around and leave without hesitation."

Uchiha Yashiro nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. It seems you are clear-headed."

"In that case, I can rest assured. Go, and watch your safety."

"Yes."

Uchiha Gen gave a slight bow, then moved and left.

He needed to choose his hunting ground.

Friends reading this, please do not let the book sit in your library without reading it. The editor said that Naruto fanfiction needs the potential to become a major hit, or one to two hundred active readers while running without promotion, before it can be signed. You do not want your bookmarks, recommendation votes, investments, and time to go to waste either, right? (Sob sob)