Have You Ever Heard the Chidori Chorus?

Two months ago, Senju of the Forest launched a surprise attack.

The Uchiha Clan suffered devastating losses and had to retreat a hundred li before they could barely regroup.

In that battle, over a hundred clansmen died, and Uchiha Madara's last cousin was stabbed through the stomach.

The guilt in his heart once made him want to flee from the war.

Without telling his father or younger brother, he went to the river every day to clear his mind and mend the emotional wounds left by the battle.

There, he met a friend burdened by the same troubles.

The two hit it off at once and quickly became close friends who could talk about anything, though they also vaguely sensed each other's identity.

The massive clash on the main battlefield immediately stirred up considerable unrest across the region.

The Three Clans, who had originally planned to withdraw from the southern battlefield and head deeper into the Land of Fire to recover, seemed to have been provoked by something and began launching frequent attacks against the Uchiha Legion.

In a single month, there had been more than twenty battles, large and small. Though they could not compare to the main battlefield, war was equally cruel everywhere.

"Find them! You must find where those bastards are hiding!!!"

Uchiha Rei's roars echoed continuously through the commander's tent.

The Three Clans acted with extreme cunning, constantly avoiding direct confrontations with them.

With the Nara Clan around, devising battle plans was easy. It could be said that they had remained on the back foot tactically.

Since they could not carry out a frontal encirclement, dividing the battlefield had become an unavoidable reality.

Yet before the perfectly coordinated Ino–Shika–Cho, Uchiha squads of equal size could not gain even the slightest advantage.

Over the past month or so, the battle reports showed a horrifying casualty ratio of 1:2.13 between the two sides.

If this continued, their war potential would rapidly be worn down until the gap disappeared. If it truly came to that, the southern battlefield would be in danger.

"I want prisoners! Prisoners with enough rank!"

"You useless trash! If you can't capture anyone, I'll skin you alive!"

A burst of furious cursing and smashing rang out. A few minutes later, a group of Squad Leaders fled the tent in a sorry state.

Capture prisoners? Easier said than done. Did he really think the Three Clans were idiots?! The initiative was in their hands now. If they decided not to fight, it did not matter how mad you got.

By now, even an idiot could tell that the Three Clans were acting in coordination with the Senju.

Unless the main battlefield produced a clear result, the final decisive battle would never come.

Oh, unless the Southern Legion showed weakness. Then perhaps the Three Clans' main force really would appear.

But by then, it was hard to say who would be the one getting wiped out.

The Squad Leaders, each harboring their own thoughts, prepared to return to their camps and assign tasks. Before leaving, every one of them cast a meaningful look at the figure waiting outside the tent.

The mask, like that of a demon or an asura, inspired fear at a glance. Everyone knew who he was.

Precisely because of that, they could not conceal their heartfelt amazement.

Nine years old. At such an age, he had already become the brightest star on the battlefield. The boy's performance had long conquered everyone.

During this period, many clansmen had applied to join him, hoping to carve out a future under the boy's command.

However, Kyosuke rejected every one of them without exception.

The three-man squad had now developed flawless coordination and clear roles, forming a combat style of striking once and leaving immediately, never dragging things out.

Recklessly adding others would not only fail to increase their combat strength, but would also interfere with his hunts.

Recruiting people was fine, and Kyosuke had reached the point where he needed to establish a foundation of influence. But he still had to wait a little longer.

He already had a plan. If he executed it well enough, he would surely be able to gather a large number of useful talents.

For now, he needed to find a way to break the deadlock as quickly as possible. If things truly dragged on until they became dangerous, none of them would escape punishment from the clan.

He lifted the curtain and walked in. The tent was already in ruins; nothing that could be smashed had escaped destruction.

Even so, Uchiha Rei sat there, simmering with anger.

At this moment, aside from Kyosuke, there really were not many people who dared seek an audience with him.

"Lord Rei." He maintained the same respect as always.

"Oh, little Kyosuke is here." Seeing his most valued subordinate arrive, the old man forcibly restrained his emotions and squeezed out a smile. "How many people did you kill this time?"

Kyosuke shook his head without answering the question and went straight to the point. "I have an idea. It should be able to draw out an enemy commander of sufficient rank."

"Really?" Uchiha Rei's eyes lit up. What troubled him most now was how to lure out the enemy.

As long as they captured a prisoner important enough, the army could strike, launch a full encirclement, and recover all the losses they had suffered before in one go.

Kyosuke then explained his plan in detail.

"No!" Uchiha Rei abruptly rose to his feet. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at his favorite subordinate and harshly rebuked him. "Do you know what you're saying?"

"Use me as bait to lure the enemy into surrounding me."

"As long as they can ensure success, the Three Clans will definitely send someone significant."

"Ensure success." Uchiha Rei clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "That means you'll be facing enemies you have no way of resisting."

"Yes." Kyosuke nodded, his voice calm. "Most likely, they'll send a complete Ino–Shika–Cho team to intercept and kill me."

A complete Ino–Shika–Cho team referred to a lineup capable of carrying out all of their combat techniques.

Usually, it consisted of three outstanding Jonin.

In other words, Kyosuke would have to face a Jonin-level Ino–Shika–Cho team alone, and they would most likely have quite a few helpers as well.

The Legion Commander knew the kid had Jonin-level combat power under his command.

But that operation was far too risky.

One misstep, and he would truly get himself killed.

The Nara Clan was exceptionally cunning. They would definitely investigate thoroughly before making a move.

The Yamanaka Clan were all excellent sensory ninjas. With them around, it would be impossible to set up an ambush in advance.

Three Jonin, and a fully assembled Ino–Shika–Cho at that. If faced alone, no one in the entire camp besides Uchiha Rei would dare claim victory lightly.

Could it be that the kid already possessed strength comparable to a Jonin? The Legion Commander was deeply skeptical.

He knew that during the clan's surprise attack years ago, the kid and Madara had joined forces to eliminate the infiltrating Ino–Shika–Cho.

But could that situation be compared to this one?

Without the Yamanaka ninja being unexpectedly injured, if the Ino–Shika–Cho's coordination had not been severed, or if there had been even one fewer ninja willing to die for the clan grounds... if any one of those conditions had been true, the outcome would have changed immediately.

The kid's gotten too full of himself. I can't be foolish with him.

Kyosuke was his hope for the future. Uchiha Rei could not use him as a gamble.

Understanding this, Kyosuke slowly raised an arm, his tone measured yet resolute. "Lord Rei, please allow me to show you what gives me confidence."

What did that mean? Before he could understand, a blinding flash of lightning suddenly appeared.

In an instant, a sound like the chorus of a thousand birds echoed throughout the entire camp!