In the end, Rei Uchiha agreed to his plan.
Back at the tent, Kyosuke shared the news with the two of them, hoping they would prepare themselves mentally.
"Hehe." Uchiha Maya chuckled, toying with a pale pink kunai. "I've told you before, Lord Kyosuke. Wherever you want to go, I'll follow you-even to the Pure Land."
"Same here." Uchiha Izumi nodded beside her. Since her promotion to jonin, she had grown increasingly quiet.
More precisely, she was being influenced by the bloodline within her.
The Second Generation had once said that the Uchiha were a cursed clan. Now, Kyosuke found himself agreeing more and more.
The thought of Tobirama Senju sent his mind drifting thousands of miles away.
By his reckoning, Madara was already eleven. If the story hadn't changed, there was a good chance he had already become friends with Hashirama Senju.
Their meeting meant the Warring States Period had officially entered its final countdown.
The age of ninja villages was approaching, provided the two could overcome the resistance of the older generation of shinobi.
It was still a little too early to discuss that.
Shaking his head, Kyosuke returned his attention to the current situation.
A full year of killing had earned him a place on the enemy's must-kill list.
He didn't need to think to know that plenty of eyes were watching him, always looking for the right moment to strike.
Since that was the case, he might as well take the initiative.
If you don't move, I won't move. But once I do, you're going to hurt.
It was like dating. If the woman never gave him an opening, the man could only linger at the entrance forever.
Now, Kyosuke was giving the Three Clans a chance to intercept and kill him.
As for what gave him the confidence to handle it, first of all, Uchiha Izumi had firmly established herself among the jonin.
She was one of his trump cards.
Years of constant fighting had given Uchiha Maya exceptional skill in genjutsu.
Not long ago, their squad had been ambushed by a jonin. At the critical moment, her Sharingan had finally evolved into its three-tomoe form.
That made her a jonin specializing in genjutsu-essentially an upgraded Kurenai Yuhi.
Two jonin-level fighters.
As for Kyosuke himself...
Name: Uchiha Kyosuke Age: 9 Physical strength: Chunin Mental strength: Peak chunin Chakra reserves: Peak chunin Abilities mastered: Uchiha-style Swordsmanship (Level 5), Three Body Technique (Level 5), Throwing Technique (Level 6), Chakra Control Technique (Level 4), Hand seals (Level 4), Shisui-style Body Flicker Technique (Level 3), Chidori (Level 2) Kekkei genkai: Sharingan (Two tomoe) Summoning beast: None Ninja tools: Omitted Points: 1,275
Over the past year, he had fought with his life on the line, leaving him little time to consolidate his strength.
His results had been outstanding, his point earnings considerable, and his various combat skills had improved to differing degrees.
Yet in terms of raw strength, he still hadn't broken past the limits of a chunin.
When it came to lethality at midrange, however, even Izumi and Maya combined couldn't match his terrifying threat.
The reason was that Kyosuke had redeemed an A-Rank ninjutsu.
It was also the ninjutsu best suited for the Uchiha to learn... Chidori!
Chidori was a ninjutsu developed by Kakashi Hatake in his youth.
The technique gathered lightning release chakra in the palm, forming a powerful electric current.
The hand became like a blade, possessing tremendous piercing power.
When activated, it sounded like a thousand birds chirping, hence its name.
To increase its piercing power, the attack required a running charge over some distance. Moving too fast could leave the user vulnerable to a counterattack, so it had to be used in conjunction with the Sharingan.
Paired with those Sharingan eyes, Chidori's actual power was no less than that of an S-Rank ninjutsu. At 12,000 points, it was quite a bargain.
Redeeming the Rasengan, by comparison, cost a full 18,000 points, and its requirements for use were far higher than Chidori's.
With Kyosuke's current peak-chunin strength, killing a jonin alone would be no problem as long as he had the right opportunity.
Another important factor was that Chidori's subsequent changes in form were particularly well suited to Kyosuke.
Having it meant he could develop many different ways to use the ninjutsu.
The defensive Chidori Stream, the midrange Chidori Sharp Spear, the close-range Chidori Blade, and so on.
Given enough time, even developing Lightning Release: Kirin later on wasn't out of the question.
In his spare time, he would pore over books, continually deepening his understanding of "techniques."
Faced with such a perfect ninjutsu, anyone would be tempted to redeem it.
Why weren't the other two worried in the slightest?
Because only they knew just how terrifying their squad's true fighting strength had become.
If Ino-Shika-Cho came for them, they would have to pay a devastating price.
Otherwise, Kyosuke would have to be out of his mind to propose using himself as bait.
Besides changing the course of the war, this move would help him establish his standing in the Southern Army in one stroke.
If he really fell out with Tajima Uchiha, he needed enough leverage to stand against him.
Military deterrence, resounding achievements, and the "gift" he had prepared in advance-together, those three would be enough to gather a large group of loyal subordinates around him.
Whatever the future held, there would always have to be a place for Kyosuke in the Uchiha Clan.
Even if he fell out with the Dance King someday, he could simply start his own operation. With people under his command, he wouldn't have to worry wherever he went.
In the southern Land of Fire, a certain canyon lay near the border.
The Three Clans had quietly established their joint position there.
Without the Hyuga Clan's help, no one could have tracked them to such a secluded place.
Sitting inside his tent, Mitsuyoshi Akimichi stared at the battle reports on the table and sighed heavily.
Rei Uchiha was aching over his losses, but Mitsuyoshi was just as troubled by the high casualty rate.
The Uchiha Clan was incredibly powerful. Even with a tactical edge and an overall strategy that favored his side, so many clashes had still failed to secure victory.
"Why sigh?" A soft chuckle came from outside the tent. The flap lifted, and Nara Tohiko walked in with a smile.
Nara Tohiko, the current head of the Nara Clan, had reached the level of an elite jonin.
He was a prominent figure in the Land of Fire, someone everyone had to treat with caution.
"You're certainly not worried," Mitsuyoshi Akimichi snapped. "My clansmen are the ones charging at the front. If this keeps up, our whole damn clan will be wiped out."
"Don't get angry." Nara Tohiko waved a hand, an unreadable gleam in his eyes. "I told you I'd come up with a satisfactory plan as soon as possible."
As he spoke, he placed a sheet of white paper before his friend.
It bore a string of scrambled characters. A rough fellow like Mitsuyoshi Akimichi certainly couldn't decipher the carefully prepared secret language.
Fortunately, Nara Tohiko knew him well enough to take a pen and write out the decoded message beside it himself.
After a quick glance, the Akimichi clan leader sprang to his feet and burst into delighted laughter. "Hahaha! He finally took the bait!"
The intelligence stated that the Evil-Faced Rakshasa was Rei Uchiha's most capable subordinate, someone he cherished deeply.
Capturing him would surely curb the Uchiha counteroffensive.
Otherwise, the Southern Army would be condemned for abandoning a hero and its hope for the future.
Rei Uchiha, who was competing for the position of clan leader, would never stand by and let his reputation suffer.
To carry out the capture, Nara Tohiko had secretly laid many traps.
Heaven rewarded those who persevered. At last, his opportunity had arrived.
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