At the Uchiha army's base on the Southern Border of the Land of Fire.
Having received the news, Rei Uchiha personally led his men to the entrance, ready to welcome the heroes home.
"He really did it." The Army Commander's heart surged with excitement, and even his hands trembled slightly.
He had fought the Three Clans for years, yet had never managed to crush them completely.
Now that they had the intelligence, they would soon gain an overwhelming advantage.
Once the strongholds scattered throughout the region were eliminated, the Three Clans would be driven into a corner with nowhere to retreat.
Their only options would be to fight to the death head-on or flee to the Land of Lightning.
In any case, they could forget about joining the Senju.
"Once this battle is over, the Southern Border will belong entirely to the Uchiha."
"Tajima, let's see what you'll have left to challenge me with then."
For a moment, Rei Uchiha seemed to see himself becoming Clan Leader.
"My lord, they're here."
His subordinate's voice pulled him out of his fantasy and back to reality.
He glanced around. At some point, a large crowd of ninja had gathered at the entrance, all waiting for Kyosuke's squad to return.
Soon, three figures appeared on the horizon.
Leading them was Uchiha Kyosuke, his face uncovered.
Ever since his strength had officially reached Jonin level, he no longer needed to wear a mask.
Among ninja, strength was the measure of everything.
His youth only further demonstrated his extraordinary talent.
As mentioned before, Chidori was the Ninjutsu best suited to the Uchiha. If he could teach it to his subordinates, he could teach it to every clansman who met the requirements.
The prerequisite was that they had to become his subordinates.
Ninja moved incredibly fast. One moment, the squad had only just appeared; the next, they were standing before the Army Commander.
Dropping the unconscious Rumiko Yamanaka onto the ground, Kyosuke said calmly, "Mission accomplished. I brought the prisoner back."
"Good, good, good." Rei Uchiha repeated the word three times. He had recognized her at a glance.
He ordered his men to take the prisoner away and keep her under strict guard, then patted Kyosuke's shoulder rather than leaving immediately.
How could a hero's return end so unceremoniously?
He would let him enjoy his clansmen's cheers first.
As an opponent they had fought for years, Rumiko Yamanaka's appearance was hardly a secret.
Soon, someone recognized her.
"Heavens, it really is that bitch, Rumiko Yamanaka."
"With her, we can smash the enemy's hideouts one by one."
"You bastards, your days are numbered!"
"Haha, the war is finally going to end."
"Long live Lord Kyosuke!"
"Long live! Long live!"
Faced with the fervent faces all around him, Kyosuke did not shy away.
With a ringing scrape, he drew his short sword, raised it overhead in one hand, and let out a roar of sheer exhilaration.
The next instant, the cheers nearly shook the entire Camp apart.
Inside the Commander-in-Chief's Tent, Kyosuke sat across from the Army Commander.
No matter where one went, there was never any shortage of dirty dealings.
Yet at times, relationships between ninja could be remarkably straightforward.
Changes in strength naturally brought changes in status. This was, in fact, Kyosuke's first conversation with the Army Commander as an equal.
"Next comes an all-out offensive against the enemy." Rei Uchiha sounded somewhat wistful. "After all these years, I've dreamed of this day."
"Once you secure victory on the Southern Border, your prestige will rival Tajima Uchiha's." Kyosuke made no effort to hide his loathing for the Clan Leader.
Over the past year, subordinates loyal to Tajima had thrown obstacles in his way from time to time.
They could not do any real harm, but they were irritating enough.
Still, Kyosuke continued to bide his time.
He did not yet have the power to overturn the board, so he would let them do as they pleased for now.
When the time was ripe, Tajima's head was already secretly reserved for him.
Madara...
Their relationship was one thing; Tajima's head was another matter entirely.
As long as that man lived, Kyosuke would never be able to seize real power within the Uchiha.
"Now that you've been promoted to Jonin, too..." Rei Uchiha knew his subordinate's strength well, so he intended to entrust him with more important responsibilities. "Get your unit assembled as soon as possible. You don't need to worry about manpower."
A Unit Commander was permitted to assemble a team of thirty members.
Given the casualty rate among ninja, units usually had fewer than that.
Previously, Kyosuke had not wanted others slowing him down, so he had always fought as part of a Trio.
Now that they were about to enter the main battlefield, even if all three were Jonin, their impact would be extremely limited.
A single round of army-scale Ninjutsu from the enemy might send them scrambling for their lives.
Even a bunch of worthless Mist Ninja could band together to withstand Edo Madara's Majestic Destroyer Flame. Sometimes, numbers really could offset a gap in raw strength.
"Thank you, my lord." Kyosuke nodded, accepting Rei Uchiha's goodwill.
He really did need to start building his own power base. Only with troops under his command would he have enough influence within the clan in the future.
When that time came, even Tajima Uchiha would probably have to think twice before moving against him.
While the two spoke, recruitment had already begun outside.
Uchiha Izumi served as the examiner, testing the applicants' strength, while Uchiha Maya used Genjutsu to screen out anyone who might pose a threat.
At first, there were quite a few complaints. They wanted to serve under Kyosuke, so why should they have to submit to her Genjutsu interrogation?
Wasn't that looking down on them?
But once Uchiha Izumi personally demonstrated Chidori and explained that everyone who passed could receive instruction from their lord, the clansmen throughout the Camp could no longer sit still.
They were all battle-hardened ninja. Anyone who was not an idiot could understand what Chidori meant.
Many had been wondering how the squad had possessed the strength to kill a fully equipped Ino-Shika-Cho team.
Now they understood. Kyosuke had actually developed such a terrifying Lightning Release Ninjutsu.
"Chidori... what a fitting name," someone marveled.
Since places were limited, recruitment was currently open only to candidates who met the requirements.
What requirements?
They could have no clear factional affiliation, could not be subordinates of Tajima Uchiha, and had to be proficient in Lightning Release Ninjutsu.
As soon as those three conditions were announced, cries of dismay rose among the clansmen. Those who qualified were overjoyed, eagerly anticipating the day they could learn Chidori.
After a full day and night of testing, the two women finally selected thirty ninja who met the requirements.
No Jonin came forward. Everyone who passed was a Chunin from the clan.
Jonin were strategic assets wherever they went, and had long since joined various factions.
It was not that they did not want to come, but that Kyosuke had shut them out from the start.
"Welcome." Activating his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Kyosuke spoke calmly amid the gasps of amazement. "If you follow me, you must have the ambition and resolve to earn distinction."
"Remember, the heart of enemy territory is our unit's forward outpost."
"With that resolve, use every means at your disposal to grow stronger."
Before you continue