Mobilized Once More

Shuichi heard this name, an image of a dark-skinned, ancient-looking middle-aged man came to mind. Although they were not familiar with each other, as fellow Jonin crossed paths a few times.

As for the opponent's strength... he's a traditional Civilian Ninja, not particularly skilled in Ninjutsu, but he's quite experienced after years of fighting.

Although he wasn't considered one of the strongest Jonin, the fact that none of the three Chunin he led Jonin a mission returned suggests that they must have encountered a powerful opponent.

"Okay, I'm going to become a workaholic. This Hokage candidate is really a trap..."

Seeing the Third Hokage gesturing for him to quickly check the intelligence, Shuichi inwardly groaned.

Since even ordinary Jonin can't handle it, the only way to solve the problem is to send out more teams, or... even more powerful individuals. With the village's current manpower, who else but us can do it?

Back then, Minato was also used like a beast of burden, running around on several fronts simultaneously. Now that it's his turn, he's really having a terrible time. This is what they call "the capable are always burdened with more work"...

Picking up the task log, wow... the distance is really far!

The Nakagawa Squad's mission was to rescue the wife of the lord of Matsuyama Castle. The person who commissioned the mission was the Castle Steward, and there seemed to be nothing unusual about it.

Matsuyama Castle is an ancient city in the southernmost part of the Land of Fire. This southern region is not the southern part of the main continent, but rather the large tail that extends out from beneath the Land of Land of Fire.

This city is located on a coastal plain bordering the Land of Tea. Although it is considered territory of the Land of Fire, it is quite far from the center of the Shinobi World.

Starting from Konoha, you'll need to first reach the border of the Land of Whirlpools, then traverse the complex mountain ranges, or you can travel by sea downstream.

Even if elite ninjas travel at full speed, it would still take them more than four days to arrive.

While Shuichi was deep in thought, the Third Hokage seemed to have thought of something else. After looking through a number of secret documents, he said to Shuichi somewhat embarrassedly:

"This time, I might need your help to make a trip. According to intelligence from the Anbu, there have been signs of significant ninja activity in the Land of Tea in recent years, likely indicating a small-scale war between the Sunagakure and the Kirigakure..."

Shuichi couldn't refuse this time. Although there wasn't enough time to analyze the information, the unexpected incident that Nakagawa Squad and the Anbu encountered was likely related to this, and since it involved national interests, it couldn't be ignored.

"I'll set off as soon as possible, preferably with a few helpers," Shuichi replied. "If possible, have Itachi come along. As for the rest... let's go with Shisui and Akiha."

"..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to say that he was being a bit reckless, especially since Itachi was just a child who had participated in more war missions in peacetime than most Jonin.

However, considering the many extraordinary talents among Shuichi's group, he could only remind him to keep a close eye on Itachi's safety.

After leaving the Hokage Building, Shuichi quickly returned home to clean up, reorganized his equipment, and set off again, heading straight for the Uchiha Compound.

Investigations like this, where there's not much information, are extremely troublesome. That's why he needs the Byakugan to maintain control, as well as Genjutsu master who can quickly interrogate the suspects.

As for having fewer people? That's no problem at all in front of a one-man army like him...

In the backyard of the Uchiha Clan Head's house, two children, one big and one small, stood facing each other a few meters apart. Several marbles bounced back and forth between them, and their childish shouts could be heard from time to time.

"Ouch!"

Before Sasuke react, the ball bounced off the ground and hit him squarely on the forehead, making him a little dizzy. He was then hit repeatedly, leaving him in a rather disheveled state.

"Damn it, watch my counterattack! It has to hit!"

Driven by an extremely competitive spirit, he decided against following the rules of the game, picked up the ball, and threw it straight at the itachi.

Despite being under 4 years old and quite short, he possesses considerable strength, reminiscent of a ninja's fighting style.

"Um?"

Itachi's expression remained unchanged; it seemed as if the ball had simply vanished with a flick of his hand. When facing the last two balls, he even turned his head to look behind him, easily catching them blindfolded.

"Itachi, we have an urgent mission coming up. Get ready."

Shisui, sitting on the roof, waved to him. Beside him stood Shuichi, who remained silent, seemingly observing the game between the two Uchiha brothers.

Itachi recognized the coded message in the hand gestures; it was likely A-rank or higher war mission. His expression turned serious. "I understand!"

When she returned to face her younger brother, apologetic smile flashed across her face. "Sorry, Sasuke, I can't play with you lately."

Sasuke was initially frustrated that his unorthodox attack had been completely ineffective, but when he saw that his older brother was about to abandon him and run away, he immediately became anxious.

"What? You're all bad people! You always take my brother away every time you come!" Sasuke rushed to Itachi's side, puffing out his cheeks at Shisui and Shuichi on the roof. His unfriendly expression was rather cute on a child.

"Hey, little guy, these were his orders. I didn't take your brother away," Shuichi said, pointing at Shisui and spreading his hands.

Completely ignoring the other person's wry smile, isn't it a leader's instinct to make subordinates take the blame...?

"Hmph, you can't fool me. It seems you're the mastermind!" Sasuke said angrily. "I remember clearly, you appeared more often than him, especially the first time he was following behind you."

Shisui's expression turned strange after hearing this. He wanted to chuckle to himself, but dared not openly utter a sound, which was quite a struggle for him.

Shuichi's face darkened; this kid actually had impressive observation and analytical skills. The Uchiha genes were truly something else.

Today, Purple Aurora suffered a setback; it seems I can't show up directly anymore.

"Forgive me, Sasuke!" Itachi poked his younger brother's forehead, a gesture he didn't know why it was so instinctive and natural. "I'll play with you again when I get back."

Two hours later, four figures rushed out of Konoha and headed straight south; in an emergency, the faster the better.

With Itachi being the youngest member of the team, Shuichi had clearly planned how to ensure he could reach maximum speed while maintaining sufficient combat power.

"This is the information regarding our mission. Everyone, please take a look."

During their first rest after a half-day of travel, Shuichi tossed several Scroll to his team members, saying, "Feel free to voice any opinions you may have."

At first, the three only knew that they were going to investigate the disappearance of the Anbu and a certain Jonin squad. After reading more detailed information, they realized that this mission was not simple at all.

Lady Miyazaki, the Lady of Matsuyama Castle, was once a princess of the daimyo's Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Of course, this situation was very common, because Daimyo's Mansion never lacked princesses, and the women specifically used for marriage alliances were all from collateral branches of the family, so there were basically as many as needed.

The Land of Fire's overall national strength stems from the taxes levied on all cities within its territory. The Daimyo's Mansion maintains political control, while Konoha provides military support.

No one dared to harbor any wicked thoughts, otherwise, with the speed of a ninja, they could wipe out all the disobedient ones within a few days.

However, in order to foster goodwill and strengthen control over some resource-rich cities, the Daimyo's Mansion will use marriage alliances to build closer ties, and in this process, it may manipulate the dowry members.

For example, they might send people skilled in finance to monitor the economic situation of these subordinate cities, and there might even be spies from Konoha hidden among the ordinary guards.

If an enemy invasion or domestic unrest is discovered, the Land of Fire can immediately suppress it with force.

"Matsuyama Castle is the largest city in the southern region. Not only is it located by the sea, but it is also surrounded by vast rainforests, volcanoes, and other natural environments, making it extremely rich in resources. Silver and iron mines have even been discovered there," Hyuga Akiha said first.

"It's just that this place is relatively remote. Perhaps the Miyazaki Clan is dissatisfied with the tax revenue from the Land of Fire and wants to break free from Land of Fire control to leave more benefits for themselves?"

This is a very normal thought. The exploited people have bad intentions because they are far away. After all, the more they produce, the more painful it is to be exploited.

"Furthermore, the continuous war between Kirigakure and Sunagakure in the nearby Land of Tea must have been for the sake of gaining benefits, and then they discovered new resources on the border between the two countries? The conflict thus spread to the vicinity of Matsuyama Castle?" Shisui speculated.