Encounter

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with absolute confidence. After finishing, he discreetly glanced at Shimura Danzō, feeling puzzled.

Ordinarily, that old man Shimura Danzō had always been a warmonger.

Yet today, faced with such obstruction from the two advisors, he had not uttered a single word.

That was hardly in keeping with his usual conduct.

"Hiruzen, I advise you to look over the latest list of fallen shinobi before making a decision."

Utatane Koharu spoke up again, interrupting Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts.

He snapped out of his puzzled contemplation, glanced at Utatane Koharu, then calmly picked up the casualty list on the table and began to read it.

He turned the pages one by one. Many of the names on the list were familiar to him.

Some of them belonged to members of his own Sarutobi Clan.

Others belonged to members of Konoha's other noble clans.

Including the Hyuga Clan, Uchiha Clan, Inuzuka Clan, Akimichi Clan, Yamanaka Clan, Aburame Clan...

Besides their names, the casualty list also recorded their ages and genders.

The more Hiruzen Sarutobi read, the heavier his heart became.

Most of the fallen shinobi were young. The youngest was only eight years old, while the oldest was no more than thirty-five.

The older generation could be sacrificed, but the young were a shinobi village's future—the village's fresh blood.

Without fresh blood to replenish it, the decline of a shinobi village and its nation was nearly inevitable.

At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to admit that he was indeed somewhat shaken.

Shimura Danzō, who had been sitting in his chair with his eyes half-closed and had barely spoken, silently observed Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction.

Then, he suddenly spoke.

"Hiruzen was right just now. Konoha may have suffered considerable losses in this war, but has the enemy not suffered the same?"

"What we are competing in now is endurance. Whoever holds out until the end will be the victor. We have just driven back Kirigakure's forces and forced the Land of Water to decide to sit down for peace talks. The advantage is on our side now."

"I cannot understand withdrawing our troops when we clearly hold the advantage. Of course, the final decision is in your hands, Hiruzen."

After saying that, Shimura Danzō once again seemed to enter a meditative trance, continuing to doze with his eyes half-closed.

His words had struck right at Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.

"Send out more Intelligence Division teams to gather information on all sides of the battlefield and assess the balance of strength between ourselves and the enemy."

"In any case, we can now concentrate part of our forces and send them to support the other fronts. We will know the outcome if we keep fighting. That settles the matter."

After speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi put his pipe back between his lips and looked out the window.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged glances, both appearing as though they wanted to speak but held back.

Meanwhile, Shimura Danzō, who had revealed nothing on his face, was secretly delighted inside.

Uchiha Daiki raced through the forest, preparing to return and reunite with the Uchiha Clan members.

All along the way, his extraordinary perception had continuously scanned the entire battlefield.

Since Kirigakure had suffered devastating losses under his counteroffensive, it no longer dared send large forces into the Land of Fire to harass and fight.

The defeat and destruction of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had further deepened the Land of Water's apprehension.

Now, on the Eastern Front—at least within Uchiha Daiki's sensory range—there were no longer any active enemies.

The Third Hokage will probably either summon us back or send us to support another battlefield.

As Uchiha Daiki silently considered this, he suddenly came to a halt.

The instant he stopped, a figure appeared on the horizontal branch of a large tree ahead.

The person looked younger than him, seemingly only in his teens.

He had short black hair, a Short Sword strapped to his back, and a Konoha forehead protector. His face was resolute, and his steadfast gaze carried a trace of scrutiny and curiosity.

"The Uchiha genius, the flawless shinobi, 'Body Flicker Shisui'..."

With just one glance, Uchiha Daiki recognized his identity.

After all, they were both members of the Uchiha Clan, and the name Body Flicker Shisui was now known by everyone.

Uchiha Shisui's gaze moved from Uchiha Daiki's face to the weapons strapped to his back.

They were all spoils from his earlier defeat of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

They included Hiramekarei, used by Hozuki Senjin; Kabutowari, used by Jinin Akebino; the long sword Nuibari, used by Kushimaru Kuriarare; and the Exploding Blade Shibuki, used by Munashi Jinpachi.

Had the other three Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist not fled while their companions held Uchiha Daiki back, he could have collected all seven ninja swords.

"Looks like I arrived too late."

After examining them for a few moments, Uchiha Shisui spoke calmly.

His words seemed to imply that he had also come to pursue the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

"Was this your target too?"

Uchiha Daiki raised a hand and pointed at the weapons on his back.

"There have been many rumors about you on the battlefield lately. In that case, you must have awakened the Sharingan as well, right?"

Uchiha Shisui replied with a question.

At that, Uchiha Daiki suddenly used an advanced Body Flicker Technique and appeared before him in an instant.

The two stood side by side. Uchiha Daiki turned to look at him. "My Sharingan is currently at its highest form."

He was testing him.

He wanted to see how far Uchiha Shisui had developed his Sharingan.

Sure enough, a hint of surprise appeared in Uchiha Shisui's eyes when he heard that. "The Mangekyō?"

The amount of information revealed by that question was substantial.

First, it meant that Uchiha Shisui already knew about the Mangekyō, a secret that ordinary Uchiha shinobi did not know.

It very likely meant that he had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"The Mangekyō?"

Uchiha Daiki continued playing dumb, revealing a confused expression. "Isn't the highest form of the Sharingan the three tomoe?"

At his words, much of the surprise on Uchiha Shisui's face faded, replaced by sudden realization. "It is not."

"Beyond the three-tomoe form, the Sharingan has an even more advanced form. That is the true power of the Uchiha Clan."

As he spoke, Uchiha Shisui's eyes suddenly changed shape.

His originally dark, bright eyes transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan in the blink of an eye.

Its pattern was that of a Four-Blade Windmill, brimming with a mysterious, unfathomable aura.

Seeing the Mangekyō Sharingan Uchiha Shisui displayed, Uchiha Daiki once again showed surprise.

This time, he was genuinely taken aback.

He had not expected Uchiha Shisui to have already awakened the Mangekyō at this point.