In Full Swing

Seek peace through war, and peace would endure; seek peace through compromise, and peace would perish!

A great man's profound saying retained its thunderous impact even across different times, spaces, and historical contexts.

Konoha Year 32, spring.

The Ninja World was in turmoil. The Five Great Nations and the smaller countries had all grown increasingly restless. Local conflicts, behind-the-lines raids, and small-scale battles erupted one after another. Peace seemed poised to temporarily leave this tragedy-filled world, while the flames of war appeared ready to spiral out of control.

Of the remarks Uchiha Tokimitsu had made at the Clan Meeting two years ago, this one had spread the widest throughout the clan. Countless Uchiha took it as their personal motto and guiding principle. No Choice—it suited Uchiha clan members far too well.

Moreover, thanks to the Uchiha's big mouths spreading it everywhere, the saying showed signs of breaking out of its circle and gradually became popular throughout Konoha.

Especially in this turbulent era, when the contradictions among the Five Great Nations were growing ever greater and overt and covert conflicts were multiplying.

"Seek peace through war, and peace would endure; the foundation for peace lasting ten thousand generations must come from a war to unify the Ninja World!"

In the Hokage's Office, Danzo spoke to Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen with a grave expression.

"Hiruzen, with the village's strength, as long as we plan carefully, we can absolutely overthrow the other four Great Nations. Stop hesitating! Lord Hashirama's mistaken choice created even bloodier Ninja World Wars. Our mission is to correct that mistake and make Konoha the sole, eternal strongest ninja village!"

"What are you still hesitating for, Hiruzen? Make up your mind at once!"

Shimura Danzō's tone grew increasingly impassioned, as though Konoha unifying the Ninja World was already right before his eyes.

The Third Hokage took a deep draw from his pipe, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.

"Danzo... perhaps the hawkish factions in the other villages think the same way you do. That is why war is so bloody..."

"You are still prattling on about peace! Hiruzen, when did you become so childish?" Danzo was so furious his nose nearly twisted crooked.

"Where the leaves dance, fire burns on without end. Its light will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout..."

The Third Hokage recited the Will of Fire's specific creed with a distant look in his eyes.

"Lord Hashirama established the village to better protect our children, not to turn it into a tool for certain ambitious people to indulge their personal desires."

The Third Hokage's words carried a pointed meaning, and Danzo was enraged.

"Hiruzen!"

"Danzo!"

"You will regret this!"

"I am the Hokage!"

As usual, the pair's conversation ended in a classic fashion. A furious Danzo slammed the door and stormed out, while the Third Hokage, too distracted by Danzo to continue handling government affairs, could only smoke in silence.

To be fair, formally putting an end to the bloody warfare that had continued since the Warring States Period was the dream of every generation of Hokage.

It was simply that First Hokage Senju Hashirama had chosen a balance among the ninja villages of the Five Great Nations. Second Generation Senju Tobirama had been trapped by internal strife with ninja clans such as the Uchiha, and was ultimately killed in an ambush during an alliance meeting with the Land of Lightning. As for Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, his strength still fell Not small short of that of his Teacher, Second Hokage Senju Tobirama. Though he bore the title of Ninja Hero, he could not suppress the nations abroad or pacify the powerful clans within. At such a time, speaking of plans to unify the Ninja World was truly an unrealistic fantasy.

"Uchiha..."

A faint murmur echoed through the Hokage's Office...

Elsewhere, the two-year-old Uchiha Reserve Training Academy was thriving, and its students brimmed with vitality.

After all, whether they were Uchiha Military Police Force officers sent back for retraining or newly enrolled recruits, everyone learned quite a few novel and practical ninja skills at this Konoha Military Police Force academy that operated as an enhanced Ninja Academy beneath the name of a "training institution."

The various Uchiha family lineages had also slightly cast aside their sectarian prejudices and partially loosened restrictions on ninjutsu inheritance. Some lower-level ancestral Uchiha ninjutsu, along with a large pile of miscellaneous Five Elemental Ninjutsu copied by generations of Uchiha clan members using the Sharingan, had all been thrown into the Konoha Military Police Force Reserve Training Academy for anyone to learn.

Although none of the clan's core secret techniques were included, lower-level Uchiha ninjutsu was enough for ordinary Uchiha clan members. Though Sharingan-copied ninjutsu might differ from the original versions in power, casting time, Chakra consumption, and other aspects, it was still better than having nothing.

Based on the difference in educational content, if the Konoha Ninja Academy was at elementary-school level, then the Uchiha Konoha Military Police Force Reserve Training Academy was at least equivalent to a vocational secondary school. It was also a complete ninja education system spanning from elementary school to vocational secondary school.

The Uchiha Clan's measures and benefits truly made countless Civilian Ninja drool with envy, and even many ninja clans felt intensely jealous.

After all, ninjutsu was the foundation upon which ninja survived.

In Konoha, a clan like the Uchiha that openly supplied its ninjutsu inheritance was absolutely one of a kind.

Even if many of the ninjutsu taught at the Uchiha's so-called academy were Sharingan copies, to Civilian Ninja, one more ninjutsu meant one more chance to survive. Why would they care about such boundless nonsense? They could not even learn them if they wanted to.

Thus, over the past two years, although the Hokage Faction had continued to deliberately and subtly manipulate public opinion to attack the Konoha Military Police Force's overbearing conduct and the Reserve Training Academy's "separatist" behavior, the Uchiha Clan's standing in the eyes of ordinary ninja had still risen somewhat. In order to obtain some of the insignificant ninjutsu leaked by the Uchiha, large numbers of ordinary Civilian Ninja tried every possible way to befriend Uchiha clan members.

At Uchiha Tokimitsu's suggestion and under Elder Setsuna's direction, the Konoha Military Police Force Reserve Training Academy also admitted children from some lesser clans that had served as hereditary allies of the Uchiha Clan. It further accepted some Civilian Ninja who were friends of Uchiha clan members for "training." Although these people might not necessarily be able to enter the Uchiha Clan's exclusive Konoha Military Police Force, they could still genuinely learn quite a few practical Five Elemental Ninjutsu.

Therefore, although Uchiha clan members remained as arrogant, cold, aloof, and disdainful as ever, they still could not withstand the enthusiasm of Civilian Ninja—after all, the Uchiha gave too much!

Over these two years, Uchiha Tokimitsu had not been idle either. Not only had he awakened his Sharingan to Two-Tomoe, but as he grew older, both his Chakra reserves and physical abilities had improved greatly. He had also developed multiple secret Spiritual Power attack techniques by combining the clan's inherited Yin Release Secret Technique with his powerful Spiritual Power. At the same time, he served as an instructor at the Konoha Military Police Force Reserve Training Academy, mainly acting as a sparring opponent to hone combat skills. In secret, he had also participated in no small number of combat missions issued by the clan. Thus, although he was only Eight years old, after relentless cultivation and combat training, Uchiha Tokimitsu's fighting strength could already decisively overpower veteran Chunin. Against ordinary jonin, he could fight them to a draw. Within the Uchiha Clan, he could be considered an exceptionally talented prodigy.

Of course, the flourishing momentum displayed by the Uchiha Clan, now in full swing, made even more people in the village find it increasingly Unpleasant to the Eye. The representative among them was the legendary "Pot Kage"—Shimura Danzō.

However, the increasingly tense war-readiness atmosphere in the Ninja World and the constant outbreaks of small-scale conflicts occupied most of Danzo's attention. Furthermore, the Anbu Training Department in his hands, Root, had only recently been established and lacked strength. Before the current Uchiha Clan, it was nothing but a mob of worthless rabble. Though he harbored a thousand grievances and ten thousand refusals to submit, Danzo could only endure for now. All he could do was secretly manipulate public opinion to isolate the Uchiha Clan. But to the Uchiha Clan, the opinions of ordinary villagers who were not even ninja were utterly worthless—like ants shouting before an elephant. If the elephant spared them even a glance, it would count as a loss.

Thus, even as the Uchiha Clan was in full swing and everything appeared to be progressing splendidly, the Second Great Ninja War quietly raised its curtain...