White Blade Does Not Spare

The war against Iwagakure could not continue.

At the very least, they could no longer launch active offensives.

The Hokage Office Building's Edict to Stop Fighting was transmitted via Summoning Beast Transmission, first reaching the front line of the Konoha Expeditionary Force stationed in the Land of Rain. Jiraiya, a Hokage's disciple, then rushed to the Garrison Camp in the Land of Grass of the Northwest Border Defense Force, ordering him to deliver the edict and recall Uchiha Tokimitsu and his subordinates, who were assembling their forces in the northern Land of Grass in preparation for a cross-border invasion.

Uchiha Kamon was equally helpless. Faced with the Hokage's Edict, which carried an aura of legitimacy, and Jiraiya's status as a Hokage's disciple, none of the underhanded tricks he used against Anbu could be brought to bear. He could only hold his nose and dispatch a messenger to take Jiraiya to the northern front where Uchiha Tokimitsu was located.

"...Withdraw? Are you sure this isn't an edict from the Earth Shadow?"

Uchiha Tokimitsu raised a brow, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan glowing as he glared displeasedly at the younger Jiraiya.

At that moment, Uchiha Tokimitsu was on a hill roughly ten kilometers from Iwagakure's Camp within the Land of Earth. He had only just established the Frontline Command Post there when he received such an edict. Naturally, his anger flared, and with his temper up, his words were anything but polite.

The Iwagakure Southern Army held fast and refused to emerge. Without a formal declaration of war, the main Ninja Army could not launch a large-scale cross-border offensive. For days, he had led elite Jonin corps in challenges and provocations without result, only to be tormented badly by Iwagakure's Combined Earth Style. Yet instead of issuing a Declaration of War Edict so he could organize the army and crush Iwagakure in one stroke, the Hokage had sent an urgent order demanding the frontline Ninja Army withdraw. Was the Hokage's true identity actually the Earth Shadow?

"Lord Toki... Commander Tokimitsu." Jiraiya felt deeply uncomfortable under the Three-Tomoe gaze. "This is unquestionably Lord Hokage's Edict. The order was transmitted directly from the Hokage Office Building to the Border Defense Force through a Summoning Beast. Its authenticity is beyond doubt."

"Oh, so Border Defense Forces have Summoning Beasts that can directly receive orders from the Hokage Office Building." Uchiha Tokimitsu lightly jabbed at him. "Here I thought communications between the village and its various units relied on Ninja Hawk wings and Messenger Anbu legs, just like our Northwest Border Defense Force."

"...Every Border Defense Force has them. If your unit is understaffed in that regard, you can apply directly to Lord Hokage for reinforcements." Jiraiya choked on the retort, his broad face flushing bright red.

"Forget it. I don't want to receive garbage orders at every moment, like telling some Genin at the front to move fifty meters forward." Uchiha Tokimitsu made no effort to hide his displeasure. Everyone knew of the Uchiha Clan's dissatisfaction with the Hokage Faction. As the heir of the Radical Faction, he had no need to be overly polite to a Hokage's disciple.

"Commander Tokimitsu, Lord Hokage is Konoha's leader. Please correct your attitude and show the necessary respect." Uchiha Tokimitsu's attitude left Jiraiya quite dissatisfied.

"Then tell me, Jonin Jiraiya. Do you believe this edict is correct?" It was not only Uchiha Tokimitsu. The surrounding Uchiha Jonin all stared at Jiraiya with hostile expressions. Among the other clans, ninjas affiliated with the Uchiha showed similar dissatisfaction. The Hyuga ninja remained expressionless, civilian ninja lowered their heads in silence, and the Ino-Shika-Cho ninja looked uneasy.

"Commander Tokimitsu, Lord Hokage has his own intelligence sources to judge how the situation will develop. As members of Konoha, we ninja need only obey orders." Jiraiya took a deep breath and calmed himself. "You're still young. You can't handle a war between great nations. You should follow Lord Hokage's—"

Before he could finish, Uchiha Tokimitsu suddenly drew his sword and slashed at Jiraiya with lightning speed.

The attack came too suddenly. Jiraiya only had time to retreat and evade the blade's edge, but his Jonin vest was still sliced open.

Jiraiya barely escaped being disemboweled.

"You... Do you know what crime it is to attack a Village Comrade?" Jiraiya was shocked and furious. "Are you going to defy the village's edict?"

The surrounding Jonin corps stirred, but no one stepped forward to stop Uchiha Tokimitsu. Instead, the Uchiha Clan's Jonin used their left thumbs to push aside their sword hilts, preparing to unleash Drawing Slashes.

"I spoke to you kindly, but White Blade Does Not Spare." Uchiha Tokimitsu smiled. "Jonin Jiraiya, tell me... can I handle it or not?"

Jiraiya sucked in a cold breath. This was it? He had drawn his blade against a fellow village ninja over that?

He had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at only eight years old. Though handsome and tall, Uchiha Tokimitsu's smiling face, heightened by the power of the Sharingan, carried such chilling and terrifying killing intent that even Jiraiya, a battle-hardened Jonin, felt alarmed.

"Commander Tokimitsu... are you certain you intend to defy Lord Hokage's Edict?" Jiraiya's expression gradually turned solemn. He lowered his gaze slightly and no longer looked directly into Uchiha Tokimitsu's eyes. "Those who defy a Hokage's Edict will, by regulation, be treated as rogue ninja."

The surrounding Jonin stirred once more, but still no one stepped forward to intervene.

This left Jiraiya deeply alarmed. He had not expected the young Uchiha Tokimitsu to have such a strong grip over the Ninja Army.

"Tch..." Uchiha Tokimitsu scoffed. "So slapping labels on people really is the Hokage Faction's specialty."

"Since the Hokage's Edict to Stop Fighting has been urgently delivered, we naturally have No Choice but to act according to orders." Uchiha Tokimitsu sheathed his sword. "But I must remind you, Jonin Jiraiya..."

"As Jonin, we have the right to object to and reject the Hokage's orders. At the same time, as officers entrusted with military affairs, we possess sufficient independent command authority for the sake of the battlefield situation and the interests of the troops under our command. As the saying goes, when a general is in the field, even a Kage's orders need not always be obeyed. I assume Jonin Jiraiya knows that."

Jiraiya was stunned, while the Jonin nodded in approval.

The rights of Jonin had always been a contentious issue within the ninja village.

In terms of ninja rank, Jonin were the highest rank and naturally members of the village's decision-making class. Major decisions in a ninja village had to be reviewed, voted on, and approved by the Jonin Council and Ninja Clan Council before they could be implemented. This was meant to unify the will of the ninja village to the greatest extent possible.

Moreover, Jonin were different from Chunin. Genin needed to pass the Chunin Exams to advance to Chunin, but promotion to Jonin required far more. Apart from specific standards of strength, one needed recommendations from at least three Jonin and the Hokage's approval, as well as a certain degree of strategic insight and command ability. Therefore, before the war, the Hokage had deliberately restricted the number of Jonin promotions in order to control power and balance Ninja Clan Powers against civilian ninja. Evaluations also favored civilian ninja from the Ninja Academy, keeping the Number of Jonin at around three hundred. As a result, many powerful Clan Ninja failed to obtain the Jonin title.

However, since the war began, there had not been enough newly promoted civilian ninja, especially Jonin. Left with no alternative, they opened up Jonin evaluations and brought large numbers of powerful ninja clan ninja into the Jonin ranks to replenish the forces. Uchiha Tokimitsu had thus been directly rated as a Special Jonin, before later earning promotion to Jonin through his achievements in leading the cleanup of underground forces within the Land of Grass.

Regarding Jonin rights, ninja clan ninja and civilian ninja often held very different attitudes. Clan Jonin particularly valued them, while civilian ninja generally did not care much. This difference in attitude was also related to the differing extent of their interests.

But regardless, when faced with the highest-level urgent edict transmitted by the Hokage, even a high-ranking commander of a Ninja Army had to act according to orders. Even if he had objections, he could only raise them afterward and impeach the Hokage at the Jonin Council.

The Jonin moved with extreme efficiency. There had not been much set up at the Frontline Command Post within the Land of Earth to begin with. After storing important documents, materials, and personal belongings in Sealing Scrolls, several Great Fireball Techniques reduced tents and other miscellaneous items to ashes. Thus, the Frontline Command Post Uchiha Tokimitsu had led deep into the Land of Earth came to an end.

On the way back, Uchiha Tokimitsu wore an unhappy expression. The accompanying Jonin, whether from the Uchiha Clan or ordinary civilian ninja, merely focused on the march. Jiraiya tried to make conversation for a while, but when no one paid him any attention, he could only lower his head and accompany them back in silence.

"Lord Tokimitsu!"

The figures racing back from the direction of the Land of Earth were naturally spotted by the Border Defense Force stationed at Northern Mountain City. After Hyuga Byakugan ninja confirmed that it was Headquarters command, an entire battalion of fully armed Ninja Army troops hurried over to receive them.

"Yes! It's me!"

Uchiha Tokimitsu took a seal from his arms and tossed it to the leading Jonin, Uchiha Chongxin. "Send the order back. Gather the Headquarters Jonin."

"Understood!" Uchiha Chongxin accepted the seal, drafted an official document on the spot, stamped it, and handed it to a Messenger Ninja. He then returned the seal to Uchiha Tokimitsu.

"Lord Tokimitsu... this is..." Uchiha Chongxin asked somewhat nervously.

Because Jiraiya had rushed directly from the Garrison Camp in the Land of Grass to the front line, the ninja troops remaining in the mountain city had not yet learned of the withdrawal.

"The Hokage has ordered a withdrawal." Uchiha Tokimitsu stated flatly.

"This..." Uchiha Chongxin was somewhat surprised. "Headquarters has already completed its preparations. Why withdraw now?"

"Lord Hokage has his own considerations. As members of Konoha, we need only obey Lord Hokage's Edict!" Jiraiya said beside them with a frown.

The warlike stance shown by the Uchiha ninja, especially those commanded by Uchiha Tokimitsu, and their dismissive attitude toward the Hokage left him particularly dissatisfied.

"Lord Tokimitsu... we've already gathered intelligence on the Iwagakure Ninja Army!" Ignoring Jiraiya, Uchiha Chongxin anxiously argued with Uchiha Tokimitsu. "The fruit is right before us, yet we're abandoning it. What a waste!"

Uchiha Tokimitsu sighed. "Things have come to this. There's no need to say more."

The ninja of the border defense battalion looked at each other.

"Who knows whether this order was issued by the Hokage or the Earth Shadow!" Uchiha Tokimitsu threw out those words, then rose and raced toward the mountain city.

Jiraiya's face alternated between red and white with anger, but there was nothing he could do. He could only shamelessly continue following behind Uchiha Tokimitsu. After all, Uchiha Tokimitsu, the Deputy Commander of the Northwest Border Defense Force, had yet to sign the formal order for the Ninja Army's withdrawal, so Jiraiya still could not deliver the goods.

Within Mountain City Keep, the Jonin who had received the summons rushed back from all across the border and were whispering among themselves.

The commander who had originally been directing frontline squads in sabotage warfare within the Land of Earth had suddenly summoned the Jonin. For the moment, none of them could make sense of it.

Once Uchiha Tokimitsu returned with his people, the Jonin who had been whispering rose to their feet and nodded in greeting.

"Today, we received a Hokage's Edict. From this day onward, Headquarters will no longer launch attacks against Iwagakure." Seated in the main seat, Uchiha Tokimitsu skipped all pleasantries and directly announced the order. "Other than the First Detachment, the Uchiha detachment and Kusagakure Allied Forces will withdraw immediately!"

"Ah!"

With those words, everyone in the hall was stunned.

The Kusagakure Jonin seated at the very end were especially panicked. "Lord Tokimitsu, you cannot abandon the Land of Grass!"

"This is the Hokage's Edict. We have No Choice." Uchiha Tokimitsu replied blandly. "We will not abandon our allies either. We simply will no longer launch active offensives against Iwagakure in accordance with the edict."

"This..." The Kusagakure Jonin was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Yet it was not because of the Hokage's Edict. Once they withdrew, neither war merits nor bounty would be so easy to obtain. He had only secured this position within Kusagakure after a round of interest exchanges, and if he withdrew before he had gotten his fill, would that not be a tremendous loss?

"No more!" Uchiha Tokimitsu shouted.

The previously noisy meeting hall fell silent, and every Jonin held his tongue.

Even Jiraiya, observing coldly from the side, was secretly alarmed by such authority.

He had not expected an Uchiha youth under ten years old to possess such prestige that, with one command, dozens of Jonin would bow their heads and obey.

He had originally believed that Uchiha Tokimitsu was merely exceptionally powerful. He had not expected his authority and reputation within the Ninja Army to be so great as well.

The Northwest Border Defense Force... has already become the Uchiha's possession... Jiraiya sighed inwardly.

As a Hokage's disciple, he naturally enjoyed many special privileges. Yet even after multiple exceptional promotions, he was only one of the commanders of the Land of Rain Expeditionary Force. In terms of prestige, he truly could not compare to Uchiha Tokimitsu's authority within the Northwest Border Defense Force.

This was precisely another difference between ninja clan ninja and civilian ninja. Ninja clan ninja had their own subordinates, while Great Ninja Clans could even form armies independently. Whether in command authority or the ease of obtaining war merits, they surpassed civilian ninja. The Northwest Border Defense Force in particular was more than half composed of Uchiha Clan ninja and ninja from clans affiliated with them. Though Uchiha Tokimitsu was young, he possessed the Great Clan Aura, overwhelming strength, and a Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He was nearly the universally acknowledged leader of the Uchiha Clan, especially the Radical Faction. From pre-war arrangements and battlefield charges to Post-War Severance Pay, his performance had been exemplary. With all these buffs stacked together, his control over the Ninja Army naturally far exceeded that of other Border Defense Force commanders.

"...The edict has been issued. None of you may question it." Uchiha Tokimitsu raised the Edict to Stop Fighting signed by the Hokage. "It is a highest-level urgent edict. Even if we invoke the Jonin's right to object, we cannot reject it immediately. Carry it out in order."

"Yes..." The Jonin lowered their heads and accepted the order unwillingly.

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