Cleaning Up the Aftermath

The entire battle lasted nearly an hour.

With an overwhelming numerical and combat advantage, even the elite Anbu of the Stone and Cloud Villages' two Great Ninja Villages were no match for them.

The longest part had been the siege against that unidentified Jinchuriki.

As the Jinchuriki died, the Tailed Beast traces on his body gradually faded away, revealing his originally handsome features.

Looking around, the Uchiha Ninja Army and Sakumo's recalled subordinates were clearing the battlefield together.

"Tokimitsu-kun..." Hatake Sakumo came forward and asked with an inscrutable emotion, "Why did you have to kill that Jinchuriki?"

"Jonin Sakumo, if we captured this Jinchuriki alive..." Uchiha Tokimitsu straightened up. "How would the village deal with him? Would they leave him with our Uchiha Clan, or escort him to an Anbu research facility?"

"...He would basically spend the rest of his life in an Anbu research facility." Hatake Sakumo pondered for a moment. "A Jinchuriki's identity is too sensitive. Even if the village took him in, they would never reveal his identity."

"Yes." Uchiha Tokimitsu sighed. "The Tailed Beast distribution policy is an important part of Lord Hashirama's Five Great Nations balance policy. It cannot be undermined."

"Then... what does that have to do with killing him?" Hatake Sakumo was still somewhat confused. "Even if he were brought back to the village's research facility, it would benefit the village..."

Hatake Sakumo suddenly stopped short, understanding at last.

"It seems Jonin Sakumo understands now." Uchiha Tokimitsu said quietly. "Sometimes, the interests of the village and those of the Uchiha Clan are not necessarily aligned. For our clan, not actively harming the village's interests is already the greatest restraint we can show. Yet the village's actions sometimes harm the interests of the Uchiha Clan, and even most ninja clans, at every moment."

Hatake Sakumo could only shake his head and sigh.

"Clean up the battlefield quickly. We need to withdraw at once." Uchiha Tokimitsu called out to the busy crowd. "Don't forget to retrieve my sword sheath."

"And Toshiki-kun." Uchiha Tokimitsu turned toward Hyuga Toshiki. "Have you found any sign of Takigakure Ninja nearby?"

"No. There are no other ninja within five kilometers." Hyuga Toshiki shook his head as he scanned the area with his Byakugan.

"The Stone and Cloud Villages really picked a fine place." Uchiha Tokimitsu nodded faintly. "Dying here can be considered a fitting end for them."

"I doubt they ever expected to die here." Hatake Sakumo did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"That has nothing to do with me." Uchiha Tokimitsu said indifferently. "I'm only responsible for sending them to their deaths."

"Still, since it was an emergency and we killed all the mission targets, does that count as a mission failure?" Uchiha Tokimitsu suddenly thought of something. "Will the village hold Jonin Sakumo accountable?"

"Probably not." Hatake Sakumo shook his head. "The deaths of the Tsuchikage's Assistant and the Raikage's Secretary alone are already an extraordinary achievement. Add the record of killing a Jinchuriki, and intelligence is no longer important by comparison."

"Is that so?" Uchiha Tokimitsu stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Young Lord Tokimitsu, the battlefield has been cleared." An Uchiha Dark Guard Ninja flashed to Uchiha Tokimitsu's side, dropped to one knee, and reported. "Please give your orders."

"How were our casualties?" Uchiha Tokimitsu asked.

"Five jonin suffered light injuries, all caused by the Jinchuriki. After treatment by Medical Ninja, they are no longer impeded in their movements." The Dark Guard Ninja reported. "Seven chunin were killed, one was severely injured, and twenty-one were lightly injured. All wounded personnel have been treated by Medical Ninja and are not in immediate danger."

"Seven dead..." Uchiha Tokimitsu felt a pang of melancholy.

He knew well that casualties were inevitable on the battlefield, yet every time he heard the casualty figures, it still weighed heavily on his heart.

After all, no matter how distant they might have been in everyday life, those who had died were still his clansmen. Their bones might be broken, but their sinews remained connected; through all manner of aunts and relatives, they would always be blood kin somehow.

"Young Lord Tokimitsu, dying on the battlefield is the fate of the Uchiha!" the Dark Guard Ninja consoled him. "To die in war, blooming and withering in battle like an epiphyllum—this is the best ending for us Uchiha. You need not blame yourself."

"Ah..." Uchiha Tokimitsu did not know what to say for a moment.

"Jonin Sakumo, how do you think we should withdraw?" Gathering himself from his sorrowful mood, Uchiha Tokimitsu asked Hatake Sakumo for his opinion.

"Hmm..." Hatake Sakumo considered it. "How about withdrawing through the remote regions along the Land of Earth's border?"

"No problem." Uchiha Tokimitsu agreed at once. "But I'll have to trouble Jonin Sakumo to guide us along the route."

"No problem." Hatake Sakumo naturally agreed without hesitation as well. "Though I'll need you to have the Hyuga Jonin scout conditions along the way."

"That won't be a problem." Uchiha Tokimitsu summoned Hyuga Toshiki. "Toshiki-kun, when we withdraw, Jonin Sakumo plans to sneak back through the Land of Earth's border. I'll need you to keep watch along the way so we don't run into Iwagakure patrol forces."

"Understood. This falls within my duties." Though he had likewise gone through an intense battle, Hyuga Toshiki still looked as graceful and composed as ever.

Hatake Sakumo took out a map and worked out the route on it, explaining the key points for the retreat and border crossing to the ninja army captains.

After listening, Uchiha Tokimitsu could not help but admire Hatake Sakumo's meticulous planning. From the advance scouts, to the central force escorting the wounded, to the elite rear guard, Hatake Sakumo assigned each group its tasks one by one. He had maximized their dispersal to reduce the chance of detection while ensuring every unit could remain connected and provide effective support. It was a technical art.

"Tokimitsu-kun, everything has been arranged. Give the order." After arranging the ninja army's withdrawal, Hatake Sakumo turned to Uchiha Tokimitsu.

Uchiha Tokimitsu nodded slightly, adding another merit to Hatake Sakumo's list: he knew his boundaries, did not overstep them, and understood self-restraint.

He was a near-perfect model Konoha ninja.

Any superior would want a subordinate as perfect as Hatake Sakumo.

"Gentlemen, withdraw according to orders!" Uchiha Tokimitsu commanded.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

At his command, figures flashed into motion one after another, shooting off toward the Land of Earth in the distance.

"Tokimitsu-kun, why are you so wary of the village?" Hatake Sakumo asked hesitantly during their return journey. "You're so young. Logically speaking..."

"Because I am the child of a ninja clan. The Uchiha are not merely the Uchiha; we are also the largest ninja clan in the village." Uchiha Tokimitsu answered without hesitation. "For ninja clans, guarding against the village's encroachment upon and interference with clan authority is an instinct."

"Clan authority..." Hatake Sakumo felt a trace of melancholy at the term Uchiha Tokimitsu had used.

He was a man who had truly made the Will of Fire his personal creed.

Uchiha Tokimitsu held great trust and respect for Hatake Sakumo's character, but that did not prevent him from maintaining his constant wariness toward the village.

"Jonin Sakumo, the village's history only spans a little over thirty years, while most ninja clans have histories of several centuries, even nearly a thousand years." Uchiha Tokimitsu continued. "Ninja clans such as the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Senju have histories exceeding a thousand years. Over those millennia, ninja clans have endured countless bloodstorms and existential crises, yet they all survived. Changing ninja clans will not be easy."

Hatake Sakumo understood that as well, but he could not help feeling melancholy and sighing inwardly.

"What I did not expect was that even someone of your generation, Tokimitsu-kun, would place the family above the village." Hatake Sakumo sighed. "The family is certainly important, but isn't the village important too?"

"The village is certainly important, but the family is more important." Uchiha Tokimitsu echoed Hatake Sakumo's words. "Even the Uchiha Clan, which holds deep prejudices against the Hokage Faction, still fights for the village with all its strength, does it not?"

"While fighting for the village, isn't it fair enough to criticize some of the village's absurd, brainless decisions?" Uchiha Tokimitsu continued voicing his views. "And if we go further, who exactly represents the village? Is it the Senju Clan, which is already nearing extinction? The Sarutobi Four who currently hold power? The Uchiha? The Hyuga? The ninja clans? Or the Civilian Ninja?"

"Those who represent a ninja village are every person within it." Without waiting for Hatake Sakumo to reply, Uchiha Tokimitsu continued on his own. "Ninja clans are also part of the village. When ninja clans harbor resentment, has Lord Hokage ever tried to ease it? Civilian Ninja make up the largest number of the village's ninja—has the village ever cared about their voices?"

Hatake Sakumo had no answer.

He was a sincere ninja, with countless military achievements and a resounding reputation. He had experienced and commanded innumerable ninja, so naturally he was not unaware of the private calculations of Konoha Internal's various groups and the conflicts lurking beneath the surface.

But what could he do?

No matter how powerful Hatake Sakumo was, he was not the Hokage and had no power to change any of it.

"For example, the Konoha Military Police Force Reserve Training Academy organized by our Uchiha Clan far surpasses the village's Ninja Academy in both teaching staff and curriculum. Why is that?" Uchiha Tokimitsu pressed on in one breath, continuing his verbal barrage. "Because our Uchiha Clan truly opens the study of various D-rank and higher ninjutsu to the academy's students. As long as a Reserve Training Academy student is hardworking and talented enough, they can learn multiple C-rank Chakra ninjutsu of all five natures. That means graduates of the Reserve Training Academy are far stronger than the genin playing ninja games at the village's Ninja Academy."

Hatake Sakumo had nothing to say.

The ninja army leaped through the forest, silently withdrawing toward their destination.

For a time, neither Uchiha Tokimitsu nor Hatake Sakumo spoke. They simply hurried onward at full speed.

After a while, Hatake Sakumo took the initiative to strike up a conversation. "Tokimitsu-kun, if you were the Hokage, what would you try to do?"

"Me?" Uchiha Tokimitsu froze. He truly had never considered that question.

All Along, because he was too young and lacked influence, Uchiha Tokimitsu had appeared within the clan to be a quiet but undeniably gifted young genius. Whether proposing the Konoha Military Police Force Reserve Training Academy or developing Yin Fire Mode, he had acted on a whim, without much personal planning.

"I have never thought about that. The word Hokage is too distant for me." Uchiha Tokimitsu thought for a moment before answering. "When I look out from my bedroom window, all I can see is the Konoha Military Police Force building. So I have only considered matters concerning the Konoha Military Police Force."

"The Konoha Military Police Force has indeed always done a good job." Rather than commenting on Uchiha Tokimitsu's aspirations, Hatake Sakumo gave an objective assessment of the force's work.

"Only, its methods have always been a bit too rough." Uchiha Tokimitsu commented without concern.

At that, Hatake Sakumo looked at Uchiha Tokimitsu. The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

They both understood the other's true thoughts, so there was no need to say more.

"Probably another ten years." Hatake Sakumo said seemingly out of nowhere.

"Almost, provided you live another ten years." Uchiha Tokimitsu replied meaningfully.

"Still, Tokimitsu-kun, your contribution this time was not small." Hatake Sakumo changed the subject. "Have you thought about what kind of reward you want?"

"Hmm... I don't particularly need anything." Uchiha Tokimitsu thought about it. "Most likely, it'll be recorded as a special merit without any public announcement, then they'll give me some money or something."

"Don't you want to see the ninjutsu in the Scroll of Seals?" Hatake Sakumo asked curiously.

"Jonin Sakumo, do you think that's possible?" Uchiha Tokimitsu raised an eyebrow. "Would the Hokage Faction really be willing to let the Uchiha Clan even look at the table of contents for the so-called secret arts in the Scroll of Seals?"

"Hmm, probably not to that extent." Hatake Sakumo raised an eyebrow as well. "For instance, the first ninjutsu in the Scroll of Seals is the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, which is one of the forbidden techniques."

"Jonin Sakumo, have you seen the contents of the Scroll of Seals?" Uchiha Tokimitsu found this strange.

"Previously, due to my accumulated merits, Lord Hokage had intended to let me select several more compatible secret arts from the Scroll of Seals." Hatake Sakumo replied. "But I refused."

"Why?"

"Because that does not conform to my ninja way." Hatake Sakumo answered proudly. "I believe that with the sword in my hand and my Secret Sword Style, I can likewise reach the pinnacle of ninja achievement."

"Fearless and powerful because of your purity..." Uchiha Tokimitsu sighed in admiration. "All I can say is, you truly deserve the renowned title of Konoha's White Fang."

"Haha, Tokimitsu-kun, you flatter me." Hatake Sakumo replied modestly. "I am lacking in talent and learning, so I can only temper the blade in my hand. Unlike you, Tokimitsu-kun—the power you used when killing the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, if I am not mistaken, should have been the power of a Kekkei Genkai, correct?"

"It is only a half-finished product. By a fortunate coincidence, I merely stumbled upon the first signs of something that could rise." Uchiha Tokimitsu naturally remained modest. "At present, it is only a simple Chakra fusion. Its specific applications in ninjutsu still require the guidance of other elders within the clan who can learn Chakra fusion."

"Even so, that is astounding. After all, you are creating a Bloodline Power from scratch..."

In the forest, their voices echoed. As the ninja army withdrew, a black Pitcher Plant-shaped lifeform emerged from the ground, staring blankly in the direction Uchiha Tokimitsu had gone.