Yakushi Nonō, Dai, and Qingshan Yi each took charge of a group and began practicing, getting used to the tactics. Uchiha Kin took advantage of this rare bit of free time to find a patch of dappled shade and close his eyes for a rest.
"Command" on the battlefield wasn't something just anyone could handle. Ever since he'd received his orders yesterday, his mind had been running at full speed. He also had to tend to the wounded, consider negotiations, hold meetings, and review what had happened.
The occasional brief nap he'd managed to steal during that time was nothing compared to the energy he'd spent.
At best, it only "eased" his fatigue a little.
The other shinobi both respected and feared him. When they saw him resting, they instinctively moved their practice farther away. Minato Namikaze tried several times to talk to him, but each time he held back. It wasn't until around three in the afternoon that Uchiha Kin finally woke up.
He sat up, looked at the sun, and roughly estimated the time. Then he pulled out his watch and checked it.
15:12
"Fall in!"
Uchiha Kin assembled the troops, and the three squads of shinobi lined up neatly in front of him.
"It's about time. I hereby order you to carry out the following missions. Mission One: drive the Rock Ninja completely out of the Land of Grass and restore order to the country.
"Mission Two: once Mission One is complete, take up positions along the border of the Land of Earth and stand by for further orders! Move out!"
His orders sent the shinobi's blood surging, and their breathing grew heavier. The war had been frustrating from the start. At first, they'd fought the Rock Ninja in the Land of Grass, but then the Rock Ninja had broken through into their own territory.
The central front had been even more brutal. The Sand Ninja had advanced all the way to Kikyo Castle, and a battle to defend their own doorstep was now underway.
In the east... the Land of Lightning had likewise pushed deep into the Land of Fire. Under the Cloud Ninja's lightning-fast assault, they'd been forced to retreat again and again.
On the eastern, central, and western fronts, the Hidden Leaf had suffered defeat after defeat, retreating and losing lives. Its shinobi had been beaten until they'd lost their fighting spirit. Only yesterday's battle had let them finally hold their heads high. With an absolute, crushing victory, Uchiha Kin had given these three hundred men a much-needed boost! So now, every movement, every look, every word from Uchiha Kin seemed to carry an inexplicable power.
It was the commanding presence of a general, as steadfast as a mountain yet capable of shaking the heavens, with the fierce spirit of a tiger sweeping across the land. Forged by victory, it was invincible!
"Kin!"
They shouted "Kin." It was both Uchiha Kin's name and a call to battle.
Kin: the master of killing. Sharp and keen-edged.
The three hundred men were divided into a vanguard, a central force, and a rear guard. Qingshan Yi led the vanguard, Dai the central force, and Yakushi Nonō the rear guard. Minato Namikaze, Rin Nohara, Kakashi, and Uchiha Kin moved together as bodyguards.
After the Rock Ninja withdrew from the Land of Fire into the Land of Grass, they slowed their retreat. Qingshan Yi's vanguard soon ran into them.
"Kill!"
Qingshan Yi shouted, and the squad spread out as they charged toward the Rock Ninja, each one already forming the hand seals for Phoenix Sage Fire.
The shinobi spread out across a wide area, keeping their distance from one another. The formation was even more open and sparse than before, yet it looked like something from a nightmare. The Rock Ninja's scalps prickled. Whistles rang out, and the Rock Ninja at the front immediately raised an Earth Flow Wall. As soon as they'd finished casting it, they ignored their orders and turned to run.
The whistles grew more urgent!
A Uchiha flung a shuriken with a wire attached, sending it over the Earth Flow Wall. Phoenix Sage Fire raced along the wire. A brief scream rang out, and the shinobi who'd raised the wall was burned to death.
Some shinobi rolled aside to get around the Earth Flow Wall. A stream of flame shot out from the side and split into fireballs that flew in every direction.
The defensive line crumbled in an instant. The Hidden Leaf shinobi who'd held back their techniques now launched a second attack!
Fireballs the size of washbasins exploded across the battlefield, one after another without end. It was as if the Hidden Leaf shinobi's chakra would never run dry. The Rock Ninja commander did everything he could to hold the line, but he couldn't stop the rout.
The Rock Ninja's courage had already been shattered in yesterday's battle!
If these Hidden Leaf shinobi could be killed, that would be one thing. But they'd be injured, then show up right in front of them again, hale and hearty. They just wouldn't die. What was the point of fighting a war like this?
When the Rock Ninja commander saw the second group of Hidden Leaf shinobi arrive, he gave up too...
Retreat!
This time, they retreated all the way to the border.
In less than two hours, the entire Land of Grass had been "liberated." Uchiha Kin personally drafted a proclamation to reassure the people.
To the People of the Land of Grass
It stated that the Rock Ninja had recklessly started a war and invaded the Land of Grass, disregarding international rules and leaving the people destitute and suffering the hardships of war, and so on. It also condemned the Rock Ninja's invasion of the Land of Fire and explained that, as the people of an occupied country, the Grass Ninja had been forced by circumstance to appease both sides in order to survive—a situation that could be understood. Finally, it expressed the strongest condemnation of the Rock Ninja.
The Grass Shadow of Kusagakure, an old man nearing sixty, stood by the road with a dozen or so shinobi, respectfully waiting for the Hidden Leaf shinobi to "pass by."
"I am Hashimoto Ōshige, the Grass Shadow of Kusagakure. I pay my respects to the Hidden Leaf shinobi..." The leader of the small village was utterly humble.
The dozen or so shinobi beside him also remained silent.
The Hidden Leaf shinobi carried themselves with an air of arrogance that frightened them. They were so intimidated they didn't dare speak. One of the shinobi told them to "wait here" and went to report in. After a while, he came back. "Follow me."
He left the dozen or so shinobi behind and took only Hashimoto Ōshige with him to meet Uchiha Kin.
So young!
Hashimoto Ōshige was astonished by Uchiha Kin's youth. He'd never expected the commander of this force to be so young.
But the young man had an aura as deep as an abyss, and Hashimoto Ōshige scarcely dared breathe.
"Are you the Grass Shadow of Kusagakure?" Uchiha Kin asked.
"Yes. I am Hashimoto Ōshige, the Grass Shadow of Kusagakure..." When he saw that Uchiha Kin had nothing more to ask, he continued on his own. "My lord helped the Land of Grass drive out the Rock Ninja and restored peace to our country. We're deeply grateful. I've come to thank you on behalf of the Land of Grass and Kusagakure.
"We've prepared a banquet for you. Please, my lord, and all the Hidden Leaf shinobi, do not refuse. It's a token of our appreciation."
Uchiha Kin made no commitment, merely looking at him. After Hashimoto Ōshige had finished speaking, a long while passed before Uchiha Kin replied. "A banquet... won't be necessary. The Land of Grass has only just suffered the ravages of war, and its people are struggling to get by. We Hidden Leaf shinobi are a force of justice and benevolence. We won't take so much as a needle or a thread from the Land of Grass... Go back. We still have to continue on our way."
Without giving Hashimoto Ōshige a chance to say anything more, he sent him away. Then the force set out again.
He intended to go straight to Qingshi Town and negotiate with the Rock Ninja there!
He would make the Rock Ninja come to him to ask for negotiations.
And he would choose the location himself.
Qingshi Town was a good place.
Before you continue