In the end, Uchiha Rei agreed to his plan.
Back at camp, Kyosuke informed the other two, hoping they would be mentally prepared.
"Hehe." Uchiha Maya giggled, fiddling with a pale pink Kunai. "I told you ages ago, Lord Kyosuke. Wherever you want to go, even the Pure Land, I'll follow you."
"Same here." Uchiha Izumi nodded beside her. After being promoted to Jonin, he had grown even more taciturn.
More accurately, the change was probably due to the influence of the bloodline within him.
The Second Hokage had once said that the Uchiha were a cursed clan. Kyosuke was beginning to agree with him more and more.
Speaking of Tobirama Senju, his thoughts couldn't help drifting thousands of miles away.
By his reckoning, Madara was already eleven. If the story hadn't changed, he had probably already become friends with Senju Hashirama.
Their meeting meant the Warring States Period was officially counting down to its end.
The age of Ninja Villages was about to begin, provided the two of them could break through the barriers put up by the older generation of shinobi.
It was still a little too early to think about that.
Kyosuke shook his head and refocused on the situation at hand.
A year of killing had earned him a spot on the enemy's must-kill list.
He didn't need to think twice to know that plenty of eyes were watching him, waiting for the right moment to strike.
If that was the case, he might as well take the initiative.
If you don't move, I won't move. But once I do, you're going to hurt.
It was just like dating. If the woman didn't give him a chance, the man would be stuck waiting at the entrance forever.
Now, Kyosuke was giving the Three Clans a chance to ambush him.
As for what gave him confidence, first of all, Uchiha Izumi had secured his place among the Jonin.
He was a trump card.
Years of fighting had given Uchiha Maya an extraordinary talent for Genjutsu.
Not long ago, the squad had been ambushed by a Jonin. At the critical moment, her Sharingan had finally evolved into the Three Tomoe form.
She had become a Jonin specializing in Genjutsu—an upgraded version of Kurenai Yuhi, so to speak.
Two Jonin-level fighters.
As for Kyosuke himself—
Name: Uchiha Kyosuke
Age: 9
Physical Strength: Chunin
Mental Strength: Peak Chunin
Chakra Reserves: Peak Chunin
Abilities: Uchiha Style Swordsmanship (Level 5), Three Body Technique (Level 5), Throwing Technique (Level 6), Chakra Control Technique (Level 4), Hand Seals (Level 4), Shisui Style Body Flicker Technique (Level 3), Chidori (Level 2)
Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan (Two Tomoe)
Summoning Beast: None
Ninja Tools: Omitted
Points: 1275
Over the past year, he had fought with everything he had, leaving him little time to consolidate his strength.
His achievements had been impressive, and his points haul had been substantial. His various combat skills had also improved to varying degrees.
But when it came to raw strength, he still hadn't broken through the Chunin bottleneck.
However, in terms of mid-range firepower, neither Izumi nor Maya could match the terrifying threat he posed.
The reason was that Kyosuke had exchanged points for an A-rank ninjutsu.
The ninjutsu best suited to the Uchiha to train in—Chidori!
Chidori was a ninjutsu developed by Kakashi Hatake when he was young.
The technique gathered Lightning Release Chakra in the palm, forming a high-voltage current.
The hand became like a blade, with tremendous piercing power.
When the technique was unleashed, it sounded like a thousand birds chirping, which was how it got its name.
To increase its penetrating force, the user had to charge from a certain distance when attacking. Moving too fast could invite a counterattack, so it had to be used in conjunction with the Sharingan.
Paired with the Sharingan, Chidori's actual power was no less than that of an S-rank ninjutsu. Its price of 12,000 points was quite a bargain.
After all, exchanging points for Rasengan cost a full 18,000, and its requirements for use were far higher than Chidori's.
With Kyosuke's current strength at the peak of Chunin, as long as he got the opportunity, killing a Jonin one-on-one would be no problem.
Another important point was that the later variations of Chidori were extremely well suited to Kyosuke.
With it, he could develop all kinds of different applications for the technique.
The defensive Chidori Stream, the mid-range Chidori Sharp Spear, the close-range Chidori Blade, and so on.
As for the later Lightning Release: Kirin, if Kyosuke had enough time, developing it wasn't impossible either.
In his spare time, he had started reading books, continually deepening his understanding of "techniques."
Who wouldn't be tempted to exchange points for such a perfect ninjutsu?
Why weren't the other two worried at all?
Because only they knew just how terrifying the squad's true combat strength had become.
If the Ino-Shika-Cho team came, they would have to pay a terrible price.
Otherwise, Kyosuke would have to be out of his mind to devise a plan that made himself the bait.
Besides changing the tide of battle, this move would also help him establish the Southern Legion's standing once and for all.
If he really fell out with Uchiha Tajima, he would need enough leverage to stand against him.
A show of force, battle honors that shook the heavens, and a "gift" prepared in advance—combined, the three would be enough to rally a large number of loyal subordinates.
No matter how the situation developed in the future, there would always be a place for Kyosuke in the Uchiha Clan.
Even if he fell out with the Dance King one day, he could always start over somewhere else. As long as he had people at his back, he wouldn't have to worry wherever he went.
In the southern part of the Land of Fire, in a gorge near the border.
The Three Clans' joint camp had been quietly established there.
Without the Hyuga Clan's help, no one could have found such a well-hidden place.
Inside the tent, Akimichi Mitsuki gazed at the battle reports on the table and sighed.
Uchiha Rei's heart ached; he couldn't help worrying about the heavy losses either.
The Uchiha Clan was incredibly powerful. Even though they had some tactical advantages and their strategic approach favored their side, they still hadn't been able to secure victory after so many battles.
"Why the sigh?" A light laugh came from outside the tent. The flap lifted, and Nara Higashihiko walked in with a broad smile.
Nara Higashihiko was the current head of the Nara Clan, and his strength had reached the Elite Jonin level.
He was a prominent figure in the Land of Fire, someone everyone had to regard with wariness.
"You don't seem worried." Akimichi Mitsuki grumbled. "My clan members are all on the front lines. If we keep this up, we'll be wiped out."
"Don't be angry." Nara Higashihiko waved a hand, a strange glint in his eyes. "I told you I'd come up with a satisfactory plan as soon as possible."
As he spoke, he placed a sheet of paper in front of his friend.
It showed a string of gibberish. A rough fellow like Akimichi Mitsuki would never be able to make sense of the code he had carefully prepared.
Fortunately, Nara Higashihiko knew him well. He had taken the time to write out a translation of the code beside it.
The Akimichi Clan Head took one quick glance, then sprang to his feet and burst into hearty laughter. "Haha! He finally took the bait."
According to the intelligence reports, the Vile Rakshasa was Uchiha Rei's most trusted subordinate, practically his heart and soul.
Capturing him would surely curb the Uchiha's counterattack.
Otherwise, the Southern Legion would earn a reputation for abandoning its heroes and the hope of its future.
Uchiha Rei, who was vying to become Clan Head, would never let his own reputation be tarnished.
To make the capture possible, Nara Higashihiko had secretly laid numerous traps.
Heaven rewarded perseverance. At last, the opportunity he'd been waiting for had arrived.
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