"Don't push it!"
Uchiha Hikari was furious. He thought the Legion Commander was far too biased.
The war in the southern border was gradually drawing to a close. What was the most important issue now?
Of course, grabbing credit.
Just moments ago, his subordinates had intercepted a secret communication detailing the date the Three Clans would flee en masse.
He'd been overjoyed by the news, but before he could even verify it, his men had been surrounded by others.
If he hadn't arrived in time, the intelligence might well have been stolen from them.
He kicked down the clan member who had dared to cause trouble. Uchiha Hikari wanted to teach him a lesson he'd never forget.
Unfortunately, the man's master had arrived.
"Deputy Legion Commander Hikari, what an impressive show of authority," Kyosuke said, his tone full of contempt.
Kyosuke's cutting remarks made Hikari deeply regret what he'd done before.
If he hadn't gone all out to save him back then, the man in front of him would have been nothing but a pile of bones by now.
"Uchiha Kyosuke, I advise you not to push it." Hikari couldn't be bothered to explain himself. Stealing credit was common enough that it hardly needed to be condemned.
Looking down at the boy, Uchiha Hikari said calmly, "Don't forget, I saved your life."
"Stop trying to make yourself look good." Kyosuke met his gaze without backing down and said coldly, "If I hadn't shown up, how long would it have taken you to get the Deputy Legion Commander position?"
"You should be the one kneeling to thank me."
The two leaders stood at daggers' points, and their clansmen behind them began shoving one another.
Just as an internal conflict seemed about to erupt, Uchiha Rei hurried over after hearing the news.
"Enough!" His booming shout unleashed a terrifying pressure that swept over them in an instant.
Every muscle in Kyosuke's body tensed. He almost instinctively put his hand on his sword hilt.
He couldn't help it. The pressure of a Clan Leader Level shinobi was simply terrifying.
Kyosuke even felt that unless he used Flying Thunder God to escape, he wouldn't last three minutes against the Legion Commander.
That was with his incredible speed. An ordinary Jonin would probably be killed by Uchiha Rei in just a few exchanges.
"Clan Leader Level really is a whole other realm."
With the Legion Commander's arrival, both sides knew when to back down.
Uchiha Hikari had obtained the intelligence, while Kyosuke had avoided being blamed for causing an internal conflict. Both sides had given a little ground.
"I'll make you pay someday." Before leaving, Hikari didn't forget to threaten him.
At his current position, the only next step was to set his sights on the Legion Commander's seat.
Sooner or later, he was bound to fall out with Uchiha Rei.
So why bother pretending to get along now?
With the Clan Head's support, he was sure he'd eventually be able to kill Uchiha Rei. After all, there were several hidden old monsters within the clan.
They were Uchiha Tajima's strongest trump cards.
If they truly made a move, Uchiha Rei wouldn't stand a chance.
As it happened, Uchiha Hikari had truly earned his success.
Even after becoming Deputy Legion Commander, he hadn't forgotten to train hard.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and he gradually reached the ceiling of what a Jonin could achieve.
With just a little more effort, he could enter a new realm and become one of the clan's rare Elite Jonin.
Once he had brought the Southern Legion under his control, Hikari would have more time to train. In another ten or twenty years, perhaps he'd have a chance to reach Clan Leader Level himself.
By then—
His eyes gleamed with ambition. Clearly, the Legion Commander's seat wasn't enough to satisfy him.
"Forget about that for now. I'd better hurry and intercept them."
As Deputy Legion Commander for two years, he had over a hundred clansmen under his command, all exceptionally talented shinobi with formidable combat abilities.
Lying in wait at the planned location would be enough to defeat a force several times their size.
In many people's eyes, the Three Clans were now like stray dogs, stripped of any will to fight. On the battlefield, they were little more than lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
Uchiha Hikari thought that Kyosuke had managed to accomplish one impressive feat after another only because his enemies were too weak.
If it had been him—
Well, Uchiha Hikari had to admit Chidori was an excellent ninjutsu. But the Uchiha had a thousand years of history; surely there were even better alternatives.
In any case, he refused to acknowledge the boy's strength.
"Hmph. Enjoy your moment while it lasts."
"Once we reach the main battlefield, your life and death won't be up to you."
"The Senju are nothing like those useless fools."
Back in his tent, Kyosuke ordered Maya to keep strict watch outside and let no one in.
"No matter how powerful your tricks are, today you're drinking my foot bathwater."
After changing into a fresh set of clothes, Kyosuke took out his short blade and silently practiced his swings, adjusting his condition.
The plan had now reached the point where it was nearly seventy percent complete.
From the moment Uchiha Hikari left camp, he had begun counting down to his death.
Even so, Kyosuke was still a little worried that something might go wrong and let his intended victim escape.
To make absolutely sure, Kyosuke decided to go there himself. He could also pick up a few points along the way.
He now had swordsmanship, and two different kinds of Body Flicker Technique at his disposal. With further development, Chidori could meet most of his combat needs.
Next, he needed to set his sights on an item capable of bringing about a qualitative leap in his strength.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
Exchange requirement: 100,000 points.
Once he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he would leap into the ranks of Clan Leader Level—in other words, the Kage Level that people in his previous life often talked about.
Only then could he take his fate into his own hands.
As he'd said before, he wasn't asking for terrifying strength. He just wanted to stay firmly ahead of the two gods.
Look at how modest little Kyosuke's demands were.
After fussing around alone in the tent for a long while, he felt he'd gotten himself into the right condition. He formed a simple hand seal, and his figure flickered out of existence.
In the enormous camp, not a single person noticed him leave.
When he appeared again, he was about two kilometers outside the camp.
Looking up at the specially made Kunai embedded deep in a tree, Kyosuke smiled. He felt as free as if he could roam anywhere beneath the heavens.
After having a batch of specially made Kunai produced, he'd instructed his subordinates to bury them at marked points on the map.
That meant that, at least in the southern part of the Land of Fire, he could travel through space at high speed.
Unfortunately, Flying Thunder God had a limited casting range and couldn't compare with other types of Space-Time techniques.
For now, two kilometers was Kyosuke's limit.
"Dōjutsu-based Space-Time techniques focus more on versatility."
"Flying Thunder God is different. Its greatest strength is rapid, high-frequency jumps over medium distances."
His mutter had barely faded before Kyosuke vanished without a trace.
Two days later, Uchiha Hikari successfully intercepted the enemy force.
But the outcome was completely different from what he'd expected.
The Uchiha were at a complete disadvantage from the very start of the battle.
If his subordinates hadn't fought to the death, he might not even have made it through the enemy's encirclement.
"Damn it." By now, he knew he'd been tricked by that old dog from the Nara clan.
"Just wait until I escape. I'll make you pay with your life someday." Even then, he was still fantasizing about getting revenge.
"Too bad you won't get the chance." The sudden whisper made the hair on Uchiha Hikari's body stand on end.
Before he could turn around, a streak of vicious sword light had already enveloped him.
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