Accepting a New Mission and Sen's Relationship with His Clan

After he finished speaking, Sen left the voices of the people behind him and disappeared into the shadows of the camp without looking back.

The Uchiha clan members who remained looked at one another, their faces full of confusion and hesitation. In the end, more than a dozen pairs of eyes all turned toward their captain, Uchiha Chizuru.

"Captain, are we really going to listen to a kid?" one young ninja couldn't help asking. "He says the village is going to move against us, but he doesn't even have any evidence..."

Uchiha Chizuru watched Sen's departing figure, his expression complicated.

After a long silence, his clenched fist slowly relaxed, and he finally made up his mind.

"I'll talk to him. If he truly has the clan's best interests at heart, we'll listen to him. If he wants to use us as cannon fodder..." A trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes as he said coldly, "I'll kill him with my own hands!"

At dawn the next day, the sky had just begun to lighten, and a hazy mist still shrouded the tents in the camp.

The three of them were awakened by Jiraiya. "The mission's been moved up! Gear up and assemble immediately!"

By the time the three arrived with their ninja gear bags on their backs, the area around the tent was already crowded with ninjas ready to depart. The air was thick with tension.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed coldly as he pointed a kunai at two bound ninjas and addressed the crowd:

"These two are traitors to the village." He looked at the trembling pair, seeming to consider what methods he might use to torture them, then turned back to the others.

"However, even traitors can be useful to me. They've already passed along the attack time we discussed yesterday to the Mist Ninja, so the mission is now starting."

Orochimaru's eyes glinted with fervor. "Everyone, no problem with giving them a surprise attack, is there?!"

Hearing this, everyone shouted with battle fervor:

"Kill the traitors! Attack Kirigakure!"

"Kill the traitors! Attack Kirigakure..."

"Move out!" Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly and waved his hand to give the order.

At his command, hundreds of ninjas surged forward like a tide.

"Jiraiya, what's our team's mission?" Sen asked as he ran.

"Raid the outer islands, clear out all the Mist Ninja strongholds, then meet up with the main force at Lookout Island." Jiraiya answered, then jerked his chin toward the rear. "Those Uchiha back there—they're with you, right?"

Sen looked back and saw Uchiha Chizuru leading his team close behind.

They had made their choice after all.

"Let them come over." When Uchiha Chizuru drew near, Sen asked him directly, "Where's your mission target?"

Uchiha Chizuru first bowed to Jiraiya, then replied, "Lord Orochimaru ordered us to clear six islands south of Lookout Island, then support the battle on the main island."

Sen quickly took out a waterproof map and spread it across his knees. His fingertip traced the page as he compared the two mission areas and saw that the islands were clustered close together.

"Since our targets are close, we should work together. It'll be safer. Quite a few of them have awakened their Sharingan, which will be extremely useful in battle in the fog."

Jiraiya hesitated. "But that'll stretch out our battle line. Going back and forth to support each other will waste a lot of chakra..."

"It's fine." Sen took Samehada from his back. "We can capture a few enemies alive and have Samehada absorb their chakra, then transfer it to whoever needs it.

"Besides, with so many of us, finishing the mission quickly is our best option. More importantly, most of them are rookies. I don't want to see any of my clan members die needlessly."

Hearing that, Jiraiya no longer objected. He took out a sealing scroll and handed it to Sen. "All right, I agree. But that sword of yours stands out too much. Seal it away for now, so the Mist Ninja don't recognize it and retaliate with everything they have."

Once Jiraiya agreed, Sen had everyone stop and turned to the eleven clan members. "Come here. I'm going to reorganize the teams."

They didn't move until Uchiha Chizuru barked, "From now on, all operations will follow Uchiha Sen's orders!"

Only then did the Uchiha clan members slowly gather around, though suspicion still lingered in their eyes.

Sen saw that they weren't taking him seriously, but he didn't mind. After all, he was only ten. It was only natural that his clan wouldn't trust him much.

"Everyone, split into two teams, with those who've awakened their Sharingan leading the way. Most of you are rookies with little combat experience. You may not yet understand the dangers of terrain advantages or elemental matchups.

"We also need to take the islands quickly, so you should try to capture some of the enemies alive."

Sen raised Samehada. "This sword can help restore your chakra, and I also know Medical Ninjutsu. If you're injured, come to me right away. Speak up now if you have any questions. We'll be on the move soon."

No one responded, and the suspicion in their eyes hadn't faded. Most of them were rookies aged twelve, thirteen, or fourteen, and some had probably never even been on a B-Rank Mission.

"If there are no questions, let's go! The first island is still several hours away!" Sen didn't waste any more words. Some things could only be understood once they were on the battlefield and had seen blood.

Several hours later, their wooden boat quietly approached the shallows of the target island.

Sen stopped his clan members from rushing in and slipped onto the island to scout the situation. Only after confirming there were just three enemies did he bring the others ashore.

"The intel checks out. There are only three enemies on this island," Sen instructed. "This is a good chance to get some training. First Squad, the five of you go take them all out. If you can capture any alive, do so.

"If you run into any danger, I and the others will support you immediately. Remember, time is tight. You have only twenty minutes. After that, we'll step in!"

After seeing that Jiraiya and Uchiha Chizuru both agreed with the plan, the four boys and one girl in the First Squad looked excited.

"Yes, Captain! Chiyu will get it done!"

With that, the five of them quietly crept forward. Sen and the others followed behind, keeping a close eye on their teammates' safety.

"Sen, looks like you've learned quite a bit from me," Jiraiya said with a quiet laugh. "You're protecting the rookies while giving them a chance to train."

"It's because you taught me well, Jiraiya," Sen replied casually, his attention fixed entirely on the battlefield ahead.

He didn't have the time to humor Jiraiya's self-praise. His Sharingan turned slowly as he kept watch for any danger to the five.

Before, they had been nothing more than clan members to him. But now things were different.

He knew the names of the team members and had assigned them their mission.

People were strange that way. Once you gave someone a name and formed a bond with them, it was as if your fate had become tied to theirs.