The Day Nohara Rin Would Have Her Heart Torn Out Was Approaching

Inside the Land of Fire border command post, candlelight flickered, illuminating faces bearing all manner of expressions.

Uchiha Sanpo stood before the sand table, his slender fingers lightly resting on the map of the Land of Water. His crimson Sharingan glimmered faintly in the dim light.

His voice was exceptionally calm. "Kirigakure is different from Iwagakure. They first went through the internal strife of a coup, then were ambushed by Sunagakure. They now have only around six thousand combatants left."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the four people in the room—Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Yashiro, Clan Head Kurama, and Clan Head Kazami.

"Kirigakure has no intention of capturing cities in the Land of Fire. They're more like a band of robbers, taking advantage of the chaos to loot supplies, so their will to fight is weak. That's also why Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others underestimate Kirigakure."

Uchiha Yashiro narrowed his eyes, the greed in them undisguised. "Sanpo, is there an opportunity in this for us Uchiha?"

Uchiha Sanpo's fingers lightly tapped the edge of the sand table, his voice low and dangerous. "Actually, if I didn't have to help the clan head fight for the position of Fourth Hokage, I would suggest... wiping out Kirigakure outright and making it the Uchiha Clan's backyard."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Uchiha Yashiro's breathing visibly quickened. "Sanpo, if we really fight... how certain are you that we can destroy Kirigakure?"

Uchiha Sanpo's gaze was confident and resolute. He gave a soft laugh. "Completely certain."

"Completely certain?" Clan Head Kurama cried out despite himself.

Uchiha Sanpo's finger traced over Kirigakure's location on the sand table, his voice terrifyingly calm.

"The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, rose to power through a coup. The original Kirigakure higher-ups were bound to have been purged. In other words, Kirigakure's high-level combat power has been severely depleted."

His fingertip tapped lightly as he continued his analysis. "They sent over three thousand Kirigakure ninja to loot our Land of Fire amid the chaos. While that eased their internal pressure, it also plunged them into a fatal crisis..."

Clan Head Kurama asked eagerly, "What crisis?"

A sharp glint flashed through Uchiha Sanpo's eyes, as though he had spotted precious prey.

"Kirigakure now has only a little over three thousand defenders remaining. We, on the other hand, have over four thousand elites."

He raised his head, his gaze like blades. "While Kirigakure's main force is away, we strike directly at their heart. Kirigakure will surely fall."

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

If anyone else had proposed such a mad plan, they would only have scoffed at it.

But the one saying it was Uchiha Sanpo, a man destined to create legends!

In terms of strength, he was only at the level of an elite jonin.

But when it came to intelligence analysis, war planning, and the like, this guy's talent was terrifyingly powerful.

When this guy said he could destroy a village, there was a real chance he could wipe out Kirigakure.

Just like several days ago, when they had defeated Iwagakure's nighttime raid force of over six thousand men despite being outnumbered.

Destroying one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages? With such a high chance of success, it was naturally immensely tempting.

Uchiha Yashiro, Clan Head Kurama, and Clan Head Kazami seemed to reach a consensus.

They all looked to Uchiha Fugaku, awaiting his decision.

Uchiha Fugaku remained silent, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan flickering in and out of sight within the shadows.

The temptation of a village-destroying battle was indeed great, but he knew his own condition best.

Last time, against Iwagakure's nighttime raid, he had used Susanoo. It had seemed overwhelmingly powerful, but it had also consumed a great deal of ocular power, causing a noticeable decline in his vision.

If he fought the Fourth Mizukage to the death again... he would probably win, but after winning, how much longer would his Mangekyō Sharingan remain usable?

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author. It may have simply been renamed!

Seeing that he still had not stated his position, Clan Head Kurama could not help urging him. "Clan Head Fugaku, this opportunity must not be missed!"

The Mangekyō would blind its user if used for too long. This was an important Uchiha secret, and Uchiha Fugaku naturally would not reveal it. Instead, his gaze imperceptibly flicked toward that man.

Uchiha Sanpo immediately understood. His tone suddenly shifted as he burst into laughter. "Hahaha, everyone, I was only joking when I said we should destroy Kirigakure."

"Oh?" Uchiha Yashiro raised a brow slightly, somewhat skeptical.

Uchiha Sanpo spread his hands helplessly. "The Land of Water is an island. Even if we conquered it, we couldn't hold it, and the practical gains would be limited. It would also cause the other shinobi villages to reject Konoha. So as I said before, our true goal should be to return to Konoha and fight for the position of Fourth Hokage."

Uchiha Fugaku imperceptibly breathed a sigh of relief and followed up smoothly. "Sanpo is right. Our most urgent task is to return to Konoha."

He rose to his feet, his Mangekyō Sharingan slowly spinning. "Pass down the order. The entire army will set out and return... to Konoha!"

As the order was issued, the four thousand-plus Konoha ninja first froze, then erupted into thunderous cheers.

"We can finally go home!"

"Hahaha, this bonus is enough to keep me drinking for a year!"

"Hatano Jiei, your big brother is leaving. You'll have a hard time all alone, so why not come live with me?"

Long-lost smiles spread across the ninja's faces. The war had lasted for more than a year, and everyone was exhausted beyond measure.

Now, they could finally return to the village they knew and see their families. Such joy was impossible to hide.

Uchiha Sanpo stood at a high point, looking down at the jubilant crowd, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Uzumaki Huiyi stood beside him and said softly, "Looks like everyone can't wait."

"Yeah. This war has lasted too long."

His gaze swept across the crowd. He noticed many ninja had already begun packing their gear, while some impatiently pulled out their newly issued bonuses and excitedly discussed with their companions which tavern they would visit to celebrate after returning to the village.

Night fell, and the army of over four thousand set out in grand formation.

Yet beneath this seemingly festive atmosphere, shadows in the dark began to stir quietly.

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

Dark figures flitted past the treetops one after another, swiftly vanishing into the night.

"Report! Uchiha Fugaku has led the frontline troops back to Konoha. Their numbers are approximately four thousand!"

"Continue monitoring them."

Similar scenes played out repeatedly along the route.

Spies from every nation, rogue ninja, and even scouts from Konoha's other clans were all closely watching the movements of this army.

The midday sun shone upon Konoha's towering gates. When the four thousand-plus ninja spotted the familiar outline in the distance, they immediately erupted into deafening cheers.

"We're finally back!"

"Look! It's Hokage Rock!"

"Aoi Jun, you said you'd marry me once we returned to Konoha. You can't go back on your word..."

At last, relaxed smiles appeared on the weary ninja's faces. Some even excitedly removed their forehead protectors and raised them high as they waved them about.

The war was over... they had come home alive.

Uchiha Sanpo stood at the front of the formation, but he was calculating the days in his heart.

More than four days had passed since the Kannabi Bridge incident. Kakashi and Nohara Rin had long since been sent to reinforce the Kirigakure battlefield... and the day Nohara Rin would have her heart torn out was also approaching...