No One Can Out-Shameless Me

Mito's existence, to be honest, Sosuke hadn't taken too seriously.

Their contact had been brief, not even enough to call each other friends, and the relationship between the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans was already at daggers drawn.

Barring any surprises, they would inevitably meet on the battlefield in the future, and when that time came, Sosuke wouldn't hold back.

As for that damn Fūma Clan, he had already sentenced them to death in his heart.

Yet they were still eager to lock horns with the Uchiha, so he didn't mind using the clan's power to punish his enemies.

Soon, the youth arrived at the Western War Zone's military camp and saw the Western Army Corps stationed there.

He produced the clan head's letter and easily passed the questioning of the guard ninja.

"Uh, don't you need to check more carefully?" Sosuke asked, a little confused.

Weren't they afraid someone might sneak in and try to assassinate the commander or something?

But then he reconsidered and figured the problem was with his own thinking.

This was the Hokage World, where the strength of the powerful far exceeded normal imagination.

Assassination?

It would be a blessing if the Corps Commander didn't charge into the enemy camp and go on a killing spree.

There was no way anyone else could come into the camp to assassinate him.

The slightest hint of killing intent would immediately be caught by alert guards.

The Perception Division existed precisely to prevent situations like that.

The guards at the entrance were more symbolic than practical.

Inside the camp, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than Sosuke had imagined.

The reason was simple: in the Warring States period, combat units were all family-based. Everyone knew everyone else—your squad leader might be your mom, and the Corps Commander could be your second uncle or grand-uncle.

Strict discipline sometimes couldn't change many clansmen's family mindset, just like it was hard for a father to serve under his son.

This kind of relationship had its pros and cons, but Sosuke felt it was pretty good.

There were many kinds of family, and he preferred that when he was in danger, his family could join him and fight side by side.

"We're here. Wait a moment." The clansman leading the way was warm and friendly, probably guessing Sosuke's identity from his age.

As many had said, the entire Uchiha owed him a favor. His act of saving the academy had earned him unimaginable support from his clansmen.

If he ever made a move in the future, that gratitude buried deep in their hearts might come in handy.

Not long after, the tent's curtain opened again, and Sosuke immediately heard hearty laughter from inside.

"So it's Sosuke. Come on in."

Giving him a reassuring look, the clansman who had led him there left the commander's tent alone.

Steadying himself a little, Sosuke walked in alone. The faint, pleasant fragrance in the air made his tense face relax slightly.

Behind the desk inside the tent sat a burly, white-bearded man.

His silver-white armor gleamed dazzlingly, and his firm gaze was fixed on Sosuke, as if examining something interesting.

This white-bearded man was none other than the Corps Commander of the Western Army Corps, said to be a Clan Head-level super powerhouse, "Uchiha Shinya."

He was also the Fifth Elder of the Uchiha clan, a distinguished ninja of the same generation as Tajima.

"Greetings, Corps Commander." Sosuke was very polite, not letting a little achievement go to his head.

So what if he was a hero? Before power, that meant nothing—calling it worthless wasn't an exaggeration.

In the Fourth War era, Naruto had the outstanding achievement of saving the entire Ninja World, but so what? Kakashi flatly said that merit alone wouldn't make you Hokage.

As a top legal scholar in his past life, he had seen too much darkness and knew he needed to keep his posture humble for now.

Madara and Izuna could afford to gild themselves, but he couldn't really act like a big shot, or they'd make him learn what it meant to be squeezed out.

Seeing his humble attitude, the Corps Commander's face showed a hint of surprise.

Everyone said Uchiha Sosuke was arrogant—beating up his cousin, hitting his uncle, too lazy to even put on a show for welcoming the heroes.

He had expected a difficult person to deal with, but the youth was nothing like what he had imagined.

"Damn, rumors really do kill people."

Waving his hand casually, the Corps Commander smiled and said, "Come on, let's sit and talk."

Then, Uchiha Shinya personally explained the situation in the Western War Zone, focusing on the current state of the Fūma Clan.

At the end, he seemed to casually mention, "I don't know why, but lately those bastards have been attacking even more fiercely."

Hearing this, Sosuke was pretty sure the Corps Commander had some intel; otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically brought it up for no reason.

Just as he was about to confess, he saw Uchiha Shinya wave his hand and say with a smile, "The exact reason doesn't really matter. We're going to fight them sooner or later anyway. What matters is how to reduce our clansmen's casualties."

Huh, what was this old man getting at?

Sosuke felt like the other party was hinting at him between the lines.

But what did reducing casualties have to do with him? It wasn't like he could teach his clansmen some life-saving skill.

Wait, the Corps Commander couldn't possibly mean...

"Ahem, ahem." Sensing the groundwork was laid well enough, Uchiha Shinya stroked his white beard like the Big Bad Wolf luring Little Red Riding Hood. "Sosuke, I hear you've created a rather special solid clone technique?"

"I didn't, I don't know, don't talk nonsense." The Youth fired off a triple denial.

At that, the Corps Commander smiled faintly, leaning back into his soft chair as if muttering to himself. "You know, the Fūma Clan is quite something—insisting I hand over some culprit. Our Uchiha Clan has always been on good terms with others. How could someone like that, a criminal, possibly appear among us?"

"If such a person really existed, I, Uchiha Shinya, would never let it slide. I can't let one man's mistake taint the entire Western Army Corps."

"..." Sosuke was utterly speechless, unable to believe that the dignified Corps Commander could be so shameless.

"Well, it seems I've recalled something. I did indeed create a special clone technique."

Hearing this, Uchiha Shinya rose with a smile and personally poured him a cup of tea. "Here, try some of our local tea leaves. By the way, this clone technique you mentioned—what makes it so special?"

The Youth didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the teacup, closed his eyes, and savored it carefully. After a long pause, he asked with evident curiosity, "In peacetime, when there's no fighting, do we have to stay stationed at the base long-term?"

"Naturally. After all, the enemy won't tell you when they plan to start trouble."

"I see." Sosuke sighed inwardly, realizing that even at the front lines, he couldn't just farm points whenever and wherever he pleased.

Unless—this shameless old geezer in front of him could give him a green light. Then he could go wherever he wanted and farm however he liked.

"Sosuke, you want to freely form your own squad?"

"My Shadow Clone is easy to learn but hard to master. It requires long-term guidance from someone."

The old man and the youth locked eyes, both revealing knowing smiles.