That's the Place!

"It seems I overestimated the two of you," Uchiha Kei scoffed, a dismissive laugh escaping him. "If you can't even figure this out, how did you survive before?"

Uchiha Kei could indeed mock them to his heart's content. As someone who knew the truth, he held all the advantages.

Especially as time continued to tick by, Uchiha Kei was confident he would gain even more control over the situation. If he didn't mess up, things shouldn't change too much.

Alright, Uchiha Kei didn't even know if he would do anything that deviated from the original story. But at least the major events shouldn't change, right?

"You did guess something, didn't you?" Hyuga Aya wouldn't be polite to Uchiha Kei. As a member of Konoha's Hyuga Clan, she had the right to speak her mind. After saying that, she began to ponder.

Imai Kenta was self-aware. He remained silent and started thinking. As someone born a commoner, he couldn't afford to confront Uchiha Kei directly like Hyuga Aya.

What kind of mission was the Namikaze Squad on that required so many squads to provide cover at this particular time?

Uchiha Kei didn't speak up to offer hints or to stop them. Even though what they were doing could be considered overstepping, so what?

Just then, Hyuga Aya seemed to realize something. She immediately took out the map she carried and looked at it intently.

The more she looked, the more excited she became. Imai Kenta couldn't help but lean in to look as well, and soon he seemed to notice something too.

Watching the two of them, Uchiha Kei's heart couldn't help but tremble. Was this matter really that easy to guess?

Looking at the two, Uchiha Kei stroked his chin. He remained silent, wanting to see what these two had figured out.

"It's Kannabi Bridge, isn't it?" Hyuga Aya said excitedly, looking at the map. "That's right, it must be here! Judging by the routes, the Namikaze Squad's target must be here!"

"I think so too," Imai Kenta said, a harmless smile returning to his face. "The Iwa Ninja are going to attack us, so they'll inevitably pass through the Land of Grass. There are many hidden supply routes from the Land of Grass into the Land of Fire. But the most crucial supply and personnel replenishment comes from the Land of Earth to the Land of Grass, so..."

"Then Kannabi Bridge is the most critical point!" Hyuga Aya stood up with a smile. "Cut off the connection between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth. And since the Land of Earth is already fighting the Land of Lightning, the Iwa Ninja remaining in the Land of Grass will be isolated. Whether we kill them all, or kill half and capture half, it will be the key to demanding a ceasefire and obtaining post-war benefits!"

"This way, the war will end," Imai Kenta added as a final point, clearly quite confident.

Uchiha Kei rubbed his nose. These two indeed had sharp minds. While all the other ninjas were thinking about how to defeat the enemy, they had already considered forcing a ceasefire and even negotiating after the war.

Was this what was called 'Hokage' thinking?

Hokage thinking wasn't just the thinking of a 'clan' or a 'village,' but a broader, more encompassing mindset that included more.

Uchiha Kei, having been an adult before, tended to think more deeply.

But these two, despite being mere youngsters, possessed similar excellent thinking, which made Uchiha Kei even more vigilant.

Could these two also be transmigrators?

Uchiha Kei thought to himself. However, after much deliberation, Uchiha Kei felt that such a thing shouldn't happen. If that were the case, these two would be too unlucky.

Not only did they have problematic origins, but they also encountered someone like Uchiha Kei. If they were truly transmigrators, Uchiha Kei would definitely eliminate them.

"So, the Namikaze Squad's target is Kannabi Bridge, and they need to blow up this bridge, right?" Hyuga Aya seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation. "Damn it, no wonder they deployed so many squads instead of putting them on the frontal battlefield. The Iwa Ninja can probably guess some of Konoha's intentions, so they need to constantly intercept to ensure the stability of their rear. This means..."

"This mission is more dangerous and terrifying than we initially anticipated," Imai Kenta could no longer force a smile. "We might all die here, everyone."

"So you already thought of all this, and that's why you decided to bring these captives along?" Hyuga Aya seemed to have figured something out. She sized up Uchiha Kei seriously. "The more people there are, the greater the chaos. The more the Iwa Ninja are distracted, the safer we'll be, and the mission will be more assured. You really are..."

"These are all your speculations. Do you need me to help you forget them?" Uchiha Kei said calmly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Think about the situation with Yamanaka Masato and the others. Let's focus; we have more important things to do."

Uchiha Kei didn't admit to anything, but he did give the two a merciful reminder. He emphasized the surname Yamanaka heavily.

As expected, after hearing Uchiha Kei's words, Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta immediately shut up.

Some things truly shouldn't be spoken of carelessly. It could be said that these things weren't meant for them to know. Sometimes, ignorance is indeed more blissful than knowing everything.

However, now that they knew all this, they were too lazy to ask any more questions, such as why they had to save these captives.

Having more people could create chaos, but if they were unlucky enough to be found, the probability wasn't low. Were they going to hide behind them the entire time?

But since Uchiha Kei was the first to think of this, he must have his own considerations. Moreover, Uchiha Kei was the captain, so they couldn't control him. Their goal was simply to survive.

However, they also had to guard against Uchiha Kei. After all, he was a 'calamity' who had survived by switching teams so many times. If they weren't careful, they might be next.

No one wants to become a stepping stone or a life-saving straw for someone else, especially if it means sacrificing themselves.

But they had no idea that the captives were purely Uchiha Kei's sudden whim, an investment for the future.

If this incident hadn't happened, Uchiha Kei would have followed his original plan and proceeded step by step.

For example, he would have hidden using the Byakugan, then carefully launched sneak attacks on small Iwa Ninja squads, and finally waited for Kannabi Bridge to be blown up before faking some injuries and returning.

While this outcome wasn't necessarily great, it was definitely better than clearing up trash on the fringes of the battlefield.

Uchiha Kei glanced at the cave and thought to himself, "I still need to be careful. After rescuing enough captives, I'll let them charge forward. I'll just stay a bit behind."