That's the Place!

"Looks like I overestimated you two." Uchiha Kei gave a contemptuous laugh. "You couldn't even figure that out? How did you manage to survive this long?"

Uchiha Kei certainly could have mocked them to his heart's content. As someone who knew the truth, he had every advantage.

Especially as time went on, Uchiha Kei was sure he'd gain more and more control over the situation. As long as he didn't do anything stupid, things shouldn't change too much, right?

Well, even Uchiha Kei didn't know whether he'd do something that would send the story off course. But at least the major events probably wouldn't change.

"You really did figure something out." Hyuga Aya wasn't about to hold back with Uchiha Kei. As a member of Konoha's Hyuga Clan, she had every right to speak her mind. After saying that, though, she began to think.

Imai Kenta knew his place. He said nothing and started thinking. Born a civilian, he couldn't talk back to Uchiha Kei the way Hyuga Aya could.

What kind of mission would Namikaze Squad have to undertake that required so many squads to provide cover at this point in the war?

Uchiha Kei didn't offer any hints or try to stop them. Even if what they were doing had already crossed a line, so what?

Just then, Hyuga Aya seemed to think of something. She immediately pulled out the map she carried and studied it carefully.

The more she looked, the more excited she became. Imai Kenta leaned over to take a look, and soon he seemed to notice something too.

Watching them, Uchiha Kei felt a shiver run through him. Was this really that easy to guess?

Uchiha Kei rubbed his chin. He didn't say a word. He wanted to see what the two of them had figured out.

"It's Kannabi Bridge, right?" Hyuga Aya said excitedly, looking at the map. "That's it, it has to be! Looking at the route, this must be Namikaze Squad's target!"

"I think so too." Imai Kenta smiled again, looking harmless. "The Iwa Ninja are going to attack us, so they'll have to pass through the Land of Grass. There are plenty of supply routes from the Land of Grass into the Land of Fire, and they're well hidden. But the key supplies and personnel still have to come from the Land of Earth through the Land of Grass. So..."

"So Kannabi Bridge is the most important point!" Hyuga Aya stood up with a smile. "Cut off the connection between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth. The Land of Earth is already fighting the Land of Lightning, so the Iwa Ninja left in the Land of Grass will be stranded. Whether we kill them all or take half of them prisoner, that'll be the key to forcing a ceasefire and securing benefits after the war!"

"Then the war will be over," Imai Kenta added at last. He still seemed quite confident.

Uchiha Kei rubbed his nose. These two really were sharp. While all the other Ninja were thinking about how to defeat the enemy, they were already considering how to force the enemy to stop fighting—and negotiate after the war.

Was this what they called the "Hokage way of thinking"?

The Hokage way of thinking wasn't limited to the concerns of a "clan" or a "village." It was broader, more far-reaching, and more inclusive.

Uchiha Kei could think further ahead because he had once been an adult.

But these two were just kids, and yet they had minds like that too. It made Uchiha Kei even more wary.

Could these two be reincarnated from another world too?

Uchiha Kei wondered silently, but after thinking it over for a long while, he decided that couldn't be true. If it were, those two would be incredibly unlucky.

Not only had they been born into difficult circumstances, they'd also run into someone like Uchiha Kei. If they really were reincarnated, Uchiha Kei would definitely kill them.

"So Namikaze Squad's target is Kannabi Bridge, and they need to blow it up, right?" Hyuga Aya seemed to realize how serious this was. "Damn it. No wonder so many squads have to go, instead of sending them to the main battlefield. The Iwa Ninja can probably guess some of Konoha's plans too, so they'll keep intercepting us to secure their rear. That means..."

"This mission is even more dangerous than we thought." Imai Kenta couldn't smile anymore. "We might die here. All of us."

"So you'd already thought of all this, and that's why you decided to bring these prisoners along?" Hyuga Aya seemed to realize something. She gave Uchiha Kei a careful once-over. "The more people there are, the more confusion we can cause. The more the Iwa Ninja are distracted, the safer we'll be, and the better our chances of completing the mission. You really are..."

"That's all your speculation. Want me to help you forget it?" Uchiha Kei said calmly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Think about Yamanaka Masato and the others. Focus—we have more important things to do."

Uchiha Kei didn't admit to anything. Still, he'd kindly reminded them to be careful, and he'd put particular emphasis on the surname Yamanaka.

Sure enough, after hearing Uchiha Kei, Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta immediately fell silent.

Some things really couldn't be said carelessly. They could even be things they had no business knowing. Sometimes, being ignorant was far more comfortable than knowing everything.

But now that they knew all this, they couldn't be bothered to ask why they had to save the prisoners.

More people could cause confusion, but if they were unlucky enough to be found, that wouldn't be unlikely either. Were they supposed to hide behind everyone else the whole time?

Still, since Uchiha Kei had been the first to think of this, he must have his reasons. Besides, he was the Captain, and they couldn't control him. Their goal was simple: survive.

They also had to be wary of Uchiha Kei. He was the "jinx" who had survived after all those squads were switched out. If they weren't careful, they might be the next ones to die.

Nobody wanted to become someone else's stepping stone or lifeline, especially if it meant sacrificing themselves.

But they had no idea that saving the prisoners had been nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment idea from Uchiha Kei. It was all for his future investment.

If this hadn't happened, Uchiha Kei would have stuck to his original plan and carried it out step by step.

For instance, he would rely on the Byakugan to hide, then carefully ambush small squads of Iwa Ninja, and finally wait for Kannabi Bridge to be blown up before faking a few injuries and heading back.

That plan might not have led to a great outcome, but it would still have been much better than staying at the edge of the battlefield to clean up scraps.

Uchiha Kei glanced at the cave and thought silently, I still need to be careful. Once I've rescued enough prisoners, I'll have them charge in. I'll stay somewhere farther back.