Uchiha Squad?

Uchiha Sou couldn't help frowning slightly at those words. He began seriously considering which Uchiha's squad this might be.

But after thinking it over for a long while, he decided he'd better stop trying to guess. There were quite a few Uchiha assigned to the Land of Whirlpools.

He didn't know if it had been deliberate, but nearly all the more capable Uchiha had been assigned to fight in the Land of Whirlpools and Kirigakure.

Judging by the state of the battlefield, it seemed they were looking after the Uchiha Clan. After all, compared with the battles against Iwagakure and Kumogakure, the fighting against Kirigakure really wasn't as fierce.

Besides, even the Hyuga had come. If the two clans teamed up, they'd be an unstoppable force!

The problem was that Hidden Mist Jutsu unquestionably countered the Sharingan.

A powerful Sharingan could still see through the mist and spot the chakra flowing through enemies hidden within it. But how many Uchiha had the Three Tomoe Sharingan?

And beyond that, how good were relations between the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha?

The two clans had spent ages competing for the honor of being Konoha's foremost clan, putting on displays of "brotherly love" in the village's fertile lands for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

If the times hadn't changed, making everyone "one family," and if they weren't on a battlefield now, it wouldn't have been at all surprising if they'd come to blows.

Under these circumstances, the Uchiha Clan's position in the Land of Whirlpools was hardly enviable.

But the assignment had been made by Konoha, and it had even been approved by the Uchiha Clan's current head, Uchiha Fugaku. It was enough to leave anyone feeling helpless.

Who knew what the clan head was thinking? At that very moment, he was gaining experience on the Iwagakure front in the Land of Grass, with his eldest son, Uchiha Itachi!

"Let's go take a look. We might be able to get some information," Uchiha Sou said after a moment's thought.

Information wasn't the important thing. The people were!

Anyone sent here was probably no ordinary shinobi. Given his current situation, he needed to recruit a few more fighters above all else.

For the sake of more fighters, and a better life in the future, Uchiha Sou decided he'd give it everything he had.

"Uchiha Sou, we still have our own mission," Anko said, displeasure plain in her voice. She'd been holding it in for a long time.

"You know the mission guidelines say we shouldn't get involved with them. Besides, they've even picked a fight with Anbu. Don't go doing something crazy!"

"First of all, under the squad-merger rules, I'm the captain now. You should watch how you speak, Chunin Anko."

Uchiha Sou didn't take Anko's displeasure too seriously. Having read the original story, he knew what she was like.

She could be a bit of a goofball at times, and she sometimes seemed to act without thinking. But when it mattered, her professionalism as a shinobi was excellent.

She was probably just holding a grudge right now. Uchiha Sou knew how to handle her.

"Besides, I haven't forgotten our mission, and I already have a plan. Lord Orochimaru personally sought me out and gave me my orders. Do you think I'd let Lord Orochimaru down?"

At that, Uchiha Sou paused and looked toward Hyuga Tetsu.

"Captain, twelve o'clock," Hyuga Tetsu replied at once, understanding what he meant before he even had to ask.

"Stay in battle formation. Be ready to fight at any moment." Uchiha Sou nodded. "Move out!"

With that, he dashed off first. Might Guy and Shiranui Genma followed right behind him.

Hyuga Tetsu glanced at Anko and Morino Ibiki. They were both unhappy, but they still followed, so he had nothing to say.

He wasn't fond of Uchiha Sou either, but he hadn't forgotten that this was the man who had appeared and saved his life when he'd been at his most desperate.

That was probably why, out of everyone in Anko Squad, he was the least likely to openly oppose Uchiha Sou.

"Boom!"

The six of them moved quickly in formation. Before long, they heard a series of thunderous blasts.

The air around them was growing hot as well. The fighters ahead had clearly begun using ninjutsu.

"This level of fighting..."

Anko frowned as she felt the air change and sensed the chakra radiating from the battlefield.

"You really plan to take on Kirigakure's Anbu? How are we supposed to carry out our mission if you do?"

"I told you I have a well-thought-out plan, and that I won't let Lord Orochimaru down. So I don't think you need to worry about so much."

Uchiha Sou glanced back at Anko, paused to consider his words, then replied with complete seriousness.

"I'm a Konoha Ninja too, so I have a responsibility to all of this. And let me ask you something: if I told you my plan, would you really understand it?"

Uchiha Sou's words left Anko silent for a moment. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. As a fellow Konoha Ninja, she'd always trusted him.

She also felt deeply guilty toward Orochimaru. Because of this mission, they could say they'd already messed things up to a certain extent.

All she could think about was how to make up for it. On top of that, Uchiha Sou had blindsided her, and she had no idea what he was planning. That was why she was so anxious and irritated.

Now that Uchiha Sou had laid it all out, she felt a little more at ease—but she was also even more annoyed.

"You jerk, are you saying there's something wrong with my brain?" Anko glared at Uchiha Sou. "What do you mean, would I really understand it? You—!"

"If I were you, I'd focus on the fight ahead," Uchiha Sou said seriously. "You know they're Anbu. We need to stay alert."

He didn't have time to discuss why she wouldn't understand. She wasn't stupid; she was different from that "Xian'er," Obito.

She just had her moments, making it seem as if her brain hadn't fully developed. If she were truly incompetent, she wouldn't be leading her own Anko Squad in the future.

Now quiet, Anko gripped her kunai and prepared for battle.

Might Guy and Shiranui Genma had already gotten into position, while Hyuga Tetsu and Morino Ibiki began preparing as well.

Only then did Uchiha Sou realize that his little squad had somehow ended up with so many of Konoha's future pillars!

Aside from him and Hyuga Tetsu, every one of the other four had made a name for themselves in Konoha.

He even wondered whether losing this entire squad would count as a major loss for Konoha.

With that thought in mind, the six of them hurried toward the battlefield. The closer they got, the more clearly he could sense the powerful chakra surging all around them.

"This fight's a lot more intense than the ones I've seen before. But which Uchiha hero has run into these people?"

As they continued forward, the mist around them grew thicker and thicker.

There was unmistakable chakra mixed into the mist, and they all realized it was Kirigakure's secret technique!

"Everyone, be careful. This situation doesn't look good."

"Watch out! Enemy attack!"

Uchiha Sou had just begun to warn them when Hyuga Tetsu suddenly shouted from beside him.

The moment the words left his mouth, kunai came hurtling toward them with a sharp whistle. Explosive Tags were attached to every one of them.