The Meaning of Prisoners

Uchiha Sou had never dreamed that Anko, who rarely had a flash of inspiration, would come up with such a big idea.

If he didn't know what she was like, and if she hadn't been the one to say those things—with plenty of people able to vouch for it—Uchiha Sou would have suspected she was trying to set him up.

The world of Naruto was, in many ways, an extremely realistic one.

After all those years in Konoha, the things Uchiha Sou had heard about weren't exactly uplifting. If anything, they were enough to make a person despair.

Take the wars that kept breaking out, or Hatake Sakumo, who had taken his own life years ago.

The manga and anime he'd watched before crossing over had been all about bonds, passion, friendship, and the like.

But in reality, didn't all of that have to be adjusted to fit the circumstances?

What was Konoha's biggest conflict right now? The growing demands of war clashing with the humanity of its ninja!

That was why Hatake Sakumo had killed himself. And after he did, didn't Konoha's atmosphere improve immediately?

His son Kakashi had become the very model of a proper ninja. Didn't that show the approach had worked?

Things were different in Naruto's era. The war was over, and the conflicts within Konoha had changed.

Besides, the great and mighty Lord Third had returned to office for a second term. To stabilize things, he naturally had to make changes. And so Konoha became the place of "harmony, friendship, and bonds."

Honestly, if Naruto and the others had handled missions the way they did in the future, they might have ended up in prison, where they could reflect on their actions.

Of course, nothing might have happened at all.

After all, surviving a catastrophe meant you had powerful backing, and Naruto's backing was rock solid.

"Of course, who knows if there was more to the death of the White Fang of the Leaf? After all, his reputation was so great."

Hatake Sakumo's reputation had been so high that some people had even called him the next Hokage. But he hadn't belonged to the Second's faction.

Konoha's current political structure could basically be seen as a massive alliance of the Second's faction. All five of Konoha's big shots were his students!

They might not have been able to appoint the next Hokage themselves, the way the Second had, but they could supply the candidates.

As Lu Xun once said: if everyone in line for the top job is one of your people, what difference does it make who you appoint?

So you dared challenge my authority, and you dared show your humanity during wartime? Didn't that mean you were practically buying a house in the Pure Land?

Whatever the real circumstances of Hatake Sakumo's death, at least the official story was that he'd saved people, delayed the mission, and then killed himself out of shame.

And the situation Uchiha Sou and the others were in now was nothing like Naruto's era. Even with the Uchiha Clan behind him, that was practically a death warrant!

Don't think Konoha didn't have time to deal with you now. Once the war ended, it would absolutely make a big move against you.

Just look at how an entire Uchiha Clan had been wiped off the map in just a few short years.

"Good thing Anko was the one who suggested it. Otherwise..."

Uchiha Sou still felt a lingering fear, but when he thought about it carefully, the plan didn't seem entirely unreasonable.

If they didn't have enough people, they could find more. If they couldn't find a team, they could make up the numbers with prisoners. Wasn't that perfectly reasonable?

Besides, the prisoners' ranks were full of talent. Who knew what hidden gems they might find? There could be medical ninja, or even someone intimately familiar with the Land of Whirlpools' enemy-held territory!

"Captain, will this really work?"

Deep in a dense forest in the Land of Whirlpools, Uchiha Sou's squad sped through the trees in formation.

Shiranui Genma glanced furtively at Anko on his flank, then turned back and quietly asked him,

"Who cares if it works? Anko suggested it, so if you're worried, remember to back me up!"

Uchiha Sou immediately whispered back, putting special emphasis on the last part.

For a moment, he really had suspected Anko was trying to set him up. Sure, he'd been the one to set her up first, but leaving the facts aside, wasn't what she was doing a little rude?

"Captain, you're being way too cautious." Shiranui Genma couldn't help but laugh. "It's not like you couldn't have refused."

"Being cautious is only natural. Don't forget, you were the one who reminded me about the White Fang of the Leaf." Uchiha Sou shook his head. "But this suggestion does have its merits. I have my reasons, too."

Though Anko really could be a menace, her suggestion had made Uchiha Sou think hard.

Rescuing the prisoners might cause enormous trouble, and they didn't know how many guards there were. That meant there was a huge risk.

But when he thought about it carefully, if they succeeded, the prisoners' value would be immeasurable!

"They've all been subjected to the Great Memory Recovery Jutsu who knows how many times. They must hate the Mist Ninja with all their hearts.

"Many of the prisoners were probably captured after failing their missions. They must be filled with guilt, too, and want to make up for it, just like Anko and the others.

"Of course, some might have talked and then been tossed aside to await a prisoner exchange after the war.

"But wouldn't the other Konoha ninja expose people like that?

"Besides, if they were rescued, they'd be consumed with unease.

"As long as we put them on the same team as those who hadn't talked, they'd fight even harder to minimize the punishment they'd face after the war."

To put it bluntly, in enemy territory—where there were "no guns, no soldiers, and no organization"—these prisoners would be the most determined and obedient reinforcements imaginable!

Uchiha Sou had finally agreed to Anko's incredibly troublesome suggestion because he'd figured all this out.

After launching a surprise attack on a patrol squad and interrogating them with genjutsu, they'd learned some interesting information.

There was a camp not far away, where quite a few prisoners were being held before they could be sent to the Mist's rear lines!

As soon as they got this information, they set out. After traveling for half a day, they were nearing their target.

"Captain, we're here."

Hyuga Tetsu stared ahead through his Byakugan. Keeping his voice low, he spoke to Uchiha Sou and the others.

"The intel's accurate. There's a camp eight hundred meters ahead, guarded by about twenty ninja.

"There are also twenty ninja locked in the cells, but their chakra has been sealed.

"The nearest patrol squad is about a kilometer from here. I can't see any farther than that.

"So if we're going to make a move, we have to be fast. We mustn't let the patrol squad discover us, or we won't be able to leave safely."

"I see. Understood."

Uchiha Sou nodded lightly. Then he pushed aside all his stray thoughts and spoke with utmost seriousness.

"Everyone, we've arrived. Anko, stay behind and look after Uchiha Shizuka. The rest of you, prepare for battle!"

"Yes, Captain!"