Rescue

Although Shiranui Genma was filled with doubts about what exactly Uchiha Sou was planning, he knew it was best not to ask.

He didn't dislike the idea of rescuing the Konoha squad—after all, it was a team from his own village, and he would be happy to help anyone in trouble.

It was just that the current situation in Konoha, the mission they were currently tasked with, and that incident from the past all gave him the necessity and obligation to remind his captain.

However, since his captain had already made a decision and it involved a plan, he felt it was best to simply follow orders.

I must find a time to talk to Might Guy; if we don't find anyone, I can't let him go around talking about this!

Shiranui Genma thought to himself. It was better to keep silent about not finding anyone; after all, that could be considered a sign of "delaying the war effort."

As for finding them and carrying out a rescue, that wasn't his concern; how to handle that was a decision for Uchiha Sou, their captain.

The three of them moved quickly, advancing stealthily under the cover of night, and eventually stopped in a patch of woodland.

Might Guy was likely feeling guilty, as the previous battle had broken out because he had been exposed, causing them to lose the best opportunity for a surprise attack.

Therefore, he took the initiative to volunteer for guard duty, intending to let Uchiha Sou and Shiranui Genma get some rest.

Shiranui Genma couldn't compete with Might Guy in terms of physical stamina, so he naturally wouldn't refuse, and Uchiha Sou had more important things to do.

As a member of the Uchiha, the responsibility of interrogation naturally fell upon him.

It seems that after we return safely this time, I need to practice genjutsu properly.

The existence of the Sharingan had created a fixed perception in the ninja world: that all members of the Uchiha were skilled at genjutsu.

But this understanding was wrong, even if it was deeply ingrained. In fact, not every member of the Uchiha was good at genjutsu, even those who had awakened the Sharingan.

It could only be said that Uchiha with the Sharingan could avoid genjutsu to a certain extent and were more convenient when it came to casting it.

Fortunately, Uchiha Sou's level of genjutsu was still up to par, even if the techniques he used were mostly those inherent to the Sharingan.

But for him, that was more than enough. He didn't pursue the effect of bewitching people like Uchiha Itachi; all he needed was to make the enemy lose focus for a split second.

In ninja battles, victory or defeat, life or death, were often decided in an instant. He didn't need to engage in anything flashy.

However, such a genjutsu system seemed a bit weak for the purpose of interrogating for intelligence.

Fortunately, the person he was interrogating had already been beaten half to death and was mentally dazed, and his Sharingan had already reached the Three Tomoe level, so no matter how strong their will was, they couldn't hold out.

The next morning, after Uchiha Sou finished interrogating the last Mist ninja chunin—the guy whose younger brother had been killed by a Konoha ninja—he pulled out a kunai and helped the guy find release.

"Captain, how did it go?"

Uchiha Sou's actions were naturally seen by Shiranui Genma, who couldn't help but walk over from a distance to ask curiously, and Might Guy also moved closer.

"I got some information. It's a three-man squad."

Uchiha Sou didn't hide anything and spoke quickly.

"They are fleeing toward the northeast. One of them is from the Hyuga Clan, and there are three squads pursuing them, all led by jonin."

"Then what are we waiting for, Captain?" As soon as Uchiha Sou finished speaking, Might Guy said, "Let's go save them!"

"You guy, can you calm down?" Shiranui Genma looked at Might Guy helplessly. How could this guy get so hot-headed so easily?

In fact, after hearing this intelligence, Shiranui Genma already felt there was no need to rescue this squad.

It wasn't that he wanted to disregard their lives, but he felt that this squad shouldn't be in too much trouble, right?

There was a member of the Hyuga Clan in the team. As long as the others weren't stupid enough to ignore his guidance in avoiding pursuers while steering clear of enemy camps ahead, there shouldn't be any problems, right?

If that was the case, was there any need for their squad to go and rescue them?

However, this was just his own thought; what they would actually do depended on Uchiha Sou's decision.

"Based on the timing, that squad is about half a day's distance from us."

Uchiha Sou thought for a moment before speaking.

"It shouldn't be a problem for us to catch up. After all, they also have to avoid enemy pursuit, so their speed probably won't be fast. Let's go."

"Yes, Captain!" Might Guy nodded excitedly upon hearing this, while Shiranui Genma hesitated for a moment before nodding as well.

With the goal set, the three of them set off immediately, though they remained extremely cautious because they were about to enter the area controlled by the Mist.

Might Guy continued to lead the way, while Uchiha Sou and Shiranui Genma flanked him from behind. Along the way, Shiranui Genma appeared somewhat silent.

Finally, just as they were about to reach the enemy-controlled zone, he spoke in a low voice: "Captain, this rescue is actually somewhat unnecessary. Is this also for your plan?"

"Yes."

Uchiha Sou already knew that Shiranui Genma was a sharp-minded person, and since they were all sharing the risks of this mission, he didn't intend to hide it.

"Our people are too scattered for this mission, and we have no way to communicate intelligence between us, so we can't understand the specific situation behind enemy lines."

"But the purpose of doing this is to prevent all squads from running into trouble if one squad is exposed and captured."

Shiranui Genma was still very calm. Although he felt this didn't seem quite right, at least everyone could be safer this way.

"That is true, but have you thought about one question: where are we right now?"

Uchiha Sou didn't oppose Shiranui Genma's point but slowly began to guide him.

"The Land of Whirlpools, Captain." Shiranui Genma did not know what Uchiha Sou was getting at, but he gave his answer while deep in thought.

"Then what is the relationship between the Land of Whirlpools and Konoha, and by the same token, what is the relationship between the Land of Whirlpools and Kirigakure?"

"Konoha has always been an ally to the Land of Whirlpools, while Kirigakure has been an aggressor from beginning to end."

"Then, who do you think hates Kirigakure the most? Also, you should have familiarized yourself with the specific current locations of the Kirigakure forces before we set out."

Uchiha Sou paused at this point, and Shiranui Genma fell into deep contemplation.

He was a smart man; although he usually appeared a bit lazy, his ability to analyze intelligence at critical moments was absolutely reliable.

In Uchiha Sou's memory, this guy seemed to have fought against Baki during the future Chunin Exams.

Sure enough, with such hints from Uchiha Sou, he slowly began to understand his captain's intentions after some deliberation.

"Captain, are you trying to rely on those civilians to cover us and cooperate with us, so that we can launch an attack on Kirigakure?" Shiranui Genma asked.

"That's right. They are the ones most familiar with the Land of Whirlpools, and they are also the ones who hate Kirigakure the most."

Uchiha Sou nodded and said calmly.

"With their assistance, we can exert our maximum power within the enemy's controlled territory.

Do not underestimate any ordinary person; if given the chance, they can sway the outcome of an entire war."