"Any intel?"
In a secluded spot among the trees, Haori watched Yamashiro Aoba slowly get to his feet and asked curiously.
The fight hadn't taken long. They'd had the element of surprise, and all three of them were exceptionally talented.
With one side prepared and the other caught off guard, the battle had taken hardly any time at all. They hadn't even made much noise.
But Haori hadn't killed the Iwa ninja captain, which gave Aoba a chance to do his thing.
"Yeah, I got some interesting intel."
Aoba nodded, looking rather tired.
After all, he'd had to use crows to scout the area the whole time, and had tried to focus on support during the fight.
Then, after the fight, he'd had to probe the enemy's mind for information. It had taken a lot out of him.
"But this guy's only a Chunin, so there wasn't much to learn.
"From his memories, there's a stronghold about ten kilometers northeast. It's a major supply depot for Iwagakure.
"There are plenty of small squads like theirs along the way, too. And there seems to be a Special Jōnin at the depot."
It wasn't much intel, and it wasn't very specific, either, but Haori still nodded.
Even for shinobi like them, operating deep behind enemy lines, Haori wouldn't have known what they were supposed to do if he didn't have memories of his previous life.
You could say shinobi missions were all about laying the foundations for a towering structure, then rising and falling by your own hand.
"A major supply depot?"
Might Guy's eyes lit up at that, but he quickly glanced at Haori.
He might be prone to getting carried away, but he wasn't "hopeless at school and training." He could tell that Haori and Aoba were worried he'd do something reckless.
So he was behaving himself for now, even if he kept coming up with terrible ideas.
"How many people are at the depot? And who's the Special Jōnin?"
Haori had noticed Guy's glance. He hesitated, but still asked.
A Special Jōnin wasn't as well-rounded as a full Jōnin, but they were usually no pushover.
Even if it was only a rank, earning one through a battlefield promotion still took distinguished service. Haori couldn't afford to take that lightly.
The three of them were pretty capable, but skill couldn't make up for sheer numbers. Being strong didn't mean they could get cocky.
There were only three of them. If the enemy had too many people, they'd have to know when to back down.
"There are about twenty people stationed at the depot."
Aoba immediately gave them the information.
"As for the Special Jōnin, I think his name is Sumashi."
Sumashi?
At the name, Haori tilted his head. It sounded familiar.
He seemed to be a ninja who was really good at Earth Release. And hadn't he once joined in against Kakashi?
Haori was a transmigrator, but he couldn't remember everything.
Especially not some bit character who only appeared for one episode.
[New side quest acquired] [1. Destroy the Iwagakure supply depot and cause turmoil in Iwagakure] [2. Tell Iwagakure the plan and defect to join them] [Quest rewards unknown]
As Haori pondered, his system suddenly gave him another quest.
But when he saw the two choices, he almost lost it.
He'd been planning to go back and shout, "Your father killed your elder brother, the empire is beyond saving, Fugaku isn't the true heir, and the clan belongs to Lord Haori!"
What was the second quest supposed to mean? Did it want him to start a new Uchiha clan?
Would he have to wear a helmet just to go fishing?
It wasn't as if it were impossible. Iwagakure would probably be delighted to have Uchiha blood continue in their village.
But his quest was to overthrow Uchiha Fugaku's tyranny, and even told him, "I Will Raise Your Wife." How was he supposed to defect?
"Got it."
Haori nodded helplessly. After accepting [Quest 1], he spoke up.
"Let's rest here for now. Aoba, mark down as much detail as you can about the depot.
"I think it's time we made a move."
"Understood."
Yamashiro Aoba's expression grew serious, too.
After giving his orders, Haori sat down right where he was. Guy eagerly hopped into a tree to keep watch.
Still, it was obvious that Guy was excited.
"We're short on people, and we're not strong enough. This is a real pain."
Unlike Guy, Haori didn't show anything on his face, but he felt rather frustrated.
If he were strong enough—like Uchiha Madara—couldn't he just charge in alone?
But he quickly shook his head with a wry smile. If he had that kind of strength, he'd just kill Uchiha Fugaku himself. Hell, he'd raze Konoha, too!
"Once we get back, overthrowing Uchiha Fugaku will take more planning, greater strength, and more allies."
For some reason, Haori suddenly thought of his other side quest—Uchiha Ultimate Weapon.
Honestly, he still had no idea where to start with that quest.
There was too little information in the scroll, and he didn't know where that person was buried.
"Besides, they've been sealed away for a hundred years. They must have turned into a pile of bones by now. What's the point of looking for them?"
That was just a passing thought, though. Side quests could give him abilities from other people.
Even if all that remained was a pile of bones, he might still get some kind of reward.
Especially since that person had been hailed as the "Uchiha Ultimate Weapon." They must have been strong in life.
"Looks like I'll have to think about the clans that were close to the Senju once I get back."
Haori rubbed his chin. Then he remembered that Konoha had an old Uzumaki Clan estate.
And Kushina was already living with Namikaze Minato—
"Today's gone pretty well, but tomorrow could be dangerous. We'll have to be even more careful."
Inside a cave, Kakashi looked at the fresh bandage on his shoulder. He'd wanted to say thanks, but given their current situation, he couldn't help warning the others as the team's acting leader.
Namikaze Minato had escorted them behind enemy lines and taken care of Mahiru, who'd been assigned to scout them. Then he'd returned to the front.
Iwagakure was attacking like mad, and Konoha was under immense pressure. Namikaze Minato had to help hold the front line.
Fortunately, he had the Flying Thunder God Technique. Otherwise, he couldn't have carried out this mission.
"Tch. Minato-sensei just told us that this morning."
Obito lay off to one side, chewing on a blade of grass as he said it nonchalantly. Still, he looked at Kakashi differently now.
He'd learned what had happened to Kakashi, and it had stirred up a lot of feelings in him.
"Don't worry. We'll be careful."
Nohara Rin smiled from beside them, but soon sighed.
"I wonder how Haori and the others are doing. Honestly, he never told me that he was coming on this mission, too."
She'd only found out Haori was going on the mission when she saw him on the day they set out.
She herself was about to face such a dangerous mission, yet he'd still taken the time to encourage her and see her off. It had really touched Rin.
But at her words, Obito immediately lost his composure. He remembered that Rin had originally been on her way to tell him about the mission that day.
Then Haori had intercepted her halfway there, and Obito had been furious.
"That guy's a jerk."
Obito spoke bitterly.
"He just got lucky and awakened his Sharingan. Otherwise—"
"Don't say that, Obito."
Rin cut him off, displeasure creeping into her voice and making it a little sterner.
"Haori is a man of conviction, and he has a kind heart. He's nothing like what you're saying!"
Obito was so taken aback that he couldn't find an answer. He stared at Rin in disbelief, his breathing growing ragged.
Kakashi watched them and shook his head helplessly. Just as he was about to tell them both to shut up—
A rumble suddenly shattered the silence of the night, and the ground trembled faintly.