February 14, Konoha Year 39, eight in the morning.
The Stone Ninja had launched a dawn raid on the Kannabi Bridge Outpost... and failed.
The battle had been fierce...
"Konoha lost four Chunin. The Stone Ninja lost twelve Chunin and two Jonin on the spot..." Gongzhi Jiu reported the casualties to Akaseki, but he could not bring himself to feel pleased.
"One of our four fallen Chunin was from the Uchiha Clan... ah." Gongzhi Jiu shook his head regretfully, making no attempt to conceal his particular concern for his fellow clansmen.
"The Stone Ninja came at us hard. Some losses were unavoidable," Akaseki offered in consolation.
At that, Gongzhi Jiu brightened a little. "Yes, another member of the Uchiha Clan advanced to a Two-Tomoe Sharingan this time... the daughter of the man I just mentioned."
Akaseki: ...
Was that what I meant? How did you get that out of what I said?
Normally, when assigning battlefield missions, close family members were kept apart, mainly to avoid losing them all at once in a crisis.
But...
The Uchiha Clan was an exception! Uchiha were always assigned to the same battlefield as close relatives or their closest partners. When the fighting was manageable, they could band together to organize the ninja. When it grew desperate, it could trigger the effect of "a grieving army fights to win"...
"Good. That's wonderful... her father never awakened his Sharingan. He made Chunin through experience and mastery of ninjutsu alone. Now his daughter, who did awaken hers, has advanced to two tomoe. He can rest in peace," Gongzhi Jiu said.
Taken on its own, Gongzhi Jiu's remark sounded rather inhuman, even worthy of a slap.
But coming from Gongzhi Jiu, it left Akaseki unwilling to say anything...
Gongzhi Jiu sounded utterly sincere. Putting himself in the