With Tsunade's approval, Fucheng took Mikoto, Hezi, and Jiangyi straight to find Yakushi Nonō at the camp.
At the time, Yakushi Nonō was tiny and looked timid.
Nonō looked at them and asked uncertainly, "H-hello. Is there something you need?"
Uchiha Fucheng looked at the little girl, who didn't even reach his chest, and bent down with a friendly smile. "Hello, Yakushi Nonō. I'm Uchiha Fucheng.
"Captain Uchiha Fugaku of the Konoha Military Police Force was seriously injured, so Lady Tsunade has specially assigned you to my squad.
"During the final phase of the campaign, your main responsibility will be to look after Uchiha Fugaku and three other seriously injured Uchiha Clan members."
Hearing that Lady Tsunade had arranged it, Yakushi Nonō looked a little bewildered, but she still nodded firmly. "Understood, Lord Fucheng!"
As a civilian ninja, Yakushi Nonō knew the Uchiha Clan's standing among Konoha's powerful families.
And since this had been arranged by Lady Tsunade, she readily agreed.
The girl bowed and introduced herself. "Lord Fucheng, I'm Yakushi Nonō. I'm nine years old, and I graduated early from the Academy this year. I'm a Genin.
"As for Medical Ninjutsu, I only know the Healing Technique so far. I'm still learning the Mystical Palm Technique. I may not be very capable, so please look after me, Lord Fucheng."
With her flaxen hair and black-rimmed glasses, Yakushi Nonō looked like a miniature version of Kabuto.
But at the moment, Yakushi Nonō looked adorable, without a trace of Kabuto's chilly air of "impassive expression and fondness for fake smiles."
Fucheng learned that Nonō had graduated from the Academy because the village had urgently called up its graduates, and that she didn't have any teammates yet.
So he simply assigned the girl to the squad led by Mikoto.
As it happened, Uchiha Hezi and Hatake Jiangyi had also lost a teammate, Matsumoto, in the battle.
For now, he had the three of them work together to care for the wounded Uchiha Clan members in the camp.
To encourage them, Fucheng paid them in advance for two C-rank missions.
"These are extra rewards on top of your wartime mission pay. I'm giving you these rewards personally. Please make sure to take good care of Fugaku and the others." Instead of giving them cash, Fucheng handed two ninjutsu scrolls to their leader, Misaka Mikoto.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique are both practical, advanced ninjutsu. All four of you should be able to learn them. If you have any questions, Mikoto can come to me."
Hearing Fucheng say that, Mikoto and the three younger girls thanked him.
[Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique] was a highly practical C-rank Fire Style technique. With enough skill, it could even be developed into derivative techniques such as Phoenix Sage Claw Crimson.
[Shadow Clone Technique] might not measure up to the [Multiple Shadow Clone Technique], but it was still an important B-rank ninjutsu that only Chunin could learn. It was fairly common in Konoha, but for inexperienced Genin like them, it was already a rare and useful technique.
With that, Yakushi Nonō officially joined the ninja squad led by Mikoto.
A new reward notification appeared in Uchiha Fucheng's mind.
[Reward 1: Yakushi Nonō's Fate Dice]
[Reward 2: Yakushi Kabuto's Fate Dice]
Fucheng's expression didn't change, but he was thrilled.
He'd expected a reward for Yakushi Nonō. He just hadn't thought he could change Yakushi Kabuto's fate along with hers.
That showed just how important Yakushi Nonō was to Kabuto.
Roll the Fate Dice!
Yakushi Nonō's and Kabuto's dice both landed on four.
Yakushi Nonō's reward was [Gain Medical Ninjutsu abilities and learn the A-rank Medical Ninjutsu: Mystical Palm Technique].
Kabuto's reward was [Gain a foundation in medical human-body research and learn the A-rank Medical Ninjutsu: Yin Healing Wound Destruction].
Both abilities were quite good. The A-rank Medical Ninjutsu Mystical Palm Technique could be used to heal others.
Meanwhile, the A-rank Medical Ninjutsu Yin Healing Wound Destruction was used to heal oneself.
If his injuries were too severe, he also had his Mangekyō skills. With low-, mid-, and high-level healing options, he could put together a well-rounded set of Medical Ninjutsu.
After dealing with Yakushi Nonō's assignment, Uchiha Fucheng hurried to organize the other Uchiha shinobi in the camp.
Fucheng wasn't just trying to prevent the clan's destruction. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who had escaped death by faking his own, were the real Damoclean swords hanging over him.
A transmigrator's greatest enemy was always the hidden master of the world. When the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up—but Fucheng was confident that, in the future, he'd be the tallest of them all.
How should he face the extraterrestrial Ōtsutsuki of the future?
Fucheng had his own answer. The first step was to unite all the strength of his people.
Before the war began, the Uchiha shinobi on this battlefield had been divided into four groups.
The shinobi from Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna's faction were the most eager for war. After all, they'd even dared to assassinate Second Hokage Tobirama Senju. Most of them had followed the main force to the battlefield, making them the first group to depart for the Sand Ninja front.
The Uchiha shinobi from the head family's faction, led by Fugaku, had served as elite forces under Hatake Sakumo, helping Konoha White Fang carry out assaults.
The third group included Uchiha Fucheng and Uchiha Yashiro. They were considered a mobile squad, though they weren't particularly powerful.
They relied on their Sharingan bloodline advantage and worked alongside some Hyuga Clan shinobi, scattering around the battlefield to handle reconnaissance.
The fourth group of Uchiha shinobi had come with Tsunade's reinforcements. They belonged to the moderate faction led by the Second and Third Elders.
These shinobi were somewhat weaker. Of more than thirty, only two were leading Jonin. An Uchiha Chunin like Mikoto was already considered one of the strongest among them.
After the battle, the Uchiha shinobi, who had originally been scattered across several small teams, were gathered together again by Uchiha Fucheng.
The Uchiha Clan's temporary quarters were in a secluded spot in the southeastern corner of the camp.
There, Uchiha Fucheng saw familiar faces again: Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Huoying, Uchiha Qingming, and the others he'd been separated from earlier.
There were around two hundred Uchiha Clan members in the camp. Gathering them all together would be inconvenient, so Fucheng summoned only the key Jonin to the largest meeting tent.
Apart from Fugaku, whose injuries were too serious for him to attend, and the still half-conscious Jonin Uchiha Yueying, there were thirty-three core members in the tent, all Jonin.
That was a far higher proportion of Jonin than most ninja clans had.
If word hadn't gradually spread among the clan members that Uchiha Fucheng had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan on the battlefield, these proud, unruly Uchiha might not have bothered showing him the respect of attending this gathering.
The shinobi from Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna's faction in particular didn't look at Fucheng with much respect.
Looking at the Uchiha Jonin seated around the tent, Fucheng remembered the dozen or so older and younger cousins who had once been his only companions when he first made his fortune in mining.
Compared with the Li Fucheng of the past, Uchiha Fucheng now possessed power beyond anything he'd ever imagined.
Power was intoxicating.
Uchiha Fucheng had no intention of exchanging pleasantries. He simply set his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly.
The Uchiha Jonin around him stared in shock. Only when the Mangekyō Sharingan truly appeared did they feel what bloodline suppression meant.
The Jonin all activated their Sharingan, watching Fucheng's eyes shift from Three-Tomoe to Mangekyō.
The Tomoe connected.
First, the pattern became symmetrical around the center. Then four curved, lightning-like symbols suddenly appeared, forming a great pinwheel!
The Mangekyō's appearance left the Uchiha breathing rapidly, one after another.
Fucheng, however, sat with an imposing air, his fierce gaze sweeping over the Uchiha Jonin seated in a circle around the tent.
"What if I said I wanted to become the Uchiha Clan's leader..."
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