"Shouldn't we have enough supplies?" Uchiha Yuji asked quietly.
Uchiha Yuji was fairly confident they had plenty of supplies. The Cloud Shinobi's defeat had cost them a huge amount in reparations, and when they'd distributed relief funds, they'd also handed out a lot of supplies to the orphanages in Konoha.
Konoha had many orphanages, and their operating funds were all approved by the Hokage's office. They could only just barely get by.
But the situation at Yakushi Nonō's orphanage was more complicated. Konoha had effectively forced her into a position where she couldn't survive.
Yakushi Nonō was a legendary ninja, though not because of any extraordinary combat ability. Her talent lay in gathering intelligence.
Because of that unique skill, Shimura Danzō had kept a close eye on her, subjecting the young, unmarried mother to all manner of schemes and plots.
He'd cut the food money for her and her son, abducted her children—in short, Danzō had done every kind of vile thing!
After Uchiha Yuji killed Shimura Danzō, conditions at the orphanage improved considerably. With Danzō's oppression and extortion gone, and a large supply of donated goods coming in, she'd even given every child a new set of clothes.
At the thought, Yakushi Nonō inclined her head slightly, expressing her gratitude to Uchiha Yuji for supplying the goods. Then she straightened and said softly, "War has broken out again."
"It may not be the aftermath of the last war. It could be an entirely new conflict."
"???"
Uchiha Yuji naturally trusted the information the Wandering Miko had passed along.
Her intelligence gathering was even a little more impressive than Jiraiya's. Although she'd been living in Konoha lately, that didn't mean she'd lost access to her own sources.
He just suspected that someone had come down with a serious case of stupidity.
Uchiha Yuji's brows knitted together. "The war ended less than a year ago, and everyone signed peace treaties with Konoha. Which genius went and started another war without permission?"
"The Cloud Shinobi."
Unlike certain people who spoke in riddles, Yakushi Nonō directly named the troublemaker in this time of peace. "The Third Raikage started the fighting."
At the name, Uchiha Yuji felt that everything suddenly made sense.
The Cloud Shinobi were less like ninja and more like bandits. They used a sense of duty to unite their village, then went out in groups to raid others whenever they felt like it.
Whether they were kidnapping people or stealing goods, wasn't it all just robbery? Wasn't it all shopping for free?
"But they didn't attack Konoha. They launched a surprise assault against their old rivals instead."
"Two nights ago, the Third Raikage attacked with such speed that no one could react in time. They've already seized the outer regions of the Land of Earth."
Yakushi Nonō lowered her voice and quickly relayed the information she'd received to Uchiha Yuji.
"I heard they started the war because they're running short on resources at home."
As she said this, Yakushi Nonō turned her head and gave Uchiha Yuji a somewhat peculiar look.
After dealing with intelligence for so long, she naturally knew exactly why things had turned out this way.
It was all because Uchiha Yuji had taken the Cloud Shinobi for a ride.
The reparations they'd paid were bad enough, but he'd also detained the ninja who'd brought them and forced the Cloud Shinobi to exchange a huge amount of supplies for their release.
When the Third Raikage heard the news, he'd smashed his office desk with a single blow from his one remaining hand.
So infuriating. But I can't beat him.
Then I'll smash my old nemesis instead!
With his village's situation becoming unbearable, the Third Raikage had made up his mind on the spot. After Dodai calculated that the plan was feasible, the Third Raikage hadn't even waited for his injured left hand to heal. He'd gone straight out to show the Iwa Shinobi what it meant to be a "Kage."
"Are the Iwa Shinobi preparing a counterattack?" Uchiha Yuji asked.
The Iwa Shinobi and the Cloud Shinobi were old enemies. If the Raikage pulled something like this and the Iwa Shinobi didn't send thirty thousand elite troops to strike them from behind, they wouldn't deserve to be called the Iwa Shinobi.
"In fact, the Iwa Shinobi haven't launched any large-scale operation at all." After saying this, Yakushi Nonō gave a slight bow and quietly left.
Uchiha Yuji instantly understood what Yakushi Nonō meant.
The Iwa Shinobi and the Cloud Shinobi might have already reached some kind of agreement. Their next target was likely to be Konoha—no, it could only be Konoha.
Konoha was the only village in the Shinobi World that could withstand an attack from two villages without being wiped out!
"Sensei, did something happen?" Hatake Kakashi put away his short sword and walked over to Uchiha Yuji, asking in a quiet voice.
Grown-up Kakashi had a lazy sort of handsomeness about him, but young Hatake Kakashi could only be described as adorable.
Uchiha Yuji unceremoniously ruffled Hatake Kakashi's spiky white hair as he came closer.
"This is grown-up business. Kids shouldn't worry about it."
"All right, that's enough training for today. Kakashi and Guy, could you tell your fathers that I'm treating everyone to a get-together at the Barbecue Q tonight? We'll talk a little about how you're doing in your studies."
Hatake Kakashi had sensed something was wrong, but he also knew he was too young to make much difference. He obediently headed home.
Guy, still overflowing with energy, sprang up in a flash. He ran with his hands on the ground, his arms moving no slower than his legs, and vanished around the street corner in a few bounds.
Only one fool remained on the deserted training field, covering his head with dirt and trying to pass himself off as "not here."
Uchiha Yuji showed no mercy to his own people. "Next time, try using your brain. And look in a mirror. Do you really think you're worth Uchiha personally coming to vouch for you?"
"Stop dreaming!"
Apparently, the Uchiha boy with an IQ of two still hadn't learned his lesson.
Uchiha Yuji deliberately made his footsteps heavy. With every step he took, Uchiha Obito's body shuddered as if by instinct.
He'd buried his head under a mound of dirt and kept his body completely still. If not for the rise and fall of his chest, anyone might have thought he was a corpse.
Uchiha Yuji bent down and grabbed Uchiha Obito by the scruff of his neck. It was as if he'd seized the throat of fate itself; all the strength left Uchiha Obito's body.
He dangled there like a little trinket in Uchiha Yuji's hand.
"You're so embarrassing, Obito."
"If the person you love sees you like this, you won't have a future."
Uchiha Obito understood this perfectly well too: I absolutely, positively can't let Rin think any less of me!
Before you continue