What Do You Want?

At the small training ground, Kawadera Uchiha and the other two stopped what they were doing.

Explosions and the sounds of Lightning Release from the east of the camp drew closer by the moment. The front line was speaking for itself—the battle outside the camp was extremely unfavorable for Konoha.

Seigetsu Senju appeared in a flicker.

"Move! Come with me to see the battalion commander!"

The squad members consecutively used the Body Flicker Technique and arrived at the southern side of the main camp.

Hyuga Kazu, the captain of the reconnaissance battalion, stood atop a fallen tree trunk, waiting for the battalion's three companies—a total of twelve squads.

"Our battalion's mission is to scout the Cloud Ninja's backup forces!

"Even if it costs you your lives, you must determine where the Cloud Ninja's second-line troops are and how large their force is!

"If the Cloud Ninja's second-line troops enter the battlefield from an unexpected direction, or seize an opportunity to catch us off guard, Konoha's forces will collapse!

"All squads! Search for the enemy according to the areas assigned by your company commanders! Even if you die, you must send the intelligence back!"

Kawadera Uchiha waited for a response from the Sea of Consciousness.

While the battalion commander spoke, he had kept the Sea of Consciousness open. After waiting several seconds, Tobirama Senju within it showed no reaction.

What did that mean?

A battle on the scale of a raid on the main camp always had second-line reserve troops to guard against unforeseen circumstances.

The battalion commander had said it himself. If the Cloud Ninja's second-line troops caught Konoha off guard, Konoha would be finished.

There were over a thousand Konoha ninja. Tobirama Senju, how could you bear to let three to five hundred of them die?

Why hadn't you given me a mission yet? Were you still the Hokage?

After waiting another dozen or so seconds, Kawadera Uchiha closed the Sea of Consciousness.

Tobirama Senju really knew how to keep his composure.

Using the camp as the center, the reconnaissance battalion divided the area into twelve equal thirty-degree sectors. Seigetsu Senju's squad was responsible for the area between four and five o'clock to the southeast.

Red Night Inuzuka's ninja hound kept sniffing the ground, searching for the Cloud Ninja's scent.

Red Night said the Cloud Ninja smelled like stinking mountain rocks.

Ken Aburame released his Kikaichū. The insects flew into the distance, searching for enemies one or two hundred meters away.

Seigetsu Senju walked at the front. Kawadera Uchiha had said he would use genjutsu to interfere with any enemies that suddenly appeared, so he took the rear position.

They traveled like that for more than twenty minutes without finding any trace of the Cloud Ninja.

Kawadera Uchiha gradually grew restless. This wouldn't do. Tobirama Senju wouldn't act until he saw the prize. If he didn't know how dire Konoha's situation was, how would he give him a reward?

A few more minutes passed before Seigetsu Senju raised a hand, signaling the squad to stop.

If they continued forward, they would only get farther and farther from the main battlefield.

They had endured half an hour of marching and were already far from the main battlefield.

Seigetsu Senju said, "That's about enough. Two people must return to the main camp and inform the battalion commander that we found nothing in this direction. The rest will continue forward."

Kawadera Uchiha said, "I'll go back! Captain, continue carrying out the mission."

Red Night Inuzuka added, "I'll return with Kawadera."

Seigetsu Senju nodded, approving their request.

After the two had gone some distance away, Ken Aburame said to Seigetsu Senju:

"Captain, Red Night doesn't have much judgment of his own. Whoever ninja hound Akamaru likes, he likes too. Akamaru and Red Night's favor toward Kawadera has risen quickly. Won't that cause problems?"

A strange emotion rose within Seigetsu Senju. He immediately shook his head, suppressing his jealousy, and said:

"Probably not. Akamaru is a very powerful ninja hound. His judgment shouldn't be wrong."

Seeing Captain Xingyue change the subject, Ken Aburame did not press the matter further.

Ninja hound Akamaru had Kawadera Uchiha on one side and Red Night Inuzuka on the other.

From time to time, he turned his head and barked twice, reminding Kawadera Uchiha on his left that the forest ahead was complicated and that he should plan which fallen tree trunks to step on in advance.

Red Night Inuzuka was even a little jealous, unable to understand why his ninja hound treated Kawadera Uchiha so well.

Kawadera Uchiha often cast genjutsu on Akamaru. It did no harm, but whenever he saw Kawadera Uchiha, he felt the fullness of having eaten something delicious and the joy of catching a special scent.

After lingering in the border forest for so long, the poor big dog had gone hungry again and again. He had no resistance at all to the mental comfort of hallucinations.

Red Night Inuzuka felt a little jealous. A moment later, he wondered whether he was jealous because Akamaru liked someone else, or because Akamaru liked Kawadera too.

He secretly glanced sideways at Kawadera Uchiha.

Setting aside the Uchiha Clan's arrogant, self-absorbed, crazed, bloodthirsty flaws, Kawadera, who possessed the Will of Fire and a gentle nature, was still very handsome.

Akamaru suddenly accelerated, apparently unable to spare even a thought for enjoying the feeling of fullness Kawadera Uchiha gave him.

Red Night Inuzuka stopped his wild thoughts and hurried after him.

Konoha's Explosive Tags and the Cloud Ninja's Lightning Release clashed fiercely on the eastern side of the camp.

Kawadera Uchiha stood atop a towering tree, watching the battle in the distance.

The front line was long and tense.

Where powerful ninja fought, large no-man's zones had formed around them.

Where weaker ninja fought, they crowded together, coordinating with and relying on one another.

The battle line stretched for more than a kilometer, extending beyond sight.

The distant fighting was impossible to make out. Nearby, several Explosive Tags detonated, blasting several ninja into the air regardless of friend or foe.

A shockwave swept over, followed by a short blade spinning through the air.

Kawadera Uchiha raised his hand and accurately caught the hilt of the rapidly spinning ninja blade.

Looking down, he saw the Senju Clan's twin-leaf crest on the hilt.

He had already opened the Sea of Consciousness, allowing Tobirama Senju within it to see everything before him.

Kawadera Uchiha stopped Red Night Inuzuka, who was preparing to join the battle.

"Red Night! Complete Captain Xingyue's mission first! We're going to find the battalion commander!"

After entering the camp, they quickly found battalion commander Hyuga Kazu beneath a watchtower.

Hyuga Kazu immediately said, "A squad has already found the Cloud Ninja's second-line troops twelve kilometers to the northwest!

"We urgently need manpower!

"One of you return and notify your squad, telling them to head twelve kilometers northwest and monitor the Cloud Ninja's second-line reserve troops!

"The other stays here and relays my orders for me!"

For Konoha's forces at this moment, one more person meant one more measure of fighting strength.

Kawadera Uchiha immediately turned to go find Seigetsu Senju.

At that moment, the one in the Sea of Consciousness finally could not sit still.

"You innately evil Uchiha brat, are you planning to abandon the Inuzuka Clan girl and leave the battlefield safely on your own?"

"Congratulations, Second Hokage. You can even answer your own questions now," Kawadera Uchiha said.

"I'll dawdle for several hours before finding Seigetsu Senju, who is still conducting a pointless search in the southeast.

"Because of my surname, Konoha ninja either call me arrogant or say I'm a lunatic.

"This Konoha belongs to you people. What does it have to do with me?"

"Stop wasting time. Tell me, what exactly do you want?"

"Heh heh, I want an A-rank mission reward."

"Agreed."

"Deal!"

After turning around, Kawadera Uchiha grabbed Red Night Inuzuka by the arm:

"Red Night! Akamaru can smell Captain Xingyue's scent! Hurry and find Captain Xingyue."

Red Night Inuzuka's eyes filled with panic. "What about you? You..."

Kawadera Uchiha leaned close to Red Night's ear. Saying such words too loudly would have been embarrassing, so he whispered:

"I, Kawadera Uchiha, swear to defend Konoha to the death!"