Uchiha Expert

Li Ke actually didn't mind Senju Tobirama using his body to demonstrate his strength and kill enemies.

He really needed the battle merits.

But he didn't want to offend the Uchiha Clan, either!

"Second Hokage! Isn't it a bad idea to provoke them like this? You're putting me in a difficult position!"

Li Ke was ranting furiously in his heart. Meanwhile, on the Uchiha side, Fugaku Uchiha, who hadn't planned to fight, gave a cold snort.

"Hmph. Then let me show you the power of the Uchiha."

Fugaku Uchiha glared through his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and rapidly formed Hand Seals. The next moment, a massive blaze erupted from his mouth.

The huge flames surged into the tornado Senju Tobirama had unleashed, instantly more than doubling the size of the fire tornado. Senju Tobirama spoke in a slightly pleased voice.

"You've got it wrong. This will actually help you get along with the Uchiha Clan... Yes, most members of the Uchiha Clan have that kind of personality. But, kid, did you memorize the technique I just used?"

Li Ke didn't want to comment. After all, Senju Tobirama was an expert at dealing with the Uchiha Clan, so whatever he said went. But when it came to the Second Hokage's question, Li Ke noticed that Senju Tobirama had stopped feeding chakra into the technique and had relinquished control of his body. Of course, he understood what Senju Tobirama was thinking.

"More or less—"

Li Ke's hands rapidly formed Seals. Following Senju Tobirama's sequence, he formed the Hand Seals and guided the chakra. Smiling Proud Li Ke's talent for learning things was as terrifying as a Hard Drive Spirit's!

He'd even memorized how it felt when Senju Tobirama guided the chakra!

Wind Style: Hurricane Divine Wind!

He hadn't controlled the tornado as precisely as the Second Hokage when guiding the chakra, so Li Ke drew out a lot more chakra than necessary. But he still managed to release the technique.

An even larger tornado erupted from Li Ke's mouth and collided with the fire tornado fueled by Fugaku Uchiha. In the next moment, the Mist Shinobi who had managed to cling to life vanished into the blazing vortex, which swept across tens of thousands of square meters!

The three or four shinobi who had managed to escape were surrounded by more than a dozen Uchiha shinobi, all glaring through their Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Those men really had terrible luck. If they'd only run into that team of old, weak, and injured shinobi, they might have managed to accomplish something.

But the Uchiha Clan Head had personally brought his elite forces to the battlefield. The Mist Village's Jonin were a little stronger than the Stone Village's, but it all depended on who they were being compared to.

They still fell short of Konoha's Jonin. Besides, they were actually facing the Uchiha Clan's elite and an Evil Old Senju Ghost...

Once the flames subsided, the Uchiha shinobi brought the surviving enemies over as prisoners. Fugaku Uchiha also walked toward Li Ke, the light of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan still in his eyes.

Li Ke frowned and instinctively reached for his Kunai. That dark, frenzied chakra had him on edge.

But at that moment, Senju Tobirama took control of his body and even smiled.

"Nicely done, Uchiha Clan Head. My Wind Release was pretty good too, wasn't it?"

Senju Tobirama sounded rather flippant, like the sort of thing Li Ke could never imagine himself saying. Li Ke had grown almost numb to this kind of face-to-face taunting, but to his surprise, Fugaku Uchiha laughed.

"Yes, it was excellent. But without the Uchiha Clan's Fire Release, Jonin Murata wouldn't have been able to wipe out the entire attacking force. Still, we did borrow your strength. So aside from the battle merits for the prisoners captured by our clan, I'll report that you, Jonin Murata, defeated all the Mist Shinobi who died here by yourself... After all, I won't have anyone looking down on me!"

Fugaku Uchiha spoke with unmistakable pride, as if he didn't want Li Ke to think he'd needed help to kill the enemy.

Li Ke was stunned. Putting aside Fugaku Uchiha's tone and smug expression, he was clearly trying to be friendly!

But when Li Ke did take them into account, he wanted to punch him!

Then Li Ke's mouthpiece, Senju Tobirama, spoke up.

"Hmph. Are you looking down on me?"

Senju Tobirama's tone was still arrogant, but Fugaku Uchiha burst out laughing.

"After all, you've seen the power of the Uchiha Clan! We don't want anyone looking down on us, either!"

Then Fugaku Uchiha walked away, laughing heartily.

Li Ke noticed through his suddenly heightened chakra senses that Fugaku Uchiha's mood had become quite cheerful.

Li Ke: "..."

He'd known for a long time that most Uchiha who awakened their Sharingan had something wrong with them, but he couldn't help asking the Uchiha expert anyway.

"Has the Uchiha Clan always been like this?"

He'd avoided associating with the Uchiha Clan so he wouldn't raise suspicions. Obito Uchiha treated him like any ordinary person and didn't seem to have any particular feelings toward him, so Li Ke had given up on trying to get close to the clan.

As a result, he hadn't learned much more about the Uchiha Clan.

But judging from Fugaku Uchiha's chakra, it seemed like he actually admired Li Ke?

Li Ke could understand it, but running into someone with a personality like this—something akin to being tsundere—was still hard to handle.

Senju Tobirama spoke up, too.

"Yes. They've always been like this. I often use this trick to get them to go off and die willingly. Their competitiveness and respect for strong people can also produce unexpected results and strength at times like this. Honestly, when you need someone to make a sacrifice, the Uchiha Clan is pretty useful..."

Li Ke: "..."

Did I just hear something I wasn't supposed to hear?

And you really do hate the Uchiha Clan!

Li Ke couldn't help thinking of Itachi Uchiha, so he asked the question in his heart without thinking.

"Hypothetically—I mean, just hypothetically—if someone from the Uchiha Clan wiped out the clan on the Hokage's orders, without harming Konoha, what would you think of that person?"

Senju Tobirama thought Li Ke's question had come out of nowhere, but he answered seriously anyway.

"As Hokage, I'd consider that person a competent shinobi and a hero of Konoha. There'd be no doubt about that. But they'd also have to become a rogue ninja. As Hokage, I'd remember their sacrifice in private, but I'd still send shinobi after them. Personally..."

Li Ke couldn't help holding his breath.

"I'd think they deserved to die, too. Anyone capable of doing that must be a madman among madmen, and would pose an even greater threat to Konoha! They'd have to be eliminated!"

That really was just like you!

Both sides of you were all for wiping out the threat completely!

Li Ke didn't feel like saying anything. He glanced at the Uchiha shinobi cleaning up the battlefield and couldn't help sighing to himself.

Honestly, the Uchiha Clan didn't exactly deserve to be wiped out.

Konoha really was prejudiced against them.

But the problem was—

Even at this point, the Uchiha still had a fully organized shinobi force!

While shinobi like them, injured as they were, had to go to the front lines, the Uchiha Clan still had a well-organized force of its own. They had plenty of money, and though the Mist Shinobi had some advantages against the Uchiha Clan, they weren't a particularly serious threat.

The Mist Shinobi were few in number, so fighting as a large force would be suicide. The battles between Konoha and the Mist were mostly small-unit raids and attempts to infiltrate each other's defensive lines.

Large-scale battles were rare.

And as for an elite battle against the Uchiha Clan...

An elite force where every member had a Three-Tomoe Sharingan? They didn't even need Hand Seals. They could just look at you and hit you with a Genjutsu that would leave you standing still for at least three seconds. How were you supposed to fight them?

Li Ke was certain that even if every newly graduated Genin sent to the front lines died, the Uchiha Clan's elite might not lose a single person!

The Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, could unleash Genjutsu without Hand Seals, enhance their visual perception, even copy Ninjutsu, and see chakra. Against most people, it was a crushing advantage.

The Mist Village's Water Release countered Fire Release, but the Mist Technique and assassination methods the Mist Shinobi specialized in were a joke against the Uchiha Clan, who excelled at Fire Release.

"After this battle, the Uchiha Clan's position in the village will probably become even more complicated."

Li Ke muttered to himself, but Senju Tobirama didn't answer. He only fell silent.

So, after the Uchiha shinobi finished cleaning up the battlefield, Li Ke returned to camp and reported what had happened to Chojuro Akimichi.

Chojuro Akimichi didn't care much about the matter. Once he confirmed that the enemy had been wiped out, he ordered them to keep moving.

After all, the battle had been extremely loud. He'd seen it even while standing guard here.

Still, he couldn't help praising Li Ke.

"Qingtan, you're getting stronger and stronger."

Li Ke could only manage an awkward smile.

But when he returned to the group, he saw Yuhi Kurenai, who'd been left behind when he suddenly sped up and was now fuming, along with Asuma, who stood with his arms crossed and still looked unhappy.

Before Li Ke could even speak, Asuma said something outrageous again.

"Qingtan... I should've helped you file your retirement papers earlier."

Asuma pressed his lips together. He didn't want Li Ke to feel forced to fight desperately just because Asuma had helped him, as if he had to make amends to Asuma's father.

Yes, Asuma could tell that Li Ke was throwing himself into battle to make up for what had happened.

To Asuma, that was Li Ke admitting he'd been wrong to his father!

But Li Ke could only smile bitterly.

"It's not that simple, Asuma. Besides, it's what I should do. As a Konoha shinobi, I'm supposed to fight hard. You haven't understood Lord Hokage's intentions. He's actually doing this for our own good."

Asuma's expression changed instantly. He felt as if Li Ke had betrayed him.

He'd been doing all this for Li Ke's sake, yet Li Ke kept going on about Lord Hokage. That man hadn't protected them at all! He'd even punished them!

"Shut up, Qingtan! You're just too scared to show your displeasure! You've only just gotten out of the hospital!"

Li Ke fell silent. He knew Asuma wouldn't listen, and he couldn't explain the whole situation in front of so many people.

"Don't say any more, Asuma. A shinobi's duty is to obey orders and fight bravely, especially those of us in the middle of a war... I'll explain it all tonight. For now, we should hurry up and get moving."

He tried to keep his voice gentle, but Asuma fell silent.

"You're always like this, Li Ke. Always like this, always acting so mature, just like my father. Always putting on this act like you're doing everything for everyone else. I've had enough. If you like him so much, then you can be his son from now on!"

Asuma really felt betrayed by Li Ke. Everything he'd done had been for Li Ke!

"We'll talk tonight, Asuma."

"No. I don't want to hear it anymore."

Asuma walked away from Li Ke. He'd already wanted to leave Li Ke's side soon after Li Ke woke up. It wasn't just because Li Ke had betrayed him. It was also because...

As he watched Yuhi Kurenai unconsciously tug on Li Ke's sleeve, a sorrowful tune played in Asuma's heart.

He turned away and refused to look at Li Ke again.

Li Ke could only sigh helplessly. He couldn't just hand Kurenai over like a piece of merchandise.

Besides, that would make him a total cuckold, and Kurenai had a mind of her own.

As for retiring, he'd considered it too. But it couldn't possibly be as easy as Asuma thought.

After all, he was a member of a military organization. If he'd been gravely injured protecting a teammate during a mission, and the leader's son had pulled strings to get a doctor to squeeze him in and save his arm, that wouldn't have been a big deal under normal circumstances.

But this had happened during the Ninja World War. Everyone was waiting for medical resources, and plenty of shinobi, like him, had been crippled while protecting their teammates.

Some of them could have recovered, but had been left disabled because of a lack of time and hospital beds.

If this matter blew up, it would be over. The political and social lives of both Asuma and Li Ke would effectively be finished. Countless disabled shinobi would come after them, and the villagers would gossip.

Meanwhile, Danzo was dreaming of becoming Hokage. There was no way he'd pass up such a good excuse to attack the Third Hokage.

After that, Li Ke would basically be given a suicide mission.

Retire? Defect?

Even if he really did submit a retirement application, it would have to wait until the war was over—or even until a new Hokage took office—before anyone reviewed it.

You couldn't just retire from being a shinobi whenever you wanted. Even if you were physically disabled, if they gave you a mission, you still had to go.

Even if they had to carry you there.

There were plenty of shinobi with disabilities in their group, too, and besides, all he'd lost was his right eye.

But that sort of injury was nothing to a shinobi. With a suitable eye and a medical Jonin skilled in the Mystical Palm Technique, he could have it replaced easily. Shinobi with damaged eyes were usually those whose retinas had been destroyed, who had been blind for too long for treatment, or who had been affected by some other secret technique. That was why powerful shinobi almost never had problems with their eyes.

Chakra really is amazing, huh?

As for defecting, that was even more ridiculous. Li Ke was the Hokage's son's comrade and one of the future members of his inner circle. If he defected, it would be a genuine disgrace for Konoha. Even with a new Hokage, he'd be hunted for the rest of his life.

If he relied on nothing but his own strength, the new Hokage could send two squads after him and he'd be as good as dead.

Jiraiya might even make a special trip just to hunt him down.

He'd be treated like Orochimaru was when they pursued him, but without Orochimaru's strength.

And now the Third Hokage had rapidly assigned him a mission at the front lines. If Li Ke's achievements in this battle were impressive enough, even an ordinary performance would silence countless people. If he achieved a decisive victory, he'd soon be fitted with a replacement eye. He could even become colleagues with his future father-in-law.

That meant teaching the Ninjutsu techniques to Chunin and Genin who exchanged battle merits and mission completions for them.

It might sound like nothing special.

But the position would let him learn all the Rank A and lower Ninjutsu in the Scroll of Sealing, and give him a chance to meet nearly every Chunin and Genin in Konoha. Unless they were facing a war that threatened to destroy a village or nation, he'd rarely have to go on missions, and he'd still receive a generous monthly salary.

Connections, techniques, and money—he'd get all three.

What did it mean to be a trusted member of the Hokage's inner circle? This was it!

He, Murata Qingtan, was a loyal, true-blue member of Konoha's inner circle.

So now that his injury could be healed, and with an Evil Old Senju Ghost to help him, retiring would actually be an unwise choice.

But looking at the stubborn Asuma—the pampered, clueless rich kid—Li Ke still asked in his heart:

"Second Hokage, could you leave a Flying Thunder God Mark on Asuma? He might do something reckless... I want to do everything I can to keep him safe. If you have any demands, I'll do whatever you ask."

Asuma was certainly an annoying brat right now, in the middle of an embarrassing rebellious phase.

But he really was a friend who'd been through life and death with Li Ke, and he'd even broken his own rule against using his family name and privilege to save him.

Li Ke couldn't just stand by and let something happen to Asuma.

A safety net would be a good idea.

Senju Tobirama's voice, however, carried a hint of amusement.

"Hmph. What a troublesome brat."