The War Begins

At the entrance of Uchiha Fugaku's home, Fugaku used chakra to drain the color from his face and bloodshot his eyes. After taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stumbled inside with a dazed, drifting gait.

In the living room, Uchiha Mikoto was cleaning. She was about to flare up at the sight of Fugaku, but noticing her husband's pale complexion and vacant expression, her face softened. She stepped forward to gently help him onto a cushion, asking with concern, "Fugaku, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Fugaku feigned extreme weakness, his eyes filled with apology and self-reproach as he looked at his wife. "It's all my fault for working too much. When I think of my gentle, beautiful wife and my sensible, obedient son at home, and then realize I haven't been back for days, I despise myself!"

"I worked myself to the bone, hoping to return sooner."

"Cough, cough."

"Mikoto, I cannot forgive myself. You can scold me however you like."

Mikoto had already covered her mouth, her eyes turning red as she choked out, "That brat Obito is truly heartless. I must find Kushina and have her teach him a lesson!"

Watching his wife's reaction, Fugaku breathed a silent sigh of relief. He had passed the test.

Just then, Uchiha Itachi walked out of a room carrying a camping bag. Seeing his father, he bowed respectfully: "Father."

"Mm."

Fugaku nodded with a hint of feebleness, looking at his son's gear with curiosity: "Itachi, are you going camping?"

"Didn't you ask Itachi to take Obito as his teacher?"

Mikoto brought a bowl of soup from the kitchen and set it before her husband, explaining softly: "Obito asked Itachi to go camping with him so he could instruct him along the way."

"What!!"

Fugaku stood up from his cushion, his face full of fury as he roared: "He said it was a matter of great importance to the Uchiha clan, and he even swore a poisonous oath by Lord Madara! That bastard, he's no son of a man!"

Mikoto looked at Fugaku's vigorous, full-voiced display with a half-smile, her voice as flat as the biting wind over an ice field: "Fugaku, you recovered quite quickly."

Fugaku realized his mistake. He turned his head stiffly to meet the icy glint in his wife's eyes and offered a fawning smile: "The moment I see my gentle, beautiful wife, I feel all my exhaustion vanish."

Itachi watched this scene with a blank expression and shook his head helplessly. He could already imagine what was coming next.

Beside a crystal-clear stream, on a lush green meadow under a blue sky, Obito, Kurenai Yuhi, Rin, and the others had already arrived.

At that moment, Obito was fussing over a grilled rabbit at the prepared barbecue pit, flipping it occasionally and brushing on some oil.

Kurenai Yuhi and Uchiha Izumi stood on either side of the grill, staring at the increasingly fragrant rabbit with mouths watering.

Taking a deep breath of the aroma, Kurenai looked at Izumi in conflict, her face pained: "Izumi, I'll only share one rabbit leg with you."

Izumi looked at Kurenai with wide, surprised eyes and shouted: "No way, half each."

"You!"

Kurenai looked at Izumi in shock, spreading her arms to shield the grill and shaking her head violently: "Obito grilled this for me. I even promised to let him pinch my cheeks."

Izumi puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Kurenai. She was about to retort that Obito always pinched her cheeks too, when her eyes suddenly lit up and she ran toward the road.

"Itachi, why are you so late!"

Izumi looked at Uchiha Itachi with delight, her small hands twisting the hem of her shirt.

Itachi was also somewhat surprised. Obito had told him to come camping, but he hadn't mentioned that Izumi would be there.

Noticing Itachi's confusion, Izumi pointed at Obito, who was busy seasoning the meat, and whispered: "Obito is my cousin."

After saying this, she glanced at Kurenai, who was still hovering by the grill, and huffed: "Though he's about to be snatched away by someone else."

Itachi stared at Obito, who was busy sprinkling spices, with a strange expression. Recalling what his father had said while angry, he suddenly felt that he was still too young and not cautious enough. This teacher didn't seem very reliable!

Izumi happily pulled Itachi over to where Rin and Kakashi were sitting and introduced them joyfully: "Sister Rin, this is my good friend, Uchiha Itachi."

"Itachi, this is Sister Rin. She's a very kind person!"

"And that one wearing the mask is Kakashi. He's a bit cold, but he's not bad either."

Itachi, always a polite child, bowed respectfully: "Senior Rin, Senior Kakashi."

Rin looked at the two children with a smile, reminded of the Kakashi and Obito she had met when she first started school, and nodded gently: "What a handsome young boy."

Kakashi merely gave a cold, aloof nod and went back to staring blankly at the ground.

"Everyone, come and eat!"

Obito walked over carrying a large pile of skewers.

Izumi looked angrily at Kurenai, who was hogging the grilled rabbit, and shouted: "Obito, I want grilled rabbit too!"

"You have to call me Brother Obito. Did you forget what you promised me last night?"

Obito flicked Izumi on the forehead, glanced at Itachi, and threatened her with a mischievous smile.

Recalling how she had acted cute to earn her place, convincing Obito to let her and Itachi join the trip, Izumi quickly put on a sweet smile and coaxed: "Brother Obito, I want grilled rabbit too..."

"Alright, I'll make you some right away."

"That one was just what I promised to Kurenai."

Obito smiled gently and ruffled Izumi's hair, then looked at Kurenai, who was eating with grease all over her face, and shook his head helplessly.

Watching this scene, Itachi felt a sense of warmth and couldn't help but smile. A hint of regret lingered in his heart: It's a pity I don't have a younger brother or sister; otherwise, I would definitely spoil them rotten.

On the other side, at the border camp of the Land of Earth, the jonin Mahiru, serving as the commander for this operation, looked at the numerous imposing Stone Ninjas before him and smiled with satisfaction, shouting, "Do you have the confidence for this war?"

"Yes!"

The many Stone Ninjas shouted in unison, their morale soaring.

"Very good. The Tsuchikage has ordered a surprise attack on the Hidden Leaf Village's defensive line tonight to launch an all-out war."

"All participating ninjas are to leave their wills and adjust their states of readiness."

Mahiru narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the crowd, signaling to Taiseki, who stood at the front: "Taiseki, you excel at the Camouflage Jutsu. Take a group of men, detour to the rear, and raid the Hidden Leaf Village's field hospital. Kill all the medical ninjas."

"I have received intelligence that Tsunade has been transferred away from the front lines. No one at the field hospital is a match for you. Kill everyone you see."

"Understood."

Taiseki was never one for many words, and he gave a silent nod.

"Hiruko, you take a group to the right flank. Once we engage the Hidden Leaf ninjas, you are to cut in and split them up."

Hiruko revealed a sinister smile and said in a hoarse voice, "No problem."

"The rest of you will follow me in a frontal assault on the Hidden Leaf camp."

"Dismissed. Assemble at eight o'clock."

"Yes!"

Watching the crowd disperse, Mahiru looked up at the clear sky, murmuring with a complex expression, "The war has begun!"