Preparation & Mo's Improvement

After some discussion, they settled on how to respond to Hidden Cloud.

Nara Shikaku would lead the troops on the main battlefield. To guard against possible sneak attacks from the other villages, Hidden Leaf did not commit many forces. However, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki could not be ignored. Hidden Leaf's original plan had been to send Kushina, the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, to the battlefield in case of emergency.

But Minato Namikaze volunteered, citing the Nine-Tails' overwhelming power and the difficulty of controlling it. He also stated that, if necessary, he could use the Flying Thunder God Technique to rapidly bring Kushina to the battlefield. After considering it, the Third Hokage agreed to his proposal.

Thus, Hidden Leaf formed a special operations squad consisting of Minato Namikaze, Akimichi Doto, and Inuzuka E. While reinforcing the battlefield, they would do their best to restrain the "A-B" duo.

However, none of this had anything to do with Uchiha Mo.

What concerned him was something else... Just as in the original story, Hidden Leaf had sent the genin squads that had graduated the previous year onto the battlefield in order to accelerate the growth of the new generation of ninja.

However, because Hidden Leaf had not yet become as deeply mired in the war as it would be in its middle and later stages, the squads were stationed in areas behind the front lines and given considerable freedom. They had no specific tactical objectives and only needed to accept the commanding general's orders when necessary. It seemed to be purely for training troops.

Among them, Team 8, led by Uchiha Mo, was naturally included. Team 7, meanwhile, had been placed under Mo's command because of Minato Namikaze's tactical assignment.

When Mo heard this arrangement, he frowned slightly.

The original story had not fully depicted the Third Shinobi World War, so he did not know what Team 7's original assignment in this war had been. But during the middle and later stages of the war, Team 7 had basically operated independently without Minato Namikaze, whether on the Hidden Stone front or the Hidden Mist front...

Still, it did not matter even if things had changed. He had already slaughtered Danzo, so Mo no longer cared about the so-called original plot. The only things truly useful to him were the various secrets and background knowledge it contained.

The army would depart in three days, leaving the intervening time for preparations.

After the meeting ended, Mo ignored Fugaku's hint and pushed open the door to head back to the clan compound. But at that moment, he suddenly sensed another presence behind him.

Slap!

Mo grabbed Minato Namikaze's wrist in one motion, his deep-well-black eyes staring into Minato's.

"..."

Minato Namikaze showed a sunny smile and spoke bluntly without the slightest embarrassment.

"Uh... Mo, I'm leaving Team 7 to you. Please make sure to take good care of those children."

Mo gave him one last look, released Minato's wrist, and turned to leave.

"I've repaid the favor."

"Huh..." Minato Namikaze froze for a moment before he realized what Uchiha Mo meant.

"Mo, about last time..."

Minato had only gotten halfway through before shifting his gaze back and discovering that the figure before him had long since vanished. He was left standing there awkwardly.

Elsewhere.

Uchiha Mo walked back toward the clan compound, a faint curve lifting at the corner of his lips.

Over the past year or so, his base stats had improved considerably.

Aside from training, the most important reasons were the unlocking of the Seven-Colored Lotus's abilities and the growth of his ocular power.

The unlock percentage corresponded to proficiency in the relevant Release techniques. Higher values naturally improved Mo's control and power over those abilities. Meanwhile, increased ocular power inherently improved the quality and quantity of Uchiha chakra, so the Uchiha's overall physical capabilities naturally rose as well.

With a thought from Mo, an illusory panel appeared in his field of vision.

Red Child Fusion: 9.21% (Reach 10% to unlock the ability: Innate Divine Strength)

Orange Child Fusion: 33.54% (Unlocked ability: Clairvoyance, Super Hearing. Reach 50% to unlock the next-stage ability: Heaven Peering)

Yellow Child Fusion: 9.21% + 16.39% (Both must reach 10% to unlock the ability: Invulnerability to Blades and Spears)

Green Child Fusion: 25.64% + 27.39% (Unlocked abilities: Blazing Fire, Thunderstorm. Reach 50% in both and unlock the second-stage abilities of Red and Orange Child to unlock the next ability: Heavenly Fire)

Cyan Child Fusion: 10.85% (Reach 20% to unlock the ability: Water Manipulation)

Blue Baby Fusion: 33.54% + 25.87% (Unlocked ability: Invisibility. Reach 30% in both to unlock the ability: No Trace)

Purple Child Fusion: 0.21% (Reach 50% to unlock the ability: Universe in the Sleeve)

Over the past year, Mo's main focus had remained Lightning and Fire Release, along with taijutsu, while using sealing techniques and genjutsu to shore up his weaknesses.

His Lightning Release and Fire Release had improved gratifyingly. Yet despite Mo's substantial daily taijutsu training and his body growing stronger by the day, the improvement in his Yang Release proficiency had been far from satisfactory.

Mo guessed that the reason was that he did not inherently possess a Yang attribute. The Yang attribute he had acquired through the panel would be even more difficult to improve on its own. But with the war already underway, such things no longer mattered to him.

Innate Divine Strength, Invulnerability to Blades and Spears, and No Trace—these were Mo's main unlock objectives in the coming Third Shinobi World War.

By the time he finished thinking, Mo had already returned home.

As soon as he entered the foyer, Shisui ran over.

"Big brother."

Mo nodded, patted Shisui on the head, and walked further into the house.

"The war has begun. I'll be heading to the front lines in three days. If anything comes up, go to the Great Elder."

At once, Shisui rushed in front of Mo and asked excitedly, "Can't I go with you? I want to fight alongside you too, Big Brother!"

Mo glanced at him. "Train some more."

"Huh? But I'm already stronger than many of the adults in the clan." Shisui walked up beside Mo, his eyes burning brightly.

Mo ignored him. Expressionless, he sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank while considering how he should act on the battlefield.

Kakashi's exact strength was unclear at the moment, but in Mo's eyes, the other five were undoubtedly nothing but dead weight. And Mo's interests demanded that he kill sufficiently powerful shinobi.

He placed his other hand on the table and tapped it again and again, his focused gaze fixed on the empty space ahead as his mind raced.

His position as a jōnin team leader had given him the freedom he wanted, but Team 7's addition would undoubtedly limit his efficiency. Moreover, judging by the original story's development, Madara and Black Zetsu's attention was undoubtedly fixed on Obito at this time. If things went wrong, some unforeseen accident might occur.

"Big brother..." Seeing Mo like this, Shisui knew his request was unlikely to be granted. He sighed helplessly, walked over to Mo's side, and began shaking his shoulders.

"Big brother!"

Mo snapped back to his senses and turned expressionlessly toward Shisui.

"What is it."

As his flat words fell, Shisui angrily ran back into his room, then quickly returned carrying a small scroll and tossed it onto the table in front of Mo in dissatisfaction.