Flying Thunder God's Beacon

The darkness before dawn was the heaviest.

The campfire inside the tent had already burned out, leaving only a few red-hot pieces of charcoal in the ashes, giving off the faint remnants of heat.

Xuan Shi tucked that specially made Flying Thunder God kunai close to his body.

The cold touch of metal pressed against the skin of his chest, yet it gave him an unprecedented sense of ease.

This was not merely a weapon. It was the strongest "insurance" in the entire ninja world. With it, he effectively had Minato Namikaze as a spacetime reinforcement he could summon at any moment.

"The formula on this kunai has been improved."

Minato stood up, walked to the entrance of the tent, and lifted the curtain to glance at the sky outside.

"Even inside a powerful interference barrier, or even certain special sealing jutsu, I can still sense its coordinates."

Minato turned back. In the faint light, those blue eyes of his looked especially clear.

"Xuan Shi, for now, only you and I know the intelligence about that 'Masked Man.' I haven't even told the Third or Kakashi for the time being."

This was trust of the highest order, and also a heavy burden.

Xuan Shi took a deep breath and dropped to one knee.

This time, there was no acting in it, only respect for this young Hokage who was willing to give his life for the village.

"The Uchiha will not fail the trust placed in us."

Xuan Shi lowered his head, his voice firm. "When that man appears, this kunai will become the coordinate that cuts down his ambition. Codename—'Dawn.'"

"Dawn, huh... a very good name."

Minato showed a gentle smile.

"Get up. It's daybreak. We should go home."

Early morning.

After hovering along the border for an entire night, the Cloud Village's main force ultimately chose to retreat.

Facing Konoha's defensive line, where the "Yellow Flash" held the field and the elites of the Uchiha Clan lent their strength, the Raikage ultimately gave up on probing any further with clear-headed restraint.

The S-rank mission was completed perfectly.

On the road back after breaking camp, the atmosphere was much lighter than when they had arrived.

After yesterday's battle side by side, much of the estrangement between the Uchiha clansmen and the Anbu members had melted away. The two camps that had once kept such a clear boundary between them were now actually traveling in mixed groups.

"Hey, Shisui."

Kakashi walked in the middle of the formation and pulled down his mask slightly. "That genjutsu counter just now... how did you do it? Interfere with my chakra flow the instant Lightning Cutter activated?"

"That was visual guidance." Shisui explained with a smile, "Kakashi-senpai's Lightning Cutter is fast, but before it activates, there's an obvious sign of chakra gathering. As long as it's at that instant..."

The two exchanged insights as they traveled, and the surrounding Anbu and Uchiha clansmen chimed in from time to time as well.

This kind of harmonious atmosphere would have been simply unimaginable in Konoha in the past.

At the very front of the formation.

Minato Namikaze deliberately slowed his pace.

"Clan Leader Fugaku, Xuan Shi." Minato beckoned. "Come over here. Let's talk about the defensive arrangements after we return."

Fugaku and Xuan Shi exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

Minato did not truly discuss any defensive arrangements. Instead, he simply brought them along, walking shoulder to shoulder at the very front of the group.

This was an extremely obvious political signal.

The Hokage was willing to walk side by side with the Uchiha. That meant acceptance. It meant trust.

Noon. Konoha's main gate.

The huge green gate stood wide open.

After hearing the news of the Hokage's triumphant return, countless villagers had gathered of their own accord on both sides of the streets.

"The Hokage is back!"

"The Cloud was driven off!"

Cheers rose and fell one after another.

When Minato led the group through the gate, flowers and ribbons rained down from the sky.

The villagers gazed warmly at their heroes. And when their eyes swept over Uchiha Fugaku at Minato's side, as well as the group of Uchiha clansmen behind him whose expressions were cold but whose gazes were not vicious, their original fear and disgust quietly began to change.

"That's the Police Force, right? I heard they made a huge contribution this time?"

"Yeah, apparently they saved quite a few people."

"Looks like the Uchiha aren't all bad after all..."

Fragments of discussion drifted into his ears.

Fugaku straightened his back. Though his face still maintained the dignity of a clan leader, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had eased quite a bit.

This feeling of being acknowledged... it had been a long time.

However, where sunlight could not reach, there were always shadows.

Beneath an eave in a corner of the street.

Danzo Shimura leaned on his cane, half his body hidden in shadow. His single eye stared fixedly at the three people at the very front of the group, and his face was so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it.

"They actually came back completely unharmed..."

Danzo's fingers dug hard into the handle of his cane.

He had originally hoped the Uchiha would make a mistake on the battlefield, or disobey orders, or even be heavily damaged by the Cloud. Then he would have had a reason to make an issue of it and weaken the Uchiha's power.

But now, not only had the Uchiha made no mistakes, they had even rendered meritorious service. What made it even more unacceptable to him was that Minato had actually led Fugaku into the village side by side in public!

This was a declaration to everyone: the Uchiha were the Hokage's trusted people!

"Hmph."

Danzo gave a cold snort, killing intent flashing through his eye.

"They've actually learned to disguise themselves... it seems I have to speed up the progress of 'that plan.' As long as I seize Shisui's eyes, or have the Nine-Tails..."

Just then.

Xuan Shi, among the crowd, seemed to sense something.

Amid the cheers filling the sky, he turned his head slightly, his gaze passing through the packed crowd and locking precisely onto Danzo in the shadows.

Their eyes met.

Danzo's single eye was sinister and cold.

Xuan Shi's black pupils were calm and deep.

Across a distance of several dozen meters, the corners of Xuan Shi's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a highly provocative smile.

Then he silently mouthed something.

Danzo understood.

It was three words—

"You. Lost."

Danzo's pupil contracted violently, and a nameless fury shot straight to his head. But he could do nothing. He could only watch helplessly as that young man turned his head away, bathed in sunlight and flowers, and gradually went farther and farther away.

Uchiha Clan Compound.

After returning home, Xuan Shi did not rest. He did not even change out of the dust-covered combat uniform he was wearing.

He immediately summoned Shisui and Itachi and went to the secret chamber of Naka River Shrine.

"Minato's side is settled."

Xuan Shi placed that Flying Thunder God kunai on the table and showed it to the two of them.

"With this, we have the strongest backing. As long as we aren't killed instantly, there's no one in Konoha who can touch us."

Shisui and Itachi looked at the kunai, and excitement showed in both their eyes.

"What comes next?" Itachi asked. "Danzo definitely won't let this go."

"Of course he won't."

Xuan Shi put away the kunai, his eyes turning sharp.

"So we're going to use this rare 'peace period' to do something big."

"Something big?" Shisui was puzzled.

Xuan Shi took a scroll from his robes. It was the core item he had exchanged from the system shop with the 100 Prosperity points he had just received from settling the mission.

Smack.

The scroll slapped onto the table.

"And that is... solving the Mangekyo Sharingan's blindness problem."

Xuan Shi looked at the two of them and said, word by word:

"We are going to build... an eternal army."

"Only when our eyes no longer bleed can the Uchiha truly grasp their own destiny."