The Will of Fire's "Trade-offs"

A full month after Uchiha Lieyang's defection, his name had spread throughout the ninja world.

Twenty years old.

A Konoha S-rank missing-nin.

A wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He had single-handedly killed numerous Konoha elites, and his combat strength had been rated at Kage level.

Taken together, this intelligence was enough to make any ninja village raise its guard.

Iwagakure began reassessing its covert agents in the direction of the Land of Fire, Kumogakure dispatched men to gather intelligence on Lie Yang's Lightning Release, while Sunagakure focused on determining whether he intended to enter the Land of Wind.

Even Kirigakure, which had always kept its borders sealed, sent his wanted notice into the Mizukage's office.

Everyone understood that the Uchiha Clan had produced another true powerhouse.

More troublesome still, this powerhouse was no longer under Konoha's control.

Outside Konoha.

Four figures stood at the end of the road.

Kakashi Hatake stood at the front, his forehead protector covering his left eye, a short blade once more strapped to his waist.

After suffering such a crushing defeat last time, much of his laid-back air had faded.

His breathing was steady.

His movements were concise.

Even his exposed right eye no longer carried its former exhaustion. His entire being was like a ninja blade that had been sharpened anew.

Kurenai Yuhi stood to the left.

Might Guy rolled his wrists, the weights on his legs having been replaced. Unlike his usual training, he neither shouted about youth nor wore an exaggerated grin this time.

Shisui Uchiha stood at the very rear of the team.

Hiruzen Sarutobi personally came to the village gate.

"This mission has only one objective."

"Surround and eliminate Uchiha Lieyang."

Kakashi raised his head.

"What if we can't kill him?"

"Bring back the latest intelligence on him."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment.

"But your lives take priority."

Might Guy clenched his fists.

Last time, Hinata Yota had died before their eyes.

Kakashi had been severely injured by Mangekyō Sharingan genjutsu.

Yamanaka Daito had been captured, and there was still no news of him.

Konoha's joint squad had nearly been crushed by Lie Yang alone.

Now that Hiruzen Sarutobi had emphasized that their lives came first, it was clear the higher-ups no longer believed they held an absolute advantage.

Shisui calmly asked, "Can we try negotiating?"

"Yes."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him.

"But do not lower your guard."

"Since Lie Yang defected, he has killed far too many Konoha ninja. He will not show mercy just because you are from the same clan."

Shisui did not argue.

Kakashi turned to the other three.

"We'll confirm the tactics on the way."

"Move out."

The four of them simultaneously used the Body Flicker Technique and swiftly vanished down the road.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained where he was. Only after their chakra had completely left his sensory range did he slowly withdraw his gaze.

A new suppression squad had set out.

But beyond Konoha, they were far from the only ones watching Lie Yang.

Black Zetsu and White Zetsu were still searching for his trail.

Obito wanted to invite Lie Yang to join Akatsuki.

Spies from every major ninja village were also continuously gathering along the borders of the Land of Fire.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for Konoha to clash with this Mangekyō Sharingan missing-nin once again.

Eastern Land of Fire.

Two Konoha ninja stood back-to-back amid the forest.

One had his right arm hanging limply at his side, his wrist already broken. The other had been pierced through the abdomen by a blade and could only barely support himself against a tree trunk.

Before them, Uchiha Lieyang stood with a blade in hand.

A month after defecting, his aura had become steadier than before.

The ninja blade at his waist had already been replaced three times.

His clothes bore no Uchiha insignia either. Only the conspicuous slash across the center of his forehead protector remained.

One of the Konoha ninja asked between ragged breaths, "Why haven't you left the Land of Fire yet?"

"That has nothing to do with you."

"The village won't stop hunting you."

"I know."

Lie Yang took a step forward.

The ninja with the broken wrist suddenly gritted his teeth and flung out three kunai with his left hand.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The kunai flew straight at Lie Yang's face.

At almost the same moment, the wounded man leaning beneath the tree forcibly formed hand seals.

"Fire Release..."

Blue-white lightning suddenly streaked through the woods.

The sound of hand seals came to an abrupt halt.

Lie Yang had already appeared before the wounded man.

His ninja blade swept horizontally across the man's throat.

Lightning-nature chakra erupted along the blade. The wound was instantly cauterized by the intense heat, and not a single drop of blood sprayed forth.

The broken-wristed ninja's pupils shrank sharply.

He had not even seen how Lie Yang had passed the kunai!

"Uchiha Lieyang!"

He roared and lunged forward, gripping a kunai in his left hand as he stabbed at Lie Yang's back.

Lie Yang did not turn around.

He merely shifted half an inch to the side.

The kunai grazed his clothes and missed.

He swung his blade backward.

A brilliant blue slash swept out behind him.

Splat!

The second Konoha ninja's head flew into the air.

The wound at his neck was likewise rapidly charred black by the high heat of Lightning Release. When the corpse fell, not a trace of blood stained the surrounding earth.

Lie Yang flicked his ninja blade.

Several tiny chips had appeared along its edge.

A Shadow Clone walked over from nearby and glanced at the two corpses on the ground.

"Another two veterans."

"Mm."

"They knew they weren't a match for you, yet they still rushed in to die."

The Shadow Clone crouched and turned over one of the corpses' hands.

Thick calluses covered the knuckles and the web between thumb and forefinger, while old wounds from the ninja war marked their bodies.

Both men had experienced a real battlefield.

From the moment they discovered Lie Yang, they had known their chances of returning to Konoha alive were slim.

Yet they had still chosen to fight.

Even if they could not kill Lie Yang, they wanted to force him to reveal more intelligence.

The Shadow Clone took the scrolls and ninja tools they carried, then shook his head.

"That makes six blades this month."

"Konoha's pursuers are increasing, but they're getting weaker."

"If we keep beheading them like this, the ninja blades wear out too quickly."

"Having to find suitable weapons again every time is a hassle."

Lie Yang sheathed his blade.

"Then complain less."

The Shadow Clone stood.

"I'm complaining for you."

"The original only has to swing the blade. Finding blades, testing them, repairing them—it all gets dumped on me."

"Next time, just snap their necks."

"You still have to get close for that."

The Shadow Clone pointed at the corpses on the ground.

"These people would rather die than give up planting explosive tags and poison on themselves. If they suddenly blow themselves up when you grab their necks, it'll still be your clothes getting dirty."

Lie Yang did not continue the argument.

He held not the slightest respect for the sacrifices of these Konoha people.

The higher-ups kept sending veterans who had survived the ninja war for no reason other than to drain his chakra and probe more of his abilities.

Those ninja voluntarily accepted the missions, shouting about the Will of Fire and sacrificing themselves for the younger generation and the village.

It sounded noble.

In essence, though, it was merely one trade-off after another.

Konoha's higher-ups could not bear to keep sending their truly important combat forces to die, so they traded these aging veterans, whose potential had already run dry, for intelligence.

The so-called Will of Fire was nothing more than rhetoric to make them willingly go to their deaths.

Others had been captured alive before.

That Konoha ninja had bitten through his teeth, his mouth filled with blood, yet still refused to reveal any information.

Lie Yang had asked only once.

When he received no answer, he simply cut off the man's head.

His enemies' loyalty had nothing to do with him.

No matter how stubborn they were or how willing they were to sacrifice for Konoha, it could not change their opposing positions.

The pursuers wanted to kill him.

So he killed the pursuers.

"Let's go."

The original and his clone left the forest.