En

The Sand Shinobi's sensory ninja failed to realize that the ninja waiting there was Fugaku's Shadow Clone.

He could only judge from experience whether it was a trap or a Konoha shinobi willing to die to stop their pursuit.

Unlike the Clone Technique, one of the three basic techniques, a Shadow Clone had a physical body and Chakra flowing through it.

Most sensory ninja in the Shinobi World relied on sensing Chakra to determine an opponent's location and numbers.

The Sand Shinobi did not slow down. Several Shuriken flew from their hands toward Fugaku's Shadow Clone's hiding place.

The Shadow Clone moved at high speed, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning. The Shuriken flew fast, but their paths could not escape his eyes.

He anticipated every trajectory and swept his Kunai through the air again and again.

Sparks flashed in quick succession.

The Sand Shinobi ahead had entered the Trap Zone. Explosive Tags had been sealed underground, but merely stepping on the ground would not set them off. That would alert the Sand Shinobi too easily.

No one became a Jonin without ability. They were the elite of their villages, skilled in reconnaissance, intelligence analysis, assassination, infiltration, and setting traps.

Fugaku could only exploit the other nations' weakness in Sealing Jutsu.

The Shadow Clone charged at the Sand Shinobi, leaped with a powerful push, and flashed through a series of hand signs.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Still in midair, the Shadow Clone's chest swelled. He breathed out a line of fire that became a scorching fireball, trailing wisps of steam as it hurtled toward the ground at the Sand Shinobi's feet.

His hands formed another set of signs, and he unleashed a second Great Fireball Technique at the edge of the buried Explosive Tag trap.

Of the two fireballs, one drew the Sand Shinobi's attention while the other ignited the Explosive Tags sealed underground. Once one exploded, the blast would destroy the Sealing holding the others and trigger a chain reaction.

At the same time, he hurled several Kunai toward different corners of the Trap Zone, triggering several Physical Traps. They might not kill the enemy, but they would at least slow them down.

Pop!

The Shadow Clone vanished. Moving through the darkness, Fugaku received the information it sent back and judged that the pursuers would not catch up anytime soon.

Once they were beyond the Sand Shinobi's sensory range, their mission would be complete.

"Nozawa, Hyuga Ning," Fugaku said, "keep watch behind us. Tell me immediately if anything changes."

"Yes."

Several distant explosions rang out. The traps had gone off, though Fugaku had no way of knowing how many Sand Shinobi had been hurt or killed.

"Captain, the Sand Shinobi aren't following us," Nozawa said.

Fugaku nodded, took out the map, and glanced at it. "The Sand Shinobi must know we're heading for Konoha.

"We'll change routes in case they have another way to alert their forces in the Land of Rain and cut us off."

The mission was done. They could not afford to fail on the way back.

The others looked to Fugaku Uchiha, waiting for his decision. This mission had earned him their trust as captain.

In strength, planning, and every other respect, Fugaku Uchiha had shown the qualities of an excellent leader.

"We go north," Fugaku said. "We'll circle around the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass before returning to the Vanguard Force's camp. If the Sand Shinobi move a large force into that area, the Stone shinobi will be the first to react. It'll only deepen the dispute between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth."

The team swiftly changed direction. With Hyuga Ning's Byakugan, they did not need to fear an ambush. Fugaku had temporarily deactivated his Sharingan; the prolonged strain had left him too exhausted to keep it active.

A hint of color appeared in the dark sky, and the rain began to ease. The eight of them had traveled nearly all night without any Sand Shinobi appearing behind them.

"Hyuga Ning, Aburame Nozawa," Fugaku Uchiha said, "find somewhere we can rest."

"Yes."

The team had been on edge since infiltrating the Sand Shinobi's position the previous evening. Now both their minds and bodies were nearing their limits. Pressing on could lead to a mistake.

"Captain, there's a cave ahead," Hyuga Ning said. "I don't see any traps or ninja nearby. We can rest there."

Fugaku nodded. "Let's take a look."

The cave was not large, but it had more than enough room for eight people. Its floor was dry, untouched by the damp and mold one might expect after years of rain.

They lit a campfire. After a night in the rain, its warmth spread through their chilled bodies, driving out the cold.

Once some of the chill had left him, Fugaku sat cross-legged against the wall and slowly closed his eyes.

The others settled down to rest as well. Nozawa's Kikaichū stood watch and would alert him if any ninja came near.

Along the route Fugaku Uchiha had originally planned to take, Sand Shinobi searched without pause. Their efforts were doomed to come up empty.

After three days of travel, the eight of them skirted the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, evading ninja teams from both lands. On the fourth day, they entered the Vanguard Force's main camp.

"We're finally back," Satomaru said with a sigh. "I thought that even if we finished this mission, we'd take heavy losses."

"I thought the same thing at first," Shinji said. "I was sure I'd die."

Fugaku understood how they felt. It was their first time at war. Coming back alive from their first mission had been no easy feat.

"Come on. Let's report in," Fugaku Uchiha said. "Don't celebrate too soon. Things are tense, and we won't have much time to rest. It won't be long before they assign us another mission."

The relief that had just appeared on their faces gave way to tension again. The nations were still showing restraint, testing one another. The truly brutal fighting had yet to begin.

"Fugaku, you're back from your mission!" a voice called from nearby. "How did it go?"

Fugaku turned. It was Uchiha En, another member of the Uchiha with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He was considered one of the more upright members of the clan.

Fugaku remembered every Uchiha who had joined the Vanguard Force at the start. En had not been among them.

As Fugaku saw it, there were only two reasons for En to be here: he had either escorted supplies or come as part of a reinforcement force.

"You're here too," Fugaku said. "Escorting supplies, or bringing reinforcements?"

Uchiha En stepped closer and spoke quietly. "Things have been fairly calm in Konoha lately. More villagers have been calling for war, and the Uchiha's reputation has improved somewhat.

"But I heard the Forward Camp has taken heavy losses. Konoha has called on the major clans to send reinforcements. I'm leading the Uchiha contingent this time."