Uchiha Tenka

Wars in the Shinobi World were fought with more than the number and strength of Ninja. They were fought with supplies, too. A Ninja Village could sustain a small-scale war, but once it became a drawn-out conflict, it needed its nation's support.

Assassinating the Land of Earth's Logistics Minister might have been easy under ordinary circumstances. At a sensitive time like this, though, his guards might be even more numerous than the Daimyo's.

After all, the Nations did not issue missions to assassinate Daimyo. If they did, the entire world would descend into chaos.

The Logistics Minister's death, on the other hand, would force the Land of Earth's Daimyo and major families to choose: was it more important to redistribute their interests, or to invade the Land of Rain and join the four-nation war?

The five of them filed out of the Hokage's Office. Fugaku knew leading the Elite Squad would not be easy. The Hokage's orders had merely given him the title.

If he wanted his teammates to obey his orders and carry out his plans without merely paying lip service, he would have to convince them with strength. They hardly knew one another, and nothing would be more persuasive.

The five Jonin arrived one after another at an empty Training Ground in Konoha.

"I thought we'd have far fewer chances to work together from now on," Hyuga Ning said, breaking the silence. "I didn't expect us to end up on the same team again. For what it's worth, I'm happy to have you as Captain."

Fugaku understood that Ning had said it for the others' benefit. Anyone who objected had better first consider whether they could beat Ning.

Fugaku nodded to him. "I'm your Captain, Fugaku Uchiha. Let's start with introductions. Tell us what Ninjutsu you specialize in."

His dark eyes swept over the group. No one stepped forward to challenge him. They had all made Jonin, and they knew how to read a situation. None would pick a fight immediately after the Third Hokage had appointed him.

Between Ning's endorsement and Fugaku's status as an Uchiha, they had reason to be wary. It seemed no one would challenge him without first learning more about him.

Fugaku was a little disappointed. He had hoped to establish his authority as Captain through a sparring match. Still, if no one spoke up, the team could at least remain cordial on the surface.

The other three introduced themselves in turn.

Moonlight Shuichi was an heir of the Hayate Clan, a family known for its swordsmanship. He specialized in Leaf Style Sword Technique and Transparent Release.

Yamashiro Kiyokawa specialized in Crow Summoning Technique and Fire Release.

Mitarashi Akira specialized in Fire Release and Earth Release Ninjutsu.

Their names told Fugaku that all three came from relatively strong minor families in Konoha. Their clans were small, but each had produced many excellent Ninja.

"Prepare the Ninja Tools you'll need today," Fugaku said. "Meet here tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

Three figures vanished, leaving only Hyuga Ning behind.

"Those guys won't be easy to handle, Fugaku," Ning said. "They each have their own strengths. It'll take work to win them over."

Fugaku smiled. "Back when we first teamed up for missions in the Land of Rain, you underestimated me. You hid it well, but you underestimated the Sharingan's powers of observation. It took several battles together before you truly accepted me as Captain.

"Those three may come from minor families, but their strength is nothing to scoff at. Before we enter the Land of Earth, I'll get them to set aside their prejudices and give me their full cooperation."

Ning gave an awkward smile. He had not expected Fugaku Uchiha to notice what he had done back then.

"Go home and prepare," Fugaku said, his expression turning grave. "This mission will be even harder than the last. We'll be deep in the Land of Earth. If we're exposed, countless Stone shinobi could come after us.

"Even if we complete the mission, escaping alive from the heart of the Land of Earth will be another matter."

Ning's smile faded. "We'll be lucky to get out alive. We might not get out at all."

The two vanished from the Training Ground in turn. Fugaku did not go straight home. Instead, he wandered Konoha's streets, listening closely to the conversations around him.

The three seeds he had planted earlier had begun to take root. It had been only a little over twenty years since the First Hokage's death, and many Konoha villagers still remembered his era.

They had seen how Konoha had changed over those two decades. From the First Shinobi World War to the present, Konoha had never lost, but it had endured too much suffering.

No one had spoken of the First Hokage or Wood Release before, and people had chosen to forget. Now that someone had brought up how the First Hokage had once held the Shinobi World in check, those memories were returning.

Here and there, Fugaku overheard people whispering about the First Hokage's great deeds and the power of Wood Release.

He guessed the rumors would have spread far and wide by the time he returned from the Land of Earth. As for developing Wood Release, Fugaku was certain someone would be unable to resist researching it.

When he entered the Uchiha District, his father had already gone to work with the Security Force. It seemed Fugaku would have to tell him about the mission that evening.

Thinking of the Hokage's assignment made Fugaku frown again. The Land of Earth's Capital lay deep within its borders. Killing the heavily guarded Logistics Minister would be difficult enough.

The harder part would be escaping the Capital alive. Fugaku took out the mission Scroll. The terrain around the Capital was clearly marked on it.

The Land of Earth was rocky and largely barren. The map showed that, unlike Iwagakure, its Capital stood on one of the nation's few Plains.

A Capital was not like a Ninja Village. Crowds of people and vast quantities of goods passed through it every day. Without good transport routes, moving everything would be impossible.

Fugaku sketched retreat routes on a sheet of paper, but he kept finding flaws in them. Without seeing the terrain for himself, plans drawn from a map could only be so reliable.

That evening, Uchiha Tenjo met with several Uchiha Senior Officials in the Living Room again. Fugaku sat in on the meeting; he had become a representative of the Uchiha's younger generation.

He greeted his Uchiha elders as he entered, then found an unobtrusive corner and sat quietly.

"Clan Head," one of the Senior Officials said, "Uchiha Tenka and his followers have grown far too brazen lately. They've ignored the clan's interests and openly formed their own faction. They've practically created a circle of their own within the Uchiha."

Uchiha Tenka was among the clansmen who did not get along with the Clan Head. Arrogant by nature, he looked down on the extreme caution with which Uchiha Tenjo conducted himself.

Fugaku had not seen Uchiha Tenka during his days on duty with the Security Force. He had only a vague impression of the man, though he had heard plenty of rumors.

Many arrogant clansmen flocked to Tenka. They seemed to believe the Uchiha stood above everyone else, displaying the clan's pride and arrogance for all to see.

Fugaku knew these clansmen were the Uchiha's hardliners. They were responsible for much of the damage to the clan's reputation.