War drew near

Under the cover of night.

On a path in the Uchiha Clan Compound, the Elder carried Yūto on his back, slowly making his way toward Yūto's home.

Yūto's unconscious figure looked especially frail in the moonlight.

Tsukimi followed close behind, pouting as she kept grumbling inwardly about her grandfather.

She stared at her grandfather's back, seething with indignation.

Grandpa was such a stubborn old man!

Yūto had clearly passed out from exhaustion, yet he still went on about how shinobi in the Warring States Period could go three days without sleep.

This kind of training was outright abuse!

While Tsukimi complained inwardly, the Elder's mind was far from calm either.

The Elder's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the scorch mark on his cuff. This was the first time in decades that a Genin had landed a hit on him.

The moonlight stretched his shadow out long, as though it overlapped with the figures of those geniuses from the Warring States Period in his memories.

Yet none of them had ever been like Yūto, seeing through the flaws in his lifelong combat habits in a single day.

Yūto truly was a genius!

The Elder also felt somewhat fortunate. Luckily, he had taken Yūto as his apprentice early, or the boy's talent would surely have gone unrecognized.

When the three returned to Yūto's little courtyard, they found someone already waiting there.

It was Uchiha Fugaku.

Fugaku stood with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes slightly narrowed, seemingly having waited for a long time.

Only when he heard footsteps did he open his eyes as though startled awake. When he looked at the arrivals, Fugaku was visibly taken aback.

How had Yūto gotten involved with the Elder?

And why was the Elder so close to Yūto that he was carrying him on his back himself?

"Fugaku, what are you doing here?"

The Elder had never been pleasant toward Fugaku. He considered the Dove Faction future traitors to the Uchiha, people who never put the Uchiha Clan first when they acted.

"Elder..." Whatever else, the Elder was Fugaku's senior, and Fugaku treated him with considerable respect.

Fugaku's gaze drifted toward Yūto on the Elder's back. He was curious, but found it awkward to ask.

Noticing Fugaku's gaze, the Elder gave a cold snort and said:

"Yūto is my apprentice now. Do you have a problem with that?"

Fugaku froze at those words, then looked regretful.

He had come to Yūto's home today precisely to find him a suitable teacher.

He had never expected the Elder to beat him to it...

But why had Yūto agreed to become the Elder's apprentice?

Could it be...

Fugaku "understood"!

Yūto was so clever. As the Elder's apprentice, his standing within the Hawk Faction would naturally be higher than most.

When the time came, changing the Hawk Faction's minds would naturally be much easier than before!

Just what I'd expect from you, Yūto!

To think you came up with such a good idea!

Suppressing his delight, Fugaku nodded with an unchanged expression. "Since Yūto has already become your apprentice, I won't disturb you any further."

He bowed slightly, but as he turned to leave, he could not keep the corners of his mouth from rising.

That boy. I really hadn't misjudged him!

The Elder gently laid Yūto on the tatami. Turning around, he spotted Tsukimi sneaking into the room and immediately grabbed the back of her collar. "Stop! What kind of behavior is it for a young lady to stay at a man's home in the middle of the night?"

The tips of Tsukimi's ears flushed red. Clutching the hem of her clothes, she muttered, "I-I just wanted to look after Yūto..."

Without allowing any argument, the Elder dragged her outside. "Even in the Warring States Period, I never saw a girl as bold as you."

Tsukimi struggled, but in the end, the Elder dragged her away.

The Hokage's office.

Even late into the night, the room remained brightly lit.

ANBU came and went constantly, delivering one intelligence report after another to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He took a deep draw on his pipe and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, his brows tightly furrowed.

Judging by these reports, war...

Was about to begin!

Kumogakure had already mobilized a large force and massed its troops at the border of the Land of Tō.

Within days, perhaps, they would march south and invade the Land of Fire.

Meanwhile, the borders of the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass were also unsettled.

Although Hanzō seemed to have no plans to attack Konoha at present, Iwagakure seemed unable to restrain its desire to attack.

That old man Ōnoki really was belligerent. He was already fighting Sunagakure, yet he still coveted Konoha's land.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the Strategic Map on his desk and ordered the ANBU beside him in a low voice, "Send word immediately. Have Minato Namikaze lead an elite squad to the border of the Land of Tō and establish a defensive line."

Then he pointed toward the Land of Rain. "Deploy Orochimaru's forces to the border with the Land of Grass. Maintain strict vigilance against a surprise attack from Iwagakure."

He paused, then added, "Notify the heads of all shinobi clans. They have all of tomorrow to recall every combatant of Chunin rank or above."

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his throbbing temples. Just as he was about to rise, he suddenly noticed the corner of an application sticking out from beneath a pile of documents.

He pulled it out and saw that it was Uchiha Yūto's application for promotion to Chunin. Shisui's signature at the bottom was particularly conspicuous.

"Uchiha Yūto..." After a moment's recollection, Hiruzen beckoned an ANBU over. "How has this boy from the Uchiha Clan performed recently?"

The ANBU knelt on one knee and reported in a low voice, "According to our intelligence, during a battle with Kumogakure spies, he saved his companions at the cost of serious injuries and assisted Lord Minato in killing three enemy Chunin."

Hiruzen tapped his pipe twice against the edge of the desk. Amid the swirling gray-white smoke, his gaze settled on the comment Shisui had appended to the application: "Possesses a will to protect others beyond that of ordinary people."

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know Yūto, he knew Shisui.

In his impression, Shisui was a special Uchiha. Like his grandfather Kagami, he was a member of the Uchiha Clan who looked beyond his shinobi clan and truly cared about the village.

For him to receive such high praise, this boy named Uchiha Yūto had to be a fine shinobi as well.

"Promotion approved." He stamped the application, then added, "Assign him to Minato's Special Operations Squad and send him to the Kumogakure front immediately."

The next day, while Yūto was still wrestling with the daughter of the Duke of Zhou in his dreams, someone suddenly knocked on his front door.

Yūto rubbed his eyes, wondering which inconsiderate bastard had dared disturb his pleasant dream.

Only after opening the door did he discover that it was Minato Namikaze.

Yūto looked up at the sky. The sun was already overhead, so it was clearly noon.

Rubbing his still-sore arm, he immediately gave a grateful smile. "Minato, thank you for saving us in the canyon!"

Minato waved a hand gently. "It was only right. Anyway, I'm here to inform you that Lord Hokage has approved your promotion to Chunin and assigned you to my Special Operations Squad. You're to leave for the Kumogakure front immediately."

At those words, Yūto's eyes instantly lit up, and he could not stop the corners of his mouth from rising. "Really? That's great!"

He could almost see himself returning to Blue Star with an enormous sum of compensation money after dying a heroic death.

His reaction left Minato momentarily stunned. Puzzled, he asked, "You're this happy to go to war? Could it be because..."

He suddenly recalled what had happened in the valley. If Yūto could give his life for his companions, then he surely also had a powerful desire to protect the village.

A trace of admiration flashed through Minato's eyes. "You have a strong resolve to protect the village?"

Yūto hurriedly nodded. "Yes, yes, exactly! I just want to do my part for Konoha!"

Inside, however, he was overjoyed. I can finally go get myself killed with a legitimate excuse! This time, I have to charge straight into the most dangerous place!