Got it. Keep up the good work

Without a doubt, the Uchiha Clan's arrival caught the other forces completely off guard. Kumogakure only learned of it after the Uchiha Clan's members appeared on its frontline battlefield.

Upon discovering this, Kumogakure swiftly activated its emergency plan, deploying both Killer B, the Eight-Tails, and Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails.

Of course, Jiraiya personally led the front against Kumogakure, rather than that idiot Danzo, which also let Uchiha Fugaku breathe a sigh of relief.

If Danzo had been in command, things would have been much more complicated.

For one thing, Danzo might have wiped out the Uchiha Clan one by one, openly or in secret. This also put Uchiha Fugaku on his guard.

Of course, there was another major bug in all this.

That was Kumogakure's repeated insistence that it had not sent anyone into the Forest of Death to kill the Root members and Uchiha Yenka.

Of course, even at the very end, Kumogakure's Raikage remained utterly baffled. When had he ever sent anyone?

However, after seeing the Uchiha Clan take the field, the Third Raikage lost interest in arguing.

Wasn't it just war? As if Kumogakure had ever been afraid of war!

Did they really think this was still Hashirama Senju's era? Hashirama Senju had the strength to back it up, so what was wrong with him bowing his head to them? If Madara Uchiha had gone instead, wouldn't the lot of them have had to bow their heads to him?

However, war was never a swift affair. Once both sides had their forces in place, everything seemed to settle into a stalemate.

"Kakashi, why are you back?" Sōkyū Hatake had just finished his training check-in for the day. When he returned home, he happened to find Kakashi and the other two sitting in the courtyard.

"I had a mission to deliver a letter here, so I just dropped by while I was back," Kakashi said casually, as though it were a trivial matter.

"Oh, please. Isn't it really because little Sōkū starts school tomorrow?" Obito Uchiha immediately exposed his longtime friend's lie.

Honestly, this Kakashi!

Meanwhile, Rin Nohara watched the two of them with a smile. The gleam deep in her eyes made Sōkyū Hatake wonder whether she was shipping them.

Recalling that Rin Nohara wore this expression every time Kakashi and Obito argued, Sōkyū Hatake became even more convinced.

"You're starting school tomorrow. As your big brother, shouldn't I come back for that?" Kakashi coughed twice. He hadn't intended to say it outright, but who would have thought Obito Uchiha had such a big mouth?

"Yes, yes. How has your time at the front been?" Sōkyū Hatake knew Kakashi wasn't very good at expressing himself, so he didn't call him out.

"Not bad. Pretty easy, really." Kakashi shrugged, as though the war at the front really were simple for him.

"Your big brother nearly bit the dust a few times. If yours truly hadn't risked his life to save him, your big brother would've been a goner," Obito Uchiha said, exposing Kakashi again.

Trying to lie in front of the great Obito Uchiha?

Not happening!

"Ahem. Obito, come with me for a moment. Sōkū, Rin, wait here for us. There's something I need to take care of." A cold smile appeared on Kakashi's face beneath his mask.

Then, despite Obito Uchiha's resistance, he dragged him into the bushes next door.

Rustle, rustle.

After a series of sounds that made faces flush and ears burn, Kakashi returned with Obito Uchiha.

The difference was that Obito Uchiha's face was covered in bruises. Clearly, Kakashi had given him a "friendly" lesson.

"I heard you joined the Council of Elders?" After finishing his lesson with Obito Uchiha, Kakashi looked straight at Sōkyū Hatake.

Over the past year or so, Kakashi had rarely heard news from home, because Sōkyū Hatake wasn't someone who liked writing letters.

Still, through scattered bits of news, Kakashi had heard that Sōkyū Hatake had joined the Council of Elders and taken part in its votes, so he had come to ask about it during this visit.

"That's right. Lord Hokage was so eager for me to return to the Council of Elders and attend as the Hatake Clan's representative, wasn't he?" Sōkyū Hatake winked at Kakashi, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I see... Got it. Keep up the good work." Kakashi immediately understood Sōkyū Hatake's current situation and patted his shoulder with some concern.

"Of course. Your senior martial uncle is very pleased that his little martial nephew cares." Sōkyū Hatake grinned mischievously as he spoke. Even Pikachu, cradled in Rin Nohara's arms, seemed to laugh.

At Sōkyū Hatake's words, a vein instantly bulged on Kakashi's forehead!

Damn it, was he never going to let this seniority joke go?

"It's been a while since we sparred, Sōkū. How about coming over here and having a match with your big brother?" Forcing down his irritation, Kakashi went straight into his tactics against Sōkyū Hatake.

"Now that sounds great! A clash between brothers!" Obito Uchiha, who never minded making a spectacle even bigger, immediately voiced his support. How could he miss something this good?

"Let's do it later. You've only just got back. Get some rest first." Sōkyū Hatake looked at Kakashi meaningfully.

"That's true. Obito, Rin, you two should head home and rest. After Sōkyū Hatake's entrance ceremony tomorrow, we still have to hurry back to the front." Kakashi immediately understood the meaning in Sōkyū Hatake's eyes and turned to address Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara.

"Then we'll head back first. You two shouldn't stay up too late either." Rin Nohara instantly understood the dismissal in Kakashi and Sōkyū Hatake's words. She stood up, ready to leave.

"Rin, you go on ahead. I still want to watch their match." Clearly, Obito Uchiha wasn't someone who could take a hint.

"They have other things to take care of. Come on, let's go home. Do you want to keep your grandma waiting?" Rin Nohara said as she tugged Obito Uchiha along.

"All right, all right. I'm going home now." In fact, Obito Uchiha had already been home that day and had only come out after seeing that his grandma was safe and well.

But after this, even the slow-witted Obito Uchiha caught on.

So the two brothers had some other business to discuss. Once he understood, Obito Uchiha stopped dwelling on anything else and followed Rin Nohara out of the Hatake Clan Compound!