A mission rife with infighting

Dajirō was very satisfied with his status. After speaking, he planted both hands on his hips and waited for Uchiha Qiongyue's reaction.

Uchiha Qiongyue certainly reacted. When Dajirō still failed to give his name, he immediately punched him in the stomach.

"Urgh!"

Caught completely off guard, Dajirō took the punch square in the stomach and went flying backward, spitting up stomach acid.

"Dajirō. I specialize in the Clone Technique."

By the time Uchiha Qiongyue finished listening to his three students introduce themselves, his brow was deeply furrowed.

Each of these three subordinates seemed worse than the last, and Dajirō, who appeared to be the most useful, was a troublemaker.

Uchiha Qiongyue looked at his three oddball subordinates and thought for a while, but he really could not think of any use they might have for him.

But all three were cannon fodder Lord Hokage had foisted on him, and he could hardly refuse.

"All three of you, attack me with everything you have. Let me see what you can do."

Only after a long while did Uchiha Qiongyue speak, very reluctantly.

Bieshu Feifan was a little surprised. An Uchiha leading a team was unusual enough, yet he even wanted to test their strength as cannon fodder. Could he really intend to lead them?

That was strange.

Although the Uchiha had plenty of ninjas and ninjutsu, as well as plenty of powerful fighters, their main force was confined to Konoha, responsible only for the village's security.

Very few went out to fight in wars.

As soon as Uchiha Qiongyue finished speaking, Dajirō drew a kunai without waiting for his two teammates, formed hand seals, and used the Clone Technique. Two Dajirōs instantly charged at Uchiha Qiongyue.

Bieshu Feifan and Feng You hurried after him.

Watching Dajirō charge in alone, Uchiha Qiongyue frowned.

This was what he called specializing?

The instant Dajirō rushed up, Uchiha Qiongyue simply raised his leg and swept it sideways, taking down Dajirō and his clone at once.

Only after Dajirō was lying on the ground, clutching his stomach and wailing, did Bieshu Feifan reach Uchiha Qiongyue.

Uchiha Qiongyue did not even activate his Sharingan or use any ninjutsu.

Bare-handed, he knocked Bieshu Feifan down in just a few moves.

Then he sent Feng You flying with a kick as she charged straight at him.

The strength of these three students was nowhere near the required standard.

The one who specialized in the Clone Technique could only make clones and was useless at everything else.

As for the one who specialized in solving exam questions... the less said, the better.

Instead, the one who specialized in expounding the Will of Fire was actually the most presentable.

Looking at the three of them lying on the ground wailing, Uchiha Qiongyue's frown deepened.

That Hiruzen Sarutobi was up to no good.

"Get up, all of you. This time, our mission is to venture deep into the Land of Wind to gather intelligence while also disrupting Sunagakure's supplies."

Uchiha Qiongyue explained their mission while carefully observing the three students' reactions.

Dajirō and Feng You were very simple-minded. At his words, they immediately scrambled to their feet, their eyes full of anticipation.

Seeing their reactions, Uchiha Qiongyue's expression darkened further. Then he looked at Bieshu Feifan.

Bieshu Feifan's brow was tightly furrowed. An important Uchiha figure was being sent deep into the Land of Wind on a mission with three pieces of cannon fodder?

No matter how you looked at it, they had picked the three cheapest burial companions.

This mission might well be Shimura Danzō's handiwork.

Seeing Bieshu Feifan remain silent, Uchiha Qiongyue felt slightly reassured. It seemed Bieshu Feifan really was no idiot.

"Bieshu Feifan, what do you think of this mission?"

"Will our squad be operating alone?"

"Yes."

"Oh, then it looks like my Hokage bro really trusts you. You must be someone important, right? Otherwise, my bro wouldn't trust you like this."

At the mention of his status, Uchiha Qiongyue's expression became very unnatural. He did not answer, but his opinion of Bieshu Feifan rose somewhat.

A kid who survived the meat grinder in the Land of Rain really was more than something that could only expound the Will of Fire.

Seeing Uchiha Qiongyue treat Bieshu Feifan somewhat differently, Dajirō immediately rushed over to Bieshu Feifan.

"Hey, is Lord Hokage really your bro?"

Bieshu Feifan nodded without speaking.

He was considering whether this mission really was intended to send Uchiha Qiongyue to his death.

If so, he would have to plan carefully. He could only hope Uchiha Qiongyue had understood his earlier hint.

Konoha High Command would not trust the Uchiha, especially those in charge of the clan.

He hoped Uchiha Qiongyue would not blindly lead them to their deaths.

After they became acquainted, Uchiha Qiongyue led the team out of Konoha with a grim expression.

They ran quickly westward.

Uchiha Qiongyue was not moving particularly fast, but this was already a Chunin's normal traveling speed.

Bieshu Feifan had enhanced his physique, so he had no real difficulty now.

But Dajirō and Feng You, both native-born civilians, barely managed to keep up for half the journey.

Then they collapsed from exhaustion in the forests of the Land of Fire and could no longer keep pace with Uchiha Qiongyue.

Looking at the two cannon-fodder Genin who did nothing but hold him back, Uchiha Qiongyue was furious.

This mission was already suspicious, and he had wanted to get beyond the range of Konoha's patrols as quickly as possible.

But these two students were holding him back.

The thought of abandoning them crossed Uchiha Qiongyue's mind. Even the thought of killing all three briefly flashed through it.

But this was the Land of Fire, and he could not guarantee there were no eyes watching.

"Get up."

Furious, Uchiha Qiongyue raised his foot to kick Dajirō and Feng You.

But when he saw Bieshu Feifan standing nearby, panting slightly yet looking calm, Uchiha Qiongyue restrained his temper again.

"Bieshu Feifan, these two classmates of yours are too weak. They've already delayed the mission. What do you think?"

Bieshu Feifan thought for a moment, then asked:

"Are there any requirements for this mission?"

"Yes. During the first part, we must pass through the Western Camp, then take out Sunagakure's supply station. After that, we're to push deeper and bring back proof of its destruction."

By now, Uchiha Qiongyue was quite certain that Bieshu Feifan was no idiot.

Although he also disliked Bieshu Feifan, right now Bieshu Feifan was the only person he could discuss things with.

Bieshu Feifan considered it for a while, then said:

"Since my Hokage bro arranged things this way, that means we can work together to complete the mission. Abandoning teammates is wrong. We must carry on the Will of Fire."

Uchiha Qiongyue considered the meaning behind Bieshu Feifan's words, then nodded too.

Abandoning teammates would give the high command an excuse to move against him, an Uchiha.

If this mission went wrong, it would probably become even harder for members of the Uchiha clan to leave on missions in the future.

When it became difficult for them to awaken the Sharingan, Konoha High Command would probably make a move.

"Rest for five minutes."

Uchiha Qiongyue had figured it out. The high command's intention in assigning him three teammates like these was self-evident.

They were deliberately looking for trouble.

They even hoped he would die in the Land of Wind.

If they really encountered enemies, he did not think Bieshu Feifan and the other two could do anything. They would probably struggle even to escape.

Given five minutes to rest, Dajirō and Feng You collapsed on the spot, lying on the ground and gasping for breath.

Bieshu Feifan sat down too and ate something while he was at it.

Having thought things through, Uchiha Qiongyue no longer hurried to press on.

Whatever the high command was plotting, it was already too late for him to respond anyway.

He could only take things one step at a time.

Once they slowed down, Dajirō finally had enough energy to speak.

He sidled up to Bieshu Feifan and asked curiously:

"Bieshu Feifan, you don't seem as idiotic as you were at school?

What's going on?

And that Uchiha, why does he talk to you so nicely?"

Bieshu Feifan chuckled without answering.

Playing the idiot in Konoha to fit what everyone thought, and becoming normal on the battlefield, were both merely ways to survive.

The group of four soon reached the Western Border of the Land of Fire, where Uchiha Qiongyue went to complete the handover with the Konoha ninjas at the Outpost.

Bieshu Feifan and the other two waited off to one side and rested.

After running from Konoha to the Western Border, Dajirō and Feng You were already too exhausted to straighten their backs.

Soon, Uchiha Qiongyue returned.

"We'll rest here tonight. Tomorrow, we'll enter the Land of Rivers, take out the Sunagakure Outpost, then enter the Land of Wind."

As cannon fodder, Bieshu Feifan and the other two naturally had no objections.

They slept near Konoha's Outpost that night, none of them daring to stray too far.

Although the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire were fighting their main large-scale battles in the Land of Rain,

both sides also frequently sent ninjas to stir up trouble along the border.

Late that night, when everything was quiet, a patrolling ninja suddenly darted over to Bieshu Feifan.

Bieshu Feifan was startled.

But the man quickly whispered:

"Orders from above. Find a chance to lead the Uchiha to the Sand Ninja."

With that, he also pressed a scroll into Bieshu Feifan's hands.

Then the man continued his patrol as though nothing had happened.

The entire process was very natural and attracted no one's attention.

Only Bieshu Feifan frowned. They really did want to kill Uchiha Qiongyue.

In that case, he really was connected to the Uchiha Clan Head's faction. He might even be Uchiha Fugaku's older or younger brother.

Holding the scroll, Bieshu Feifan knew he had no right to refuse. After all, they had already paid him in advance.

Under cover of darkness, Bieshu Feifan quietly opened the scroll. A look with his Byakugan revealed a Wind Release ninjutsu.

Needless to say, Shimura Danzō had definitely made his move.