The cannon fodder's mission began

Bieshu Feifan and the others' quarters stood at the edge of Konoha's main camp, consisting of nothing more than a crude tent.

The farther into the camp one went, the larger the tents became.

Inside their tent, there was just enough room for four people to squeeze together.

"You three sleep together on the right. The left is mine."

Seeing that Bieshu Feifan and the other two seemed about to spread out and divide the tent evenly, Uchiha Kun hurriedly spoke up.

Omori froze, then instinctively protested:

"Why do you get half the space to yourself?"

Omori could hardly be blamed for getting angry. The tent was already small, and squeezing three people into half of it would leave them practically no room to turn over. Besides, they were all still wet.

Just as Omori finished asking, Uchiha Kun's figure flashed.

Thud.

A fist slammed hard into Omori's stomach.

Omori doubled over and collapsed on the spot.

"Why? I'll tell you why. Because of my strength as an Uchiha."

Looking at Omori, who could not get back up after a single blow, Uchiha Kun sneered.

"If you're not happy about it, wait until you're as strong as me before asking me why."

By then, Omori had caught his breath, but his face was still flushed, and he remained on the ground without getting up.

Uchiha Kun turned to Bieshu Feifan and the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Shinobi.

"What about you two? Do you want to ask me why, just like him?"

"I wouldn't dare. Who would dare question an Uchiha's strength? I, Bieshu Feifan, would be the first to object."

As soon as Uchiha Kun asked, Bieshu Feifan raised his hand to show he had no objections.

The other Genin said nothing, merely keeping his eyes closed.

Seeing that the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Genin remained silent, Uchiha Kun's expression turned cold.

"You. If you have a problem, say it. Or come on, let's go outside for a spar."

With that, Uchiha Kun made as if to leave the tent. The Genin's face alternated between pale and livid, but in the end, he did not go outside to spar with Uchiha Kun alone.

"I have no objections either."

"Hmph."

Uchiha Kun sneered, his gaze full of contempt as he looked at the Genin.

"In front of an Uchiha, don't bother defending that laughable dignity of yours if you don't have the strength. You don't qualify yet."

With that, Uchiha Kun walked out and disappeared into the pouring rain.

Only then did the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Genin slam a fist into his bedding.

"Damn Uchiha Kun. An inherently evil Uchiha brat, just as expected."

Bieshu Feifan, who was helping Omori up, immediately turned to look at the Genin when he heard those familiar words.

"Do you also think the Uchiha are inherently evil?"

At those words, most of the anger instantly vanished from the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Genin's face, and he looked at Bieshu Feifan.

"Oh? You feel that way too?"

"Well, a kindred spirit!"

Bieshu Feifan and this Genin actually hit it off, all thanks to Uchiha Kun.

"By the way, my name is Shimura Daio. I still don't know yours."

Bieshu Feifan paused. Shimura. No wonder he was at odds with the Uchiha. Since he was a Shimura, that was hardly surprising.

Wasn't this a natural ally and scapegoat?

"Bieshu Feifan."

"Bieshu? What an odd surname."

"Have you been pushed around by the Uchiha too?"

"Who in the village hasn't? The Uchiha are arrogant, overbearing, and look down on everyone. They ought to be wiped out."

"Of course. If the Uchiha didn't push people around, how could they be called inherently evil?"

"Hahahaha! Well said. I didn't expect someone so young to have so much insight."

Just as Bieshu Feifan and Shimura Daio were trading complaints about the Uchiha's misdeeds in Konoha, Uchiha Kun returned with two bags in his hands.

Their conversation stopped instantly.

After returning, Uchiha Kun first placed one bag at the head of his bed, then tossed the other onto the ground.

"Here. This is your food and ninja gear for tomorrow. We start missions tomorrow."

Bieshu Feifan and the other two opened the bag to find only a few less-than-new kunai and some moldy bread.

The three divided everything up, leaving each person with only two kunai and three pieces of bread.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Kun had opened his own bag and taken out four or five brand-new kunai, a pile of shuriken, several explosive tags, two soldier pills, a piece of dry-cured ham, and a few pieces of reasonably fresh bread.

Shimura Daio's face immediately darkened.

"Uchiha Kun, look at what you're eating and using. Isn't this far too unfair to us?"

Uchiha Kun snorted as he chewed on his ham.

"Fair? If things were really fair, you'd be going hungry."

"What do you mean?"

Shimura Daio had already stood up with his fists clenched.

"You're asking me what I mean? You should be asking yourselves. You supply-delivery trash couldn't even get the consumables to the front intact."

At that point, Uchiha Kun lost his temper too. He stood up, pointed right in the three boys' faces, and began berating them.

"Weren't you here to deliver supplies? Where are they? There aren't any. Instead, we got a few hundred extra mouths to feed. Look at yourselves. Can you fight a war? You lot really do get worse with every batch."

Shimura Daio's face darkened, and he badly wanted to argue with Uchiha Kun.

But they really had failed to deliver any supplies.

After thinking it over, Shimura Daio snorted.

"These were Lord Hokage's arrangements."

Uchiha Kun said nothing more, and Shimura Daio did not press the matter.

And so,

the day ended in a strange silence.

Early the next morning, before it was fully light, the rain outside began to ease, and the four people in the tent had already finished getting ready.

Only then did Uchiha Kun ask:

"Tell me your names and what you're good at. I'll arrange tactics based on your specialties, though most likely you won't be able to coordinate with me anyway. Still, since you're here, I'll make do with you."

The three scowled at his words.

After a while, Omori spoke first.

"Omori. I'm good at shuriken throwing."

"Pfft."

Uchiha Kun burst out laughing on the spot.

"You? Good at shuriken throwing? Ignorant. Before the Uchiha Clan, no one has the right to claim they're good at shuriken throwing."

Omori fell silent and said nothing more.

"Bieshu Feifan. Lord Hokage personally invited me to graduate and become a Genin. My outstanding Will of Fire has earned me his deep trust. I specialize in Expounding the Will of Fire."

Hearing Bieshu Feifan's introduction, Uchiha Kun, who had been ready to make a few sarcastic remarks, instantly fell silent.

Only after a long while did he say disdainfully:

"Even more useless than that Omori. But your surname, Bieshu, really is peculiar. Even I've never heard it before."

"I chose that surname myself, so naturally it had to be one no one had used. But I believe that once I grow up, the number of people with the surname Bieshu will surpass the Uchiha Clan."

Uchiha Kun gave a dry chuckle and stopped paying attention to Bieshu Feifan, a brat who, in his view, had something seriously wrong with him.

Specializing in Expounding the Will of Fire—Uchiha Kun genuinely could not figure out where to begin mocking that.

Finally, only Shimura Daio remained. His expression was grim, and his voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Shimura Daio. I specialize in..."

The moment he began speaking, Shimura Daio's expression changed. He had nearly said that he specialized in making trouble for the Uchiha and investigating them.

"I specialize in taijutsu."

"Tch. Another piece of trash. You specialize in taijutsu? In the Land of Rain's mud, let's hope your taijutsu doesn't get bogged down in a swamp."

Having learned about his three teammates, Uchiha Kun wore an expression that said it was just as he had expected. Sure enough, no one could compare with a Shinobi of his Uchiha Clan.

With Uchiha Kun looking satisfied, Bieshu Feifan's squad began carrying out their mission.

Along with several other squads, they followed a Chunin squad to relieve the Konoha ninja at the front.

Then,

seven-year-old Bieshu Feifan was taken to the very front line.

He had only three daggers on him... kunai, but they really felt awkward to use and did not even have hand guards.

Bieshu Feifan swore that if he had money, he would definitely buy a fine long saber.

He would never go onto a battlefield carrying daggers,

without even any armor.