And so, in this cold and stiff atmosphere, Shisui and the others followed the Root ninjas into a dense forest nestled against the mountains and beside the water.
Upon reaching the dense forest, Vulture, the leader of the Root ninja group, suddenly extended a hand gesture. Upon seeing this gesture, both the Root ninjas and the Uchiha Clan ninjas stopped in their tracks.
Then they saw the Vulture approach Uchiha Ryuko and Shisui Uchiha. "Three kilometers ahead is the location of several members of the Light Organization. They are currently being watched secretly by my Root members. Judging from the markings along the way, they haven't been exposed yet. This means we'll remain in the shadows while the enemy is in the open. So, before the battle begins, let's assign the attack tasks."
Hearing what Vulture said, Ryuko nodded. He knew that only by properly assigning tasks could the Uchiha and Root groups avoid interfering with each other and prevent either side from tripping the other up.
"Alright, when the battle begins, you Uchiha will take care of the Ice Release user, and I, from Root, will take care of the other two members. I believe you are already familiar with the Ice Release user's abilities, so I won't go into detail. If you feel you are not strong enough to fight them head-on, just hold them off. We will come to support you after we have dealt with the other two ninjas."
This arrangement seemed incredibly fair—no, it couldn't even be called fair; it was more like a preferential treatment of the Uchiha. Since Root was responsible for two enemies, the Uchiha only had to deal with one, and that enemy's abilities were even slightly countered by the Uchiha. This allocation was so favorable that Uchiha Ryuko couldn't help but doubt whether those in front of him were truly Root; he immediately felt there was something wrong with this arrangement.
Seeing the doubt on the Uchiha ninja's face, the Vulture became displeased and said directly, "Since you think there's a problem with this arrangement, let's switch. We'll deal with the Ice Release user of the Light Organization."
After saying that, whether intentionally or accidentally, he muttered something under his breath, but the Uchiha heard it clearly.
"I never expected that Uchiha ninjas would be afraid when facing a ninja they themselves are weak against."
These words directly provoked the Uchiha ninjas. What did they mean by being afraid of Ice Release? They were proud Uchiha, how could a mere Ice Release frighten them?
Immediately, an Uchiha ninja said, "No need to change it, keep it this way. We Uchiha are never afraid of any enemy."
Little did they know that this seemingly perfect arrangement for the Uchiha ninja actually concealed a hidden agenda.
Looking at the proud and extraordinary Uchiha ninjas, a hint of contempt flashed in the Vulture's eyes, and he recalled Danzo's words to him.
" Vulture, remember to make sure the Uchiha guys deal with the Ice Release user from the Light Organization. According to my intelligence, the other two members of the Light Organization are far weaker than that Ice Release user."
"Don't be fooled by the fact that Ice Release is countered by Fire Style; that Ice Release user's Ice Release is extraordinary, and Fire Style is very effective against it. So, let the Uchiha Clan act as our shield. Of course, you can't let all the Uchiha die, or the village will have a hard time explaining it to the Uchiha Clan. So, you must pay close attention to the timing."
Therefore, despite the seemingly good arrangements the Vulture made for the Uchiha, he actually had a secret plot to ruthlessly betray Uchiha.
The Vulture was unaware that while he seemed to be scheming against others, others were also scheming against him.
By the time they found out, it was too late.
However, the Uchiha present were unaware of the intricacies of the situation. All they knew was that Root, whom they had always disliked, had finally become reasonable and realized that the Uchiha Clan was the pillar of Konoha. They understood that they should appease their great Uchiha Clan, which instantly made the Uchiha present treat Root ninjas with kindness and gentleness.
"Yes, we Uchiha are not afraid of any danger. As soon as you make your move, we'll follow immediately and guarantee the mission's success."
At that moment, a ninja who looked somewhat like Uchiha Ryuko quickly patted his chest and said, as if afraid that Root would change their minds if they were even a second late.
His actions caused Ryuko, who was standing in front, to frown and scold, " Seika, don't interrupt. This kind of mission isn't something you can decide."
Uchiha Ryuko wasn't an idiot. It was strange that such an excellent arrangement would fall into their laps, especially since it was initiated by Root, who had always disliked them. No matter how you looked at it, something seemed off.
Out of caution, he felt it was better to consider this task more carefully.
Just as he was about to speak up and discuss it further, the Uchiha had interrupted earlier spoke up again.
"Brother, refusing such a mission would damage the reputation of the Uchiha Clan. Besides, we've already reviewed the enemy's intelligence; they're completely outmatched by us. With such a huge advantage, if we don't accept, some people might look down on us. Then the Uchiha Clan's reputation will be ruined."
That's right, the person who spoke without regard for the occasion was none other than Uchiha Ryuko's younger brother, Uchiha Seika.
Although his strength is not as great as his older brother Uchiha Ryuko, he still possesses the strength of Jonin. They are the only pair of brothers in this Uchiha team.
His words immediately drew unanimous agreement from the Uchiha ninjas behind him.
" Seika is right, Captain Ryuko. We came out here to restore the Uchiha. How can we hesitate in the face of such a mission?"
"Yes, Captain Ryuko, Ginto is right. We can't give up the honor of our Uchiha Clan like this."
Looking at the excited faces of his clansmen, Uchiha Ryuko hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement.
His reasons for agreeing were quite simple. First, he was confident in his own strength and in Shisui's strength. He believed that even if the enemy's strength exceeded expectations, he and so many clansmen could hold them off. Second, just as his clansmen had said, the honor of the Uchiha Clan could not be tarnished.
Even though he was relatively rational, he was, in the end, a true Uchiha who was proud of the name Uchiha, and he couldn't allow anything to bring shame upon the Uchiha to happen in his hands.
As Shisui, the most clear-headed person at this moment, looked at his excited clansmen, he felt even more uneasy.
Just as Uchiha Ryuko initially considered, he also thought there was a problem with Root's arrangement. However, now that even the only rational Captain Ryuko has been misled by the Uchiha's reputation and given up on investigating the internal reasons, there's nothing he can do.
Although he was the vice-captain of the team, his young age meant he didn't have as much authority as Ryuko, and few people believed what he said.
Therefore, Shisui could only secretly vow in his heart that if any unexpected situation occurred, he would cooperate with Captain Ryuko to do his best to ensure the safety of his clansmen and bring them back to Konoha safely.