On Uchiha Rokuro's side, he continued traveling while simultaneously studying the fusion of tailed-beast chakra, wondering if he could use this method to become an alternative Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.
Meanwhile, at Konoha's frontline command, intense conflicts had erupted.
"We, the Hyūga Clan, will not retreat! The Hidden Cloud has stolen four of our Byakugan, and now we've only recovered one pair—three remain in Cloud hands. Until we get them all back, the Hyūga will never leave the battlefield!"
When Kakashi came to deliver the message, Hyūga Hizashi didn't give an inch—he outright refused to withdraw.
And his reasoning was solid enough that Kakashi was momentarily at a loss. He could only relay the situation back for Hiruzen Sarutobi's decision.
As always, Konoha was the land of the shinobi clans. Even if their numbers were few, almost all Jonin and elite Jonin were born into clans, Kakashi included.
The Nara clan was also a shinobi clan, not mere commoners.
In the original story, the reason Hiruzen Sarutobi pressured Hyūga Hizashi to death over Hinata's abduction was essentially to suppress the Hyūga Clan and bolster his dwindling authority as Hokage.
The reverse was also true: when clans had a legitimate reason, even the Hokage couldn't force them.
Now, with the Byakugan stolen, the Hyūga had a valid justification. Sarutobi's next-day reply indeed canceled their withdrawal order, leaving only the Uchiha.
"Clan head, we can't retreat either! If we do, all our hard-earned merits will go to others!"
The hawkish Uchiha were the first to oppose, and the neutral faction quickly agreed. After all, battlefield achievements were extremely important to shinobi—they risked their lives to earn them; why should anyone else take them?
Only the pacifists hesitated, and among them, Uchiha Shisui was especially adept at skirting responsibility.
Yes, Shisui had also come to the frontline. Considering battle balance, Uchiha Fugaku hadn't assigned him to the assault squad, keeping him at the command center to participate in the main battle.
"Everyone, Lord Hokage must have his reasons. We should obey, not openly defy orders on the battlefield!"
"Shisui, are you blind or pretending? This is blatant opportunism! During the earlier standoff, no one swapped positions. Now that we've achieved results, the Hokage sends his trusted Ino-Shika-Cho squad here—clearly to replace us and steal our victory!"
At that moment, Shisui acted decisively, activating his Sharingan.
"Your words are sapping morale! Remember, this is a battlefield; any statement undermining troops is considered treason!"
He then turned to Fugaku.
"Clan head, you are both the Uchiha leader and the frontline commander. You surely understand the gravity of military orders. If we let personal gains or losses dictate our actions and cause the mission to fail, then we become Konoha's criminals!"
Uchiha Fugaku sighed and finally spoke.
"Shisui is right. This is the battlefield; following orders is paramount. Even if an order is flawed, we can argue later, not spark internal strife mid-battle. That would only doom the entire war—do you want that?"
The Uchiha grit their teeth but knew Fugaku was correct. Any disruption now would crush morale and lose the war.
Should such a thing happen, the Uchiha would be the entire Land of Fire's criminals.
Yet, despite understanding, the Uchiha were furious. This time, not only the hawks and neutrals but many pacifists too refused to accept it.
Previously, being slighted in Konoha could be endured; the Nine-Tails' incident was murky.
But this time, the Uchiha's merits were earned through real combat, at significant cost, some even giving their lives.
Seeing their hard-won achievements about to be stolen, anyone would be angry.
It could be said that, except for the hopelessly stubborn Shisui, all the Uchiha wished they could have Sarutobi shredded with their blades.
Reluctantly, the Uchiha obeyed the retreat order, returning to Konoha under Fugaku's leadership.
Orders were executed, but grievances remained.
"In my opinion, Fugaku is too cowardly. Look at Hyūga Hizashi—why didn't he retreat? How can two clan heads differ so much?"
"Didn't the Hyūga have their Byakugan stolen?"
"Bah, that's just an excuse. You don't need all the eyes back, leave a few experts behind, problem solved."
"Exactly. Making excuses isn't hard. Our Uchiha died on the battlefield, yet they say eyes were taken too. If Hizashi can use the recovery of Byakugan as an excuse, so can we!"
"Hmmm… the Elder's too old. Had he been our Uchiha leader, we'd never have tolerated such nonsense!"
"Coward Fugaku? He should be called 'Spineless Fugaku.' Being the Uchiha head, we've truly had bad luck for eight generations!"
Such complaints circulated rapidly. Fugaku eventually heard them. He was angry but helpless—his clan wasn't wrong. He had indeed been cowardly.
As the famous line from Bright Sword goes:
"The soldiers are fierce, but the political commissar is too cowardly. Why don't you dare challenge the commander?!"
Fugaku's biggest flaw was overthinking, hesitating constantly.
Such a person is fit as a second-in-command, not a leader.
Though no one openly insulted him, his reputation hit rock bottom; his authority eroded.
Shisui, anxious, tried privately to defend Fugaku, but among the Uchiha, Shisui was even less liked. His efforts were futile.
"The Hokage's orders are for the greater good, for the village. Why don't you understand?"
"Shisui, do you even remember your own name? You might as well rename yourself Sarutobi Shisui!"
"Exactly! Everything you have now comes from the Uchiha, yet you side with outsiders—are you still part of the Uchiha?"
Seeing no one could sway anyone, Shisui reluctantly gave up.
Educated to serve as the link between Konoha and the Uchiha, Shisui had always internalized that any wrongdoing was the Uchiha's fault.
Combined with Sarutobi's flawlessly righteous persona, the inexperienced and unworldly Shisui had set the stage for his clan's downfall.
He was like a saint trying to restrain the "bad kid," unable to see that the enemy was striking relentlessly.
In short, the Uchiha frontline returned to Konoha amid complaints and division.
Upon return, Sarutobi personally welcomed them, embodying his righteous persona perfectly. Shisui nearly fell to his knees in awe.
"Half a life adrift, only regret…"
The other Uchiha remained stone-faced, giving no respect, often glancing at Fugaku, hoping he would take responsibility and negotiate with Sarutobi.
But Fugaku's cowardice was ingrained; throughout the reception, he cooperated fully, speaking nothing inappropriate. Afterwards, he only brought back vague praise—no awards, nothing else.
At that moment, the Uchiha saw Sarutobi's true face, and their leader, Fugaku, had utterly lost his authority.
Uchiha Rokuro and his team returned to Konoha first, receiving grander reception—they had captured a Jinchūriki alive.
The whole village came out, and Konoha's F4 was present. To Uchiha Rokuro, it seemed less like a welcome and more like taking custody of the Jinchūriki.
Though the Two-Tails wasn't as powerful as the Nine-Tails, Naruto was only three years old, and due to his parentage, neither Sarutobi nor Danzo would dare kill him to replace him.
Naruto was Minato Namikaze's son; despite only being Hokage for a year, his charm and battlefield prowess earned him loyal supporters.
This explained why, despite being ostracized, no one attempted to kill him. The notion that the ANBU protected him was secondary—many had died during the Nine-Tails' attack.
Thus, the Jinchūriki status was untouchable.
But the Two-Tails' host didn't have such backing. Sarutobi and Danzo were preparing to act.
After the welcome ceremony, the assault squad received commendations, the Uchiha included.
Their achievements had heavily disrupted the Cloud Village's supply lines—critical to breaking the stalemate.
Ignoring such merit would be politically absurd for Sarutobi.
"Promoting me to Jonin directly? Is that proper?"
Hearing Sarutobi's direct promotion offer, Uchiha Rokuro feigned excitement. Konoha Jonin might clash, while Chunin could devastate, and his family was already financially secure.
Still, he graciously accepted the Jonin certificate with teary eyes, becoming Konoha's upper echelon, able to attend important meetings.
Though his family now numbered only a few Jonin, many Uchiha had reached Jonin-level abilities through this war.
After some harmonious discussion, Uchiha Rokuro returned home, sharing his recent experiences over a family meal with his mother and Uchiha Izumi.
Izumi's eyes sparkled.
"If I knew it was this exciting, I would've gone too."
Uchiha Rokuro chewed a piece of braised pork.
"You wouldn't have been safe. Even I was almost trapped. They even risked their own son!"
Izumi scratched her head, confused. Beside her, Uchiha Ashikaga's expression had been serious since earlier. Hearing this, she finally understood.
"Fugaku set Uchiha Rokuro up deliberately?"
Izumi gasped.
"Aunt Ashikaga, do you mean the clan head wanted to kill Uchiha Rokuro? But why? Everything Uchiha Rokuro did was for the Uchiha to grow stronger!"
"Izumi, some things look different depending on the perspective. For example, helping Uchiha children awaken their eyes with ninja tools seems good to us, but to Danzo, it's 100% bad."
Though young, Izumi understood Danzo's nature.
"But why would Fugaku think that way?"
"Because I acted without his permission, challenging his authority. And our clan head has always leaned toward the Hokage faction; being excluded, he had to oppose, though deep down, he didn't truly support the Uchiha."
Uchiha Ashikaga was furious. Fugaku's indecision and, now, his attack on her son crossed the line.
"Rokuro, we can't leave Fugaku alive. We must find a way to remove him."
Uchiha Rokuro nearly spat his soup.
"Mom, calm down. Fugaku is troublesome, but now is not the time. Though annoying, he still has influence. We can't kill him yet!"
"How long do we wait?"
Seeing her murderous intent, Uchiha Rokuro knew his placement in the assault squad had touched her nerve.
Whether to remove Fugaku from the clan or kill him outright had been undecided. Now, with his mother set on revenge, Fugaku had to die.
After some persuasion, Uchiha Rokuro got Uchiha Ashikaga to temporarily set aside her grudge, focusing instead on continuing the Uchiha bloodline refinement experiments halted by the war.
"This time, Sarutobi's antics will anger the Uchiha. Once I pitch this, hundreds will come for the chakra-seal injection. We need to prepare for a busy period ahead."
As Uchiha Rokuro predicted, nearly two hundred Uchiha came to receive the chakra-seal within a week.
Uchiha Rokuro no longer hid anything; word inevitably reached Sarutobi and Danzo.
Learning that the chakra seal stored chakra, they weren't concerned. True Kage-level strength didn't lack chakra. Those low on chakra couldn't reach Kage level, even with the seal.
Uchiha Rokuro's threat level, however, was reassessed. Previously, Danzo might have assassinated him, but now he was focused on seizing the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki, ignoring Uchiha Rokuro for the moment.
The Two-Tails' host still lived, as Sarutobi hadn't found a suitable candidate.
To become a Jinchūriki, besides talent, loyalty was key. Sarutobi decided to observe further, while Danzo sought a suitable candidate to beat him to it.
Konoha focused on the Two-Tails, while the battlefield between the Lands of Fire and Lightning saw new developments.
Through Danzo's mediation, Onoki finally sent troops against the Lightning Country's west coast. Cloud's border forces detected the threat and reported to the Fourth Raikage.
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Raikage smashed his desk with a punch.
"Despicable Onoki! Attacking now to gain an advantage?!"
Mabui's expression grew serious.
"Raikage-sama, now is not the time to lose temper. The Third Tsuchikage's intentions are clear—he wants our territory. If he succeeds, the Land of Earth gains a forward base, putting us at a disadvantage."
"Then tell me the counterplan."
Mabui studied the intelligence.
"The Iwagakure forces include a Jinchūriki and over a thousand ninjas. Earth-style techniques rely on coordination, making large numbers tough to counter. Ordinary shinobi can't stop a Jinchūriki; only Killer B can handle it."
The Fourth Raikage frowned.
"If we send Killer B, what about this battlefield?"
"You, Raikage-sama, must handle it. Fortunately, Konoha's internal issues have pulled away the most troublesome Uchiha, including Uchiha Rokuro. This is our chance to turn the tide and reclaim the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki."
"Reclaim the Jinchūriki?"
The Raikage stood. Though focused on the Eight-Tails, he wouldn't ignore the Two-Tails.
"At this point, we must use our final trump card."
Two days later, war erupted between Iwagakure and Kumogakure, while Konoha launched an offensive against the Cloud Village, putting the Land of Lightning in a pincer. Victory seemed imminent.
But after just three days, disastrous news reached Konoha.
Clatter.
Sarutobi's teacup shattered as he leapt up, disbelief on his face.
"What did you say? Say it again!"
"Frontline report: Lord Shikaku's forces clashed with Cloud troops outside the Hot Land capital. Cloud used a powerful ninja tool, removing dozens of Jonin-level Konoha ninjas, causing imbalance and a crushing defeat. Among the captured was Akimichi Choza, head of the Akimichi Clan!"
"A powerful ninja tool? The legendary Six Paths weapon?!"
Sarutobi dropped his smoke, grabbed the report, and summoned Danzo.
Danzo had received the report too, his expression dark.
"Shinobi, the Iwagakure attack isn't going smoothly. The Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki is overpowering Iwagakure's Five-Tails. Onoki seems ready to retreat."
Snap!
Sarutobi crushed the tobacco case in anger.
"Why does Onoki always back down in difficulty? You said he wanted advantage. No gain, and he retreats?!"
"Exactly because Onoki seeks advantage alone, he fights slyly. Had we gained the upper hand, he would have joined. Now that we lost, he fears Cloud concentrating forces against him, so he retreats."
Sarutobi understood but Onoki's incompetence and the Six Paths weapon's appearance had ruined his plan.
"Immediately investigate the Six Paths weapon. No more deployment until intel is clear. Stabilize Onoki—if he doesn't cooperate, warn him: if Fire falls, Earth is next!"
"Leave it to me; I know how to handle Onoki."
Danzo acted without tricks, leaving to execute the mission.
Sarutobi sank into his chair, worried.
"Ugh… shouldn't have replaced the Uchiha so early. A grave mistake."
END OF CHAPTER
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