Chapter 96: The Arrival of the Uchiha, Shisui Awakens His Eyes

"What a shame. If we had just a few more people, we could have taken down their new base directly."

Hayama Shirakumo sighed with regret.

They had found the enemy's base, but all they could do was cause some minor damage before retreating.

The result…

It wasn't quite enough!

However, Kyoichi merely chuckled and shook his head. "If we had more people… No, if we had even just Minato, do you think I'd be attacking this place? We'd be going straight for their previous base."

"The previous base?"

Gekkō Kazahana was momentarily stunned before realization dawned on him.

Now that they had struck here, a significant portion of the enemy's forces would be drawn to this location.

If Namikaze Minato were present, he could use the Flying Thunder God Technique to transport their team back to the enemy's old base in an instant, leaving them completely unprepared to defend it.

Unfortunately…

"There's nothing we can do. The northern front is just as dire. Before I left, the intel I received said that the Kumogakure forces had already gathered at the Land of Lightning's border. Who knows what's happening there now?"

Yamanaka Inoichi sighed.

Konoha was strong.

But there were simply too many enemies, and they had just endured a war…

If they were only facing a single village, the situation wouldn't be this difficult.

"No matter. We've already profited this time. Moving their base again will cost them time."

Kyoichi used a sealing technique to restore the Yin Seal's reserves.

As the main force in this battle, he had no choice but to tap into his Yin Seal, but the results were worth it—four enemy squads completely annihilated, two transport ships destroyed, and the location of Kirigakure's new base uncovered.

Yagura must be fuming right now.

"Unfortunately, they'll definitely strengthen their scouting efforts from now on…"

"Then we take out their patrol squads."

This time, Gekkō Kazahana answered before anyone else could.

After following along on this mission, he had come to understand the essence of Kyoichi's tactics—

Manipulate the enemy's movements, then strike at their weakest points.

The same principle applied to his Crescent Moon Dance.

Kyoichi smiled, then turned to Yamanaka Inoichi and asked, "What do you think, Inoichi-senpai?"

"If we're just targeting their scouting units, we don't need to assemble an elite strike force like this time. We can form smaller teams of jōnin and elite chūnin specifically to hunt down their reconnaissance squads."

Yamanaka Inoichi was still analyzing everything that had happened.

Kyoichi's strategy seemed simple in theory, but its execution was incredibly complex. His three engagements earlier weren't just about tracking down enemies and killing them—each battle was a calculated decision, with incredible flexibility.

It required absolute mastery of both the enemy's psychology and their own combat strength.

This Kanda Kyoichi…

Unbelievable!

Inoichi had already held a high opinion of Kyoichi.

Now, that evaluation had been raised even further.

"Exactly. From now on, we won't mobilize the entire force. We'll adopt a more guerrilla-style approach, slowly chipping away at their numbers. And there's no need to rush—we'll send out only a portion of our forces each time."

"What if they decide to go all out and attack us directly?"

Hayama Shirakumo voiced his concern.

They all knew the reality of their situation—among Konoha's three battlefronts, the eastern front had the fewest available ninja. If the enemy became desperate and launched a full-scale assault, it would be difficult to handle.

This was also something the Third Hokage worried about.

"No need to fear. If they come charging in, we just assassinate their leaders. Naval warfare is all about speed."

Kyoichi's tone was confident.

Kirigakure shinobi were deadly in water, especially the Hōzuki clan.

But…

He had a trump card.

Might Duy!

Of course…

Kyoichi didn't intend to let Duy open the Eighth Gate—there was no need for that.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?

If Duy opened the Seventh Gate and teamed up with Kyoichi, Hayama Shirakumo, and the others, they could easily take down a few of them.

In fact…

If reinforcements arrived quickly, they might just be able to wipe them out completely.

---

Nagano Mountain...

"It's done. Everyone can relax now, take a break."

Kyoichi's shadow clone walked out of the tent.

He had been wondering if the enemy might try a sneak attack on their camp, but it turned out to be an unnecessary worry—

the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had no plans for an infiltration or assassination mission.

It seemed...

His presence had indeed changed the course of events.

However...

Kyoichi didn't dwell on it too much.

Konoha was stronger than Kirigakure. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were formidable, but they weren't worth sacrificing an Eight Gates user for a trade.

It simply wasn't worth it!

After saying this, he returned to the tent to rest.

The others finally let out cheers of relief.

"Looks like sensei succeeded."

Kurenai Yuhi let out a sigh of relief.

"I told you, sensei is too strong for Kirigakure to handle," Asuma Sarutobi said with full confidence in Kyoichi.

Kurenai glanced at him, let out a small chuckle, and hummed a tune happily.

"Alright, back to patrol!"

"Yes—!"

The others chuckled but said nothing.

As Kyoichi had said, they didn't need to venture too far outside. They mostly patrolled around Nagano Mountain, and since the area had already been cleared, there weren't many enemies left.

After patrolling for a while, Kurenai suddenly paused for a moment before a look of joy spread across her face.

"Shisui, I think your clan has arrived."

"Already?"

Shisui was momentarily stunned, then immediately activated his sensory abilities.

His range wasn't as wide as Kurenai's, but soon, he could sense one or two approaching individuals—then more and more.

"It's the Police Force!"

Judging by their chakra signatures, there was no doubt—they were Uchiha.

A smile spread across Shisui's face.

The Uchiha Police Force had arrived.

If they could make an impact on the eastern front, it would help ease the tension between the Uchiha clan, Kyoichi-sensei, and even Tsunade. That would be beneficial for the future.

Judging by the chakra signatures, the clan had sent strong members.

But who exactly had come...?

He wondered.

Soon, a few figures appeared in the distance.

Leading them was Uchiha Inabi, followed by Uchiha Satsu—a fifteen-year-old member of the Police Force.

Upon seeing Shisui, Inabi smiled.

"Inabi-nii."

"Shisui, not bad! You're really starting to look like a true ninja."

Inabi patted Shisui on the shoulder and exchanged a knowing glance with him. Then, he turned toward Kurenai, Asuma, and the others.

After a brief hesitation, he forced a somewhat unnatural smile.

Then...

"You must be Asuma and Kurenai, right? I'm Uchiha Inabi. Shisui has mentioned you both. Thank you for looking after him."

Inabi gave a small bow.

Asuma's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Was this really an Uchiha?

Even Shisui was caught off guard.

Before he left, Inabi hadn't fully adjusted to this kind of attitude. But now, meeting again, he seemed... very different.

Kurenai, being quick-witted, immediately waved it off. "No need to thank us. Shisui-kun may be young, but he's actually the core of our team. We follow his orders most of the time."

"Hahaha, this brat? No way, he's still a bit too young."

Inabi laughed. "By the way, where's your teacher? I heard he's the commander of the eastern front."

By now, other Uchiha jōnin, including Uchiha Yashiro, had arrived.

Shisui nodded. "Sensei is at the base. I'll take you there."

"Alright."

Inabi nodded and exchanged a few more pleasantries with Asuma and Kurenai before departing.

Uchiha Sha did the same.

But...

The later arrivals weren't as friendly.

Even so, Asuma and Kurenai were still surprised.

And Shiranui Genma? He was utterly shocked, staring blankly for a long time.

Only after everyone left did he whisper, "That was an Uchiha?"

"...Yeah."

Kurenai, still a little puzzled, nodded.

"Is he Shisui's real brother?"

"The ones at the back felt more like typical Uchiha. Maybe that first guy was just particularly close to Shisui?"

Ebisu wasn't too surprised.

"No, Shisui... doesn't really have many close friends in the clan."

Asuma shook his head. He remembered Shisui mentioning that he had no siblings and that he didn't have much in common with most of his clanmates.

That's why they were so surprised.

Was the sun rising from the west today?

"Maybe... Either way, it's none of our business. Let's head back."

Kurenai didn't understand it either.

But she had a feeling—it had something to do with their teacher.

By the time they returned to the base, Kyoichi had already returned to Konoha and had met with the Uchiha members who arrived.

All of them were elites!

But...

This was just the first group.

According to Uchiha Yashiro, a total of thirty Uchiha were being sent to reinforce the eastern front.

Ten of them had rushed ahead at full speed to avoid delaying the battle, while the remaining twenty were still en route and would arrive within the next two days.

Since it was already late at night, Kyoichi had sent them to rest.

They could discuss everything in detail tomorrow.

When arranging accommodations, Inabi and Shisui went out for a short patrol.

"Shisui-kun, I heard from my younger brother."

"Hmm?"

Shisui's heart skipped a beat.

What did Tekka say?

He wouldn't have blurted out something reckless, would he?!

No...

If he had, Inabi wouldn't be acting like this.

Shisui relaxed a little, glanced around, and asked in a low voice, "Inabi-nii, what do you mean?"

"The clan head was right. We should unite and deal with external threats first before resolving internal conflicts..."

Inabi glanced around cautiously before leaning in close to whisper in Shisui's ear.

"I told Yashiro-senpai about it."

"Ah—!!"

Crap...

Of course, something had to go wrong.

Uchiha Yashiro was in his thirties! How could he just casually tell him something like that?

Didn't Tekka explain things properly?!

If only I had stayed in the village a few more days...

Shisui was filled with regret and anxiety.

At that moment, he felt his breath catch and his heartbeat race.

"He read the book, listened to our reasoning, and... he agrees with the clan head's perspective."

"...Huh?"

Shisui was dumbfounded for a moment before cursing internally.

Damn it...

Couldn't he just say the whole thing in one go?!

Did he have to be so suspenseful?!

He nearly scared the life out of me.

"Hahaha, Shisui, don't wor—"

Inabi started laughing but suddenly froze.

He stared at Shisui, his face filled with shock.

Shisui frowned in confusion and glanced behind him.

Nothing was there.

"Shisui, your—your eyes!"

Inabi pointed at his face, his expression a mix of disbelief and joy.

Sharingan!

Shisui had awakened his Sharingan!

And he wasn't even six years old yet...

His talent was astonishing!

"My eyes?"

Shisui hesitated for a moment, then looked into the distance—

Even in the dim moonlight, he could see everything with incredible clarity.

Did he... awaken them?

He was stunned.

So that's how it happened?

"This is amazing! Now that you've awakened your Sharingan, we can—"

"Brother Inabi, we can't afford to create unnecessary complications. Otherwise, my plan to forgo the Chūnin promotion will be meaningless."

Shisui quickly explained.

Uchiha Inabi thought for a moment before nodding. "That makes sense. Our Uchiha clan is already drawing too much attention; it's not the time to stand out. By the way, can we leverage your teacher's influence?"

"My teacher is Lady Tsunade's younger brother, so... you get the idea."

Shisui hinted subtly.

Hearing this, Inabi's eyes immediately lit up. Just as he was about to ask more, Shisui glanced around and stopped him, lowering his voice. "We'll talk about this when we have a better opportunity."

"That was careless of me."

Inabi nodded in agreement.

Indeed…

Even though they were some distance from the main camp and sensory ninja were deployed for reconnaissance, there were plenty of patrols and scouting shinobi around. If anyone happened to overhear, it could lead to trouble.

Stay calm. Don't take unnecessary risks.

But still…

Thinking about Shisui awakening the Sharingan, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"Also, don't mention anything about me."

"Got it!"

****************************

Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.

p@treon/GodDragcell