CHAPTER 34
Return to the Village
"I hope so," Fugaku said, glancing toward the misty sky of Amegakure. "Has the situation in the Rain Country changed recently? I've been stationed too deep in the countryside to grasp the bigger picture."
"There have been noticeable changes," Uchiha Jin replied. "The Ame-nin are pulling back. We used to run into them constantly, but lately, they're almost nonexistent."
Fugaku gave a small nod. Hanzo must finally be acting cautiously. The Three Great Nations—Wind, Earth, and Fire—hadn't yet gone to war in full, but the Rain Village had already suffered significant losses. If Hanzo didn't retract his forces, Amegakure would be crushed before the true battles even began.
"The Rain Ninja want to wait and see," Fugaku said. "A small nation like theirs can't afford a drawn-out war. Better to wait for the big powers to bleed each other dry before intervening."
Jin nodded. "None of these old warlords are fools. I just wish I knew what the Hokage and the elders back in Konoha are planning."
"That's above our pay grade," Fugaku replied coolly. "What we can do is show the strength of the Uchiha on the battlefield. That alone sends a message."
After parting with Jin, Fugaku returned to his tent. The last two operations deep within Iwagakure-held territory had pushed his body and chakra to the limit. Rest was long overdue.
---
By noon the next day, Uchiha Yan's squad returned—wounded and reduced in number. Several had perished. Such tragedies had become routine at the forward camp.
War was a butcher's game. Every ninja knew from their first mission that they might not come back.
Fugaku had long since accepted it. Each mission was a gamble with death—one that required absolute precision and discipline.
By evening, Uchiha En returned from his assignment and delivered his report directly to Fugaku.
"Fugaku, Jin—they ambushed us. Sand-nin." His voice was heavy. "We managed to break through, but four died from poison. The rest are injured. I was careless."
"You're not to blame," Fugaku said, frowning. "The Sunagakure specialize in poisons. And with Tsunade's medical reforms still years away, surviving a venom like that is a fantasy."
"Right… also, this is from the clan head," En said, producing a sealed envelope.
Fugaku took it. The bold brush strokes read: 'To Uchiha Fugaku—Personal.' It was his father Tenjou's handwriting. The seal was unbroken.
Opening the letter, Fugaku read silently.
It mentioned that Konoha had secretly dispatched two reinforcement groups to the Rain Country, neither of which included Uchiha clansmen. Uchiha Tenjou was lobbying the Third Hokage for more Uchiha involvement to both prove their loyalty and regain lost political standing within the village.
Tenjou suspected the two teams were forming hidden strongholds rather than reinforcing the front. With war against three nations on the horizon, the forward camp alone couldn't sustain Konoha's logistical needs. Secret bases would be key to any long campaign.
But the time for total war hadn't arrived yet. These moves had to remain hidden.
---
After two days of rest, Fugaku led his team into the northwest sector of the Rain Country for a new operation.
Three months passed in a blur of combat and blood. Fugaku turned fourteen during a mission, commemorated not by cake or celebration—but by killing a Rock-nin.
The kunai pierced the Iwa Jōnin's heart, and in that moment, Fugaku felt the Sharingan's growth stir within him.
> "Killed an Iwagakure Jonin—medium pupil power gained."
The mission was now complete. After nearly 90 days of action, the team had evolved drastically. Even rookies like Yamamoto Kazusuke had sharpened into lethal assets.
"Let's move," Fugaku ordered. "Mission complete. Return to camp for debrief."
Initially, things had gone well. But once Iwagakure noticed their teams vanishing, they began deploying scouts and trap teams. Over time, the kill rate dropped.
Still, they'd eliminated seven enemy squads—68 enemies total. Not a single Konoha life was lost. By all accounts, the mission was a resounding success.
Back at the forward camp, little had changed. No major expansion, no large-scale reinforcements. It was as if the major powers had reached an unspoken truce, each waiting for the other to blink.
But hatred simmered. Every death stoked the fire. Eventually, those flames would erupt into open war.
---
Inside Hatake Sakumo's tent, Fugaku stood tall before the legendary White Fang.
The Rain Country terrain model remained the same, though now several sectors were newly marked. Sakumo glanced up from it as Fugaku entered.
"Team 009, Uchiha Fugaku reporting. Mission complete—47 Iwa-nin and 21 Ame-nin confirmed eliminated."
Sakumo's brows rose slightly before settling into a small, approving nod.
"Your squad's performance is unmatched," he said. "No casualties. High-value targets. Precision execution."
He looked directly at Fugaku. "Uchiha genius—your early deployment is finished. You're being granted rotation back to Konoha for rest and reassignment."
"Hatake-senpai," said Yamada Shinji, "will we stay together for the next mission?"
Sakumo shook his head. "That depends. Some of you are now qualified for jonin promotion. Once that happens, team composition will change. It's unlikely all twelve of you will serve together again."
"Rest for two days. After that, you'll join the next Konoha-bound escort detail. New squads will replace you."
Fugaku understood immediately. This war wasn't just about territory. It was a proving ground—Konoha, Iwa, and Suna were all feeding genin and chunin into the meat grinder to see who survived.
It was the cold calculus of a brewing world war.
---
As they left Sakumo's tent, relief swept through the squad. War hardened the soul, but peace—even fleeting—was something precious.
"Captain," said Yamada Shinji, stretching his arms, "what are you gonna do when you get back to Konoha? I don't even know what to do without the constant fighting."
"Pretentious much?" Satomaru snorted. "We're not even home yet. You'll barely unpack before another mission hits."
Fugaku listened to the banter without interrupting. After months of bloodshed, a little humor went a long way. A relaxed team was a healthy team.
Still, Sakumo's words echoed in his mind. This was likely the last time they'd all fight side by side.
The battlefield changes people—and it also tears them apart.