Naruto: This Uchiha is too innocent.

Chapter 145 Might Guy's Squad Crisis

No one knows what exactly happened between Uchiha Sora and Orochimaru during this time.

Three days later, as Uchiha Sora emerged from Orochimaru's laboratory, the dejection in his eyes had vanished. Having successfully verified the feasibility of his hypothesis, the heavy pressure weighing on him was finally lifted, making him feel considerably lighter.

He hummed a cheerful tune as he returned home and methodically began tidying his clothes. He opened the wardrobe, his gaze sweeping over the row of identical black coats. His fingers lightly traced the fabric, finally settling on the innermost trench coat—the one on the wall behind it. He pressed down slightly, and with a soft "click," a hidden compartment in the wall slowly opened.

He retrieved a professional ninja outfit from a hidden compartment, along with a cold-faced fox mask. This was the ANBU combat uniform. Now that he had solved the problem that had been troubling him the most, it was time for him to head to the front lines.

He quickly changed his clothes, put the mask on his face securely, revealing only a pair of cold, pale gray eyes, and then headed towards the Hokage Building.

Before carrying out a mission, he needs to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi; that's the rule.

Soon, he arrived at the somewhat deserted Hokage Building. This was the least crowded Hokage Building he had ever seen, with only two or three guards.

However, Uchiha Sora was currently dressed in his Anbu uniform, so he couldn't enter through the main door. He went straight to Hiruzen Sarutobi's office via the Anbu's private passage.

Arriving at the office door, after receiving permission from Hiruzen Sarutobi, he slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside.

As soon as he entered, he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting behind his desk. Hiruzen looked tired; his usual serious demeanor was gone, the wrinkles around his eyes seemed deeper, and there was a hint of anxiety in his gaze.

The sudden attack by Iwagakure caught Konoha completely off guard. Although Konoha reacted promptly, they were still short-handed, the battle at the front lines was intense, and they were forced into a series of defeats by Iwagakure. Under these circumstances, Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was naturally extremely anxious.

"Hokage-sama." Uchiha Sora bowed slightly, his tone respectful. Even if he was dissatisfied with Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would never lose the proper respect he should show on the surface.

He didn't want to be caught red-handed over such a trivial matter.

Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the documents in his hand, looked up at Sora Uchiha, and asked, "Are you healed?" Clearly, he knew that Sora Uchiha was recuperating at home due to his injuries.

"Alright, I'm ready to accept any mission at any time." Uchiha Sora lowered his voice slightly.

"Is that so?" Hiruzen Sarutobi uttered these two words meaningfully. His gaze gave Uchiha Sora a strange feeling. He couldn't help but think that this old fox might have already seen through that his recuperation was just an excuse.

Considering his special status, there were likely many eyes secretly watching him in Konoha Village, and Hiruzen Sarutobi might indeed have sent people to monitor his movements. Thinking of this, an immense pressure welled up within him.

Fortunately, the oppressive silence didn't last long. Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, then gently placed the document he had been reviewing in front of Sora Uchiha, saying, "Take a look, is there any way to break this deadlock?"

Uchiha Sora paused slightly, instinctively looking down at the document. His vision was somewhat blurry. However, he quickly realized that the so-called document was actually a map, densely covered with circles and crisscrossing lines. He belatedly realized that it was a battle map, and the circles and drawings must mark the various battle locations.

He took a deep breath and spent quite some time trying to decipher the battle map. To be honest, even though he hadn't systematically studied military strategy, he could clearly see from the map that Konoha was in a very dire situation, almost completely surrounded by the Iwagakure army, and the situation was critical.

As for Hiruzen Sarutobi's method of breaking the deadlock, he naturally understood. By drawing a few auxiliary lines on the battle map, he could clearly find a location that was the only way for the Iwagakure army to pass through—the crucial supply point, Kannabi Bridge. If they could successfully cut off this supply point, the Iwagakure army's offensive would be greatly hindered.

However, Uchiha Sora did not immediately reveal his thoughts. He was wondering why Hiruzen Sarutobi would suddenly ask him this question. Was this old fox secretly investigating his military strategy abilities? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly.

"Lord Hokage, my experience is too limited, and I have never been involved in military strategy, so I cannot see a way to break this deadlock."

Hiruzen Sarutobi retrieved the map, his face expressionless. For a skilled person well-versed in military strategy, this map could reveal a great deal, but for someone unfamiliar with military strategy, it was nothing more than scribbles.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Sora Uchiha, a kind expression on his face, and said softly, "Sora, how has Konoha treated the Uchiha?"

If it were an ordinary person, seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's kind and amiable appearance, they would probably think from the bottom of their heart that he was a kind old grandfather. However, Uchiha Sora secretly sneered.

How does Konoha treat the Uchiha clan? Anyone with a discerning eye can see the answer clearly. Since the Second Hokage took power, the Uchiha clan has been gradually marginalized, and their former glory when they founded the village is long gone. Today, in the eyes of outsiders, the Uchiha clan is probably just Konoha's watchdog.

Uchiha Sora bowed slightly and respectfully replied, "Lord Hokage, Konoha is naturally very good to the Uchiha. Under the Hokage's leadership, Konoha Village's strength has grown day by day, and its position in the ninja world is as solid as a rock. Under such circumstances, all the major clans are also thriving and flourishing."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very satisfied with the answer. He nodded slightly, a worried look on his face, and sighed slowly, saying, "It's a pity that some people in the Uchiha clan seem to have misunderstood my intentions."

Uchiha Sora's mind stirred slightly. Was Hiruzen Sarutobi trying to win him over? He pondered for a moment, then continued, following Hiruzen's words, "Indeed, there are indeed some people within the clan who have misunderstood the Hokage's intentions. Moreover, as time goes by, it seems that there are more and more such people." He wanted to see what this old fox was really up to.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, adopting a look of exasperation at their perceived incompetence, his face filled with worry for the Uchiha clan. He said, "Yes, if things continue like this, the Uchiha clan may very well go astray. I'm very worried about this happening; the Uchiha clan is a vital force protecting Konoha."

This hypocritical, self-righteous act of "it's all for your own good" made Uchiha Sora feel nauseous. If he weren't wearing a mask, Hiruzen Sarutobi would probably have noticed the disgust on his face.

However, Uchiha Sora suppressed his discomfort and asked, "Lord Shiranui, is there anything I can do to help the Uchiha?" He put on an act of being willing to go through fire and water for Konoha.

In Konoha Village, almost all teenagers idolize the Hokage. Under Konoha's consistent educational policy, everyone aspires to become Hokage and shoulder the responsibility of protecting the village, even the disciples of the various clans. Take Obito, for example; he constantly proclaims his desire to become Hokage, his innocent eyes revealing no trace of arrogance.

Seven- or eight-year-old children's values ​​are not yet fully formed. However, in ninja academies, instructors instill in these children a set of values ​​centered on the "Will of Fire." It can be said that the existence of ninja academies, to a large extent, is to diminish the influence of clans on Konoha. If this continues, within a century, the word "clan" may very well disappear from the Land of Fire.

Hiruzen Sarutobi probably thought that Uchiha Sora was like other children, and that under his guidance, he valued Konoha above all else. He believed that since Uchiha Sora had received a mission personally assigned by the Hokage, he would definitely complete it diligently.

Even if he had two heads, he would never have imagined that Uchiha Sora's small body was that of an adult with a clear set of values, and an adult who understood the history of Naruto.

"Sora, I'm giving you an S-rank mission," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

Uchiha Sora's body trembled, seemingly very excited. "I will do everything in my power to complete the mission assigned by the Hokage!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very satisfied with Sora Uchiha's performance. He patted the latter on the shoulder and said, "Just do your best. After the war, I need you to be my eyes and ears in the Uchiha. If anything unusual happens in the Uchiha, report to me. That way, the Uchiha won't go astray."

"Really?!" Uchiha Sora exclaimed excitedly. "Can the Hokage-sama guide the Uchiha clan onto the right path?"

"I'm confident if you do it."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

As he emerged from the Hokage Building, Uchiha Sora's initial excitement beneath his mask gradually subsided. Had the Uchiha gone astray? Hah, with Konoha treating the Uchiha this way, the only right path was to launch a coup.

At the front line, Hyuga Yu took a step back, slowly raised his palm, his expression calm as still water, and coldly stared at the two Iwagakure Jonin in front of him.

Several Konoha ninja corpses lay scattered on the ground beside her. Hyuga Ame rushed over after hearing the commotion, but it was too late; the people were already dead.

The two Iwagakure Jonin glanced at the mask on Hyuga Ame's face, narrowing their eyes slightly. One of them lowered his voice and asked his companion, "How is it? Is this it?"

The other person looked Hinata Ame up and down carefully. After a while, he shook his head. "It looks like it, but it's not."

"In that case, let's not waste time and move on to the next one."

"Um.

""

The two reached an agreement, and one of them quickly formed hand seals. In an instant, a huge rock, accompanied by a whistling sound, crashed towards Hyuga Ame.

Hyuga Yu remained calm and composed, subtly shifting his feet before steadily thrusting out a palm strike, using the exquisite technique of Baguazhang to blast the rock. With a deafening roar, the rock shattered instantly, sending fragments flying everywhere. As the dust settled, the two Iwagakure Jonin had vanished without a trace.

Hinata Yu frowned. She wasn't good at speed, and the two opponents clearly had no intention of lingering in the fight; they only wanted to escape. Given her current situation, she couldn't stop them.

After a moment of silence, she went to the spot where the two had just stood. There lay the body of a Konoha ninja there, killed after Hyuga Ame arrived. Hyuga Ame looked at the corpse, a hint of confusion appearing in her usually cold eyes.

Given the strength of those two Iwagakure Jonin, these Konoha ninjas simply couldn't have held out until her arrival.

However, the truth is that the two deliberately spared the life of the last person, waiting until she arrived before making their move, as if they had specifically lured her there.

However, when she arrived, the other party simply ran away, and this inexplicable behavior made Hinata Amane feel uneasy.

Judging from their appearance, the two Iwagakure ninja seem to be searching for someone.

Three days later, a light drizzle began to fall. On the lawn, rainwater dripped slowly down the veins of the leaves, mingling with the splashed mud and reflecting the figures of the ninjas running about.

"Ebisu, how many explosive tags are left?!" Genma Shiranui stomped heavily on the mud, splashing mud and water that shot out like countless tiny arrows. He frowned and shouted at Ebisu beside him. The rain mercilessly soaked the stray hairs on his forehead, and his wet hair clung to his face, making him look extremely disheveled.

Ebisu hurriedly wiped the water droplets off his glasses, his face pale. He checked his ninja tool pouch, "There are only three left, and one of them is damp and may not be usable."

Upon hearing this, Genma Shiranui's face darkened. He remained silent for a moment before saying, "Follow my instructions."

"Hmm." Ebisu nodded, his eyes filled with panic.

Beside him, Might Guy was equally disheveled, his signature bodysuit torn in several places, revealing his well-defined muscles. He gritted his teeth, his face full of anger, "So unlucky, running into a Jonin, what a frustrating fight."

The three of them were on a mission when they unexpectedly encountered a Jonin from Iwagakure, which led to their pursuit.

"Hold on a little longer, we just sent out a distress signal," Genma Shiranui said in a deep voice, his voice filled with worry.

Konoha is currently short-handed, and although they sent out a distress signal, it is still unknown whether anyone will come to their aid.

At that moment, ripples appeared on the nearby water. Genma Shiranui's pupils contracted, and he shouted, "Watch out for the ground!"

The next moment, several spikes rose up from the ground!

Fortunately, Genma Shiranui warned them in time, and the three of them narrowly escaped danger, rolling around on the ground a few times.

"How are you? Are you alright?" Genma Shiranui asked anxiously, looking at his companion's condition.

"It's nothing," Might Guy shook his head, spitting out the mud from his mouth. Ebisu, who was standing next to him, also said that he was fine.

"Hehe, nothing? Something's about to happen."

At that moment, a sinister voice rose up, and the three of them quickly saw a tall, thin figure standing on tree branches, looking down at them.

Clearly, the spikes we just saw were his doing.

This is the Jonin who was chasing Might Guy and his group.

A short while later, two more ninjas appeared on either side of the tall, thin man. They were also pursuers, two Chunin.