I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 152 The Konoha Twelve

As the sun sets, the waves continuously lap against the golden sand.

Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi, Deivashi, Hizashi Hyuga, Kurenai Yuhi, Yugao Uzuki, Anko Mitarashi, Shisui Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, and Yoru Uchiha—these twelve figures stood beneath the golden sand.

The golden sunset cast long shadows of twelve people on the sandy beach. Might Guy then gave a thumbs-up and shouted with youthful vigor, "This is the burning passion of youth! We'll be waiting for you in the village!"

The twelve people looked at the masked man in black with relaxed smiles, while the man's expression was complicated.

The leader, Uchiha Yoru, waved his hand with a smile and said, "You don't need to feel guilty. You should know that I personally slashed your face a few times and planted a seal in your mind."

What was clearly an extremely cruel statement sounded to everyone like a warm breeze under the setting sun—truly a kind word that warms the heart for three winter months.

The masked man in black was Zhi Shu. He lowered his head in remorse and said hoarsely, "Lord Ye, I leaked information and betrayed the village."

Before he could finish speaking, Uchiha Yoru stretched lazily, waved his hand dismissively, and chuckled, "It was the Sarutobi clan who betrayed the village. You're just a scapegoat. Go now, or I'll regret it."

Everyone thought that Uchiha Yoru would kill him. After all, if he were left alive, the Sarutobi clan would target Uchiha Yoru. In short, there was no benefit in keeping him alive, and the best course of action was to deal with him secretly.

Moreover, reports of the tree planter's casualties have already reached the village.

"Master Ye."

Seeing the grown man shed tears, Uchiha Yoru shook his head and said quietly with his back to the setting sun, "It's Konoha's fault now, so you don't need to apologize. Go, go into hiding, train hard, and trust us. When we dispel the darkness over Konoha, you can go home in peace. So please be patient for a few years."

"Lord Ye, I understand. Let alone going back to the village, even if I'm discovered, my family will be in danger." Zhi Shu gave a self-deprecating laugh, and finally pointed to his head, saying, "I also understand Lord Ye's good intentions. The seal here is only to save my life."

He knew that if he didn't place the seal, even if Uchiha Yoru chose to let him go, what about the others?

"I'm leaving."

Looking around at everyone, Zhishu revealed a sincere smile of gratitude. Although he could not return to the village, at least he still had hope in his life, a hope to return to the village and reunite with his family. Whether it was ten or twenty years, he would live well outside and wait for that day.

The dark figure slowly disappeared on the coastline under the setting sun, while twelve figures on the golden sand gazed at the sunset in the distance.

"Yo, the sunset is so beautiful." The straightforward Mitarashi Anko excitedly hugged Uchiha Yoru's arm, then looked at everyone, raised an eyebrow, and laughed loudly, "Shouldn't we come up with a catchy group name? After all, we are the future of Konoha."

Upon hearing this, only Might Guy showed an excited smile, immediately giving a thumbs-up and shouting like he'd been injected with adrenaline, "How about we call ourselves the Konoha Twelve Youthful Fighting Team!"

Wow, being thick-skinned really makes you powerful. Even though they know some dark things, they can just turn around and ignore them. Anyway, they can't change everything right now, so they might as well face everything with a happy attitude. That's what you call having a big heart, or having a good mindset.

"It sounds awful!"

Mitarashi Anko and Might Guy, two carefree individuals, immediately began excitedly discussing the issue of titles. In contrast, Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai, watching Anko clinging to Uchiha Yoru's arm, were filled with inner turmoil.

The more Uchiha Yoru believed in them, the more they felt guilty.

Twelve figures stood on the beach under the setting sun, creating a beautiful scene. They could be considered the group of geniuses among the younger generation of Konoha.

Finally, Uchiha Yoru turned to look at everyone and laughed, "How about we call them the Konoha Twelve?"

Good grief, everyone thought they were going to talk about something serious, but this is what happened. Everyone was speechless. Even Dark Kakashi at this time had a twitch in his eye. He really didn't know that Uchiha Yoru had this kind of hobby.

At the same time, everyone had the same thought: they absolutely could not choose Uchiha Yoru for the name.

However, as Uchiha Yoru gazed at the sun about to sink into the sea under the setting sun, he squinted his eyes with a look of intoxication and murmured, "The road ahead is full of endless hardships and difficulties. I hope that the title of 'Little Strong' will make us resilient and able to survive no matter how powerful the enemy we face. Then, together, we will create and witness a new history for Konoha."

A casual remark echoed in everyone's ears, causing them all to pause in surprise before a smile appeared on their faces.

Just moments ago, Mitarashi Anko had been saying that the name was unpleasant, but now she excitedly jumped over, hugged Uchiha Yoru's arm again, and revealed her cute little tiger teeth with a sincere smile, saying, "The Konoha Twelve are actually quite nice-sounding."

"Yo! From today onwards, we are the Konoha Twelve, haha, this is youth!" Might Guy flashed his signature thumbs-up and gleaming white teeth in the setting sun.

Kakashi Hatake sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation, "I'll let it slide this time, but could you please stop naming things like 'Night' from now on?"

Although the name "Xiaoqiang" was awkward, the warmth in everyone's hearts rose when Ye uttered its meaning.

However, they were unaware of what Uchiha Yoru was thinking at that moment. Beneath his smile in the setting sun, he secretly muttered to himself, "Since I have good fortune, I've at least managed to ride on the coattails of the future protagonists. I hope I can also benefit from some of that good fortune."

Even Hyuga Hizashi, who usually has a stern face, nodded in approval of the title, which has a good meaning and indicates that they can overcome all hardships.

Under the setting sun, on the golden beach, the Konoha Twelve, a group that would later become the strongest force among the younger generation of Konoha, began to shine.

The will to change has been recognized, and it has grown from a few people to a formidable force with various connections behind them. These connections represent potential growth potential. While they may not seem strong now, once this will takes hold, it will become a terrifying and unstoppable force.

……

Under the cover of night, a sense of oppressive tension permeated the Konoha base in the Land of Whirlpools, as if every bush and tree was a potential enemy. The initial relaxation following their great victory vanished instantly.

Inside the camp.

"According to intelligence, our reinforcements were almost completely wiped out, with only fewer than twenty ninjas escaping."

As the sun set, an urgent intelligence report suddenly arrived, putting the Konoha ninja on the island of Uzushiogakure on high alert. Upon receiving the report, Uchiha Yoru immediately issued the highest level of combat readiness order.

At this moment, Uchiha Yoru, sitting upright in the tent, looked at everyone with a solemn expression. "Everyone, the reinforcements are gone. Although the ninja below do not know yet, I think the Kirigakure will definitely spread this secret. Since it cannot be kept secret, then my idea is to make all Konoha ninja mentally prepared."

"Damn it, the Sarutobi clan's trash! Nearly five hundred elite soldiers—even if five hundred pigs were being chased, at least a hundred would escape!"

"That good-for-nothing is just jealous of Lord Ye. He's been delaying the march since the very beginning. It's been more than half a month now. Even the lower-ranking ninjas could have reached their destination by now, but this group of elites has been dawdling and has only just reached the border. And they were ambushed the moment they arrived. What a waste."

"Lord Yoru, is there even a question? Ever since you fought against the twelve Jonin of the Mist Ninja Decapitation Squad last time, your fame has spread throughout the front lines. It must be that Sarutobi Shinnosuke is jealous of you, Lord Yoru, that he pulled this stunt. He's just playing with the lives of our Konoha ninjas."

"Exactly, I've seen through it all. They're clearly paving the way for Shinnosuke. First Orochimaru, and now Yoru-sama. Does Konoha not have anyone stronger than Shinnosuke?!"

Originally, almost all of them were Orochimaru's former team. Now that Uchiha Yoru, who had finally inherited everything, had risen to power, this incident had happened. How could they not be angry? It was as if both old and new grudges had erupted.

Especially since their identities meant they were generally disliked, they naturally dared to say anything.

"Alright! You're not allowed to say those things again. I didn't hear a word you said just now."

As the saying goes, the law does not punish the masses. Faced with the crowd, Uchiha Yoru could only raise his hand to stop their discussion, and still pretended to glare at them with a gloomy face.

As the saying goes, it's better to guide than to block. He suppressed the emotions of the crowd as soon as they arose, and the principle is the same. Let these people hold back, and when they explode in the future, they will become his most loyal force.

"Kakashi, now report on how much supplies have been delivered during this period, and how long we can hold out should the Mist Ninja launch a strong attack."

None of them knew how many enemies were lurking in the shadows this time, but an enemy capable of swallowing up nearly five hundred Konoha ninja legions was definitely not a small number, and if they joined the battlefield, it would be a terrifying figure.

And there are also Mist Ninja! Will the Mist Ninja take advantage of the situation after receiving the news?

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Kakashi Hatake reported in a deep voice: "The supplies are sufficient. After all, after the last loss, a lot of supplies were transferred from the border and escorted here first. Medical supplies, ration pills, kunai, explosive tags... enough for us for a month, and even enough to support us in several major battles."

Upon hearing Kakashi's report, Uchiha Yoru looked at everyone with a solemn expression. "Everyone, we are now at a critical juncture. Our reinforcements have been ambushed. We do not yet know who the enemy is, but it will take at least three days to send another ninja army from the rear to provide support. Therefore, we must be completely open for the next three days."

"All Konoha ninja in the camp are fully equipped with kunai and shuriken, and the number of explosive tags has been doubled. In short, you can lose the position, you can use up all your explosive tags, but I need you to come back alive!"

"Don't be stingy with explosive tags and bladed weapons. I can apply for more if we run out. Our forces are scattered across the three bases in the Land of Whirlpools. If we encounter an unavoidable situation, we'll abandon the other two bases and lead our remaining forces to break through and get here!"

At this point, Uchiha Yoru looked around at everyone and solemnly said in a deep voice, "This is our last line of defense. I will take full responsibility for the loss of the mine. I will bear whatever punishment the Hokage may give me afterward. But you must remember one thing: I want people, not cold mines. I want to bring all of you home! To welcome the flowers of victory."

"Lord Yoru!" Never before in the ninja world has a commander-ninja who would rather give up his own interests than lose the lives of his ninjas. After all, the ninjas are merely tools, so how could anyone care about the loss of a tool? It's all about whether it's worth it.

"I need your answer now! Can you do it?"

When Uchiha Yoru's powerful voice echoed through the tent once more, all the ninjas, their eyes reddening with excitement, shouted back, "We can do it! We can definitely do it!"

"Lord Yoru, if the Hokage truly intends to blame me, I am willing to bear the consequences."

"You're really good at bragging. What makes you think you can back it up? Are you that shameless?"

"Yamamoto! You!"

"What are you looking at? I'm willing to share the blame with Lord Ye."

"I'm willing too."

The camp instantly descended into chaos, but Kakashi witnessed a scene of people united as one, which deeply moved him. Uchiha Yoru was truly a born leader, managing to win everyone's trust in such a short time.

"What's all this chaos!" Facing the disorderly tent, Uchiha Yoru shouted with an imposing air, slamming his hand on the table, and the tent instantly fell silent.

"Hmph! You all actually think this is a precious ninjutsu? You even dare to steal it? Who do you think you are? I have the Uchiha clan behind me, I am Orochimaru's disciple, one of the legendary Sannin. And what about you?"

Although he was clearly bringing up his powerful backer, it warmed everyone's hearts. Uchiha Yoru even sneered and said, "Nonsense. Konoha was founded by the Senju and our Uchiha clan. The pride of the Uchiha clan is not to hide behind anyone. Protecting Konoha is the duty of the Uchiha."

Nowadays, Uchiha Yoru seizes every opportunity to promote the Uchiha clan, making this belief ingrained in his very being.

The Uchiha clan, who founded Konoha, were willing to take the lead, so what about the Sarutobi clan, who became Hokage? This contrast, coupled with various unfair decisions, would generate resentment and frustration. When these feelings accumulated to a certain point, the resulting power was terrifying.

"Order the Hyuga clan ninjas to conduct reconnaissance 24 hours a day without any blind spots, and report any enemy sightings immediately. At the same time, order all ninjas to lay traps widely. This time, if the Mist Ninjas attack, it will be a difficult defensive battle."

"There are also ninjas who were recently transported from the rear. Although there are only about fifty of them, we can get them into the battle quickly. We also have the medical ninjas do their best to treat the wounded and restore as much of their combat strength as possible."

After Uchiha Yoru calmly issued a series of orders, the Konoha ninja below sprang into action. At the same time, news of the annihilation of a 500-strong Konoha ninja reinforcement force on the border swept across the front lines and the ninja world like a hurricane.

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(End of this chapter)