I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 164 Kakashi! If anything happens to me, please keep yourself safe and useful.

But as everyone's gaze turned toward them, their expressions stiffened. In contrast, Uchiha Yoru looked at them with ease and laughed, "What are you all standing there for? Don't think that promotion is so simple. It involves a multi-faceted evaluation from top to bottom, and it will take at least several months, so be prepared."

However, Mitarashi Anko took a deep breath, slammed down the scroll in her hand, and stared intently at Uchiha Yoru with her large eyes, saying each word clearly, "Yoru! Why wasn't your contribution mentioned in the credit?"

To be promoted from Chunin to Special Jonin, one must have outstanding strength in a single aspect, such as Kurenai Yuhi being proficient in genjutsu or Might Guy being proficient in taijutsu. They have one ability that surpasses that of Chunin, but are not as good as Jonin in all aspects.

When your strength reaches between Chunin and Jonin, you must also have enough mission experience. Of course, a letter of recommendation would be even better. However, a letter of recommendation is a guarantee from the writer that the person has excelled in a certain aspect of a certain mission and has excellent leadership skills.

During this period, in terms of their tasks and recommendation letters, it was clear that Uchiha Yoru deliberately downplayed his presence, giving them more space.

"Haha, Yoru, this is youth! Don't worry, we'll definitely become Jonin through our own abilities."

Matt Kai let out a hearty laugh and gave a thumbs-up, but the meaning was clear: they didn't need to take credit for their teammates' work. Everyone nodded in agreement.

The eyes of Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai in the crowd held a complex expression, as if their guilt had deepened at this moment.

However, Uchiha Yoru looked at everyone and shook his head with a smile, saying, "No, perhaps you're overthinking it. I truly acknowledge your strength. Putting aside the relationship between comrades, objectively speaking, each of you is a genius among your peers, whether in terms of strength, mental fortitude, or even command ability."

"You can learn powerful ninjutsu from me through connections, and even get guidance from me, but promotion is out of the question!" As he said this, Uchiha Yoru's smile gradually turned into a solemn expression.

"Let alone you guys, even if a genin becomes a chunin, a chunin needs to lead a team of three genin in battle. They bear an extremely important mission, especially in terms of command ability. One careless move can lead to the loss of the entire team. So, it won't work to use connections with me on this point."

"Take Might Guy for example!" Uchiha Yoru looked directly at the unexpected Might Guy and said in a deep voice, "Perhaps you are not as good as Kakashi in terms of command ability, but you are a responsible ninja. Similarly, your steady and disciplined command may not be outstanding, but it will never go too far. Moreover, your character makes everyone trust you, which is the most valuable thing."

"On the battlefield, a convincing and reliable commander already possesses the qualifications to become a special jonin or even a jonin. What you lack is only a little experience and strength, but I believe in you."

As Uchiha Yoru spoke candidly, everyone's expressions changed, especially Might Guy's excited, tearful eyes, which touched them deeply. He knew that many people secretly laughed at his behavior, but they never expected that he had such a great advantage.

Similarly, after hearing Uchiha Yoru's evaluation of Might Guy, the others suddenly realized that they had forgotten to doubt Might Guy on the battlefield. Or rather, Might Guy was simply not someone who could be suspected.

You can doubt anyone, but Might Guy is the one who will absolutely fight the hardest and would never abandon his comrades to leave alone. That's almost a no-brainer.

Such qualities may be precious to others, but for Matt Kay, they seem to be ingrained in his very being. Everyone takes them for granted and forgets how precious they are.

"Therefore, you don't need to feel any pressure. Not only you, but I am prepared to personally recommend all the other Chunin in the camp who meet the standards."

How could Uchiha Yoru possibly give up such a tactic of winning people over, especially knowing that his position was about to be taken away? He understood the principle that power unused is power wasted.

"Moreover, these so-called achievements are important to ordinary ninjas, but for the Uchiha name, they are nothing more than a nice resume." As he said this, Uchiha Yoru shrugged and smiled self-deprecatingly. Since everyone here was one of his own, he naturally didn't need to care too much.

Does the Uchiha clan really need these achievements? He's already a Jonin, and the Uchiha clan name, along with his status as a disciple of Orochimaru (one of the Legendary Sannin), gives him enough credit. As for achievements? He commanded nearly a thousand men in battle on the front lines, and even defeated the renowned Kirigakure ninja, Suigetsu Hozuki, on the battlefield. Aren't those enough?

"Just you wait and see, I will become a Jonin as quickly as possible."

As soon as Uchiha Yoru finished speaking, Mitarashi Anko grinned heartily, quickly wrote her name, and finally left her handprint.

The atmosphere instantly relaxed with Mitarashi Anko's smile, and Uchiha Yoru, seeing the hesitant expressions on everyone's faces, shook his head with a smile and said, "I also want to relax a bit. After all, I still trust my judgment after you become Special Jonin. As for whether you will disappoint us, that's up to you."

Since things have been said to this extent, the credit for their work is being given to them instead of the other people's, which shows that we trust them and want them to better protect the village. What more can we say?

"Haha, this is youth! Night, I will never let down the Will of Fire."

Sure enough, Might Guy, the most impulsive of them all, suddenly roared, startling everyone around him who stared at their clueless companion with twitching eyes.

With tears of youth streaming down his face, Might Guy stepped forward and quickly wrote his name, leaving his handprint as well. He then gave his signature thumbs-up, revealing his white teeth, which left Uchiha Yoru somewhat embarrassed and at a loss for words.

How embarrassing, I really want to leave here.

With Matt Kai's mediation, everyone relaxed and smiled as they signed their names and left their fingerprints. However, their determined eyes made it clear that they would never betray this trust.

Uchiha Yoru wasn't lying just now. After all, these people in the original story were all either Jonin or Special Jonin, which at least proved that they had the potential. Now he was just putting the burden on everyone in advance and tapping into their potential ahead of time.

Moreover, under the influence of his Fire (Virtue) Will, everyone felt a sense of pressure. In particular, the Jonin were no longer the goal for them, but a transition. After all, as part of the reform, Jonin were almost a basic requirement.

After everyone signed, Uchiha Yoru looked at the group still immersed in this atmosphere of trust and said with a sullen laugh, "Don't you all need to work anymore? Go back to your posts and call the others over. You're not the only ones with potential."

Immediately, everyone smiled. Although they knew that Uchiha Yoru was trying to help them relax, they had to admit that the feeling was really appealing.

As everyone left, Kurenai Yuhi and Yugao Uzuki were somewhat troubled. Was Yoru wrong? It seemed not. The corruption of the village's upper echelons was not something others had just said; they had witnessed it firsthand and experienced it personally. They even felt a stirring of desire for change.

The village needs to change, but what they're struggling with right now is their identity. If they were to speak out, would they be met with disappointment? Caught in this dilemma, they've all chosen to keep some things to themselves.

After all, they had witnessed the corruption in the village, and they wanted to see the sunlight shine on every corner of the village.

After everyone left, in the quiet tent, Kakashi Hatake frowned and asked in a low voice, "Yoru, did something happen?"

Others might not see anything, but he seemed to have figured something out. Uchiha Yoru's actions were somewhat hurried, as if he wanted to help those in need within his power.

Seeing Kakashi's questioning gaze, Uchiha Yoru gave a wry smile. He had to admit that Kakashi's observational skills and political acumen were truly remarkable.

"There are some things. According to information from Orochimaru's former associates in the village, it seems that the village's higher-ups are preparing to replace the frontline commander of the Land of Whirlpools."

Upon hearing Uchiha Yoru's words, Hatake Kakashi's expression immediately darkened. "Yoru, are we being suspected?"

This was Kakashi Hatake's first reaction upon hearing the news, while Yoru Uchiha shook his head with a smile and said, "What are you thinking? If we're really suspected, do you think the village will be so easily apprehended? I'm afraid what awaits me is the Root organization."

"It's probably because as the situation in the ninja world gradually becomes clearer, the withdrawal of Sunagakure and Iwagakure has led the village to decide to end the turbulent border as soon as possible. Once the war and friction in the Land of Whirlpools are over and the root causes are resolved, the harassment from the other small ninja villages is nothing more than a bunch of clowns jumping around."

After hearing Uchiha Yoru's words, Hatake Kakashi frowned and said in a deep voice, "They're here to steal the credit, aren't they? I remember that after the Nine-Tails' rampage, Lord Orochimaru had just stabilized the turbulent situation on the front lines, and now someone else has taken the credit."

It has to be said that Kakashi's mind reacted very quickly; he realized it immediately. After all, the battlefield of the Land of Whirlpools is a huge piece of meat for those who need fame.

If Uchiha Yoru had led the war to an end, the village would have kept quiet and downplayed his contribution. But if it was one of their own, they would naturally have exaggerated the victory and embellished his heroic image.

Having experienced so much, especially the events involving his father White Fang and Orochimaru, Kakashi Hatake has become deeply disgusted with this aspect of life. Heroes have not received the glory they deserve, while clowns are enjoying dazzling glory in the halls of fame.

"Kakashi, it's good that you understand. Some things you see through but don't say out loud." Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded. Kakashi was silent for a moment before saying, "So you want to distribute some of your credit to useful people before someone replaces you."

Seeing Kakashi's expression, Uchiha Yoru chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "Don't put it so harshly. I have complete faith in my judgment. The people I choose are all people with potential. They shouldn't be overlooked. Besides, I might as well make the most of my contribution. There won't be another chance like this later."

With such a carefree smile, Uchiha Yoru completely disregarded his own achievements, focusing instead on the future of the village.

"Kakashi, you're smarter than anyone else. Shisui might be a competent ninja, but he's not suited for the underhanded ways of higher-ups, so there are some things I can only give you a heads-up about."

"You've probably noticed by now, haven't you? That's right, I'm secretly in contact with Suigetsu Hozuki of the Mist Village. But don't worry, I have leverage over him." As he said this, Uchiha Yoru revealed a sly smile and said, "The greatsword Samehada is in my hands, which is why Suigetsu Hozuki obediently complied."

Upon hearing these secrets, Kakashi Hatake suddenly realized why both sides hadn't suffered much casualties recently, but their logistics units were constantly being raided.

"Night, this is too dangerous for you."

Even so, Kakashi Hatake's face still turned serious after hearing this. Conspiring with the enemy commander was like walking a tightrope; the slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin. After all, to put it bluntly, it was like selling out the interests of one's own village to the enemy.

However, when Uchiha Yoru said this, his eyes turned crimson, and as the three tomoe spun, one of his eyes transformed into a kaleidoscope under Kakashi's gaze.

After confirming that no one was around, Uchiha Yoru said in a solemn voice, "Kakashi, there is something I have been investigating. Now that we have come this far, although I don't have conclusive evidence, I am about 60% certain. But I am afraid that something might happen to me, so I need you to keep it a secret. If anything happens to me, you must immediately return to the Third Hokage's service."

"Remember this! You must use my information to gain the Third Hokage's trust and preserve your own usefulness. This matter is so serious that I dare not trust anyone else, not even Lord Jiraiya!"

Upon hearing Uchiha Yoru's heavy tone, Hatake Kakashi also showed a solemn expression. He knew that they had probably discovered a shocking secret. Could it be the Nine-Tails? That was the only thing he could think of.

As expected, Kakashi's guess was correct. Uchiha Yoru lowered his voice and said in a deep voice, "It is an indisputable fact that the Sharingan is in the Nine-Tails' eye. It is possible that only the Mangekyou Sharingan level can control the tailed beasts."

"There is no one in the Uchiha clan, or perhaps the Uchiha clan head is a prime suspect. Based on my secret investigation, it is highly likely that Fugaku Uchiha has awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi Hatake's pupils constricted, and he exclaimed in shock, "Yoru, you suspect the head of the Uchiha clan?"

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(End of this chapter)