Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Using this word to describe Kirigakure today is not an exaggeration at all.

Just at this crucial moment, the Fourth Mizukage suddenly announced that he would wage war against Konoha. To be honest, most of the village's ninjas were on the verge of collapse. If they hadn't known that the Fourth Mizukage was a Jinchuriki, and that the human wave tactics would have been less effective, coupled with the constraints imposed by the Genji and the powerful clans, the Kirigakure might have fought an internal war before even starting the war with Konoha.

However, as the saying goes, if hard tactics don't work, try soft ones.

The double-dealing tactics really disgusted Obito Uchiha. After such a long delay and many rounds of open and covert struggles, he barely managed to achieve a very fragile balance with the masters and clans, managing to put together a large enough army for the Fourth Mizukage to squander.

Yes,

It's just extravagance.

In the eyes of the masters and the powerful clans, the Fourth Mizukage, who had gone mad, was squandering the already meager resources of Kirigakure.

"Obito, I'm sorry to interrupt your fun at this time, but I have to tell you some bad news."

"Bad news?"

Obito Uchiha turned around, his scarlet eyes fixed on Zetsu.

"What happened?"

"The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is dead!" Black Zetsu's voice was hoarse.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi...is dead?"

Obito Uchiha repeated the bad news about Black Zetsu.

His eyebrows furrowed beneath the mask, and his expression turned grim; this was indeed terrible news!

Although Konoha may seem to have lost a renowned Hokage, breaking a pillar that supports the sky, in his opinion, he would rather that hero of the ninja lived. As long as Hiruzen Sarutobi lived, the Uchiha and the village would never be able to get along. In his opinion, a Konoha with constant internal strife was the best Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's death effectively extinguished the flames of internal strife within Konoha.

Since then,

No one resisted the Uchiha clan as resolutely as Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura. Although new internal conflicts and disputes will inevitably arise, it is not an exaggeration to say that Konoha is united in the short term, especially in the face of the threat of external war.

maybe,

With the help of external pressure, the divided forces within Konoha Village were able to integrate into one force more quickly.

Thinking of this, Obito Uchiha immediately felt very unhappy!

How long has he been away from Konoha? That old good-for-nothing Hiruzen Sarutobi is already dead. He had placed so much hope in this ninja hero, expecting him to rise from the ashes and cause unrest within Konoha!

"Not only Hiruzen Sarutobi, but Danzo Shimura is also dead. Moreover, according to Konoha's intelligence, it was Juzo Biwa who assassinated Hiruzen Sarutobi." White Zetsu seemed afraid that Obito Uchiha wouldn't care about the bad news they brought, so he continued to add fuel to the fire.

"Loquat Ten Treasures?"

Upon hearing this name, Obito Uchiha narrowed his eyes in utter confusion.

"What exactly happened? How could that good-for-nothing Juzo Biwa kill that old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi?" Juzo Biwa had once assassinated the Fourth Mizukage, so Obito Uchiha knew exactly how capable he was. He was indeed a master, but he was only strong in the conventional sense, and he was far from being a village's Kage.

"That's the truth. That's what the obituary issued by Konoha said. After my clones investigated, they found that Konoha didn't lie this time. Shimura Danzo was killed by a ninja named Hatake Kakashi, but Sarutobi Hiruzen really died under Biwa Juzo's Executioner's Blade! And Biwa Juzo also died at Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands, so it can be considered a mutual destruction."

Obito Uchiha knew exactly how strong White Zetsu's reconnaissance abilities were!

Therefore,

Hearing Black Zetsu say this, he understood that it was indeed the truth.

Hiruzen Sarutobi must have died at the hands of Juzo Biwa. Although it is unclear how Juzo Biwa did it, the most important thing now is that this has happened. It is foreseeable that the war between Kirigakure and Konoha will be extremely difficult!

Although he didn't expect the Mist Ninja to win.

His initial target was Uchiha Sogen, the Uchiha clan. He aimed to destroy the Uchiha clan with the help of Kirigakure or Konoha. That was his ultimate goal. The Mangekyou Sharingan... such a dangerous thing is best kept out of the loop!

"Besides the bad news, there's also some good news!"

"Just tell me directly! Stop beating around the bush."

Obito Uchiha glared unhappily at Zetsu, the embodiment of Madara Uchiha's will.

"The good news is that the highest commander of Konoha this time is Uchiha Sogen." White Zetsu didn't care about Uchiha Obito's cold look at all, and said with a grin, "How about it? Obito, isn't this good news? Uchiha Sogen has taken the initiative to come to the front line. If he's lucky, he might be able to get his hands on a pair of Mangekyou Sharingan!"

Obito Uchiha remained silent.

This news,

This is indeed good news!

Uchiha Munen's rush to the front lines made it much easier for Uchiha Obito to take action than for him to remain holed up in Konoha.

After all, Obito Uchiha doesn't intend to reveal his existence right now. Both his name, Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha, are currently kept secret. In Konoha, where there are many acquaintances and Byakugan users, if he were to fight Sogen Uchiha and drag things out for too long, his true identity might be exposed.

This doesn't fit his plan.

“Uchiha Sogen… In this way, it wasn’t all for nothing. These useless ninja from Kirigakure can still be useful in certain situations.” Uchiha Obito looked at the Fourth Mizukage, who sat motionless in the Mizukage’s chair like a clay puppet.

"What? Obito, are you planning to have the Mizukage take the field himself?"

"Black Zetsu asked in a hoarse voice."

“That’s right! If we don’t do this, the current strength of the Mist Ninja is no match for Konoha! Although we don’t expect these trash to be able to defeat Konoha, it will be troublesome if we lose too quickly and don’t have time to investigate Uchiha Mugen. The longer this war drags on, the better!”

Obito Uchiha shifted his gaze from the Fourth Mizukage to the bright moon in the sky.

One day,

He will create a wonderful world with Lin around!

An ideal land where there is no strife, no suffering, and everyone can live a carefree life!

[Chapter 87. Uchiha Munen, on the battlefield! (Seeking first subscription)]

Midnight,

A dim light flickered on the steep sea cliff. It was a group of Konoha ninja on night patrol. They walked step by step toward the edge of the cliff against the cold and sharp sea wind, and then raised the lanterns in their hands to shine down the cliff. In fact, the weak light could not dispel the deep darkness below the cliff.

but,

Their true 'eye' was a Chunin from the Hyuga branch family, who was protected in the center of the group.

The lantern was merely a smokescreen. In the event of a surprise attack by the enemy, the person carrying the lantern would most likely be the first target. It effectively protected the team's eyes, as the person carrying the lantern faced the greatest risk. This task was usually taken on by everyone else in the team except for the "eyes."

"I hope it's a peaceful Christmas Eve."

The middle-aged man carrying a lantern peered out at the dark cliff face and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

Unfortunately,

People in different places cannot enjoy the same bright moonlight. The gloomy sea of ​​clouds obscures the moonlight, making the night even darker than usual. The middle-aged man wearing a leaf headband squints and extends his lantern downwards, trying to see the situation below by the faint light.

Behind him,

Under the protection of others, the Chunin of the Hyuga branch family activated his Byakugan.

at this time,

Amidst the roar of the surging waves, a faint sound of air being torn apart could be heard.

"Watch out! Enemy attack!!!"

The Hyuga clan ninja saw a bright, torch-like humanoid chakra fluctuation below the cliff the moment he activated his Byakugan. The extremely unfamiliar chakra revealed the identity of these uninvited guests. However, his cry came too late; the kunai coated with non-reflective paint had already sliced ​​open the neck of the middle-aged man carrying the lantern.

Fresh blood gushed from the deep, long cut on his neck, crimson blossoms blooming in the darkness.

The swaying corpse and the lantern plummeted into the darkness below the cliff. Without the lantern's light, the sea cliff returned to complete darkness. However, the sacrificed man had already fulfilled his role, taking the most dangerous first blow for the team's "eyes"!

A specially designed signal flare rose into the sky, igniting the flames of war in the air!

Mist Ninja

It's coming!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

News of the outbreak of war was quickly relayed back to Konoha. The village's high-ranking officials immediately gathered in the Hokage's office. The Fifth Acting Hokage, Akimichi Torifu, sat behind his large desk, reviewing the report sent back by the Eastern Border Guard.

The report was very simple.

They only mentioned that the Mist Ninja had appeared on the east coast of the Land of Fire, and hoped that the village could send more reinforcements to support them.

Simplicity and plainness have reached a new level.

"Lu Jiu, is everyone here?"

Akimichi Torifu looked up at Nara Shikaku, who was standing by the table.

"Minister Uchiha has not arrived yet."

Nara Shikaku answered respectfully.

Yes,

The heads of various departments and clan leaders who received the notification from the Anbu immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed to the Hokage Building. However, Uchiha Munen, the protagonist of this emergency meeting, was nowhere to be seen.

after all,

As previously agreed, Uchiha Munen was to serve as the highest-ranking frontline commander in this battle against the Kirigakure, but the protagonist has yet to arrive.

Qiu Daoqufeng frowned slightly.

I'm feeling a little unhappy.

However, he wouldn't get angry over this. Both the Uchiha clan's formidable strength and Uchiha Sogen's own power were enough for him, the Fifth Acting Hokage, to tolerate Sogen's impolite behavior. Of course, his displeasure was unavoidable.

"This doesn't seem to be the first time Uchiha Mugen has been late!"

Standing by his desk, Nara Shikaku suddenly recalled Uchiha Sogen's history of being late, whether it was during Hiruzen Sarutobi's time or now after Torifu took over... It seems that Uchiha Sogen is always late for meetings!

"—Clang!—Clang!"

Some strange noises came from the hallway outside the door.

"I apologize, Hokage-sama, please forgive my lateness. It took me a while to pack my luggage." The half-open office door was silently pushed open, and Zongxian, fully armed, stepped into the room.

Then--

"Uchiha Madara!!!"

Akimichi Torifu suddenly stood up, overturning the chair he was sitting on, and his burly body slammed into the desk in front of him, causing it to move two inches away.

Such a change

This left Hiashi Hyuga and the others who were waiting there looking bewildered and at a loss.