Uchiha's personal opinion

At this moment, the vortex clan chief, having settled his people, also came over.

"Sakumo-kun, Tokumitsu-kun." His originally bright red hair now showed some gray, but the crisis had been averted, and the whirlpool clan leader still had a smile on his lips.

"Thank you to the two Jonin for risking their lives to save us."

A standard 90-degree bow.

Uchiha Tokumitsu made a slight move to avoid him.

Ignoring the medical ninja who was undergoing surgery, Hatake Sakumo quickly stepped forward to help the Uzumaki clan leader up.

"Elder, there's no need for that. This is merely our duty as allies as Konoha ninjas." With a hint of shame, Hatake Sakumo helped the Uzumaki clan leader to his feet and said softly.

"Furthermore, due to the recent large-scale relocation of personnel from the village, we were unable to promptly dispatch a large-scale ninja force to provide timely assistance, resulting in heavy losses for the Uzumaki clan. This is also our fault..."

These words left Uchiha Tokumitsu somewhat speechless.

Is this something that can be said?

Does he erase the gratitude he owes for saving lives with just one sentence?

Is this truly selfless or a treacherous villain disguised as a loyal subject?

Thinking of Hatake Sakumo's ultimate fate in his previous life, Uchiha Tokumitsu couldn't help but shake his head.

A person with a pure heart and no political mindset would be a miracle to escape unscathed from the Hokage election, having fallen into its trap.

Now, as the commander-in-chief of the mobile force, Hatake Sakumo led his troops to defeat the invasion of Konoha's ally, Uzushiogakure, by the three major ninja villages of Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure. He even killed Genji, a key figure in Kirigakure, making his military achievements outstanding and surpassing those of his contemporaries in his previous life.

Especially as a pure inheritor of the "Will of Fire," Hatake Sakumo is impeccable in terms of strength, character, and prestige, and his relationship with the Uchiha clan is relatively friendly. It's no wonder that the Hokage lineage is even more wary of him.

Uchiha Tokumitsu, his mind wandering to random thoughts, felt extremely agitated.

“Sakumo-kun, your shoulder injury can’t be treated properly right now. To avoid affecting your recovery, let me use a sealing technique to suppress it. We can have full treatment once we get to Konoha.” After chatting for a while, seeing that the medical ninja’s willow-leaf blade still showed no signs of stopping, the Uzumaki clan chief suggested this.

"Is this alright?" Although Hatake Sakumo was interested, he still routinely sought the opinion of the medical ninja.

"That would be the best possible outcome!" The medical ninja wiped his sweat and agreed with the Uzumaki clan chief's suggestion.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Elder..."

"Seal of Evil!"

Before Hatake Sakumo could finish speaking, the Uzumaki clan chief conjured a talisman in his right hand and slapped Hatake Sakumo on the back.

Tadpole-like incantations quickly emerged from his palm and spread toward the wound on his left shoulder.

The wounds, which originally showed signs of gray stone, were quickly covered by the cursed seal.

"what!"

Sakumo Hatake was equally surprised.

"That inexplicable, excruciating pain is gone!"

He also boldly raised his hand and moved it around a bit.

"Lord Sakumo..." The medical ninja turned pale and broke out in a cold sweat from the shock of Sakumo Hatake's actions. "Please be careful of his injuries..."

"It feels great! The sealing technique of the Uzumaki clan chief is truly amazing!" Hatake Sakumo was overjoyed. Although he was not afraid of the pain of having his flesh cut out, it was always better to suffer less pain.

"It's just a temporary suppression," the vortex clan chief said with some emotion. "Ultimately, they still need to go to a suitable medical facility for treatment."

Uchiha Tokumitsu listened to their conversation while closing his eyes to rest.

He simply couldn't hold on any longer.

The result of desperately squeezing out chakra during battle is the depletion of both physical and mental energy.

Not only was his body incredibly sore, but his head was also throbbing with pain as if it were being pricked by needles. At this point, he was only managing to keep a straight face through sheer willpower, as his body had long since been completely drained.

Although the Sharingan was not nourished by chakra at this time, Uchiha Tokumitsu sensed that the power of his eyes was growing stronger amidst the throbbing pain in his head.

Unlike its previous state of chakra nurturing, after a bloody battle, the Sharingan's power, in addition to its coldness, now carries a bloody and murderous intent.

Even without activating his Sharingan, Uchiha Tokumitsu could still imagine what it would be like to activate his Sharingan, simply by sensing the presence of his eye power.

Like a demon from the depths of hell, who, after countless battles, finally triumphs and climbs into the human world, they are evil, bloodthirsty, cold, and murderous...

In terms of temperament, he is the template for a villainous big boss.

Uchiha Tokumitsu had read the clan's internal research notes on the Sharingan and carefully studied the Mangekyou Sharingan cases treasured by the clan, but none of them matched his current state.

It is truly unbelievable that the Sharingan's power could continue to grow at an even faster rate without the nourishment of chakra.

Looking at the Uchiha Jonin resting not far away, Uchiha Tokumitsu hesitated for a moment, but still did not intend to ask them at this time.

After all, he is a leader, and he still needs to maintain a certain attitude and demeanor with his subordinates, especially his direct subordinates.

But since he couldn't figure it out in a short time, Uchiha Tokumitsu simply stopped thinking about it, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

……

"De Guang Jun... De Guang Jun..."

After an unknown amount of time, Uchiha Tokumitsu was shaken awake from his sleep.

Uchiha Tokumitsu opened his eyes with difficulty.

It is Hatake Sakumo.

He had already put on the protective suit on his left shoulder, indicating that the sealing technique of the vortex clan chief was quite effective.

"We are preparing for a formal withdrawal," Sakumo Hatake said softly.

Back to the village.

Uchiha Tokumitsu sighed deeply.

Then he casually summoned an Uchiha Jonin.

"Young Master Deguang!"

"Have all the bodies of the clansmen been recovered?" Uchiha Tokumitsu asked, twisting his neck with a hint of indifference.

"The remains of our clansmen have all been recovered." The Uchiha Jonin's words were tinged with an unreadable tremor and pain.

"Hmm," Uchiha Tokumitsu replied softly.

The Uchiha clan is a clan of deep love, a clan with intense yet reserved emotions.

Although to outsiders the Uchiha clan may appear cruel, cold-blooded, and tyrannical—countless derogatory terms can be used to describe this red-eyed clan with a somewhat neurotic temperament—the Uchiha's hearts are always rich, passionate, and sentimental.

Just like Uchiha Tokumitsu at this moment, although he appeared extremely indifferent, he was still deeply saddened inside.

That's how it is in large families. Every person who dies eventually finds a kinship connection in the family tree, despite its convoluted bloodline.

Although only two Uchiha Jonin died in battle, and it is inevitable for ninjas to die on the battlefield, despite their resolve, the inner pain they felt when truly facing the situation was undeniable.

"It's raining..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu looked up at the gloomy sky, letting the rain wash away the bloodstains on his face and body.

……

After clearing the battlefield, the remaining members of the mobile force and the surviving members of the Uzumaki clan embarked on their journey back to Konoha.

After discussing the battle report with Uchiha Tokumitsu, Hatake Sakumo released his ninja hawk to report the news to the village in advance and ordered the Eastern Border Defense Force to be mobilized for support.

Uchiha Tokumitsu also secretly instructed the Jonin in the Mobile Force to inform the clan of the final results and gains, and issued the order to mobilize the Uchiha Anbu using his own seal as the Uchiha Samurai Commander.

Now that the war in the Land of Whirlpools has ended, the main theme now is naturally to reward those who have contributed and to guard against all sorts of open and covert attacks from the Naruto faction, especially the F4.

Uchiha Tokumitsu harbored no unrealistic fantasies about the integrity of the Konoha F4.

Therefore, when Uchiha Tokumitsu deliberately delayed their progress and they arrived at the border of the Land of Whirlpools at a snail's pace, the first group of Konoha ninja who greeted the mobile force and the survivors of the Uzumaki were neither envoys sent by the village nor the nearby eastern border defense forces, but rather the Uchiha Anbu, who had secretly infiltrated the village and come in full force.

The arrival of the Uchiha Anbu caused a commotion within the group.

The Dark Guard consists of three squads, totaling thirty-three people, and all of them were mobilized this time.

This naturally includes Uchiha Makoto.

"Young Master Tokumitsu..." With tears streaming down her face, Makoto Uchiha's lips trembled as she used a handkerchief to wipe away the remaining bloodstains from Tokumitsu's face.

"I'm fine, I'm not seriously injured..." Uchiha Tokumitsu was a little unaccustomed to the girl's enthusiasm, but he couldn't bear to refuse. Seeing that the tears in her big eyes were about to fall, he could only comfort her with soft words.

"Hmm..." The girl pursed her lips and blinked hard, trying her best to control her tears, but her hands did not stop moving, still wiping the bloodstains from Uchiha Tokumitsu's face and neck.

It was hard to refuse such hospitality.

It was simply impossible to refuse such a kind invitation.

Even in his previous life, a time of rampant materialism, diverse entertainment, and endless variety, Uchiha Tokumitsu had never experienced such a scene, leaving him feeling utterly helpless.

This was different from the insincere romantic games of his past life, different from the casual flings in the pleasure quarters, and even more different from the sword-wielding battles on the battlefield. It was a burning, fiery emotion, a light that blazed from the depths of his heart, which made Uchiha Tokumitsu feel both bewildered and the emotions he had once longed for but could not have.

He couldn't bear to spoil this rare moment of happiness.

However, the negative emotions such as inner turmoil, rage, bloodlust, destruction, and killing seemed to be gently soothed by the girl's wiping.

Uchiha Tokumitsu closed his eyes, and his Sharingan silently activated as he closed them. The bloodthirsty and murderous aura in his eyes gradually faded, and the black three-tomoe Sharingan began to spin faster and faster involuntarily.

Chapter 64 Return to the Front! An Impatient Intrigue and Schemes

Following the Uchiha Anbu summoned by Uchiha Tokumitsu, the second ninja force to arrive was the eastern border defense force, known for its weak combat capabilities.

The fact that the Uchiha Anbu, far away in Konoha, could arrive before the border troops, which only proves that the vulnerability of Konoha's eastern border is indeed well-deserved.

The Land of Whirlpools was devastated by this chaos. Even if some surviving members of the Uzumaki clan remained hidden within its borders, the combined forces of the Lightning, Earth, and Water ninja armies had ravaged and slaughtered it. Both local governance and the ninja village system had collapsed and ceased to exist. The surviving members of the Uzumaki clan, led by their clan leader, left their ruined homeland. Even if the Land of Whirlpools were to retain its name in the future, it would be a nameless existence.

It's just unknown whether the eastern border defense forces will have the opportunity to be replenished and strengthened after this. Otherwise, given their current posture and combat strength, the eastern sea border of the Land of Fire is basically undefended after losing the barrier of the Land of Whirlpools.

Of the more than two hundred men in the eastern border defense force, the only one that Uchiha Tokumitsu paid any attention to was an elderly genin dressed like a farmer and carrying a ridiculously large iron pot. He disregarded the rest.

The commander of the eastern border defense force, who arrived late, was a Jonin from the Sarutobi clan. Judging from his appearance, he was about forty years old. Although he had not played any role in the war in the Land of Whirlpools, he was chatting happily with the Uzumaki clan chief in a very familiar manner.

The Uzumaki clan, whose ninja power has been greatly weakened, is a tempting and delicious piece of meat, whether it is the secret of their sealing techniques passed down through generations or the enormous chakra physique flowing in their bloodline.

However, Uchiha Tokumitsu found the Eastern Commander's behavior utterly displeasing, but with his chakra nearly depleted, he had no desire to pick a fight with that Sarutobi Jonin.

After a period of rest, Uchiha Tokumitsu summoned Uchiha Hakage, the commander of the Anbu (Anti-Guardian) unit, and whispered something to him. The latter nodded repeatedly and then led twelve Anbu ninjas toward the inland waters of the Land of Whirlpools.

Everyone present saw this, but no one said anything.

Finally, a small ninja army consisting of a secret service unit sent by the village to provide support and a ninja clan member arrived. However, they were only arriving now, and their arrival was not only ineffective but also completely useless.