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"Shi, farewell." Uchiha Shisui stepped forward and patted Uchiha Shi's shoulder.
He had keenly noticed Uchiha Shi's slight tremor just now.
However, since Shisui had graduated early and was still young, he was short like a little radish, making his comforting gesture somewhat comical.
"You don't need to worry too much. I didn't expect Elder Shunato to lead the mission personally. This means the danger level on your side should be low," Shisui said with a kind smile, trying to comfort Shi.
Despite choosing the more dangerous battlefield in the Land of Rain himself, Shisui was now comforting Uchiha Shi.
Uchiha Shi snapped back to reality and looked at him with a sense of hopelessness.
Damn it, not only did you take my pig-feeding mission, but you also took the suicidal job?
Can you at least act like a human being?
"Shi, I need to complete my C-rank mission before the assembly tomorrow, so I'll take my leave." Shisui waved the mission scroll he had just received and then left.
After Shisui left, Uchiha Shi's eyes flickered slightly.
Is the danger level in Hell Valley of the Land of Hot Water really that low?
Not necessarily.
---
Night fell, the full moon emerged from the clouds, and its clear light bathed the earth.
Inside the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Uchiha Setsuna, wearing wooden sandals, opened the wooden door indifferently.
The small room instantly lit up with a sea of crimson eyes.
"Elder!"
Amidst the greetings, Uchiha Setsuna sat cross-legged at the head of the room.
Beside him sat Uchiha Hachidai, the second-in-command of the Hawk Faction.
Below, all were Uchiha clan members of at least Chunin rank who had activated their Sharingan, numbering nearly a hundred.
This was the strength of the Hawk Faction.
"Elder, wasn't it already decided that a team of strong clan members would be sent to the Land of Hot Water for support?" Hachidai asked, frowning slightly.
"Why is there a Genin on the list, and one who hasn't even activated the Sharingan?"
"Did you not inform the clan members of the danger of this mission?"
Uchiha Setsuna picked up his teacup, glanced at Hachidai, and said calmly, "I will go on this mission personally."
"One person is enough."
"But this is not just about the Blood Pool Clan's unrest and increased guarding pressure," Hachidai frowned, analyzing the situation. "The Land of Hot Water is situated between the Fire, Lightning, and Water countries. Recently, the Rock Hidden Village and the Hidden Sand Village have had small-scale conflicts with the Mist Village, plunging this area into extreme chaos."
"The place is filled with spies and combat units from various countries, along with numerous small organizations that emerged in the small countries after the Second Shinobi World War, such as the Xuan Yuan Gang, Bodhi Gang, Evil God Sect, Earth Spider, and the remnants of the Heat Mirage Village. There are also the Mist Village's Rain Cutter and Chaser Ninja, the Rock Hidden Village's Explosive Corps, Rasa, who is fighting for the position of Kazekage in the Mist Village, and the bounty hunters from the Underground Exchange."
"This place is a complete mess," Hachidai said with a serious expression, feeling that Setsuna was underestimating the situation.
Even the Third Hokage might struggle to handle this situation.
Uchiha Setsuna, though an old veteran from the Warring States era, taking only a Genin and a Chunin seemed inappropriate.
However, the clan's manpower was not abundant. The Security Department members were restricted by the Hidden Leaf Village and could not leave the village without cause.
Hachidai suddenly suggested, "Perhaps we could request assistance from the Hidden Leaf Village?"
"Enough," Setsuna put down his teacup, his tone calm but firm. "One person is enough!"
"Hachidai, the mission to guard Hell Valley is not from the Hidden Leaf Village. It is a long-term task directly commissioned by the Daimyo of the Lightning Country, and one of our few sources of income."
"Do not base your security on others, especially the Hidden Leaf Village, Sarutobi, and Danzo," Setsuna looked up, his Sharingan eyes glowing coldly.
"Only what you control yourself counts. What others give you, you have to bow and scrape to receive. If they are displeased, they can kick you away at any time."
Hachidai fell silent at these words.
Ninjas are combat tools detached from production. The wealth the Uchiha clan could obtain, besides their ancestral business and property within the Hidden Leaf Village, came from the large-scale missions undertaken by the clan's ninjas.
The mission to guard the Blood Pool Clan paid an annual fee equivalent to an S-rank mission.
Long-term and stable.
This was the root reason why Setsuna did not allow the Hidden Leaf Village to interfere with this mission.
---
Click.
Uchiha Shi had just opened the door to his residence.
A dusty, goggles-wearing young man fell from a tree in the courtyard.
Uchiha Shi immediately recognized that the reason for his fall was uneven chakra distribution while practicing tree walking.
"Obito, what are you doing?"
Seeing this unexpected visitor, Uchiha Shi was slightly speechless.
This person was none other than Obito, who had graduated from the Ninja Academy last year.
He was also Shi's neighbor.
"Hey, it's you, Shi. Ha ha, I'm preparing for the Chunin Exam!" Uchiha Obito rubbed the back of his head and laughed, then looked annoyed.
"That darn Kakashi, using his Chunin status to pressure me, making me follow his orders!"
"It was just a simple mission to catch a cat!"
"When I get stronger, I'll shove my Chunin vest in his face!" Obito grumbled, recounting the events.
Uchiha Shi was slightly stunned after listening, feeling a sense of realization.
Unbeknownst to him, he had already spent a whole year in the relatively peaceful Hidden Leaf Village.
He realized that the timeline had reached this point, and last year, Obito had already formed a three-man team with Kakashi and Rin, led by Minato Namikaze, and had been doing D-rank missions for some time.
However, Obito's wish to become a Chunin this year was unlikely to be fulfilled.
The Shinobi World War was about to break out, and as an elite Jounin, Minato Namikaze would soon be heading to the front lines. This team would only follow Minato around for the rest of the year.
It wouldn't be until the Lightning Country slowed its offensive, giving the Hidden Leaf Village a temporary respite, that a Chunin Exam would be held in the 48th year of the Hidden Leaf Village.
It was then that Obito was severely injured by Might Guy but still managed to successfully advance to Chunin.
"What are you spacing out for? Grandma cooked noodles, come and eat," Obito waved his hand in front of Uchiha Shi, tilting his head and asking.
"Sure, I'll put my things down first," Uchiha Shi nodded, accepting the invitation.
On his way back, he had picked up his fork and shoes from the river.
However, a bag of cans that could have been sold for money had disappeared along with the bag, probably taken by some scoundrel.
Uchiha Shi cursed under his breath, truly lamenting the decline of moral standards.
Last year, such things didn't happen in the Hidden Leaf Village.
It was only recently, with the Uchiha clan's Security Department being busy with the impending war and lacking the time to manage things, that the petty theft in the Hidden Leaf Village had risen.
(End of Chapter)