Thanks to Umino Yoru's efforts, nearly all of his subordinates—aside from a few support ninja—had taken out loans to exchange for a C-rank jutsu suited to their chakra nature.
The most popular choices were Water Wave Crush and Chain Flame Inferno, followed by Layered Earth Shield. In contrast, Thousand Blade Storm and Crushing Thunder Serpent were far less common—unsurprising, given that wind and lightning chakra natures were relatively rare among shinobi.
Currently, most of his men—aside from training in combined jutsu—spent their time practicing chakra control by tree-walking and water-walking under the guidance of their chunin squad leaders.
Well, what can you expect from expendable genin? Aside from being decent at throwing kunai and shuriken, some of them weren't even proficient in the basic Academy Three jutsu. To reach the level where they could perform combined techniques, they'd at least need to master water-walking first.
The chunin squad leaders, on the other hand, were battle-hardened veterans who'd simply lacked opportunities. Now, with Umino Yoru's support, they were learning these joint jutsu at an impressive rate.
Nearly 30 chunin officers had already met the minimum requirement for performing Water Wave Crush, Chain Flame Inferno, and Layered Earth Shield in unison. As for the few with wind or lightning chakra natures—well, their numbers were too small to form an independent unit, so they were relegated to support roles.
Still, not a bad deal. A few Crushing Thunder Serpent attacks after Water Wave Crush would make efficient use of their chakra. And combining Chain Flame Inferno with Thousand Blade Storm? That boosted the destructive power exponentially, almost mimicking a true combination jutsu.
And so, the days passed in peaceful, monotonous training.
Ever since Umino Yoru had wiped out 300 Suna puppet troops using dust explosions, the Sand Village had pulled back its forces entirely. No more elite squads infiltrated their lines, cutting off Yoru's chance to farm high-rank missions.
But that's fine. It gave him plenty of time to whip his men into shape.
Back in Konoha, news of Yoru's achievements had spread, turning the Umino clan into a hot target for political alliances. If he made jonin, their growing numbers could even push them into the ranks of Konoha's third-tier clans.
While civilians and ordinary shinobi marveled at his accomplishments, the higher-ups realized something far more critical: Had it not been for Umino Yoru's fluke victory with that forbidden technique, the entire left flank of the Shinano River defense would have collapsed.
Alarmed, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Konoha Council held an emergency meeting and decided to dispatch Uchiha reinforcements to the Land of Rivers front—just in case.
As for Yoru's promotion to jonin? The noble clans had temporarily blocked it, citing his recent special jonin appointment. But given his merits, it was only a matter of time.
Besides, as part of the Hokage's faction, Yoru's new position as acting Left Flank Defense Commander of Shinano Forest—though provisional—came with full authority.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura working in tandem (one openly, the other in the shadows), and with the old founding clans fading, the Hokage's Council had finally gained enough leverage over Konoha's noble houses.
As long as Yoru didn't screw up, his position was secure.
The Uchiha reinforcements arrived swiftly and immediately launched relentless assaults on Suna's defenses—each attack coming agonizingly close to breaking through, yet always falling just short.
Before long, tensions flared between the Uchiha and Danzo.
Leading the Uchiha contingent was Elder Fugaku Uchiha—no, wait, Shisui's era hadn't come yet. It was Elder Yashiro Uchiha? No, wrong again.
Ah, right—it was Elder Shinobi Uchiha: Indra.
(Wait, that doesn't sound right…)
Actually, it was Elder Madara's fanboy: Uchiha Setsuna.
A hardline hawk who'd been active since Tobirama's reign, Setsuna had once rallied the Uchiha to rebel, aiming to seize power from the Senju. But Tobirama's foresight had him arrested and imprisoned until Hiruzen's rise, when political maneuvering secured his release.
Danzo, who already despised the Uchiha (and coveted their Sharingan), clashed with Setsuna like oil meeting fire.
Matters escalated when Setsuna openly challenged Danzo's authority, even attempting to seize command of the Land of Rivers front.
This crossed a line.
Danzo's Root operatives, never short on schemes, proposed a plan to kill two birds with one stone.
Another half-month of quiet passed.
While Konoha's main forces fought fiercely on the frontlines, the left flank remained eerily undisturbed—until the night Uchiha Setsuna and a group of Uchiha descended upon their sector.
But they weren't alone.
With them came nearly 200 allied shinobi.
"Umino Yoru!" Setsuna barked, thrusting a scroll at him. "By order of Elder Shimura!"
Yoru took the scroll and read it—then froze.
"Why would Danzo issue such an order?"
The directive commanded him to join the Uchiha in breaking through Suna's defenses, striking their supply lines deep behind enemy lines, then coordinating with Konoha's main force to encircle the Sand army.
This was the exact same strategy the Sand had used against them!
For a moment, Yoru wondered if Setsuna had forged the orders. But given the Uchiha's pride and the severe consequences of such an act, it seemed unlikely.
Danzo, though? That man was a wildcard.
"There's definitely a trap here."
A cold realization struck him. If this were Nara Shikaku leading the operation, he'd trust it. But Danzo sending Setsuna behind enemy lines?
This reeks of a setup.
Most likely, Danzo had thrown him—a loyal subordinate—under the bus to gain Setsuna's trust.
"That bastard Danzo… completely unreliable."
Yoru's opinion of Danzo's political acumen sank even lower. All he knows is brainwashing people with 'Will of Fire' rhetoric. No leadership, no foresight.
What kind of leader casually sacrifices his own men? Did he not care about morale?
…Then again, Root operatives have no emotions to begin with. Guess their hearts were already frozen.