Chapter 198: The Weight of Grief
Three days later, after traveling at a relentless pace, Kyosuke and Might Duy arrived at the Northwestern Corps' encampment, well ahead of schedule.
The command staff—Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Ukyo, and the other leaders—were all present to welcome the reinforcements.
"Haha, it's been too long, Ukyo, Master Hiashi," Kyosuke greeted them with a wide smile, first pulling Ukyo into a firm hug and then nodding to the Hyuga clan head with whom he had once fought side-by-side.
Uchiha Ukyo forced a smile in return, patting Kyosuke on the back. "You never cease to amaze me, Kyosuke. You've accomplished so much this past year."
After the brief exchange, Hiashi's gaze shifted to the quiet figure beside Kyosuke. "You must be Might Duy," he said, his tone respectful. "We have all heard of your incredible feats. To defeat a Tailed Beast single-handedly... it is truly astonishing."
Faced with praise from the Hyuga leader, Might Duy scratched his head, looking uncharacteristically flustered as he stammered a response.
Kyosuke shook his head with a small smile, stepping in to steer the conversation. "What's the current situation?"
"Alas," Hiashi sighed, though a hint of relief remained in his eyes. "The medical unit's main camp was destroyed. Fortunately, thanks to the intervention of Choza and the others, the enemy didn't commit to a large-scale massacre. Our casualties are still within an acceptable range."
So Akimichi Choza can actually go toe-to-toe with a Jinchuriki, Kyosuke thought, nodding in understanding. His strength is far greater than it ever was in the original story.
As they spoke, his eyes kept drifting toward the camp behind them. Didn't that little girl Nagisa get the news I was coming? Why hasn't she come out to greet me yet?
Noticing Kyosuke's searching gaze, the bitterness in Ukyo's smile deepened. He shared a subtle, worried glance with Hiashi before speaking up. "Let's not stand around out here. Come, we'll brief you on the details back at the command tent."
Understanding that the mission came first, Kyosuke reluctantly agreed. He had made it to the front lines; there would be plenty of time to see her later.
The four of them walked toward the command tent, with Ukyo explaining the grim state of the war. Although they had managed to halt the Iwa invasion within the Land of Fire's borders, the disparity in high-end power had cost the Northwestern Corps dearly.
Onoki's son, Kitsuchi, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han, Iwa's elusive Explosion Corps, and powerful Jonin like Tōshi—these were forces the corps was simply not equipped to handle on its own.
But now, things were different. The arrival of Kyosuke and Might Duy would more than close the power gap; it might even tip the scales in Konoha's favor.
Of course, Iwagakure hadn't committed its full strength to the invasion. Their veteran Kage, the formidable Onoki, and the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, had yet to appear on the battlefield. If they had, the Northwestern Corps would have been crushed long ago.
Onoki, wielder of the Dust Release Kekkei Tota, was a living legend whose strength and experience were on par with, if not greater than, Hiruzen Sarutobi's. Even now, with his mastery of the Mangekyo Sharingan and Sage Mode, Kyosuke knew his odds against Onoki were slim. It would take a combined effort with Might Duy to even have a chance at victory.
As for the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, he had technically left the village over disagreements with Onoki. But with the war's timeline so drastically altered, there was no guarantee he wouldn't return. Roshi was a perfect Jinchuriki, capable of fully transforming while retaining his consciousness—a feat that put him above most Kage-level shinobi. And that wasn't even factoring in his Lava Release Chakra Mode.
In this mode, his entire body was sheathed in high-temperature lava. Not even Naruto's Rasengan could easily penetrate his defenses. Kyosuke knew he wouldn't dare face such an opponent in close combat. In the original timeline, Roshi had only fallen to Kisame due to a lack of intelligence on the Akatsuki member's abilities. Had it been Itachi, the fight would have been far more difficult. With Amaterasu and genjutsu likely being ineffective, Itachi would have been forced to use Susanoo for a brutal, drawn-out battle—a pyrrhic victory at best.
While the others might not grasp the full extent of the threat, Kyosuke did. He was genuinely relieved that neither Roshi nor Onoki had yet made an appearance. Without them, Han and Kitsuchi would not pose an insurmountable threat.
Inside the tent, Kyosuke saw Akimichi Choza and Nara Shikaku, both wrapped in bandages. After a quick greeting, he took a seat.
Just then, a shinobi entered the tent. Instantly, the mood shifted. Everyone, except for Kyosuke, tensed.
Sensing the change, Kyosuke looked closer and recognized the man. It's one of the Second Elder's clan guards. What is he doing here?
"What are you doing here? Get out!" Ukyo snapped, but the shinobi didn't move. He answered only to the Second Elder; Ukyo had no authority over him.
Ukyo's hostile reaction deepened Kyosuke's suspicion, and a cold knot of dread began to form in his stomach.
He stood, walked past Ukyo, and stared directly at the guard. "What happened? Tell me. Now."
The shinobi remained silent for a long moment before he finally spoke, his voice heavy as he recounted the truth.
As he told them that Uchiha Nagisa was presumed dead at the hands of Iwa ninja, and that the Second Elder and his men had been taken hostage, the air in the tent turned to ice.
The others looked at each other, speechless, not knowing how to comfort the man who stood with his head bowed, utterly silent. They had hidden the news precisely because they feared this—that Kyosuke, in his grief and rage, would do something reckless.
"Alas, the truth had to come out eventually..." Shikaku sighed. But before he could say more, an astonishing, suffocating killing intent flooded the tent, pressing down on everyone.
Slowly, Kyosuke looked up. His expression was unnervingly calm, but the murderous aura pouring from him only intensified. At some point, the tomoe in his eyes had morphed into the spiraling pattern of his Mangekyo Sharingan.
The silence stretched on, thick and heavy. Just as the others felt they could bear it no longer, Kyosuke finally spoke, his voice devoid of all emotion.
"Where are they being held?"
As the words left his lips, the crushing pressure vanished. It seemed as though he had regained control, but everyone in the tent knew this strange, cold calm was the worst possible outcome. Had he screamed, raged, or destroyed something, they could have managed it. But this—this was the precursor to something terrible.
"Kyosuke..." Ukyo began, but his body went rigid as he was frozen in place.
"As an Uchiha, you concealed information about our elder being kidnapped," Kyosuke's voice was flat, yet carried the weight of a death sentence. "If we were not on a battlefield, I would charge you with treason." His gaze then shifted past Ukyo to Nara Shikaku.
Seeing Kyosuke's eyes on him, Shikaku steeled himself. He knew he had to try and talk him out of any plan for revenge. It was obviously a trap.
"Remember," Kyosuke said before Shikaku could even speak, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You have one chance to speak. If your words are not what I want to hear..."
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to. The naked threat hung in the air, forcing Shikaku to reconsider.
"They're being held in a canyon in the Land of Grass," Shikaku finally said, choosing the truth. "The Iwa have made their demand. For the Second Elder's life... you must go alone."
Kyosuke finally understood why they had hidden it from him. It wasn't malice, but a misguided attempt to protect him. But good intentions couldn't erase the act itself. If anything happened to the Second Elder, Ukyo would bear that responsibility.
He no longer had the capacity to care about such things. He was barely holding onto his sanity as it was.
"Hello, you must be Kyosuke, right? My name is Nagisa, Uchiha Nagisa."
"Not 'pig'! It's Na-gi-sa!"
"Hey, Kyosuke... where do you think people go when they die?"
Memories of the little girl flooded his mind, each one a fresh wave of pain, each one forging his grief into pure, cold hatred. What tormented him most was that her body had not been found, making resurrection through Edo Tensei impossible. The only sliver of hope he clung to was his own forbidden technique: the Pure Land Summoning.
Without another word, Kyosuke grabbed a map from the table, turned, and walked out of the tent.
"What do we do?" Ukyo muttered, watching Kyosuke's retreating back.
"Hah..." Shikaku let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, rubbing his stiff face. "I'll go inform Inoichi. The rest of you, prepare for deployment."
"It's the only way," Hiashi said, turning to Ukyo. "Assemble an elite team. Follow him from a distance, and be ready to provide support at a moment's notice."
Ukyo understood. This was his chance to atone.
After a long, silent moment, he turned and left to carry out his orders.
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