"Lord Sumero, that Uchiha Yuan really doesn't take us seriously at all."
A jōnin with silver-gray hair muttered resentfully as he watched Yuan's retreating back disappear from sight. His face was full of dissatisfaction.
"He's favored by Lord Orochimaru—and he's an Uchiha. Naturally, he feels entitled to look down on others," another jōnin beside him said helplessly.
"Hmph. From what I've heard, Uchiha Yuan hasn't even awakened his Sharingan yet. I doubt the Uchiha Clan truly values him."
Iwamoku Sumero looked at Yuan's fading figure and said calmly, "Enough. Captain Yuan isn't someone you have the right to question. Don't forget—Uchiha's 'Fierce Tiger' is only ten years old."
At his words, silence fell among the surrounding shinobi. Their expressions turned complicated.
Yes—he was only ten.
And once he matured, he would undoubtedly become a force that could shake the entire shinobi world.
And such a person… was not to be doubted.
The next morning, Uchiha Yuan led his company out of the main encampment.
According to headquarters' orders, his unit was assigned to defend and garrison the central region of the Land of Hot Water.
Hot Springs Town—a bustling and prosperous settlement—lay at the heart of that region.
Outside the town's gates, several Hot Water shinobi were on patrol when one of them suddenly went pale. "There's a massive chakra reaction coming from the southwest!"
The others tensed immediately. "How many are there?" their leader asked sharply.
The sensor-nin focused, his expression grim. "No fewer than a hundred."
"Is it the Cloud or Konoha?"
"Damn it! Why must the Cloud and Konoha wage their war here, in our country?"
"Enough. This is the tragedy of small nations—we can only endure it."
"What should we do now?"
"Everyone stay calm. Be cautious, don't provoke either side."
Before long, two Konoha shinobi appeared at the road junction in a blur of motion. When the patrol saw the Leaf symbols on their foreheads, they collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"Don't panic," one of the Konoha shinobi said. "We'll be stationing our troops in Hot Springs Town."
"In Hot Springs Town!?" their leader blurted out in surprise.
His reaction was understandable. Though the Land of Hot Water had become a battleground between Konoha and Kumogakure, the major population centers had always remained under the patrol of Hot Water's own shinobi—a mutual sign of respect for the country's sovereignty.
The other Konoha shinobi spoke coldly, his tone commanding. "That is our captain's order. You need only comply—no questions."
Moments later, the Hot Water shinobi saw a full company of Konoha troops approaching from the distance.
Inside Hot Springs Town, the arrival of the Leaf ninja sent the townsfolk scattering in alarm. Civilians hurriedly ducked out of the way as the uniformed shinobi marched through the streets.
Uchiha Yuan strode down the center of the road with two Konoha shinobi following close behind. His eyes moved leisurely over the surroundings, noting that most of the buildings here were bathhouses.
From the balconies of inns and taverns, curvaceous hostesses leaned lazily against the railings, watching the newcomers with curiosity. A few bold ones giggled, waving silk handkerchiefs and calling for them to come up for a drink.
Konoha's temporary garrison was set up in a private residence. The owner—a local merchant—took the generous payment they offered and hurriedly vacated the premises.
Inside, Yuan sat cross-legged on a tatami mat, the view of the courtyard visible just beyond the open sliding doors.
To his left knelt a blond young man in his twenties—one of Yuan's personal guard, Yamanaka Mokuno.
The direct guard unit numbered thirty in total, and even the weakest among them possessed the strength of an elite chūnin.
"Captain," Mokuno said uneasily, "isn't our presence here a bit too conspicuous? I'm afraid the Cloud's scouts have already reported our position."
Uchiha Yuan smiled faintly, his expression calm and confident. "That's precisely what I want. Headquarters ordered us to hold this sector against possible Cloud attacks. But in my view, the best defense is offense. Instead of waiting for the enemy to strike from the shadows, we'll draw them out on our terms."
Mokuno nodded slowly. "I understand, sir. But our occupying Hot Springs Town like this will probably anger the Hot Water shinobi. They might file a complaint to the village."
Yuan waved his hand dismissively. "Let them. The indignation of a few Hot Water shinobi doesn't concern me."
"But… the village might reprimand you for it," Mokuno persisted.
Yuan chuckled coldly. "Mokuno, I'm an Uchiha. The village's reprimands are nothing but empty words. They don't matter to me in the slightest."
Meanwhile, in a mountain valley north of Hot Springs Town—
A squad of Cloud-nin gathered around a campfire inside a cave. One of them was reading a message slip by the firelight. "Just received word—there's a company of about a hundred Konoha shinobi stationed in Hot Springs Town. Their leader's name is Uchiha Yuan."
"Uchiha Yuan? Isn't that the name Lord Raikage mentioned before?"
"Yeah. Lord Burama praised his strength highly—said he's a once-in-a-century taijutsu prodigy."
"Hmph. Prodigy or not, he's still just a brat."
"I heard Lord Burama's arm injury came from fighting him."
Another Cloud-nin frowned. "Captain said that injury was serious—ordinary medical-nin couldn't treat it."
"What!? That kid did that to Lord Burama?" several exclaimed, faces filled with disbelief.
"That's right. Captain also said Lord Raikage's taking a personal interest in him—he's already ordered people to gather all available intel on this Uchiha."
One of the Cloud-nin suddenly grinned wickedly. "Heh… then if we capture that little Uchiha brat tonight, Lord Raikage will be very pleased."
"Then it's decided—we move tonight."
"Yeah. Let's avenge Lord Burama and bring down that Uchiha punk. A single hundred-man Konoha squad won't stop us."
That night, the moon hung bright and silver, casting a soft sheen across the earth.
Hot Springs Town was alive with sound and light once again.
After the brief panic of Konoha's arrival, the townsfolk had quickly returned to their usual merriment. Merchants and travelers from all over soaked in the hot baths, drinking and laughing as they flirted with the local girls.
In the town center, inside a modest meeting hall, several Hot Water shinobi sat in tense discussion, worry etched across their faces.
"What should we do? Our scouts have spotted Cloud-nin activity nearby—they're clearly after those Konoha shinobi."
"Damn it! Why did those Leaf ninja have to come here? Their fight with the Cloud will destroy everything!"
"Any word from the village?"
"None yet. The higher-ups probably don't know how to handle this either—they won't dare order the Konoha troops to withdraw."
"In any case, we must make sure Hot Springs Town isn't destroyed by their battle."
"We wanted neutrality, but if we want to protect this place, we'll have to cooperate with the Konoha ninja."
After a long silence, one shinobi finally said, "Then let's inform the Konoha commander about the Cloud's movements—and prepare ourselves as well."
"…I just hope the fighting doesn't happen here," another murmured.
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