The next day.
Qianyu received his transfer orders from the Anbu: he was headed to the Land of Waves.
First, he went to the Root to see Danzō.
Officially, Qianyu was Danzō's man now. Reporting his movements was necessary. Danzō's mind was a nest of suspicion. The Tongue Eradication Seal offered no real leash. Best not to give the old snake a reason to coil tighter.
In the dim Root headquarters, Danzō fixed him with a cold stare. "Some instructions before you go."
Qianyu inclined his head. "Of course, Lord Danzō."
"Don't be gentle with those in the Land of Waves," Danzō's voice was a low rasp. "They are arrogant. Defiant. They will not obey you. If they disobey—kill them. Do not hesitate."
A sharp, predatory grin touched Qianyu's lips. "Understood. I won't show mercy."
"Furthermore," Danzō continued, "the son of Uchiha Masaki, Uchiha Fugaku, will also be deployed there. You may command him as you see fit. But he must not die. We still need his clan to fight. If Fugaku dies, who knows what madness Masaki might unleash." A pause, heavier than stone. "And this is paramount: whenever an Uchiha falls, retrieve their Sharingan. Deliver the eyes to me."
Qianyu's eyes narrowed slightly. Fugaku too? And Danzō was already collecting eyes. The greed started early.
"Yes, Lord Danzō."
Danzō gave a slow, satisfied nod. "Go then. Remember my words."
Qianyu left Root and headed straight for the border. A ship awaited, cutting through waters choked with thick, clinging fog. A five-day journey stretched into seven. The sea was a blind, gray blanket.
Finally, land. The Land of Waves.
He arrived at the Konoha outpost and found the deputy commander, Nara Kubota.
"Lord Qianyu."
Qianyu handed over the transfer scroll. "You know the situation. This is my authority. I'm assuming command."
Kubota scanned the document, the formalities observed. "Lord Qianyu, shall I brief you on the current status?"
"Go ahead. What's the situation?"
"It's chaos," Kubota stated flatly. "Kirigakure's 'Bloody Mist' policy has caused internal strife. The Third Mizukage is redirecting that violence outward. Their shinobi… they fight like they have nothing to lose. Suicide charges. Reckless assaults. We've taken heavy losses because of it. My strategy has been full defense. Conserve strength. It's unstable, but contained."
Qianyu processed this. "Better than I feared. Maintain the current posture for the next few days. Prepare to receive the incoming Uchiha reinforcements. Then… we go on the offensive." His voice dropped, cold and sharp. "They fight like they have nothing to lose? We'll fight like we have everything to gain. Let's see who's truly ruthless."
Kubota felt a chill. His guess had been correct.
He'd heard about Qianyu's appointment and the nearly one hundred Uchiha reinforcements. He'd suspected the real purpose. The Uchiha, buoyed by recent contributions, were growing insufferably proud across all fronts, causing incidents. This was Konoha's move. Send in the Blood-Eyed Asura to… discipline them.
And now, Qianyu's immediate plan for a brutal counter-offensive confirmed it. The severity in his tone suggested it would be worse than Kubota imagined.
A Nara's intelligence knew when to ask and when to stay silent. "Understood. I will follow your commands."
Kubota showed him the camp. It was orderly, efficient. A defensive stronghold. Total Konoha forces: 248. A decent number, but Kirigakure's attrition tactics—inflict one hundred losses while accepting eighty of their own—had whittled away at morale. Kubota, cautious by nature, had chosen the shield over the sword.
Qianyu gathered all personnel. A new commander's address was expected.
No one objected to his leadership. Far from it. Qianyu was notoriously demanding, yes. But he brought victories. And his reputation—the Blood-Eyed Asura—stirred a raw, eager heat in them.
Then he mentioned the Uchiha reinforcements. The mood in the camp plummeted. Faces fell.
"You won't be reassigned," Qianyu announced, cutting through the dismay. "You remain under Deputy Commander Kubota's direct command. I handle overall strategy. The Uchiha… they will be under my command."
A collective, barely audible sigh of relief. No one wanted Uchiha for teammates.
"Dismissed."
In his assigned quarters, Qianyu bit his thumb and slammed a hand onto the floor. "Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke, and the white snake appeared.
It immediately launched into complaint. "Lord Qianyu! You said a few days! It's been eight! For that human, I was attacked by so many snakes! I fought tirelessly to protect him! Look at me—I've lost weight!"
Qianyu glanced at the creature's decidedly plump coils. Yeah, right.
"Enough dramatics. You'll eat your fill later. His condition?"
"He woke once. I fed him, then had a cousin bite him to put him back to sleep. Lord Qianyu, that human… his mind isn't right."
"How so?"
The snake's voice dripped with disdain. "He woke up and asked if he was in heaven. Asked if I was a divine messenger. I said yes, and the fool believed me! Started bowing! Never seen a human so gullible. Worse, he overheard the others threatening me with the White Sage's name. Now he wants an audience with Her Majesty! He's practically begging to be a snack!"
Qianyu raised an eyebrow. "He knows about the White Sage? Does she know about him?"
The snake shook its head. "He knows because the other snakes used Her name to pressure me. As for the White Sage… I don't know. But I've heard nothing in this world escapes Her notice. So… probably."
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