After nearly a month of major battles, he had been steadily losing ground, with heavy casualties among his Clan Members; over fifty members had mysteriously disappeared, their bodies nowhere to be found.
He had requested reinforcements from Konoha, but after half a month, they arrived belatedly, and Nara Shikaku, overstepping his authority, completely stripped him of his power.
All of this caused his standing among the Clan Members to plummet.
The Radical Faction within the Family had long been dissatisfied with his weakness; now, with Shine as a stronger, more resolute leader, they directly ignored his orders, looking only to Shine for direction.
And those neutral faction members who had once been very loyal to him began to waver under Shine's iron-fisted methods and intimidating strength, now having directly pledged allegiance to Shine.
He, the Clan Chief, had already become a joke.
Fugaku sat at his desk, looking at the empty tent, a tumult of emotions swirling in his heart.
Anger, frustration, helplessness, and a touch of indescribable complexity — Shine's dominance had certainly humiliated him, but it also let him glimpse a sliver of hope.
Perhaps only such iron-fisted methods could truly allow the Uchiha to stand up under Konoha's suppression?
But the moment he thought about being completely sidelined, and thought of Shine's undisguised arrogance, he couldn't help but clench his fists.
Crimson Three-Tomoe spun in his eyes, the struggle within growing more intense.
Meanwhile, in the camp, Shine looked at the fifty Clan Members standing neatly before him, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
He raised his hand, releasing a surge of pure Chakra to temporarily stabilize the injuries of the four wounded Jonin: "From today, you are my personal guard squad.
Remember, under my command, only strength and loyalty matter. As long as you obey, I will grant you greater power and let you live to see the day the Uchiha rise!"
"We swear to follow Lord Shine to the death!" the fifty Clan Members shouted in unison, their voices loud and clear, shaking the camp, their eyes burning with blazing Battle Intent.
Shine's forceful recruitment was like a massive rock thrown into the murky waters of the front-line battlefield.
The Uchiha's power structure was quietly changing; and the game between Konoha and the Hidden Mist was becoming even more unpredictable due to the rise of this new force.
Just as Shine had finished bringing the fifty Clan Members under his command and was conducting initial training drills with his team in the camp, a cloud of dust rose on the distant horizon.
The sounds of footsteps and clashing Ninja tools interwove, thundering toward the camp like a storm — the reinforcements led by Nara Shikaku had finally arrived at the Kirigakure Battlefield.
First came the vanguard Ninjas, galloping forward. Dressed in the uniform attire of the Konoha Allied Forces, their expressions solemn, they quickly dispersed to the camp's perimeter, taking over guard duties from the original patrols.
Immediately after, the main force poured into the camp in a grand procession. Thirteen hundred elite Ninjas from the clans, each with a steady Aura and sharp eyes, were clearly battle-hardened veterans;
Seventeen hundred civilian Ninjas, though slightly less imposing in Aura, were also in neat formation with fine equipment, exuding a combat strength not to be underestimated.
The entire camp instantly became lively, yet remained orderly.
Nara Shikaku, dressed in dark combat attire with a scroll at his waist, looked composed as his gaze swept over the camp, carrying the poise and authority of a superior.
Behind him followed core members of the Nara Clan, along with leaders of other Ninja clans aligned with the Hokage Lineage, forming a large, imposing entourage.
When the news reached Uchiha Fugaku's ears, he was sitting alone in his tent, staring blankly at the battlefield map on his desk.
Upon hearing the words "reinforcements have arrived," he abruptly stood up, a flash of unbelievable ecstasy in his eyes, which then transformed into profound relief.
Nearly a month's worth of oppression, frustration, and anxiety seemed to recede like a tide at this moment. He let out a long, deep sigh; the heavy boulder pressing on his chest felt instantly lifted, and even his breathing became much smoother.
He quickly walked out of his tent, just in time to meet the approaching Nara Shikaku.
"Clan Chief Fugaku, it's been a while," Nara Shikaku hurried forward, a gentle smile on his face, his tone calm yet respectful. "We were delayed a few days on the road, causing everyone on the front lines to suffer."
Uchiha Fugaku looked at Nara Shikaku before him, a mixture of emotions flooding his heart.
He knew the Nara Clan had always leaned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, serving as a key pillar of the Hokage Lineage.
He had thought that after Nara Shikaku's arrival, he would target the Uchiha at every turn like Nara Shikagen, further stripping away his power.
But now, Nara Shikaku's attitude was gentle and courteous, without a hint of provocation or disdain.
"You're too kind, Clan Chief Shikaku," Fugaku suppressed the complex emotions in his heart and gave a slight nod. "The timely arrival of reinforcements has resolved the urgent crisis on the front lines. Thank you."
"It's all for Konoha, for the Allied Forces," Nara Shikaku waved his hand dismissively. His gaze inadvertently swept over Shine and the fifty Uchiha Clan Members training in the distance, a flicker of understanding passing through his eyes, though he didn't comment further. "I've ordered an inventory of supplies to replenish the camp's provisions and Ninja tools. The subsequent battle deployment will need to be decided after consulting with you, Clan Chief Fugaku."
These words completely set Uchiha Fugaku's mind at ease.
He could see that although Nara Shikaku leaned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, he was ultimately someone who considered the bigger picture, unwilling to get overly involved in the feud between the Hokage Lineage and the Uchiha Clan.
Regarding the conflict between the two sides, he clearly intended to remain neutral. As long as it didn't affect the overall operations of the Allied Forces or harm the interests of the Nara Clan, he wouldn't actively suppress the Uchiha.
This meant Fugaku no longer needed to worry about being completely sidelined.
Nara Shikaku's arrival not only brought support in troops and supplies but also, subtly, checked the Konoha High Command's suppression of the Uchiha — with Nara Shikaku, a neutral commander of the Allied Forces, present, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo wouldn't dare target him too openly or overstep their authority again, ignoring him as the frontline commander.
In the camp, other Uchiha Clan Members also showed expressions of excitement.
The arrival of reinforcements gave them hope for victory and allowed them to stand a bit taller when facing Konoha Ninja.
The slight unrest caused by Shine's forceful recruitment also dissipated with the joy of the reinforcements' arrival.
Only Uchiha Xia Yin, looking at the grand procession of reinforcements, showed no ripple of emotion on his face, continuing to methodically train the Clan Members under his command.
He understood deeply that Nara Shikaku's neutrality was only temporary; the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha was deep-rooted and would not be resolved by the arrival of reinforcements.
"Lord, Nara Shikaku has brought three thousand troops. The situation in the camp is likely to change," Uchiha Chi walked to Shine's side and said in a low voice.
"It won't change," Shine replied flatly, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Konoha's schemes won't stop, and Fugaku's weakness won't change. Nara Shikaku's neutrality is merely to stabilize the war situation."
He paused, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "But that's fine. With these three thousand troops, the pressure from the Hidden Mist will lessen greatly, and we'll have more time to do what we need to do."
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808