"Water… water…"
On the hospital bed, Sarutobi Sasuke's lips trembled as he muttered, his throat parched and burning like fire. His body ached from the battle, every breath ragged and shallow.
Uchiha Setsuna, dozing lightly in a chair nearby, jolted awake at the sound. He swiftly poured a cup of water and approached the bed.
"Lord Sarutobi, here is some water. Would you like some honey in it?" Setsuna asked softly, offering the cup. His crimson Sharingan glimmered faintly in the dim light of the infirmary, yet his tone was calm, almost fatherly.
"No… no need," Sasuke replied hoarsely. He took the cup and drank in one long, desperate gulp, feeling the cool liquid soothe his burning throat. The relief was immediate, yet fleeting—his body still trembled with the aftereffects of blood loss and exhaustion.
For a moment, silence filled the room. Sasuke's eyes, hazy from fatigue, focused on the figure before him.
"You are…?" he asked, his voice weak and questioning, staring at the unfamiliar Ninja standing beside him.
"Lord Sarutobi, I am Nishikawa Ōzora, a member of the Shimoi Squad from the Eastern Army," Setsuna said with a faint smile. "I was… sent here to assist you."
He explained his background, carefully detailing his affiliation and purpose without revealing more than necessary. He recounted the events of the battlefield subtly, allowing Sasuke to understand the circumstances without causing further alarm.
Sasuke listened intently, his experienced mind already analyzing the situation. Even in his weakened state, he noticed the inconsistencies, the subtle signs that the battle had not played out entirely as expected.
"I see…" Sasuke murmured. "That Uchiha I fought… he was no weakling. Yet he spared you. Why? He could have easily dealt with you first, then finished me off without much trouble."
A veteran Ninja with decades of battlefield experience, Sasuke immediately recognized the anomaly. The Uchiha's choice to retreat rather than exploit an easy kill was deliberate.
"Lord Sarutobi, I too wondered about this," Setsuna admitted. "After careful consideration, it seems likely that the location wasn't far from the Village. Perhaps he suspected I might be a pursuer sent by Konoha. To him, engaging me could have been too risky, so he chose to retreat instead."
Sasuke nodded slowly, accepting the explanation. Caution is paramount in a Ninja's life; any retreat in the presence of potential reinforcements is a reasonable tactic.
"Nishikawa," Sasuke said, his tone firm despite weakness, "call the nurse. I intend to be discharged. I must report to Hokage-sama and return to the Eastern front. The Hidden Mist may attempt a counterattack, and I cannot delay."
He tested his strength subtly, feeling the soreness in his limbs and the ache in his torso. Despite the horrific appearance of his injuries, there was a grim satisfaction in knowing that the wounds were largely superficial. No internal injuries threatened his life—yet the pain and exhaustion were no less severe.
Meanwhile, far from the hospital, at the Land of Fire border docks, Uchiha Su stood with over a thousand Hidden Mist Ninjas.
The army advanced in unison, launching an attack immediately after learning that Sarutobi Sasuke had fled. With their commander incapacitated and their strategist eliminated, the Eastern Army soldiers remaining in the camp descended into chaos, scrambling in confusion like headless flies.
Ninjas who had completed their previous assignments returned to the camp, expecting to reinforce the defenses. Yet the disarray was already too severe. Under the encirclement and relentless onslaught of the Hidden Mist forces, the Eastern Army quickly collapsed. Panic spread faster than strategy could be enacted.
Uchiha Su's eyes swept the battlefield with calm precision. A Konoha Ninja lunged toward him, blade flashing in the sunlight, but before the attack could reach him, the opponent fell into a subtle genjutsu. Within moments, the Ninja, lost in illusion, slashed his own throat in a tragic misjudgment of reality.
"Young Master…" Kaguya Takuma muttered, clutching the 'shimizu' weapon in his small hands, following closely behind Uchiha Su. "This… this truly is terrifying."
The battlefield was a maelstrom of chaos. Flames licked the skies, exploding tags erupted around them, and cries of pain and rage filled the air. Yet Su moved with effortless composure.
"This is the ability of the Uchiha," Su said quietly, his tone calm amidst the carnage. "Uniquely gifted in genjutsu. Much like your Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku, each ability has its strengths and weaknesses. One must know how to exploit them."
Since his Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyo, Su's genjutsu prowess had grown immensely. Techniques that would have once required meticulous planning could now be cast effortlessly, entrapping even the most alert opponents.
"Swish."
Several shuriken cut through the air, whistling toward Uchiha Su.
"You evil Uchiha brat…" one Konoha Ninja spat, his face contorted in anger and fear. With a Body Flicker Technique, he darted toward Su, aiming to strike.
"A decent attack," Su said expressionlessly, "but far too weak." He continued walking steadily, unwavering, unaffected by the projectiles.
"If you want to harm the Young Master, you'll have to get through me first!" Kaguya Takuma shouted, spreading his fingers wide. Bone protrusions shot out from his fingertips with incredible precision, knocking the shuriken aside midair.
Simultaneously, he drove his shimizu weapon into the soft ground, pulling out a section of his own spine. With remarkable speed, he thrust the bone forward. Fatefully, the Konoha Ninja collided with the projectile, impaled instantly.
"Puchi."
Blood gushed from the Ninja's abdomen, his twisted expression frozen in pain.
"This is what happens when you attempt to assassinate the Young Master," Takuma said calmly, retracting his bone sword, blood splattering across his face.
Su continued forward, observing the battlefield with the eyes of a master strategist.
"The Kaguya Clan is naturally born for battle," he explained, "but it is not merely talent—it is necessity. Shikotsumyaku grants you incredible speed, resilience, and lethal power, but it is also a reflection of the short lives and hardships your clan faces. Survival demands strength."
Takuma nodded, pride and awe reflected in his eyes. "The Young Master is right. The Kaguya Clan is indeed born for battle."
Su's lips curved into a faint, contemplative smile. "Not entirely. No one is born solely for combat. Your clan's abilities exist because of the bloodline disease that shortens your lifespans. It forces you to disregard life and embrace lethal skill. You fight because survival is fleeting, not because fate chose it for you."
Takuma's eyes widened, struck by the depth of Su's insight.
"Since the Kaguya Clan now serves me," Su continued softly, "I will find a way to cure this bloodline disease. You will not be forced to live under its shadow any longer."
"Young Master…" Takuma whispered, deeply moved.
Beside him, Kaguya Yūsuke, protective and vigilant, also felt a rare warmth. For the Kaguya Clan, reaching their twenties was already nearing the twilight of life. To hear that someone sought to remove the curse of their bloodline was extraordinary.
"Will there really be a day when our bloodline disease is cured?" Yūsuke asked, voice trembling.
"There will be," Su replied softly but firmly. "Believe me. Talent exists in this world, and if I search diligently, I will find those capable of helping us. The Ninja World is vast, but not beyond reach. Solutions exist for those willing to seek them."
In the main camp, Uchiha Su stood on a high platform, calm and commanding. Behind him, ranks of Uchiha and Kaguya Ninjas formed a disciplined line. Below, hundreds of captured Konoha Ninjas were tightly bound, their expressions filled with despair. The Hidden Mist forces formed an unbroken circle around the prisoners, leaving no gaps.
Su tilted his head, surveying the defeated and terrified enemy.
"Do you choose to die… or do you choose to live?" he called out, his voice carrying across the battlefield like a blade. The tension was absolute; the air seemed to thicken with fear and anticipation.
Below him, the Konoha Ninjas exchanged glances, their morale shattered by the overwhelming display of power and strategy. Many realized that no reinforcements could reach them in time. Their choices had been stripped away—the only way forward was survival or surrender.
Su's eyes gleamed, not with cruelty, but with the sharp clarity of one who had mastered both battle and mind. Every detail of the battlefield had been calculated. Every casualty, every fallen enemy, had contributed to the precision of the plan.
And as the echoes of his question rang through the chaos, the world seemed to pause. Life and death hung in the balance.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)