Chapter 30: If You All Die, Who Will Revive the Clan?
After speaking, Uchiha Dali swept his gaze across the Uchiha clansmen before him.
Other than the elderly, weak, sick, and pregnant who had remained in Konoha, all the Uchiha who had participated in battle were gathered here.
There were fewer than two hundred of them.
It seemed like a large number, but in reality, the vast majority were only at the Chūnin level or below.
Only a small portion possessed Jōnin-level strength.
If no specific arrangements were made and these lower-tier combatants were simply sent to the front lines to face enemy Jōnin or even Anbu, it would be nothing more than sending them to their deaths.
As soon as Uchiha Dali finished speaking, Uchiha Tekkō immediately responded, "Are you saying that most of our clansmen should stay in the rear and not participate in battle?"
"That's right. That's exactly what I mean," Uchiha Dali said without hesitation.
This statement immediately sparked discussion among the Uchiha present.
"Wouldn't that mean we're avoiding battle?"
"But the village has ordered everyone to give their all, to stop the enemy at any cost and inflict as much damage as possible!"
"I refuse to be a weakling or a coward! I'm not afraid of sacrifice!"
"Is this really appropriate? Won't the village hold us accountable for this?"
The clansmen whispered among themselves.
Their concerns were multifaceted.
Aside from the pride of the Uchiha clan, their own indomitable fighting spirit played a role in shaping their thoughts.
Some were also worried about disobeying orders and facing punishment from the village.
If most of them stayed behind instead of heading to the front lines, it would be outright defying the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen's command.
As everyone continued their hushed discussions, Uchiha Fugaku remained silent, deep in thought.
Uchiha Tekkō, Uchiha Dōka, Uchiha Hachidai, and Uchiha Shisui—these elite fighters—were all waiting for their clan leader's decision.
At that moment, Uchiha Dali spoke again.
"The Hidden Mist Village has dispatched a large number of Jōnin and Anbu. Even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen have been specifically assigned to hunt down our weaker forces."
"Encountering them means certain death."
"If you all fall on the battlefield, who will be left to revive the Uchiha clan?"
His words left the entire clan speechless.
Everyone exchanged glances, unable to answer the question.
Uchiha Tekkō finally spoke up.
"In previous encounters with strong enemies, when our Jōnin were stretched too thin, our clansmen suffered heavy casualties."
"I do think Dali has a point, but…"
He turned to Uchiha Fugaku.
"What about the village? How will we explain this to them?"
"If you don't say anything, I don't say anything, and they don't say anything, who will know?"
Uchiha Dali countered once again.
Once more, everyone fell silent.
"Of course, you are the clan leader. The final decision is yours, Lord Fugaku," Uchiha Dali added.
Uchiha Fugaku remained silent for a moment before finally nodding.
He lifted his gaze to the fewer than two hundred Uchiha before him.
"All clansmen under eighteen and those below Chūnin level will stay behind and remain on standby."
"Tekkō, Dōka, Hachidai—you three will also stay behind with them. If the front lines require reinforcements, I will send a request for aid!"
He then looked at Uchiha Dali, Uchiha Shisui, and a few other elite Uchiha warriors.
"As for us, we will go to the front lines and support the other forces in repelling the enemy!"
After speaking, he cast a deep glance at Uchiha Dali.
At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku felt a sense of relief.
With rising talents like Uchiha Dali and Uchiha Shisui, who were wholeheartedly devoted to the Uchiha clan and bore the responsibility of its revival, the clan's future looked much brighter.
"Move out!"
With Fugaku's command, over a dozen figures vanished in an instant.
---
The battles on the northeastern, northwestern, and western fronts were actually far worse than the intelligence had reported.
This was due to the inevitable time lag in information transmission, while battlefield conditions changed rapidly.
As Konoha was fighting on four fronts—against the Hidden Mist, Hidden Cloud, Hidden Stone, and Hidden Sand Villages—their forces had suffered heavy losses.
When Uchiha Dali arrived at the battlefield, he encountered a team transporting the wounded and retrieving the bodies of fallen comrades.
Over twenty medical-nin were carrying around forty severely wounded soldiers, along with sixty to seventy corpses.
The situation was clearly dire for Konoha.
And this only further proved that Uchiha Dali's decision had been correct.
If the ordinary Uchiha clansmen had been thrown onto such a brutal battlefield, their fate would have been no different from the dead and wounded before him.
"An Uchiha shinobi! But he's alone?"
"Hey! Don't go any farther! It's dangerous ahead! The enemy's Jōnin are highly active in that area!"
"The enemy's ambush squads could be lurking anywhere!"
The medical-nin voiced their concerns upon seeing Uchiha Dali arrive.
Uchiha Dali immediately leapt over to them, asking for details.
At the same time, he expanded his sensory abilities.
He quickly grasped the situation.
The Hidden Stone Village had dispatched a large force of elite shinobi to attack Konoha's troops.
The battlefield was chaotic, and even the medical-nin who had just evacuated the wounded had no precise information.
All they knew was that the enemy outnumbered them significantly and that Konoha had suffered heavy casualties.
"A request for reinforcements was already sent, but I never expected only one person to come. Looks like the situation on the other battlefields is just as bad…"
A medical-nin interrupted Uchiha Dali's thoughts.
Uchiha Dali casually glanced at him.
"Fall back. I'll take care of things here."
His sensory abilities had already locked onto the enemy's location.
There were only a few of them.
But they weren't speaking—they were silently advancing.
Uchiha Dali's figure flickered and vanished from sight.
The Konoha medical-nin were stunned by his sheer speed.
"Whoa… that guy is insanely fast!"
"Who is he?"
"Faster than even Shisui of the Body Flicker… Could he be that guy?"
"Yeah, it has to be him. Uchiha Dali—his reputation has been rising on the battlefield. Even the enemies from the Hidden Mist fear him…"
"But heading to the front lines alone… against so many enemies… that's way too reckless!"