Chapter 5: Land of Hot Springs, Realm of Chaos
"Takanotsume-kun." Uchiha Shisui stepped forward and patted Uchiha Takanotsume on the shoulder.
He'd keenly noticed Takanotsume's earlier shudder.
But since Shisui had graduated early and was still young, he was short like a little radish, making his attempt to comfort someone look a bit comical.
"You don't need to worry too much. I didn't expect Elder Setsuna to personally lead this mission. That should mean your side's danger level is pretty low."
Shisui gave a kind smile, offering reassurance.
Even though he'd chosen the far more dangerous Land of Rain battlefield, here he was comforting Takanotsume.
Takanotsume snapped back to reality, staring at him with a lifeless expression.
Damn it, you stole my pig-feeding mission, and now you're stealing my chance to die?
Can you act like a human for once?
"Takanotsume-kun, I've got to finish a mission before tomorrow's assembly, so I'll take my leave."
Shisui waved the C-rank mission scroll he'd just picked up, then bid farewell and left.
After Shisui departed, Takanotsume's eyes flickered briefly.
Was the danger level of Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Springs really that low?
Not necessarily…
Night. The full moon broke through the clouds, casting a silvery glow over the land.
Within the Uchiha clan compound.
Uchiha Setsuna, in wooden clogs, slid open a wooden door with an impassive expression.
The small room instantly lit up with a sea of scarlet eyes.
"Great Elder!"
Amid a chorus of greetings, Uchiha Setsuna took his place at the head of the room, sitting cross-legged.
To his side sat the hawk faction's second-in-command, Uchiha Yashiro.
Below them were nearly a hundred Uchiha clansmen, all chūnin or higher, each with awakened Sharingan.
This was the hawk faction's strength.
"Great Elder, hadn't we already decided to send a team of capable clansmen to support the Land of Hot Springs?" Yashiro asked, frowning slightly. "Why is there a genin on the list—and one who hasn't even awakened his Sharingan?"
"Didn't you explain the mission's danger to the clan?"
Setsuna picked up a teacup, glancing at Yashiro. "I'm personally going on this mission."
"That's all we need."
"But this isn't just about the Blood Pond clan acting up and increasing pressure on the guards," Yashiro analyzed, his brow furrowed. "The Land of Hot Springs sits between the Lands of Fire, Lightning, and Water. Recently, Iwa and Suna have clashed with Kiri in small-scale battles. That place is already a chaotic mess."
"Spies and combat units from every nation are mixed in, not to mention the small organizations that popped up in minor countries after the Second Ninja World War—Xuanyuan Clan, Hannya Clan, the Cult of the Evil God, Tsuchigumo Clan, remnants of the destroyed Yoka Village, Kiri's Rain-Cutter and Hunter-nin, Iwa's Explosion Corps, Rasa fighting on the Kiri front to secure the Kazekage title, and bounty hunters from the underground exchange…"
"That place is a complete powder keg," Yashiro shook his head gravely, thinking Setsuna was being overconfident.
In a situation like that, even the Third Hokage himself might not come out on top.
Setsuna, though a veteran Uchiha from the Warring States era, taking only a genin and a chūnin seemed reckless no matter how you sliced it.
But the clan's manpower was stretched thin. The Police Force members were restricted by Konoha and couldn't leave the village without cause.
Yashiro suddenly suggested, "Maybe we could request aid from Konoha?"
"Enough." Setsuna set down his teacup, his tone flat but final. "I'm enough."
"Yashiro, the Hell Valley assignment isn't from Konoha. It's a long-term contract directly from the Land of Lightning's daimyo to the Uchiha—one of our few steady income sources."
"Don't rely on others for security, especially not Konoha, Hiruzen, or Danzo." Setsuna looked up, his scarlet Sharingan gleaming coldly. "Only what we control matters. Anything handed out by others—you grovel like a dog to get it, and the moment they're displeased, they'll kick you to the curb."
Yashiro fell silent under those words.
Ninja were combat tools, detached from production. The Uchiha's wealth came from ancestral assets, Konoha real estate, and large-scale missions taken on by clan ninja.
The Blood Pond clan guarding mission paid an annual reward equivalent to an S-rank mission.
Long-term. Stable.
This was why Setsuna refused to let Konoha meddle in it.
Click.
Takanotsume slid open the door to his home.
A dusty, goggle-wearing kid promptly fell from a tree in the courtyard.
Takanotsume could tell at a glance—the guy had fallen because he'd messed up his chakra distribution while practicing tree-climbing.
"Obito, what are you doing now?"
Takanotsume sighed at the uninvited guest.
This was none other than Obito, who'd just graduated from the Ninja Academy last year.
Also, his current neighbor.
"Yo, Takanotsume! Haha, just prepping for the Chūnin Exams!" Obito rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin, then scowled. "That damn Kakashi, using his chūnin rank to boss me around, saying I have to follow his orders!"
"It was just a stupid cat-catching mission!"
"Once I nail this training, I'm gonna shove my chūnin vest in his face!" Obito grumbled, spilling the whole story.
Takanotsume paused, a realization dawning.
Unknowingly, he'd already spent a full year in this relatively peaceful Konoha.
Only now did he notice the timeline had reached this point. Last year, Obito had teamed up with Kakashi and Rin under Minato Namikaze's leadership, doing D-rank missions for a while.
But Obito's dream of becoming a chūnin this year was probably doomed.
The Ninja World War was about to erupt. As an elite jōnin, Minato would soon head to the front lines, and this team would spend the year trailing him across battlefields.
It wasn't until the Land of Lightning eased its offensive, giving Konoha a breather, that the Chūnin Exams would be held in the 48th year of Konoha.
That's when Obito would get critically injured by Might Guy's kick, lose, but still manage to get promoted to chūnin.
"You zoning out or what? Grandma made noodles—come eat!" Obito waved a hand in front of Takanotsume's face, tilting his head.
"Alright, let me put my stuff down." Takanotsume nodded, not turning down the invitation.
On his way back, he'd swung by the river to grab his rake and shoes.
But that sack of sellable cans? Gone, bag and all—probably swiped by some punk.
Takanotsume cursed under his breath. What's the world coming to?
Last year in Konoha, this kind of thing never happened.
It was only recently, with the Uchiha Police Force tied up in war meetings, that petty theft in the village had spiked.