Hearing Danzō's words,
before Sarutobi Hiruzen could say anything, the two advisors frowned at the same time.
"The Uchiha?"
"How can that be? The Uchiha not participating in external wars and only being responsible for the Police Force was a rule set by Lord Second while he was alive. Although Kirigakure's appearance is an unexpected situation, it shouldn't be to the point where we need to send the Uchiha to the battlefield, right? What if…"
What if, after one battle, several Mangekyō appeared? What then?
Even if it was not the Mangekyō, ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan were already troublesome enough. After all, the Uchiha clan had always displayed the trait that the stronger their ocular power became, the deeper their instability tended to grow. And that instability could in turn further strengthen their ocular power. A sufficiently extreme three-tomoe Sharingan was not necessarily less dangerous to the village than a Mangekyō.
Uchiha Setsuna was clear proof of this. Senju Tobirama's research papers had also mentioned this mechanism many times.
On this issue,
Danzō held a different opinion.
"The Uchiha are a clan that enjoys battle. Over the years, they have been restricted from leaving the village and have grown rather dissatisfied. We might as well take this opportunity to let some of them go out and see blood, so they stop always feeling that the village is suppressing them.
"Besides, since the deaths of the Uchiha Madara brothers, the Uchiha clan has never produced another Mangekyō. Perhaps we are worrying too much."
"…"
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked at each other.
No, wait… had the sun risen from the west today?
Danzō, who had always targeted the Uchiha the most and practically wished he could arrest them all and throw them in prison, was actually saying something like this?
In the entire office, only Yuu narrowed his eyes slightly, vaguely guessing Danzō's thoughts.
In the original story, the Uchiha clan had indeed gone to the battlefield. And Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō, as well as the title "Shisui of the Body Flicker," were most likely obtained during the Third War. The people he fought were Kiri ninja.
Yuu did not know whether, in the original timeline, the Uchiha clan had also been deployed to the battlefield at this time. But since this proposal had been raised by Danzō, it was absolutely impossible for it to be out of goodwill. More likely, it was a scheme to drive tigers and wolves against each other.
Just as he had said earlier, Kirigakure's Water Release countered Fire Release, and the Hidden Mist Technique countered the Sharingan. Sending the Uchiha clan to fight Kiri ninja could be said to give them no advantage in either terrain or timing. Aside from elites like Shisui, most ordinary Uchiha probably would not fight comfortably.
So…
was Danzō planning to use Kirigakure's hands to kill off a group of Uchiha?
Perhaps he even intended to use this chance to collect some Sharingan, or even Uchiha corpses.
Judging from Danzō's use of Izanagi, his research into the Uchiha definitely had not begun only after the Uchiha massacre. It had likely started as early as Uchiha Kagami's era. Compared with making a move against the Uchiha inside Konoha, fishing in troubled waters on the battlefield was obviously much easier.
Across from him,
Sarutobi Hiruzen considered and weighed things for a moment before slowly speaking.
"The plan Danzō mentioned is indeed an option. Although many in the Uchiha clan have criticisms of the village, there are also people like Kagami who love peace…
"Right, that descendant of Kagami's, the child named Shisui, did he recently participate in the chūnin exams?"
"Yes."
Mitokado Homura said, "That child did not attend the ninja academy. He went through another sequence… Koharu and I watched that exam and spoke with him briefly. Although we did not interact much, his thinking and insight differ from children of the same age. He is very similar to Kagami back then."
In a certain sense, Uchiha Kagami could also be considered one of Konoha F4's cherished memories.
After all, they had been teammates for several years back then, and Kagami had been gentle and kind, taking care of them and being cared for by them in return. Although Kagami had been dead for many years, F4 still paid occasional attention to his descendants.
"Good."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "In that case, assign a group of slots to the Uchiha clan. Let them choose clan members themselves, form a squad, and follow Yuu to the Kirigakure battlefield… Yuu, what do you think?"
Yuu sighed.
Since things had already been said to this extent, there was not much he could say.
From Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two advisors' perspective, this arrangement was indeed meant to "cultivate" him. It was intended to develop his ability to lead a squad and become a ninja who could stand on his own like Namikaze Minato. Ordinary people would not even have the chance to be cultivated like this.
In the original story, Kakashi had only received such an opportunity after being promoted to jōnin at twelve, and then the Kannabi Bridge incident happened…
Now, Yuu had broken Kakashi's "youngest jōnin" record ahead of time, but this also caused Minato's team to act independently much earlier. It was hard to say whether the Kannabi Bridge incident, which should originally happen a year later, would be brought forward.
"…Forget it."
Yuu raised his head again.
"I will follow Lord Third's arrangements. When do we need to depart?"
"In the next two days."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "I will send someone to notify Fugaku and the other accompanying personnel. You should speak with Kakashi, Obito, Kurenai, and the others. Your newly promoted chūnin teams will go together when the time comes."
"Understood."
Yuu accepted the order. After confirming that Sarutobi Hiruzen had no further instructions, he bowed slightly and took his leave.
…
That afternoon,
Yuu first went to find Kakashi and told him about the new mission, asking him to notify Obito when he had time. Yuu himself then went to Kurenai's home to inform the members of Asuma's team.
Their team leader, Nara Shikaku, was not currently in Konoha either. He was around Wildfire City, assisting Orochimaru in adjusting the border defenses. So Asuma's team was currently in a similar situation to Minato's team, with a group of children managing themselves.
Speaking of which, Yuu had really never visited the Yūhi household much. Compared with his and Rin's homes, the Yūhi family's location was quite good, and the property was large. A rather Western-looking three-story house stood there, with ivy climbing all over the courtyard's outer wall.
"Huh, Yuu! Why are you here?"
Kurenai had already seen Yuu from the balcony and almost ran out to greet him. With a clatter, she pulled open the courtyard gate, and a bright smile bloomed on her face.
"This is your first time coming to my house as a guest, right? Come in quickly!"
"No need. I just came to tell you something. It'll be quick."
Yuu intended to refuse,
but Kurenai grabbed his arm without giving him a choice and said enthusiastically, "Come on, you're already here. My father isn't home anyway, so it's fine to sit for a while…"
At this point, Kurenai seemed to realize that the description "my father isn't home" sounded a little problematic, so she quickly added,
"Ah, no… I mean, I happen to have some questions about genjutsu training that I want to ask you, so let's talk inside."
"…Alright then. Sorry for the intrusion."
Once Yuu agreed,
Kurenai happily pulled him into the entrance hall. She fetched guest slippers, then served warm tea and a fruit plate.
"Sit wherever you like, Yuu. These fruits were just bought yesterday. Try some. Don't be polite."
"Thank you."
Yuu sat formally beside the low table and looked up. Only then did he notice that Kurenai was dressed differently from usual.
She was not wearing her usual red-and-white mesh outfit, but a sleeveless white training uniform. Her fair, smooth arms were exposed, with protective bandages wrapped around her forearms. As for her lower body, her long, well-proportioned legs could be seen, their lines smooth and graceful.
Her bare feet stepped on the tatami. Her ankles were slender, her arches graceful, and her nails were neatly trimmed. Under the sunlight filtering in through the window, they gave off a soft luster, full of the unique youthful vitality of a girl, pleasant to look at.
"…What is it?"
After arranging the tea and snacks, Kurenai keenly caught Yuu's gaze lingering on her legs. She looked down, only then realizing that her outfit was a little light. Her heart jumped, and the tips of her ears turned slightly red. At the same time, there was a hidden trace of delight.
To be fair,
when it came to physical development, Kurenai had some confidence, especially compared with Rin of the same age. She was a little taller, so her figure was more slender. Now it seemed she could indeed attract Yuu's attention more easily…
"Cough…"
Kurenai coughed lightly and sat cross-legged beside Yuu in a natural manner, brushing her hair back. This movement brought her exposed knees and calves closer into Yuu's field of vision.
"Um, Yuu, you said you came to tell me something?"
"Ah, right."
Yuu withdrew his gaze, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then got straight to the point.
"Lord Third just issued a deployment order. There is unusual movement from Kirigakure in the southeastern direction of the Land of Fire. I have already been appointed as captain and will soon lead an elite force to investigate. Your team will also set out with us."
"Kirigakure?"
The blush on Kurenai's face faded slightly, replaced by seriousness.
"We only returned from Mount Kikyo less than two weeks ago, and now we're going to the battlefield again?"
Although she had already experienced the southwestern battlefield together with Asuma and the others, especially the intense Battle of Mount Kikyo, Kurenai still had some resistance toward war. When she thought of those scenes of blood and flesh flying, her mood became somewhat gloomy.
However…
fortunately,
Yuu would be there.
To enemy villages, this "White Reaper" was a nightmare-like existence. But to his comrades, he was a reassuring presence. When carrying out missions with him, under normal circumstances, one did not need to worry too much about being unable to return.
"Did Lord Third say the exact departure time?"
Kurenai asked.
"It hasn't been set yet, but I estimate it will be soon. Later, tell Asuma and Raidō to pack their things as soon as possible over the next few days and prepare to depart."
Yuu replied.
"I understand."
Kurenai nodded seriously, firmly committing the mission information to memory. Then she raised her head and smiled.
"Right, Yuu, since you finally came over, help me take a look at the new technique I've been researching recently. I originally planned to ask Father, but you're just as good."
"A new technique?"
"Mm."
Kurenai stood up, her fair bare feet stepping on the floor.
"Last time, you mentioned that I could try combining genjutsu and taijutsu to form a 'gen-taijutsu' fighting style. I practiced it a little and feel like I have some idea, but it still isn't very clear… Come to the courtyard."
At once,
the two went outside one after another and stood in the courtyard.
Kurenai quickly formed seals with both hands. The air seemed to ripple like water, and the original courtyard, walls, and fence disappeared, replaced by a small forest full of lush grass and trees. Large trees rose from the ground, growing into leafy canopies in the blink of an eye.
Genjutsu: False Surroundings Technique.
At the same time, it was combined with Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.
Then,
Kurenai's figure also blurred slightly, as if merging into the visual distortion created by the genjutsu. She became indistinct and drifting. Suddenly, she turned into a cloud of cherry blossoms that scattered, leaving several red afterimages between reality and illusion in the lingering vision as they rushed toward Yuu from different angles.
As Yuu raised his hand to block, these afterimages changed again. A faint, bewildering cherry-blossom fragrance spread around them, further interfering with the opponent's senses.
"…Not bad."
Yuu nodded slightly.
He had experienced Yūhi Shinku's genjutsu before. As one of Konoha's few non-Uchiha genjutsu ninja, Shinku's strength was indeed noteworthy. Several times, he had made Yuu fall into genjutsu without realizing it. Although Kurenai's current attainment was a little inferior to Yūhi Shinku's, it was still decent.
For a girl in her early teens, it was already excellent.
However…
there were naturally flaws, and they were very obvious.
When Kurenai tried to close in, Yuu's gaze sharpened. His powerful spiritual energy directly broke through the genjutsu interference. Then his left hand shot out like lightning and accurately seized Kurenai's wrist, while his right hand brought two fingers together and cut toward the opening under Kurenai's ribs, exposed by her attacking motion.
"Mm!"
Kurenai let out a muffled groan, and her offensive was instantly broken.
She pulled out of the genjutsu and looked at Yuu in confusion, curiosity appearing on her face.
"Yuu, how did you find my real body so quickly?"
"Your attack intent was too obvious. The chakra distribution and movement trajectory of the illusions also had subtle flaws. Ordinary people might not notice them, but in the eyes of someone with sharp sensory ability or rich battlefield experience, they're as eye-catching as fireflies in the night."
Yuu explained, then proposed a way to improve it.
"You need to control your chakra more delicately and make the illusions more realistic, truly reaching the point where false and real are hard to distinguish.
"Also, in terms of taijutsu, there are a few habits you need to improve. You have to learn how to weave a large net, making every move a killing strike, instead of simply using genjutsu to assist your attacks. Otherwise, it's very easy for the enemy to counter you…"
Kurenai listened seriously and subconsciously touched the spot where she had just been struck, deep in thought.
~~~
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