Uchiha Su waited patiently until January 15th.
However, the massive army from Konoha that he had expected never arrived.
At this point, he could finally be certain of one thing: Konoha had truly exhausted its reserves.
The repeated destruction of the Eastern Army had dealt a devastating blow to the village. Konoha, once the most powerful military force in the Land of Fire, was now struggling to maintain its front lines.
Until the war on the western side of the Land of Fire was completely resolved, the eastern territories would remain vulnerable.
In other words, the eastern region had temporarily become a paradise for the Hidden Mist.
The land, the people, the wealth, and all the resources here were now effectively under the control of Kirigakure.
Standing inside the command tent, Uchiha Su silently stared at a large map of the ninja world spread across the table.
The Land of Fire alone was no longer enough to satisfy him.
His ambitions had grown far beyond that.
His eyes slowly moved across the map, calculating distances, resources, and potential targets. A faint hunger appeared in his gaze.
He wanted more.
As for whether he could digest everything he planned to take…
That was a problem for later.
After all, a man could not worry about indigestion before he had even eaten.
Finally, Uchiha Su lifted his hand and pointed toward a small nation northeast of the Land of Fire.
"The Land of Hot Springs…"
He tapped the location lightly.
"What do you think about the Land of Hot Springs?" he asked.
Standing beside him was Uchiha Nami, who was responsible for organizing intelligence reports.
Upon hearing the question, she immediately began speaking without hesitation.
"The Land of Hot Springs is a small but resource-rich country," Nami explained calmly. "Due to its unique geographical position and the fact that it has rarely been involved in major conflicts, its population has grown steadily for decades."
"It is often called the 'Country That Forgot War.'"
Her voice was steady, almost mechanical, as if she were reading from an encyclopedia.
"The country possesses abundant natural resources and fertile land. Its people live relatively prosperous lives compared to other regions."
"There is also a ninja village within its borders, although its strength is limited. It cannot be considered a major military force."
She paused briefly before adding another detail.
"According to our intelligence network, there is also a religious cult active within the Land of Hot Springs. At present, its influence remains limited, but it appears to be expanding gradually."
Uchiha Su narrowed his eyes slightly.
"A cult, huh…"
He naturally remembered a certain individual.
Hidan.
A man from the Land of Hot Springs.
In the future, that lunatic would join the Jashin cult, undergo terrifying rituals, and gain an immortal body through their experiments.
Later, he would slaughter the entire ninja village of the Land of Hot Springs and become a rogue ninja.
Eventually, he would be recruited by the Akatsuki and form the infamous "Immortal Duo" alongside Kakuzu.
However, Uchiha Su was not particularly interested in Hidan's so-called immortality.
In his opinion, Hidan's combat strength was mediocre at best.
Once someone understood his abilities, he was actually quite easy to deal with.
Immortality alone did not make someone powerful.
If one lacked intelligence and strategy, immortality simply meant being sealed forever.
After thinking for a moment, Uchiha Su issued his order.
"Select two hundred squads."
"Each squad should consist of mixed personnel—Hidden Mist ninjas along with the Konoha prisoners we captured."
Nami nodded slightly, already understanding his intention.
"Send them to the Land of Hot Springs," Uchiha Su continued calmly.
"The mission is simple."
"Plunder the population."
His tone remained emotionless, as if he were discussing ordinary logistics.
"However, do not underestimate them. Even though their ninja village is small, caution is still necessary."
"Understood, Young Master."
Uchiha Nami bowed slightly before leaving the tent to carry out the orders.
Soon afterward, the command center became busy.
Two hundred ninja squads were quickly assembled.
Each squad contained several shinobi, and with hundreds of teams departing simultaneously, the sight was truly spectacular.
One after another, they left the camp.
Their destination was the northeast border of the Land of Fire.
Beyond that border lay the peaceful nation known as the Land of Hot Springs.
The next morning.
The chill of early spring lingered in the air, bringing with it a biting cold wind.
Unexpectedly, an envoy from Konoha arrived in Miwacho.
The news surprised Uchiha Su.
What surprised him even more…
Was the identity of the envoy.
Inside the Akabane Mansion, Uchiha Su personally received the guests.
Across from him stood a man with a solemn expression.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Jonin Sarutobi," Uchiha Su said calmly.
"I wonder what Konoha wishes to discuss by sending you as an envoy."
Despite maintaining a composed appearance, Uchiha Su felt slightly awkward.
After all…
He had killed the man's father not long ago.
If Hiruzen suddenly challenged him to a duel right there, he would not have been surprised.
But Hiruzen had not come alone.
Behind him stood three children.
Jiraiya.
Tsunade.
Orochimaru.
The future Legendary Sannin.
For a moment, the room fell into silence.
Hiruzen did not immediately answer Uchiha Su's question.
Instead, he stared at him quietly.
His gaze was extremely complicated.
Hatred.
Anger.
Grief.
All of these emotions were mixed together within his eyes.
Finally, Hiruzen spoke.
"You are unwilling to even call me 'Teacher' now?"
His voice was calm but carried a hint of sadness.
Uchiha Su adjusted his posture slightly.
"We are currently at war," he replied.
"It would be better to address each other by rank."
He continued in a measured tone.
"That way, when you return to Konoha, no one can accuse you of secretly colluding with a traitor like me."
"Otherwise, rumors might spread."
"Some people might even claim you were planning to betray the village."
He paused briefly before adding with faint sarcasm:
"Who knows? They might even ask the Yamanaka clan to examine your memories."
Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly.
Before he could speak again, another voice burst out.
"Uchiha Su!"
Jiraiya stepped forward angrily.
"I didn't expect you would actually kill Teacher Sarutobi's father!"
"Do you feel no guilt at all?!"
His voice echoed throughout the room.
"Regardless of anything else, Teacher Sarutobi taught you before! Only after you left was I assigned to his squad!"
Jiraiya had always been impulsive.
As a child, his emotions were even harder to control.
Of course, as he grew older and experienced the harsh realities of the ninja world, he would eventually mature into a reliable shinobi.
But right now…
He was still just a hot-blooded kid.
Tsunade stood beside him, her head lowered.
Her eyes were fixed on the stone floor beneath her feet.
Ever since she had personally witnessed the cruelty of war, the once carefree girl had changed.
Everything Uchiha Su had done seemed to be pushing the distance between them further and further apart.
She could not imagine what their relationship would become in the future.
Perhaps…
The next time they met…
It would be on the battlefield.
As enemies.
Facing each other with weapons drawn.
Fighting until one of them died.
Just thinking about it made her chest tighten.
She didn't want to imagine it any further.
Orochimaru, however, remained calm.
He simply gave Uchiha Su a small nod.
A silent greeting.
Among the three of them, Orochimaru's personality was the most unusual.
He did not appear to care much about what Uchiha Su had done.
To him, such matters were merely part of the world's natural order.
Uchiha Su turned his gaze toward Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya…"
His voice was soft, but it carried a faint pressure.
"Are you questioning me?"
He took a step forward.
"And in what capacity are you questioning me?"
"A Konoha ninja?"
"If that's the case, then you are not qualified."
"If Konoha wants to question me, send Jonin Sarutobi or your Hokage."
Jiraiya froze momentarily.
But his mind quickly found another argument.
"No!"
"I'm asking you as a classmate!"
His voice became firm again.
"You still acknowledge that identity, don't you?"
"After all, we studied in the same class!"
Uchiha Su looked at him silently.
Then he spoke.
"As a classmate?"
His voice suddenly became louder.
"Fine."
"I'll answer your question."
"You asked whether I feel guilty."
His eyes became cold.
"I can tell you clearly right now."
"I will never feel guilty."
Jiraiya's expression changed drastically.
Disbelief filled his face.
They had been classmates for an entire year.
He thought he understood Uchiha Su.
But now…
The person standing before him felt completely different.
Cold.
Distant.
Terrifying.
Where was the gentle boy who used to help everyone in class?
Where had he gone?
A chill ran down Jiraiya's spine.
It felt as though the person before him was a stranger.
Tsunade lowered her head even further.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
"Don't be so naive, Jiraiya," Uchiha Su said calmly.
"This is war."
He stood up slowly.
His gaze swept across the room.
"War is the most extreme measure in existence."
"When two sides stand against each other, life and death are determined by fate."
"In war, any method can be used."
"As long as you win, everything is acceptable."
"But if you lose…"
"Then everything ends."
He paused before continuing.
"Guilt?"
"That is a luxury."
"A luxury that ninjas cannot afford."
"When Konoha fought against Sunagakure…"
"Both sides slaughtered people in the Land of Rain."
"To avoid exposing their positions, countless civilians were killed."
He turned to look directly at Hiruzen.
"So tell me."
"Does Teacher Sarutobi feel guilty?"
Hiruzen opened his mouth.
But no words came out.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
"That night…"
"Teacher Sarutobi cried."
Jiraiya's voice was softer now.
"He received a letter."
"At first, I thought the tears were caused by smoke."
"But later…"
"I learned the truth."
"Teacher Sarutobi had just received news that his father had died in battle."
"Killed by his own former student."
He clenched his fists.
"Even so, he suppressed his grief."
"After completing the mission, he returned to Konoha immediately."
"And then…"
"He personally requested to become this envoy."
Jiraiya looked directly at Uchiha Su.
His eyes were filled with pain.
"Uchiha Su…"
"You've changed too much."
"So much that I barely recognize you."
"When you were in the academy…"
"You were kind."
"You were cheerful."
"You helped everyone."
"Whether they were from the Hyuga, Sarutobi, or Nara clans…"
"Or even ordinary civilians like me and Orochimaru…"
"You never discriminated against anyone."
"You shared food with us."
"You treated everyone equally."
He took a deep breath.
"Back then, Teacher Sakagami even said you didn't resemble an Uchiha."
"He said you were more like a Senju."
Jiraiya's voice suddenly rose again.
"But look at yourself now!"
"Look at what you've become!"
"Your hands are stained with blood!"
"You talk about slaughter like it's nothing!"
"You speak of war as if it were just another game!"
He pointed directly at Uchiha Su.
"Tell me!"
"Are you still the same person you used to be?"
The room fell silent.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Finally…
Uchiha Su answered calmly.
"What if…"
"I told you…"
"That I have never changed at all?"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)