Throne Of The Uchiha

Flame

The Sand Village sensor-type ninja failed to detect that the figure lingering in the distance was merely a shadow clone—one of Uchiha Fugaku's.

To the Konoha ninjas, this was a standard tactic: using experience and instinct to judge whether an enemy formation was genuine or a diversion meant to stall pursuit.

Unlike the basic Clone Technique from the standard Three Body Technique, a Shadow Clone is a tangible double that splits the user's chakra evenly and can engage in physical combat.

Most sensory-type ninjas in the shinobi world rely on chakra sensing to detect the number and location of enemies—but they can still be misled by clones imbued with real chakra.

Several Sand shinobi advanced rapidly. Without hesitation, they launched a barrage of shuriken toward the area concealing Fugaku's clone.

The clone moved with speed, the three tomoe of his Sharingan spinning intensely. The swift flight paths of the incoming shuriken were clear to his eyes.

Predicting their trajectories, he countered deftly with his kunai.

Clang! Clang!

Sparks burst through the mist-filled air as steel met steel.

The leading Sand ninja stepped into a seemingly harmless area, unaware they had entered a trap zone. Beneath their feet, carefully sealed explosive tags were hidden—but not set to detonate on pressure. Doing so would have tipped the Sand ninja off prematurely.

Experienced jonin—like these Sand shinobi—were rarely caught off guard. They excelled in reconnaissance, trap detection, and tactical responses. Triggering the seal passively would have betrayed the ambush.

Fugaku knew that most nations, Wind Country included, lacked true sealing mastery. It was a gap Konoha could exploit.

The shadow clone lunged forward, leaping high into the air. His hands blurred as afterimages appeared in his grip—he had already prepped hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

His chest expanded, then exhaled a roaring stream of fire. A massive fireball burst forward, evaporating the lingering mist and rushing straight toward the ground beneath the enemy's feet.

Without pause, he formed seals again.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A second fireball roared to life, this time angled precisely toward the edge of the trap field, where a detonating tag lay concealed under soil and moisture.

The first fireball served as a diversion, drawing the Sand ninja's attention. The second was aimed to ignite the buried tag, creating a chain reaction meant to obliterate the trap field and disrupt enemy formation.

Simultaneously, the clone hurled several kunai outward, aimed at trigger points throughout the zone. Each kunai activated secondary mechanical traps—wired trip snares, buried caltrops, and kunai springloads. While not lethal, they would delay the enemy.

BOOM!

The clone vanished with a puff of smoke. Fugaku, hidden in the shadows further ahead, received the last sensory feedback transmitted by his clone before its dispersal.

The plan had worked. He could feel the delay created behind him.

"Nozawa. Hyūga Ning," Fugaku said calmly. "Monitor our rear. Report immediately if anything changes."

"Understood."

Distant explosions echoed through the terrain—confirmation that the trap had triggered. Whether it resulted in injuries or just disorientation remained unknown.

"Captain," said Nozawa, "they've stopped pursuing. No chakra signatures within range."

Fugaku gave a short nod and unrolled a field map. "The Sand ninja likely deduced our route leads to Konoha. We change course now—if they notify their allied units in Rain Country, we'll be intercepted."

The mission was complete. Now came the most critical part—returning alive.

His team looked at him, silent but trusting. Over the course of the mission, Uchiha Fugaku had earned not only their obedience but their respect.

"North," he commanded. "We'll loop around the Rain-Grass border, then re-enter through the vanguard camp. If Sand moves troops here, Iwagakure will respond—the tension between Wind and Earth will only worsen."

The group pivoted northward, moving swiftly. With Hyūga Ning's Byakugan, they had advanced warning of any ambush. Fugaku, however, had temporarily deactivated his Sharingan—the sustained usage had drained him, and exhaustion was creeping in.

A faint glow began to pierce the clouded sky as dawn broke. The rain had finally tapered off. The team had marched for most of the night—and no enemy pursuit followed.

"Hyūga Ning, Aburame Nozawa," Fugaku ordered, "find a place to rest."

"Yes."

They were worn thin—both mentally and physically. A misstep now could jeopardize everything.

"There's a cave up ahead," Hyūga Ning reported after scouting. "No enemies. No traps. It's safe."

Fugaku gave a nod. "We rest there."

The cave was shallow but dry. Protected from the weather, it was enough for a brief reprieve. They gathered wood and lit a small, smokeless fire. As warmth returned to their soaked bodies, tension melted into fatigue.

Fugaku sat cross-legged near the back wall, expelling chakra to purge the lingering cold, then closed his eyes to meditate.

Nozawa stationed his parasitic insects around the perimeter. Any foreign chakra would trigger an instant response.

Despite Sand's earlier reconnaissance efforts, their formation had been thrown off. Fugaku's misdirection had worked. The enemy would find nothing.

Three days passed as they carefully circumvented patrols from Iwa and Ame. On the fourth, they finally stepped through the wards surrounding the Konoha vanguard camp.

"We made it..." Satomaru exhaled. "I honestly thought we'd lose people."

"I felt the same," Shinji muttered. "I really thought I'd die."

Fugaku said nothing, but he understood. For many of them, this was their first real mission in a war. Survival itself was a quiet miracle.

"Let's report in," he finally said. "Don't relax too much—we'll likely receive our next assignment soon."

The group visibly stiffened. The war was still in its early stages. The battles so far had been probing strikes—but the bloodiest chapters had yet to come.

"Fugaku," a familiar voice called out nearby.

He turned to see Uchiha Yan, a senior clan member and one of the few besides him to awaken the full three-tomoe Sharingan. A respected figure in the Uchiha, known for being both principled and loyal.

Fugaku frowned slightly. Yan wasn't among the original vanguard. His presence meant either reinforcements… or trouble.

"You're here too?" Fugaku asked. "Did you come to deliver supplies or as a frontline backup?"

Yan stepped in close and spoke in a low voice. "Konoha's back home has stabilized. Civilian support for the war is growing—so is the Uchiha Clan's reputation."

He paused. "But I heard the vanguard's taken heavy casualties. The Hokage has requested all major clans to provide reinforcements. I'm leading the Uchiha's response."