Throne Of The Uchiha

Battle

Fugaku hadn't expected a single mission to spark such a massive chain reaction.

It seemed that their earlier operation had provoked the ire of the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Rain. In the Amegakure battlefield, Konoha currently held the numerical and tactical advantage among the four nations. But once targeted by the others, their forces would inevitably suffer.

Among the Uchiha, Uchiha En was one of the more composed and measured individuals. The fact that the clan head had entrusted him with leadership hinted at careful deliberation.

"I'll go report the mission first," Fugaku said. "I'll visit your tent later so we can go over the details."

Uchiha En nodded and resumed his inspection of the encampment's operations. Fugaku, meanwhile, led his squad toward Hatake Sakumo's command tent.

The heavy curtain parted to reveal a far different scene from before. The once-empty space had been transformed into a fully operational combat command center. A detailed terrain model of the Rain Country stood at the center, lined with unit markers and chakra trail indicators.

Fugaku scanned the tent. Several tacticians from the Nara and Yamanaka clans stood in discussion, alongside key figures from the Intelligence Division.

"Uchiha Fugaku reporting," he said clearly. "We successfully eliminated the entire Sand Shinobi supply base and destroyed all materials stored within."

Hatake Sakumo's sharp silver gaze flicked to them. The fact that all eight of Fugaku's team returned alive was notable. His surprise only flickered for a second before he nodded, face unreadable.

"Impressive," Sakumo said. "You live up to your reputation as a genius of the Uchiha clan. In the previous engagement, Konoha took heavy losses. Reinforcements have just arrived. We're reorganizing the teams, and you may receive new members. Stand by for instructions."

"Yes, sir."

The group gave a unified bow and exited.

"Lord Hatake is terrifying," murmured Qiuze Daye. "I started sweating just standing in that tent."

"You're not alone," Koda Maru added. "It felt like I was facing a blade poised to draw at any second."

Fugaku remained thoughtful. The current Hatake Sakumo was vastly different from the ghostly presence who lingered at the edge of the Pure Land in later years—then, a man broken by betrayal and shame. But now? Now he still radiated brilliance—on the cusp of peaking.

A true powerhouse.

A man who should have died a hero in battle—but instead fell prey to the village's rot.

Fugaku felt conflicted. A part of him regretted the death of such a talented comrade. Another part acknowledged that Konoha losing a top-tier fighter gave the Uchiha clan more breathing room.

"We've officially completed the mission," Fugaku said to his team. "It wasn't easy, but it went smoothly. Get some rest for now—I'll inform you when our next orders arrive."

The team dispersed. Fugaku, accompanied by Aburame Nozawa and Satomaru, returned to their assigned tents.

"I miss the barracks," Satomaru grumbled. "Sleeping in damp caves every night is torture."

"This is just the beginning," Fugaku replied calmly. "You'll get used to it. Missions in the Rain Country rarely come with comforts."

Ignoring Satomaru's theatrical sigh, Fugaku stepped back out, heading toward Uchiha En's tent.

"Fugaku!"

He turned to see Uchiha Jin jogging toward him.

"You made it back," Jin said. "With the three nations tightening their noose, I was worried we'd lost you."

Fugaku understood the weight behind his words. The Uchiha clan had already begun suffering casualties.

"What's our current toll?"

Jin's expression turned grim. "Seven Uchiha were deployed recently. Three have fallen. Only two bodies were recovered—the third is in Iwagakure's hands. We're waiting for a chance to retrieve it."

Fugaku nodded silently. The Sharingan was a bloodline legacy. Without Uchiha DNA, its transplantation often led to rejection—or death.

In all of shinobi history, only two non-Uchiha were known to have successfully wielded the Sharingan:

One was Shimura Danzō, who forcibly transplanted multiple Sharingan into his arm, using cells from the First Hokage to barely maintain stability.

The other was Kakashi Hatake, who received Obito Uchiha's eye as a gift—though it remained perpetually active and consumed his chakra relentlessly.

"A tragic waste," Fugaku muttered. "They were valuable clan members. Have the remains been returned to Konoha yet?"

"Yes," Jin replied. "A supply caravan from the village arrived yesterday. They left this morning and took the bodies for burial."

"Uchiha En is leading the reinforcements, correct?"

"We spoke yesterday."

"Good. Come with me to see him," Fugaku said. "Konoha's political situation is shifting—we need to understand where the village stands."

Before they left Konoha, rumors had spread that the Uchiha-led Guard Division had cracked down hard on enemy infiltrators. This had bolstered their standing among the villagers.

But Fugaku was no fool. That reputation gain ran counter to the isolation policies established since the reign of the Second Hokage. The upper echelons of Konoha wouldn't sit by and watch the Uchiha rise unchecked.

The reinforcement group led by En had been drawn from the Guard and hadn't yet been folded into regular platoons. Currently, three Uchiha shared a tent.

"Fugaku, Jin, you're here," Uchiha En greeted. "Qiuming, Mizu—give us some space."

Uchiha Qiuming and Uchiha Mizu, both Chūnin with two-tomoe Sharingan, bowed and left.

"What's the latest from the village?" Fugaku asked. "Any restrictions placed on the clan?"

"For now, it's quiet," En said. "The clan head has squads patrolling every night. The village elders can't find anything to pin on us. But before I left, he warned me to pass on a message: stay sharp. The higher-ups won't tolerate the Uchiha regaining prestige and producing new war heroes. It disrupts the balance they've carefully maintained."

Fugaku nodded, an odd pride stirring in him. He'd once underestimated his father, but now he saw it clearly—the man had the instincts of a wartime leader, only limited by the era he was born into.

"Maybe they're too overwhelmed right now," Jin suggested. "Konoha's vanguard took massive losses in the past two days. The leadership doesn't have time to worry about us—for the moment."

But all of them knew this lull wouldn't last.