The surprise flickering across Mitokado Shisho's face did not go unnoticed.
"Who's arrived?" asked Yamanaka Haiichi curiously.
"Uchiha Yuan."
At that name, Haiichi's expression changed as well. "Him? Why would Lord Jiraiya transfer him here?"
Most Konoha shinobi on the Iwagakure front had never even heard of Yuan. To them, he was just another name on a reassignment scroll. But the higher-ups—men like Mitokado Shisho and Yamanaka Haiichi—knew better. They'd read the intelligence reports: Uchiha Yuan, the man who'd repelled the Fourth Raikage.
"No matter the reason," Shisho said after a moment, "his arrival will bolster our strength—and serve as a deterrent to Iwa."
He turned to the messenger ninja. "Let them in."
Down below the ridge, Yuan and his squad waited by the road.
Just then, a returning Konoha reconnaissance team appeared—dusty and travel-worn. The leader's eyes widened as soon as he saw Yuan.
"Yuan? What are you doing here?"
The voice was warm, familiar. The speaker—Uchiha Shisui.
Yuan inclined his head slightly. "It's been a while, Shisui. Lord Jiraiya reassigned me to this front."
Shisui's face broke into a grin. "That's great! Looks like we'll be fighting side by side from now on."
He gave Yuan a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I heard the stories, you know—'The Fierce Tiger of Konoha.' The Hidden Sand and Hidden Cloud both curse your name. You've been busy, huh?"
Yuan smiled faintly. "And you—'Shisui of the Body Flicker'—your name's traveled far too."
Shisui chuckled modestly. "Just exaggerated rumors. Nothing worth mentioning."
As Shisui's squad departed toward camp, Yamanaka Mokuno commented, "Lord Yuan, your clansman seems… different from the rest of the Uchiha. I didn't expect someone so humble and kind."
But Mokuno knew the truth. Shisui of the Body Flicker wasn't a name earned lightly—it was carved from the blood of countless Iwa shinobi.
To him, Shisui's battlefield record was easily on par with Yuan's.
Yuan, however, said nothing, his gaze distant as he looked up toward the hilltop encampment.
Moments later, a messenger returned and landed lightly before them. "Captain Yuan, Lord Shisho is expecting you."
Inside the command tent, the air was thick with the scent of parchment and oil lamps.
Yuan entered alongside Mokuno and Akimichi Kai. Several senior officers were already present—among them, Shisui once again.
"Lord Shisho," Yuan greeted respectfully.
Mitokado Shisho studied him for a few seconds before nodding. "I've read Lord Jiraiya's reassignment order. Uchiha Yuan, welcome to the Iwa front."
"Thank you, sir," Yuan replied. "May I ask how you intend to deploy us?"
"Not yet," Shisho said, waving a hand. "You've just arrived. Take a day to rest."
Then he turned serious. "Tell me—how goes the fighting with Cloud?"
Yuan nodded toward Mokuno. "For details, my adjutant can brief you, sir."
Mokuno stepped forward, bowing first to Shisho, then offering a small nod to another familiar face. "Uncle Haiichi."
Haiichi smiled faintly. "Mokuno, Kai… I didn't expect to see you two here."
After the brief greeting, Mokuno began his detailed report on the recent battles against the Hidden Cloud—each offensive, each counterattack, each near miss.
When he finished, the tent fell silent.
Shisho exhaled slowly, brow furrowed. "Two Jinchūriki on the same front… Jiraiya's position must be under immense pressure."
Haiichi's expression darkened. "That's what worries me. I suspect Iwagakure and Kumogakure have reached some kind of agreement. If Cloud keeps Jiraiya pinned, Iwa might redeploy their Jinchūriki here. Then we'll be facing two of our own."
Shisho's eyes widened slightly. "You think that's possible?"
"It's more than possible," Haiichi replied grimly. "We should assume the worst."
Shisho nodded sharply. "Then we increase patrols. Strengthen the defensive line immediately."
"Understood."
Later, after the meeting ended, Yuan followed Shisui back to his personal tent.
Mokuno and Kai went off with Haiichi to coordinate intelligence matters, leaving the two Uchiha alone.
Inside Shisui's tent, the air was calm, the faint scent of green tea filling the space.
Shisui poured two cups and handed one over. "I still can't believe it—you actually drove back the Fourth Raikage."
He had only just learned the details from Mokuno's report during the briefing, and even now it was hard to imagine.
Yuan took a sip of tea, his tone even. "It wasn't a glorious victory. We paid dearly for it. I only happened to stand last."
Shisui looked at him silently for a while, then said, "Still… defeating someone like that is no small feat. The clan will revere you for it. Everyone always said I was the Uchiha prodigy, but you…" He smiled softly. "You might be the true one."
The praise didn't seem to move Yuan. He set the cup down gently. "Do you think I care about titles like that, Shisui? You've heard about Maito Dai, haven't you?"
Shisui blinked, then nodded seriously. "Of course. Who would've thought a mere genin—no ninjutsu, no kekkei genkai—could annihilate the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? His strength was… unimaginable."
Yuan's gaze softened slightly. "Exactly. Like him, I'm just doing what I must."
Shisui smiled, then said quietly, "Even so, your power won't go unnoticed. I'll speak with Lord Third myself. If possible, I want you to join the Anbu."
Yuan looked at him for a long moment, a flicker of helplessness crossing his eyes.
He knew what Shisui was thinking—that maybe together, they could bridge the growing divide between the Uchiha clan and the village.
But Yuan said nothing of it.
Instead, he asked, "Shisui, I just arrived. Tell me—how's Iwagakure moving these days?"
Shisui's smile faded briefly, replaced by a shadowed expression. "They've retreated to the border between the Land of Earth and Grass. No major offensives for days now… but small Iwa squads keep sneaking across the border, scouting our defenses."
He paused, his voice lowering. "They're planning something. I can feel it."
Some people die… but they're never truly gone.
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