Such an important hostage should be entrusted to the village for safekeeping.
——————————————
Entering his tent, he immediately saw a blond girl with a face full of hatred staring at him.
However, Uchiha Yoichi was indifferent to this, for he had seen enough of such eyes filled with anger, resentment, fear, and the like.
".....Have you discussed what price it takes to send me back?"
"Like I said, if you want to die, no one's stopping you, but going back is impossible!"
Uchiha Yoichi lay on the bed, intending to take a nap, but after lying down, he suddenly asked, "What about your parents in the Hidden Cloud Village?"
"My parents died in the war...."
"Then you'd better adapt to the life in Konoha quickly."
Yugito was stunned, then reacted, her face angrily twisted as she clenched her fists and shouted, "I won't stay in Konoha, I must return to the Hidden Cloud Village, the Third Generation Raikage will surely rescue me."
"Give it up, I won't let you go back, and once your Third Generation Raikage finds it impossible to bring you back through war and political means, he'll find ways to have you killed."
Uchiha Yoichi said while lying on the bed with his eyes closed to rest, even without looking, he knew Yugito's face carried a look of disbelief.
"Don't think yourself too important; what the Hidden Cloud Village values is the Two-tailed Beast, not you. Without the Two-tailed Beast, you're only another ninja in the village, at most trained to the rank of Jonin."
"But without you and only the Two-tailed Beast, the Hidden Cloud Village would have a constant stream of Tailed Beast Jinchuriki; if they truly can't have you back, the Third Generation Raikage will do everything he can to kill you, then capture the Two-tailed Beast again once it reincarnates."
Upon hearing this, Yugito's heart trembled, her eyes turned a bit red, yet she still glared fiercely at Uchiha Yoichi lying on the bed, saying, "It's all because of you, otherwise I'd still be in the Hidden Cloud Village...."
"Children are like this, even on the battlefield they're still children."
Having said that, Uchiha Yoichi no longer paid attention to Yugito.
Without Chakra or weapons, she was just an ordinary girl, and once back in Konoha, he would have Minami put another seal on Yugito.
If she could change her mindset and become his subordinate, he would gradually release her seal; if not, then she'd serve as Uchiha Yoichi's battery.
Yugito seeing Uchiha Yoichi no longer speaking, still showed a face full of resentment, but she couldn't even refine Chakra now, every time she tried, the two seals on her body prevented it from consolidating.
The Four Symbols Seal and Five Elements Seal were both Fuinjutsu of the Uzumaki Race, but the Iron Armor Seal and Five Elements Seal had no relation, tightly sealing her Chakra, making it impossible to mobilize.
This was Yugito's first time on the battlefield after graduating from the Ninja Academy, yet she had been captured to the enemy country, possibly never to return to the Hidden Cloud Village.
Such a colossal change gradually fostered fear in the girl, especially what Uchiha Yoichi just said; if she couldn't return, people from the village would find ways to kill her to allow the Two-tailed Beast to reincarnate.
These words nearly broke Yugito's mental defenses, then she also lay on the bed, curled up, and after a while, tears silently fell.
A bed was prepared for her in the tent; this was temporarily where Yugito was being held; the Two-tailed Jinchuriki was extremely important, and Uchiha Yoichi didn't trust leaving her elsewhere.
In the afternoon, the tent flap was suddenly opened, followed by a head poking in.
Upon seeing Uchiha Yoichi, Yuhi Kurenai smiled as she walked in, saying, "Teacher Yoichi, we're back.... Who are you?"
"She's an important captive from the Hidden Cloud, temporarily held here."
Uchiha Yoichi sat up, saying, having rested for a while, he felt much better; Soldier Pills couldn't restore all of his Chakra, meal and rest were essential.
Yuhi Kurenai glanced suspiciously at Yugito a few times; she believed the Hidden Cloud captive story, noticing her eyes showed bitter hatred; but why the tear-stained face, did Teacher Yoichi do something to her?
Quite pretty..... Yuhi Kurenai scrutinized Yugito, a girl from the enemy village about the same age.
"What are you looking at, how's the recent mission going? Never mind, let's talk at your place."
Uchiha Yoichi asked, then got up, bringing the three to another tent, and once inside, the three began reporting on the recent missions.
Besides reconnaissance, they'd completed various tasks, even collaborating with another team to eliminate a Hidden Cloud squad exploring for intel.
With Uchiha Yoichi's instructions, Uchiha Clan Members were quite attentive to Yuhi Kurenai and the others; other Genin didn't receive such treatment; Genin without backing in the village often face growth alongside the death of companions.
Yet Yuhi Kurenai and the others grew under the guidance of their predecessors, although encountering danger, it's minimized.
"Well done, but you've only experienced the onset of war; the next phase will be ten times more perilous, so exercise tenfold caution."
Uchiha Yoichi warned the three: "In these days, dozens of Hidden Cloud ninjas have fallen to my hand, with the majority dying due to negligence, even those stronger than you."
Upcoming wars will be more gruesome than before; a slip-up might mean Uchiha Yoichi visiting the Memorial Tablet for these three students.
"Yes, Teacher Yoichi."
The three, solemnly cautioned by Uchiha Yoichi, had their little arrogance suppressed.
Hidden Cloud's intentions aligned with Konoha's predictions to initiate war, evidently wanting Yugito back no matter what.
The Third Generation Raikage even planned a grimmer resort; if reclaim failed, they'd kill Yugito during warfare!
To kill Yugito immediately would allow the Two-tailed Beast to reincarnate, if Konoha were to transfer the Two-tailed, it'd be too late; Konoha's sealing techniques surpass those of Hidden Cloud, having previously stolen their method for cultivating Tailed Beast Power.
Thus, after receiving this news, the Third Generation Raikage virtually dispatched two hundred task teams, engaging in desperate clearing and counter-clearing operations against Konoha.
Uchiha Yoichi also continually ventured to the battlefield, his terrifying strength often meant instant death for encountered Hidden Cloud ninjas, only Hidden Cloud Jonin could withstand a few moves, but ultimately couldn't escape death.
His comrades all were reconnaissance and perceptual-type ninjas, aiding Uchiha Yoichi in locating enemies, while on guard against encirclement.
In just ten days, sixty Hidden Cloud ninjas had died at Uchiha Yoichi's hands; Hidden Cloud incurred a total loss of a hundred ninjas during that period, sixty percent falling under Uchiha Yoichi's blade.
Konoha Lightning Fang, this title was like the Grim Reaper harvesting lives among Hidden Cloud, encountering Konoha Lightning Fang meant even Jonin struggled to survive.
The Third Generation Raikage even contemplated initiating an immediate decisive battle, as Uchiha Yoichi resembled a battlefield ghost, uncapturable or surrounded, constantly harvesting Hidden Cloud lives.
Moreover, what's infuriating the Third Generation Raikage was Uchiha Yoichi ceased destroying corpses, leaving obvious indicative fatal blade wounds, then casting corpses into the Land of Hot Water's territory.
Collecting corpses imparted dread among Hidden Cloud ninjas, partners of morning exchanges turned into cold bodies by the next day, and within ten days, sixty similarly deceased corpses were amassed, some being their village's Jonin.
Once news spread, this psychological pressure imposed shackles on every outgoing Hidden Cloud squad, they didn't wish to encounter Konoha Lightning Fang.
Uchiha Yoichi's reputation grew louder; reports claimed that Konoha Lightning Fang's fame made Hidden Cloud hesitant to confront him.
Furthermore, Uchiha Yoichi's reputation along with the Two-tailed Jinchuriki situation, even the prospect of Hidden Cloud launching a decisive battle, swiftly reached Konoha.