In the blink of an eye, a month passed, yet the fighting on the front lines remained deadlocked.
Just as Wen Lan and Fugaku had anticipated, events within the village unfolded exactly as expected—Sarutobi Hiruzen finally made his move against the Uchiha.
Hiruzen did, in fact, negotiate with Kirigakure. However, the public announcement was framed very differently:
To demonstrate Konoha's firm stance, the elite Uchiha clan will be dispatched to the border region between Konoha and Kirigakure to garrison the area. Should Kirigakure choose war, the Uchiha will be the first to engage!
To the civilians, this sounded perfectly reasonable.
After all, Kirigakure had stolen the Byakugan first—deploying the powerful Uchiha clan to the border showcased Konoha's strength.
But anyone with half a brain could see the problem.
Kirigakure had stolen a Byakugan, not a Sharingan.
By all logic, this mission should have fallen to the Hyūga clan.
Yet instead, the Uchiha were sent.
The heads of the various ninja clans all saw through it immediately.
This was Sarutobi Hiruzen's retaliation.
Yet none of them spoke up.
Hiruzen's authority still stood strong, and Konoha's foundation had not yet begun to crack.
Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi personally came to apologize. Fugaku accepted calmly, stating that the matter had nothing to do with them—he only hoped that if something similar happened again, the Hyūga would stand alongside the Uchiha as well.
Though Fugaku said this, he was furious at Hiruzen's decision—and yet powerless to stop it.
That very night, he summoned the clan elders to discuss countermeasures.
Late at night, inside the Uchiha Shrine, more than fifty figures stood shoulder to shoulder.
These were the Uchiha clan's elite jōnin.
The Uchiha had one clan head and five elders.
First Elder Uchiha Sen and Fifth Elder Uchiha Huiming were hawks—hardline advocates of war.
Whenever tensions rose between the village and the Uchiha, they pushed for outright confrontation and even full autonomy for the clan.
Second Elder Uchiha Shigeru and Fourth Elder Uchiha Shin were doves, favoring negotiation and compromise to preserve the Uchiha's standing within Konoha.
Third Elder Uchiha Li, Wen Lan's father, had no successor to this day.
Uchiha Li had achieved tremendous merit during the Second Shinobi World War, saving many clan members. For that reason, no one objected when Fugaku reserved the Third Elder seat for Wen Lan to inherit in the future.
By rank, Wen Lan had no right to attend such a meeting.
Yet today, he sat calmly in the Third Elder's seat, eyes closed.
The other elders said nothing.
The shrine was lit by flickering candles, casting unsteady shadows across tense faces. Low murmurs filled the room.
Most of these people had only just survived the battlefield—and now, targeted by the Third Hokage, they were being sent back to war.
Whether they would return alive was anyone's guess.
Wen Lan remained motionless, as if the tension had nothing to do with him.
Then suddenly—
He opened his eyes and stood up.
The moment he moved, the entire hall fell silent.
A second later, everyone stood as well—
Because Fugaku had entered the shrine.
Behind him walked a four-year-old child.
Uchiha Itachi.
Seeing this, First Elder Uchiha Sen glanced at Wen Lan in surprise.
Wen Lan had stood up before Fugaku entered—proof that he had sensed his arrival earlier than anyone else.
Fugaku stepped inside, sweeping his gaze across the crowd before pausing briefly on Wen Lan, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
He took his seat at the head of the hall.
Itachi stood behind him, eyes fixed intently on one person.
Wen Lan followed Itachi's gaze.
It was a slightly older boy with delicate features and a gentle appearance—a rounded nose, black high-collared short-sleeve shirt, black pants, brown shoulder armor, white leg wrappings, and the Uchiha crest embroidered on his back. A short sword was strapped behind him.
Uchiha Shisui.
Wen Lan narrowed his eyes slightly.
Shisui noticed his gaze and smiled warmly, nodding in greeting.
Wen Lan returned the nod.
Fugaku cleared his throat, his voice low and firm.
"Everyone here already knows about the Third Hokage's decision.
Tomorrow, we depart."
"The meaning is clear—this mission sends us to the Kirigakure front line.
Refusal is not an option."
Indeed, Hiruzen had not notified the Uchiha in advance.
The order had been posted directly on the Hokage Announcement Board in the village square.
If the Uchiha refused now, the civilians would brand them cowards—selfish, unwilling to sacrifice for the village.
So they had to go.
And they had to go without complaint.
Fugaku continued, "If anyone has objections, speak now. We'll settle disagreements by vote."
Silence spread through the shrine.
Everyone knew it was already decided.
Finally, Fugaku opened the roster in his hand.
"Then I will announce the deployment."
"The first group heading to the Kirigakure front consists of—Shisui, Wen Lan, thirty elite jōnin, and one hundred thirty chūnin."
"I will personally lead this unit."
"The second group will depart in three days under First Elder Uchiha Sen, escorting supplies and the remaining combat forces."
"The clan grounds will be guarded by the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Elders, along with twenty jōnin."
"Yes!"
The response was unanimous.
Wen Lan was unsurprised to see his name.
He had requested this himself.
Only the battlefield could temper him faster.
Comfort bred weakness—only the edge of life and death could unlock true potential.
After the meeting dispersed, Wen Lan stepped outside. The night wind brushed against his face, cool and sharp.
He looked up at the star-filled sky, clarity burning in his eyes.
This battle would make his name resound across the battlefield.
The next morning, Wen Lan shouldered his pack and stepped out of his courtyard—
Then froze.
At the gate stood Inuzuka Hana, eyes red and brimming with tears.
Akamaru sat quietly beside her, unusually subdued.
"Why are you here?" Wen Lan asked in surprise.
Hana bit her lip, pulled a charm from her pocket, and pressed it into his hand.
"Take this," she said softly. "It'll keep you safe… come back alive."
Her eyes were filled with worry, though she forced a smile.
Wen Lan paused, then carefully tucked the charm into his clothes.
"Don't worry," he said firmly.
"I'll come back alive."
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