Chapter 34
"Hope," Fugaku remarked, "have there been significant changes in the Land of Rain lately? I've been stationed in a remote area, so I haven't been able to observe developments in other parts of the Land of Rain."
"Yes, there have indeed been changes," responded Uchiha Kon. "The Ame Shinobi force has noticeably diminished. Encounters with Ame Shinobi, which were once frequent, have become quite rare."
Fugaku nodded, realizing that Hanzo wasn't foolish. The Wind, Earth, and Fire nations have yet to fully engage in battle. It's likely that the Land of Rain has suffered significant losses in manpower, but they refuse to weaken their force. The three nations are still in the midst of their conflict.
"Ame Shinobi wants to watch the tigers fight from the mountaintop," Fugaku commented. "After all, a small country like theirs lacks sufficient resources. By allowing the three major nations to exhaust each other, Ame can intervene later and achieve better results."
Kim nodded in agreement and said, "These old guys aren't simple. I wonder what the higher-ups in Konoha are thinking."
"Don't worry about that," Fugaku replied. "It's not something we can decide. Our focus should be on utilizing the Uchiha's own strength in the war."
After separating from Jin, Fugaku returned to his tent to rest. Having engaged in two consecutive battles deep within Iwa Shinobi territory, Fugaku's spirit was extremely drained and in need of relief.
On the second day at noon, the Uchiha Homura squad returned, but the situation wasn't very promising. The entire squad had been wiped out. Death was an everyday occurrence at the Vanguard Camp.
War had always been cruel, and every shinobi should be prepared for death from the very first day. Uchiha Fugaku understood this reality.
Every mission was a dance on the edge of a knife, so Fugaku approached each action with utmost caution to minimize any mishaps.
At night, Fugaku encountered Uchiha Homura, who had just completed a mission.
"Fugaku, Kon is here," Uchiha Homura informed him. "This time, we were ambushed by Suna Shinobi. After breaking free, four of our team members died from poison, and the rest sustained injuries."
"In such a situation, there's no point in blaming others," Fugaku responded. "Suna Shinobi are skilled in using drugs. Given the current state of medical expertise, all we can do is hope for their recovery."
"Oh, Fugaku, I have a letter for you from the Clan Patriarch," Uchiha Homura said, handing over a letter to Fugaku.
Fugaku took the envelope. It was written by Uchiha Fugaku himself. The handwriting matched, and there were no signs of tampering with the seal. He confirmed that the letter hadn't been read by anyone else.
Fugaku tore open the envelope, retrieved the letter, and read it attentively.
The letter mentioned that Konoha had secretly sent two reinforcements to the Land of Rain, but no Uchiha clan members were among them. Uchiha Tenjo intended to propose to the Third Hokage to increase Konoha's support in the Land of Rain, thereby contributing to the war effort.
Uchiha Tenjo's actions were both a statement and an attempt to restore the clan's reputation among the villagers.
The two batches of reinforcements sent by Konoha had not arrived at the Vanguard Camp and were likely establishing a new stronghold.
From a long-term perspective, as the final war with the three nations approached, relying solely on the Vanguard Camp for supplies would prove challenging. If the battle intensified, resources would be strained and the distance would be too great.
Establishing a nearby stronghold would be the optimal solution, but maintaining it during the initial stages might prove difficult.
After two days of training, the team embarked on another mission, heading northwest in the Land of Rain.
Time flew by, and three months had passed. Fugaku celebrated his 30th birthday while still on the mission.
Within the depths of his mind, a message appeared from the Iwa Shinobi: "Kill an Iwa Shinobi Jounin and gain a moderate amount of Pupil Strength."
After three months of combat, the entire team had undergone a significant transformation. Even former rookie Yamamoto Isuke had made great progress.
"Let's go," Fugaku calmly addressed the eleven members in front of him. "The mission is complete. Let's return to the Vanguard Camp to report our success."
The mission had started smoothly. Later, Iwa Shinobi began noticing that certain teams were inexplicably being eliminated. They organized search parties numerous times, but in the next two months, they could only manage to kill one Iwa Shinobi team per month.
In three months, a total of seven groups comprising Iwa Shinobi and Ame Shinobi had been eliminated, resulting in the deaths of 68 individuals. The mission had been executed flawlessly.
For three months, there were no signs of expansion at the Vanguard Camp site. However, the number of personnel remained constant. Perhaps some major powers had secretly reached an agreement, preventing the conflict from escalating.
Nevertheless, the hatred within people's hearts continued to grow. With each Shinobi's death, the people's animosity intensified. When hatred reached its peak, the war would escalate.
Entering Hatake Sakumo's tent, Fugaku noticed that his opponent's sharpness hadn't changed, but the pressure on Fugaku had significantly diminished. In the past three months, Fugaku had rapidly improved, and the other team members were no longer as intimidated by him as they were initially.
The tent hadn't changed much since his last visit, except for a mark on the central Land of Rain model.
"Team 009, led by Uchiha Fugaku, reporting the completion of the mission," Fugaku stated, locking eyes with Hatake Sakumo, who stood beside the Land of Rain model. "This mission resulted in the deaths of 47 Iwa Shinobi and 21 Ame Shinobi, totaling 68 casualties."
Surprise flickered in Hatake Sakumo's eyes momentarily. "You are the highest performers among the squads. Not a single team member was lost, and the mission success rate is outstanding."
"Uchiha Fugaku truly lives up to the reputation of the Uchiha genius," Hatake Sakumo praised. "Your previous missions were all accomplished with excellence. You can return to Konoha for some rest and await new assignments."
"Hatake Senior," Yamada Shinji interjected, "will it still be the two of us on the next mission?"
Shaking his head, Hatake Sakumo replied, "It depends on Konoha's arrangement, but some of you are already eligible for promotion to Jounin. It may be challenging to assign you to a team next time."
After resting in the camp for two days, a group of Shinobi would return to Konoha the day after tomorrow. Upon their departure, another batch of Shinobi would arrive to replace them.
Fugaku understood the implications of Hatake Sakumo's words. It seemed that Konoha was using the Land of Rain as a training ground for their troops. The other two nations likely had similar intentions. However, it was a rather harsh approach, directly eliminating and sacrificing individuals.
Several years had passed since the last Great Ninja War. Before fully understanding each other's strength, no one dared to engage in all-out war. Their skirmishes served as both a test and a way to wear each other down.
Exiting Hatake Sakumo's tent, the entire team revelled in joy and relief.
Only those who experienced war could genuinely appreciate the value of peace and the arduous journey it took to achieve it.
Leaving the battlefield and embracing a peaceful life was everyone's dream.
"Captain, what are your plans upon returning to Konoha?" Yamada Shinji asked. "After experiencing the brutality of combat, it feels like there's nothing to do."
Pretending," Satōmaru chimed in, "we haven't even returned to Konoha yet, and I bet we'll be assigned another mission when we get bored."
Fugaku observed the playful scuffle among his team members without intervening. Engaging in prolonged combat placed a heavy burden on the human body, so creating a relaxed atmosphere among the players could help them unwind.
Based on Hatake Sakumo's words today, it seemed unlikely that the team would be reunited in the future.