Chapter 42: Uchiha Qiye: "I'm ready to pretend!" [5]

Two days later.

It had already been the third day since Uchiha Qiye and the others arrived. His condition had improved, but the experience reminded him of something important: it was best not to use his Mangekyō Sharingan, including Hitomi and Susanoo, unless absolutely necessary.

…

Today, something happened.

Inside the conference tent, the lowest-ranking individuals present were all Jōnin. At least twenty of them had gathered, all summoned by Nara Bridge.

"According to intelligence, Sand Shinobi forces have been spotted near our Konoha outpost, and it's highly likely they're planning another attack on us," Nara Bridge said slowly.

The atmosphere in the tent grew tense. Among the assembled Jōnin, many had been stationed there since the early days of the Second Ninja World War. They knew all too well how devastating the consequences of even a small skirmish could be.

War was unpredictable. If they were lucky, only a few people would lose their lives. But if things went badly, dozens could be lost. In large-scale battles, the death toll was even higher.

"Our mission is to defend the border of the Land of Fire. We cannot allow enemy shinobi to break through our defenses and enter Fire Country territory. If we fail, it will be our responsibility," Jiraiya said as he stood up.

After arriving, Jiraiya had replaced Nara Bridge as the commander-in-chief, with Nara Bridge now acting as Chief of Staff. However, the ranks of Uchiha Qiye and the others had not changed. Despite their abilities, they hadn't yet faced a situation where their strength alone determined their role.

For now, Uchiha Qiye remained a member of the team under Jiraiya's leadership.

…

After Jiraiya finished his speech, the assembled Jōnin sprang into action. The threat from Sunagakure had put everyone on high alert.

Defending the border was never as glamorous as launching an attack. From Uchiha Qiye's perspective, all these defensive preparations were just tedious. Fortunately, he had no interest in Konoha's leadership positions or the title of Hokage. Even a promotion to Chūnin would feel like too much responsibility to him.

"Being a Genin is still the best," Uchiha Qiye thought to himself.

As a Genin, all he had to do was follow orders, without worrying about the politics or intrigues that came with higher ranks. It was much simpler.

"Luckily, all I need to focus on is showing off. I don't care about anything else," Uchiha Qiye thought.

"Hey, Xiao Qi—"

"Kushina, you can call me Brother Seven, Brother Ye, or just Qiye, but please don't call me Xiao Qi," Uchiha Qiye interrupted.

"Why not? Uncle Qiao can call you that, so why can't I?" Uzumaki Kushina replied angrily.

"What's wrong with me?" she thought. She didn't like feeling inferior to anyone.

"Uncle Qiao is a nice guy—he flatters me, and I appreciate that. So I let him call me Xiao Qi," Uchiha Qiye explained. "But you, Kushina, you're too harsh. You've picked up Tsunade's bad habits and you don't compliment me, so why should I let you call me that?"

"Am I being unreasonable?"

Uchiha Qiye's sly grin made his point clear: he expected flattery, and since Kushina didn't offer any, she didn't earn the right to use his nickname.

"Argh!" Kushina clenched her teeth in frustration, glaring at Uchiha Qiye. His words had hit a nerve. Did she really seem like someone who would grovel and flatter him? Ridiculous!

"Xiao Qi—"

Namikaze Minato tried to speak up, but Uchiha Qiye cut him off.

"Minato, you can call me Qiye-kun. You're too serious and don't flatter me either, so no 'Xiao Qi' from you."

"We're teammates, after all," Minato replied calmly. "There's no need to be so formal."

"Don't even try!" Uchiha Qiye shot back. "I caught you encroaching on my space two nights ago. You crossed the line by ten centimeters into my area while we slept. I'm starting to think you're into men and that you're interested in me!"

As he said this, Uchiha Qiye dramatically measured the air with his hands, leaving Minato flustered.

Kushina's gaze shifted to Minato, her expression suddenly skeptical.

"Minato… you don't really…" she trailed off, raising her eyebrows in question.

Minato understood immediately and was visibly upset.

"Qiye-kun, stop with the nonsense! We sleep fifty centimeters apart, and you keep bringing up your ridiculous theory about personal space. And for the record, my orientation is perfectly normal! Stop being so full of yourself!"

Minato's rare outburst caught everyone off guard, including Kushina. She had never seen him lose his temper like this.

But then again, Uchiha Qiye had a way of getting under people's skin.

At that moment, an alarm blared through the camp.

"Sunagakure is attacking! Everyone, prepare for battle!" someone shouted.

In an instant, the camp burst into action. The shinobi were well-practiced in their response, preparing their weapons and taking their positions.

Uchiha Qiye's eyes gleamed with excitement when he heard the alarm. Unlike the others, who were focused on the imminent danger, he saw this as an opportunity.

Grabbing his sword, Uchiha Qiye headed outside, uninterested in other gear like exploding tags or kunai.

"I'm ready. Time to show off!" he muttered to himself, thrilled by the thought.

Finally, after two days of waiting, his moment to shine had come!

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