Phase Tasks and Long-term Tasks

The Konoha Academy has started its new term.

This year's term is particularly noteworthy.

The heirs of major ninja clans are mostly entering the academy this term.

Among them, the most attention-grabbing are Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji.

There's no need to mention the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but the fact that the Uchiha clan, currently at odds with Konoha, has sent Sasuke to school is surprising.

Moreover, it was Uchiha Deputy Clan Leader Kashiwa who personally brought him.

This may signify something else.

Is it a goodwill gesture from the Uchiha clan or something else?

After coming to school, Neji became quite close to Sasuke and Naruto.

Because Naruto started interacting with Kashiwa, he now had a caring elder. With Sasuke and Neji as friends, he spent less time causing trouble.

He no longer deliberately played pranks to annoy people.

Whether commoners or nobles, those who entered the ninja academy understood the significance of Sasuke and Neji's identities.

Under the protection of friends from the two major dojutsu clans, no one dared to cause trouble for Naruto.

Naruto's life was somewhat better than in the original world.

...

After a long journey, the Kumo delegation finally arrived in Konoha.

After extensive negotiations, all terms were agreed upon, and preparations were made for officially signing the peace agreement.

Konoha hosted a grand peace celebration for this occasion.

While Konoha villagers might not like the Kumo, none liked war either.

Many villagers participated in the celebration.

Konoha's commercial streets were bustling with people.

Under the guise of the celebration, the Kumo delegation secretly gathered information.

They discovered a startling fact.

The Uchiha clan had wholly withdrawn into their territory.

The Hyuga clan now entirely handled security patrols.

The Hyuga's defenses had noticeably relaxed.

Yugito summarized all the information and felt relieved, pulling out a patrol map of the Hyuga clan for careful review.

Kumo had spent considerable resources to obtain it.

"Nagasaki Shinichi, have you thought it through? Perhaps someone else should carry out the mission," Yugito asked regretfully.

"My three brothers died in the war. Now, I only have one thought—revenge."

"Whether we succeed or fail, we will gain something."

Nagasaki Shinichi's eyes were hollow, his body emanating a sense of death.

"Yugito, why don't you go out and have fun? The celebration is really interesting, yo, yo, you're such a fool."

Killer Bee entered with his usual quirky tone.

He was the leader of the delegation, having just toured Konoha with several advisors accompanying him.

"Bee, stop playing around. Prepare yourself. We may need your strength tomorrow," Yugito said.

Killer Bee dropped his playful demeanor and clenched his fist.

...

Konoha's bustle didn't interest Kashiwa.

He had no interest in such celebrations, and after some time, the new Uchiha compound was finally completed.

The moment the compound was finished...

"Ding... Development task: Sever ties with Konoha and achieve self-reliance. Phase one complete."

The host gains knowledge related to Konoha's sealing techniques.

A plethora of sealing knowledge appeared in Kashiwa's mind.

Kashiwa was invigorated; this knowledge was crucial.

Besides the famous Four Symbols Seal, there was another vital technique.

The defensive detection barrier technique also used sealing techniques.

This was precisely what the Uchiha needed, as they lacked a detection barrier.

With sealing techniques inscribed at critical points, chakra could activate the barrier.

The defensive detection barrier would alert them to intruders.

Without this technique, Konoha's vast area made it easy for enemies to infiltrate.

Given the size of the new Uchiha compound, a three-person rotation could cover it.

Now, Konoha's surveillance wouldn't be a problem.

Previously, the Third Hokage built tall buildings near the Uchiha compound for surveillance. Now, without tall buildings, the ANBU monitored them secretly.

Kashiwa had been annoyed for a long time, but it wasn't feasible to catch the spies daily.

Now, he needed to root out Konoha's spies one by one.

Kashiwa quickly found three suitable people: Uchiha Keimei, Uchiha Yoichi, and Uchiha Daichi.

They were talented in sealing techniques.

Keimei was Kashiwa's former teammate, skilled but not a strong fighter.

Yoichi's brother was the loud, simple-minded one who left with Itachi.

The other two were new teammates who had recently meshed well with Kashiwa.

Because Itachi took many with him, new teams were formed.

Using this as an excuse, Kashiwa instructed all Uchiha to choose safer missions, fearing the Third Hokage might sabotage them.

Fortunately, no incidents have occurred recently.

"Ding... Long-term task: A faction cannot rely solely on its own strong members."

"Recruit non-Uchiha elites."

"Successful recruitment grants the target's specialty."

Target specialty? What does that mean?

Kashiwa had a hunch but needed to experiment.

Non-Uchiha would be easiest to recruit from Konoha, given its proximity.

As he pondered, Keimei, Yoichi, and Daichi arrived.

Keimei had a baby face and a slight build. He was quick-witted and precise in ninjutsu.

Yoichi was one of the few medical ninjas in the Uchiha clan, with long, smooth hair and a strong sense of perception.

Daichi was a well-rounded warrior, strong in both ninjutsu and Taijutsu.

"Captain! Kashiwa-sama! Deputy Clan Leader!"

Their greetings were varied because Kashiwa's promotion had been rapid, and many were still adjusting.

Kashiwa nodded. "I called you here because I have a task for you."

"Please give your orders, Captain," Keimei, the most familiar with Kashiwa, responded.

"When we were at the old compound in Konoha, they built tall towers around us for surveillance."

"We Uchiha had no privacy. Now that we've moved, there are still many ANBU watching us."

"We need to establish a defensive detection barrier, and you are the ones I've chosen."

The three exchanged glances. Not everyone could use the defensive detection barrier technique.

It required both setup and usage. They had no issues with usage but lacked the setup techniques, which were Konoha's secret.

However, since the Deputy Clan Leader called them, he must have a solution.

They waited for Kashiwa to continue.

Seeing their calm demeanor, Kashiwa was satisfied.

He drew a seal on his left arm, revealing the defensive detection barrier's runes.

"This is the defensive detection barrier technique's formula?"

They were surprised to learn Kashiwa knew sealing techniques.

Kashiwa smiled, not explaining its origin, and began teaching them how to channel chakra and inscribe the formulas.

The three were both grateful and nervous, fearing they'd disappoint Kashiwa.

However, they soon realized they had an innate affinity for sealing techniques.

They quickly understood Kashiwa's teachings, and Daichi even suggested improvements.

They listened intently, feeling like they were born to know these techniques.

"Captain Kashiwa truly has a keen eye," they thought.

Kashiwa spent several hours teaching the complete defensive detection barrier technique.

"Have you learned it?"

Keimei instinctively tested the formula in his hand, which soon glowed.

Yoichi and Daichi also succeeded.

Kashiwa was pleased. Their talent included this skill, and with the knowledge, they quickly learned it.

They were excited to master a technique in one night.

Their hands shaped the barrier formulas, showing their initial proficiency.

"How long will it take to set up the barrier?"

After some discussion, Keimei replied, "About seven days to familiarize ourselves with the formulas and gather materials."

"The setup should take two weeks."

"Alright