Transferred

The fame of Tetsuo and Shisui spread at a bewildering speed, like wildfire sweeping across a grassy plain. Not only did it reach back to Konoha Village from the far borders of the Land of Fire, but it also spread across Kumogakure Village and even throughout the entire ninja world.

With extraordinary power and exceptional performances, they earned their own ninja titles, "Tetsuo the Flame Sword" and "Shunshin no Shisui."

These two titles seemed synonymous with them, accurately describing their unique fighting styles and characteristics.

The so-called "Flame Sword and Tetsuo" perfectly illustrated Tetsuo's fire element techniques and his unmatched sword skills. The blazing fire, fierce and intense, symbolized the strength of Tetsuo's powerful attacks and his dominating personality, while "Shunshin no Shisui" highlighted the unparalleled [Shunshin no Jutsu] technique, as fast as lightning and as elusive as a ghost.

It could be said that they "lived up to their names." There were only wrong names, never wrong nicknames.

Each title carried deep meaning, clearly showcasing Tetsuo and Shisui's extraordinary achievements in ninjutsu. Whether it was swordsmanship or [Shunshin no Jutsu], it was these feats that made them famous, and their prestige followed suit.

The fame of these two men stirred the ninja world, but it held very different meanings for all parties.

Every ninja village except Konoha felt very conflicted upon hearing the news.

Konoha suddenly had two powerful young men renowned worldwide. How could this not make them feel envious and frustrated?

Unfortunately, Konoha always seemed capable of producing such remarkable talents. This phenomenon had existed since the time of the First Hokage.

Back then, the God of Ninja, Senju Hashirama, was born, followed by Senju Tobirama the Creator of Ninjutsu, Ninjutsu Expert Hiruzen Sarutobi, the legendary Sannin, Konoha's White Fang, and the Yellow Flash Namikaze Minato. Geniuses emerged one after another.

It could be said that in every era of Konoha, a group of powerful ninjas was born, and their achievements far surpassed those of other major ninja villages.

But now, when it seemed Konoha was in decline after the Third Ninja World War and the Kyuubi Rebellion, a new generation of powerful individuals like the White-Haired Demon Eye, Tetsuo the Flame Sword, and Shunshin no Shisui had emerged.

This inevitably made all ninja villages, except Konoha, feel the world's injustice.

However, for Konoha, these two now-famous young ninjas not only brought glory but could very well become hidden dangers.

From the perspective of the common people in Konoha, Tetsuo and Shisui were undoubtedly talented youths they could be proud of. However, from the viewpoint of Konoha's top officials, what they had to consider wasn't just the personal abilities of Tetsuo and Shisui but also the clan backgrounds and political stances behind them.

After all, no matter how strong these two were, if they couldn't be controlled by Konoha's top management, they could very well turn into significant threats.

At that moment, in the Hokage's office in the Hokage Building, Hiruzen and Danzo, old partners who had known each other for a long time, were once again arguing due to differing opinions.

But this time, Danzo, who had always been irritable and prone to arguments, even stormed out and slammed the door, rarely displaying such impulsive and reckless behavior.

Instead, his face was filled with an expression of undisguised pride as he looked directly at Hiruzen with provocative eyes.

"Sarutobi. I warned you before that allowing members of the Uchiha Clan to go to the border for garrison duty would only invite trouble. It would only create more problems for no reason. But you were so arrogant that you naively thought you could control the situation on your own..."

"Hmph! What's happened now? The Uchiha Clan now has not only two more famous ninjas in the ninja world, but they also removed the border guard duties that should have belonged to Konoha Ninja Village. Faced with this terrible situation, what do you plan to do next?"

After hearing this, Hiruzen, knowing he was in the wrong, did not immediately refute the other party. Instead, he sat in silence, puffing on his pipe, letting the smoke linger around him. After a long time, he finally raised his head slowly and calmly replied:

"What else can we do? The Uchiha Clan has indeed made significant contributions and sacrifices in protecting the security of Konoha's borders. It's only fair that they receive the reputation and prestige that go along with it. Moreover, individuals with talents like Tetsuo and Shisui would inevitably become famous no matter where they were."

"Hmph! You're still not convinced? Then wait until the Uchiha Clan grows stronger and steals the Hokage's seat from right under your nose!"

Danzo could no longer contain his anger, seeing the expression of pride vanish from Hiruzen's face after a meal, and he spoke passionately.

Hiruzen's face immediately darkened. He looked intently at Danzo as if trying to see his true thoughts through his eyes. After a moment, he slowly asked: "So, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Danzo responded without hesitation: "There's no doubt that all the Uchiha Clan should be recalled to Konoha Village and made to stay here permanently."

In his mind, the Uchiha Clan had always been a potential threat. Only by keeping them under strict surveillance within Konoha Village could the village's safety be ensured. Furthermore, the appearance of the Sharingan in the Kyuubi's eyes during the Kyuubi Rebellion made him even more convinced of this.

After hearing Danzo's words, Hiruzen frowned. He was well aware of Danzo's prejudice against the Uchiha Clan, but at this moment, he had to seriously consider the issue.

However, after some careful thought, Hiruzen still shook his head and said, "No, this is inappropriate. The Uchiha Clan has just made significant achievements in battle. If they are recalled to Konoha Village now, not only will they feel cold, but it will also make the Uchiha Clan dissatisfied."

After all, in this war, the Uchiha Clan had shown great strength and loyalty, and they deserved respect and recognition.

"Kindness! Sarutobi, you've been pretending to be a good person for too long. Have you forgotten your identity and status? Don't forget, even though you're respected by the people as Hokage, they trample on us root members like ants, covered in dirt."

Danzo cursed angrily, his face twisted with a fierce and crooked expression, and at the same time, he let out a sharp, harsh laugh full of sarcasm and disdain.

"Danzo, you've gone too far!" Hiruzen frowned, a spark of anger flickering in his eyes.

"Did I say anything wrong?" Danzo showed no signs of backing down, staring directly into Hiruzen's eyes, continuing his challenge.

The atmosphere between the two immediately became tense, as if a fierce confrontation was about to break out. They reached an impasse, with neither side willing to give in.

This scene was familiar to them. Similar confrontations had occurred many times, always ending with one side making a compromise.

But this time, Hiruzen was the first to concede. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, then picked up his pipe and began exhaling slowly before speaking softly: "What you said does make sense, but it's impossible to recall the entire Uchiha Clan. However, if only one or two key individuals were moved back, it could still be done."

Seeing that Hiruzen had finally relented, Danzo secretly rejoiced. In past arguments, he had always firmly denied Hiruzen's views and never compromised easily. But this time, for the first time, he didn't object to the plan Hiruzen proposed.

"So, in your opinion, who should we transfer back?"

Danzo asked in a calm tone, with a faint cold glint in his eyes.

Hiruzen slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. The swirling white smoke obscured his view, making it difficult to glimpse his true thoughts. After a moment of silence, he said, "I think Uchiha Tetsuo and Uchiha Shisui should be sent back to the village. As for the reason... let's say the village wants to commend the two of them for their meritorious service."

"Tetsuo is a trusted subordinate of Uchiha Shintaro. If he's recalled to the Konoha police force, it will certainly play a role in checks and balances."

However, for Shisui, Hiruzen clearly had a different plan: "As for Shisui, as a descendant of Kagami, I've had dealings with him before. This child has strong resolve in his heart; perhaps we could try winning him over. I might even grant him the rank of Jonin, but there's no need to assign him to the Konoha Police Force."

After hearing this, Danzo sneered, "In terms of deep planning, I truly cannot compare to you."

Faced with Danzo's taunt, Hiruzen didn't respond, merely continuing to puff on his pipe calmly as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

❀❀❀

"Why is the village calling us back at a time like this? Isn't this intentionally causing trouble?" Tetsuo's voice, full of complaints, suddenly echoed in the camp.

Unlike Tetsuo, Shisui sat silently beside him. He frowned slightly, as if deep in thought about something important.

This was the northeastern border of the Land of Fire. After Shintaro received orders from his superiors, he immediately summoned Tetsuo and Shisui to his camp.

Seeing Tetsuo continuously grumbling and Hamasu looking at him with a confused expression, Shintaro merely smiled slightly, appearing very calm: "Since this is an order personally issued by the Hokage, just follow it. There's no need to doubt it."

"We're all Jonin now. Don't make that bitter face. It's a good thing to have you return. I want to reward you based on your abilities." Shintaro patiently guided the two of them.

Hearing this, Hamasu nodded thoughtfully but remained silent.

Tetsuo clearly didn't believe it, and he shouted loudly, "But we're still carrying out an important task of guarding the border. If we leave now, what if the enemy attacks?"

"Do you think the border defense will collapse without the two of you? Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll just take on more responsibility. Don't overestimate your indispensability."

Shintaro smiled and waved his hand, signaling Tetsuo not to worry too much.

At this moment, Shisui slowly lifted his head, his gaze complex and conflicted. It seemed as if he had thousands of words to say, but he hesitated and found it difficult to speak.

"What's wrong, Shisui?" Shintaro noticed his unusual behavior and asked with concern.

Shisui shook his head slightly, moving his lips a few times, but ultimately said nothing. After a moment, he whispered, "It's nothing, I just feel a bit regretful... that I can no longer do my part to protect the peace at the border like before."

Shintaro gave a faint smile and reassured him, "It's not a big deal. After returning to the village, we can still contribute. Besides, with your talent and strength, you will play a key role no matter where you are."

However, although he appeared relaxed on the surface, Shintaro knew very well that what troubled Shisui was not just his inability to serve at the border. In fact, Shisui was already filled with dissatisfaction and concern deep down about the recent decisions and actions of Konoha's top management.

Shintaro naturally understood these emotions. After all, they had all experienced the brutality of war firsthand and knew that peace was hard to come by.

But now, the attitude of Konoha's leadership and their handling of border affairs left both of them quite disappointed.

Still, at this moment, Shintaro did not directly address Shisui's thoughts. He knew that some things couldn't be solved by mere complaints or blame. Only by changing the status quo through practical action could the problem be resolved.

At this point, Shisui seemed to realize this as well. He nodded quietly, indicating his agreement with Shintaro's perspective.

Tetsuo and Shisui exchanged glances before both of them accepted their orders and left.

❀❀❀

After several days of traveling, they finally reached the gates of Konoha Village. Seeing the familiar village in front of them, both Tetsuo and Shisui felt a sense of closeness in their hearts.

As they entered the village, curious glances were cast their way, but when people saw that it was Tetsuo and Shisui, they all smiled warmly. Everyone greeted them enthusiastically and asked about their mission.

Tetsuo and Shisui responded to everyone with smiles and briefly recounted what had happened at the border. Then, they headed straight to the Hokage building to report the details of their mission to the Hokage.

Hiruzen announced rewards for the two of them in a prominent manner, allowing Tetsuo and Shisui to make waves in Konoha Village.

Danzo focused his attention on Tetsuo and Shisui, particularly on Shisui. He was younger, more talented, and a member of the Uchiha clan, much like Hiruzen's style.

His eyes shifted, as though he was thinking of something that wasn't quite right.