Chapter 48: Simple—Just Kill More Than They Do

"Hmph! Those guys from Kumogakure… nothing but brainless brutes."

Hiruzen gave a dismissive snort.

Years ago, his mentor Tobirama Senju had made a similar sacrifice to the Third Raikage's, staying behind to allow his students to escape. In the end, he perished at the hands of the renegade Gold and Silver Brothers from Kumogakure. The memory had left a deep impression on him, but as he grew older, Hiruzen found himself disagreeing with that decision.

The Kage was the soul of a village—meant to lead from the center, not risk their life on the front lines. In Hiruzen's view, the Third Raikage's reckless behavior revealed his lack of understanding of political matters.

Now he was dead, and Kumogakure must be in chaos. If Hiruzen were in his shoes, he would never have made that choice. But this turn of events might actually work in Konoha's favor, with Kumogakure and Iwagakure at each other's throats, Konoha could sit back and profit.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the office door.

"Come in."

"Hokage-sama, urgent news!"

Seeing the hurried ANBU member, Hiruzen frowned. "What is it?"

"Kumogakure's ninja have attacked our front-line camp!"

"What?!"

Hiruzen leapt to his feet, stunned. He took the scroll handed to him and quickly scanned its contents, his face darkening. He knew this was no joke—no one would dare report something like this falsely.

"What's wrong with those idiots' brains?"

Hiruzen was so infuriated he nearly spat blood. This was the exact opposite of what he'd expected. The Raikage had died at the hands of Iwagakure ninja; logically, Kumogakure should have retaliated against Iwagakure, not attacked Konoha!

Did they think he was an easy target?

"Fetch Orochimaru."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

Rubbing his temples, Hiruzen felt a pang of frustration. The ongoing conflict with Sunagakure was already causing enough headaches. And now, Kumogakure too… Not to mention the looming threats of Iwagakure and Kirigakure waiting in the shadows.

If the Great Ninja War were to break out again, would Konoha be able to withstand another onslaught from all sides?

...

Three days later.

After receiving Hiruzen's orders, Mirai Uchiha immediately departed for the front lines at Kumogakure. During that time, even Tajima Uchiha (Clan Head) tried to persuade him to stay in the village, offering to sacrifice some of the Uchiha clan's interests. Even Hiruzen was tempted by that deal. But Mirai resolutely declined, insisting on heading to the battlefield.

His eagerness bolstered Hiruzen's confidence in his plan. After all, the battlefield was a deadly meat grinder—not the kind of place most would willingly go.

But… a prodigy from a noble clan, with the full support of his family, choosing to fight on the front lines—wasn't that the very embodiment of the Will of Fire?

Hiruzen was grateful he hadn't listened to Danzo's advice to suppress him. Such talent would have been wasted.

Hiruzen was convinced that someone like Mirai, with his commitment and resolve, could become the perfect weapon to wield against the Uchiha clan, should it ever be needed.

Of course, Mirai knew nothing of Hiruzen's calculations. With the strength he had now, he didn't need to care about the schemes of Hiruzen, Danzo, or anyone else. If they angered him, he could always cut ties and confront them head-on.

For now, he had only one reason to go to the battlefield: to reap the rewards of slaying enemies.

After two days of travel, Mirai reached the main camp and met Orochimaru, the commanding officer.

Orochimaru's eyes lit up with interest as he saw Mirai, though it was no secret his fascination lay with Mirai's body rather than any personal admiration.

"Mirai-kun, I've heard much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet."

Orochimaru extended his pale right hand.

"Likewise."

Mirai only nodded without shaking hands. Orochimaru, unfazed, unfolded a map and began explaining the situation.

"Kumogakure outnumbers us, but our ninja are generally stronger. After the initial ambush caught us off guard, we've gradually stabilized the situation. However… our biggest problem is their high-ranking shinobi."

Orochimaru sighed as he mentioned Ay and Killer Bee, who had been constantly ambushing Konoha's forces, causing heavy casualties. They always struck swiftly and retreated, and despite numerous attempts to intercept them, Orochimaru could do little to stop them.

"Mirai-kun, any ideas on handling this?"

Orochimaru rarely valued the opinions of others, but for some reason, he was curious about this young prodigy's perspective.

With a calm smile, Mirai replied, "It's not as hard as you might think."

"Oh?"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. Could this young genius truly have a viable plan?

Mirai smiled at Orochimaru's curious gaze. "Simple. We just need to kill more of their people than they kill of ours."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed at the suggestion. He hadn't thought of it quite that way before. In terms of overall strength, Kumogakure was no match for Konoha, if they focused on eliminating Kumogakure's lower-ranking shinobi, the burden would fall back on them.

"Mirai-kun, it's clear why you were sent here to assist, even while others your age are handling less risky missions."

"Actually, I'd prefer to operate solo," Mirai replied, shaking his head.

"Very well. Just be careful."

With a nod, Orochimaru dismissed Mirai, waving a hand toward the camp.

"Get some rest, Mirai-kun. I'll prepare the necessary mission details soon."

If Orochimaru could build his reputation on this battlefield, the path to becoming Hokage would finally be open to him. Then, he would have the freedom to pursue every experiment he had ever dreamed of.

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