Chapter 5: Land of Hot Water, Land of Chaos

"Take care, Jin." Uchiha Shisui stepped forward and patted Uchiha Jin on the shoulder.

He keenly observed the tremor in Uchiha Jin's previous actions.

However, because Shisui had graduated early and was still young, he was as short as a radish cube, and his comforting gestures were somewhat comical.

"Don't worry too much. I didn't expect Elder to personally lead this mission either. It seems the danger level on your end shouldn't be too high."

Uchiha Shisui smiled kindly and reassured him.

Although he had chosen the more dangerous battlefield in the Land of Rain himself, he was now comforting Uchiha Jin here.

Uchiha Jin regained his composure and looked at him with a sense of hopelessness.

Damn it, first stealing my job of feeding pigs, and now grabbing the suicide mission? Can't he act like a decent human being?

"Take care, Jin. I need to finish this mission before tomorrow's assembly," Uchiha Shisui waved the C-Rank mission scroll he had just received, then excused himself.

After Shisui left, Uchiha Jin's eyes flickered slightly.

Is the danger level in the Valley of Hell, Land of Hot Water, really not that high?

Well, that's not necessarily true.

At night, the round moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting its clear light over the earth.

Inside the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Uchiha Shana, wearing wooden clogs, calmly pushed open the wooden door.

In the small room, crimson eyes instantly lit up.

"Grand Elder!"

Amidst the repeated greetings, Uchiha Shana sat cross-legged at the central position of the room.

Seated next to him was Uchiha Yashiro, the deputy of the Hawk Faction.

Below, all members of the Uchiha clan at Chunin rank or higher have activated their Sharingan, numbering nearly a hundred.

This is the foundation of the Hawk Faction.

"Grand Elder, didn't we decide to support a team of capable clan members to go to the Land of Hot Water?" Yashiro frowned slightly and asked:

"Why is there a Genin on the list, and moreover, a Genin who hasn't activated their Sharingan?"

"Didn't you explain the dangers of this mission to the clan members?" Uchiha Shana lifted his teacup, glanced at Yashiro, and said lightly, "I will personally go on this mission."

"With just me, it's enough."

"But this time it's not just about the Chinoike Clan's movements; the pressure of guarding has increased," analyzed Uchiha Yashiro with a furrowed brow, "The Land of Hot Water is situated between the Fire, Lightning, and Water countries, and with recent small-scale conflicts between Hidden Rock, Sand, and Mist, this place has plunged into extreme chaos."

"There are spies and combat troops from various countries, and there are many small organizations that emerged between small countries after the Second Ninja World War such as Nokizaru Group, Prajñā Group, Jashin Cult, Tsuchigumo , remnants of the Sun Flame Village, Mist Rain from Kirigakure, Pursuers, Explosion Corps from Hidden Rock, Rasa striving for achievements on the Kirigakure front to ascend to the position of Kazekage, and bounty hunters from underground money exchanges."

"This place has already turned into a mess." Uchiha Yashiro shook his head solemnly, feeling that Uchiha Shana was exaggerating.

In such a situation, even if the Third Hokage were to personally intervene, it might not end well.

Although Uchiha Shana was an old-line Uchiha from the Warring States era, bringing along only one Genin and one Chunin seemed somewhat inadequate no matter how you looked at it.

However, manpower within the clan was not abundant either. Members of the Security Department were restricted by Konoha and could not leave the village without reason.

Suddenly, Uchiha Yashiro suggested, "Perhaps we can request assistance from Konoha?"

"Enough." Uchiha Shana set down his teacup, his tone calm yet unquestionable.

"With just me, it's enough!"

"Yashiro, the mission to guard the Valley of Hell doesn't come from Konoha. It's a long-term assignment personally commissioned to the Uchiha by the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, and it's one of the few sources of income we have."

"Don't build your sense of security on others, especially not on Konoha, Sarutobi, or Danzo." Uchiha Shana lifted his head, and his crimson Sharingan eyes gleamed coldly, intimidating.

"Only what you decide for yourself matters. If you rely on handouts like a dog, nodding and bowing whenever they're displeased, they can kick you away anytime they want."

Uchiha Yashiro fell silent under this stern admonishment.

Ninjas are tools of combat detached from production. Apart from ancestral heritage and properties within Konoha, the wealth Uchiha can acquire comes mainly from large-scale missions undertaken by clan-ninjas, exploring new sources of income.

Guarding the Chinoike Clan earns an annual reward equivalent to an S-Rank mission.

Long-term and stable.

This is also why Uchiha Shana does not allow Konoha to interfere with this mission.

Snap.

Uchiha Jin had just opened the door of his residence.

A disheveled young man with goggles fell from a tree in the courtyard.

Uchiha Jin immediately recognized the reason for his fall: uneven Chakra distribution during tree-climbing practice, causing him to lose grip on the tree trunk.

"Obito, what are you up to again?"

Watching this unexpected visitor, Uchiha Jin sighed inwardly.

This person was Obito, who had only graduated from the Academy last year.

He was also Uchiha Jin's current neighbor.

"Hey there, Jin! Haha, I'm just preparing for the Chunin exams!" Uchiha Obito scratched the back of his head and chuckled, but then his expression turned resentful.

"That damn Kakashi, using his Chunin status to pressure me and make me obey his commands!"

"It was just a simple mission to catch a cat!"

"When I succeed in my training, I'll definitely shove my Chunin vest in his face!" Uchiha Obito complained bitterly as he recounted the incident.

Listening, Uchiha Jin was slightly stunned and somewhat enlightened.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already spent a whole year in relatively peaceful Konoha. It was only now that he realized the timeline had reached this point: Obito had formed a three-person team with Kakashi and Rin Nohara last year, led by Minato Namikaze, and had been doing D-Rank missions for some time.

However, Obito's dream of becoming a Chunin this year was probably not going to happen.

The Great Shinobi World War was about to erupt, and Minato Namikaze, as an elite Jonin, was about to head to the front lines. This meant the team would be traveling with Minato all year, until the offensive from the Land of Lightning slowed down, giving Konoha a brief respite and the opportunity to hold the Chunin exams in the 48th year of Konoha.

It was also during that time that Obito was critically injured by Might Guy's kick. Despite his defeat, he eventually successfully promoted to Chunin.

"What are you spacing out for? Granny cooked noodles. Come over and eat." Obito waved his hand in front of Uchiha Jin and asked with his head tilted.

"Okay, I'll put things down." Uchiha Jin nodded and didn't refuse the invitation.

On his way back, he passed by the river and picked up a fork and a shoe.

However, a sack of easily sellable aluminum cans had mysteriously disappeared along with the bag, probably stolen by some cheeky guy.

Uchiha Jin cursed inwardly, lamenting the decline of morality in the world.

Such things never happened in Konoha last year.

It's only recently that the Uchiha Clan members of the Security Department have been busy with meetings due to the impending war, leaving less oversight.

This has contributed to the rising trend of theft and pilfering in Konoha.