Chapter Three- So This Is War?

In the following few days, I focused completely on my training, having Sakumo become my sensei would force me to join the war front often. I wouldn't complain however because I could immediately respect the way he trained, comparing him to my late sensei was like night and day. Though Fuza sensei was responsible for three of us it made sense that my progress was so much better when my teacher only had only one student.

It wasn't easy by any means, my body hurt like hell and I spat blood multiple times. I even gained a few more scars on my arms due to poorly blocking Sakumo's clone. But after a week of pushing myself like this I could easily see the difference, the 'scroll' gave me a more accurate picture of the results though.

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Level 5 (1420/2000)

Name: Tometsu Uchiha

Chakra: 310/310

Title: Konoha Genin (10% boost to fire-natured jutsus)

Strength:14-(18)

Dexterity:15-(22)

Agility: 22-(27)

Endurance:15-(21)

Intelligence:22-(31)

Stat points:0

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'I was honestly more proud of my Chakras growth, it took me until yesterday to complete the first water walking test, thus I completed the second Chakra training quest. Now I could do my father proud and keep my Sharingan on for longer than a minute' I finished the thought with a smile as I strapped on all of my gear.

Black shinobi pants that had my kunai holder strapped to my right leg. Along with my shuriken and paper bomb pouch that sat near my rear. The sword I received from Sakumo sat perfectly strapped onto my waistline, after a week of swinging it, I finally felt more comfortable using it than even my shurkenjutsu. Over my chest was a basic black long-sleeve shirt with the Uchiha emblem removed, much to my chagrin. 

"Remove it, at your level it's a target instead of a symbol of fear." Sakumo's voice appeared in my mind as he took the shirt and cut the symbol off before I could protest.

With a sigh I tightened the leaf headband that I wore on my forehead, that was another factor that forced my hair to spike at an angle.

"Ready prettying yourself up? Would you like me to help you do your hair?" Sakumo sensei's clone asked.

"Fuck you Clone sensei" I said with a sigh as I finished adding bandages to my hands up to my elbow for an increase in grip.

"You have five minutes to make it to the meeting point you little shit" The clone said with a smirk before it disappeared.

The meeting point is the the top of the wall that guarded the encampment from the desert. I took off in a decent sprint from my training sight, I would've been worried about making it on time but with being able to use my chakra? It was a walk in the park to boost myself enough to make it in less than three minutes. 

After tree walking up the thirty-foot tall wall I was greeted by a team of five hardened shinobi along with a beastly wolf that even had its own Leaf headband.

The monstrous wolf meant that the gruff-looking man next to it was an Inuzuka, he was about six-foot tall and wore the standard jonin attire, besides a large black open fur coat.

"So you're the new guy?" It seemed the guy I was observing was the first to notice me, he took in a whiff of air. "An Uchiha? Seriously Captain, I'd rather not have an emo brat on the team" And just like that I didn't like this guy. 'We're not all emo you dick, just the..... majority. Damnation!'

"Leave it Tora, kids my apprentice," Sakumo said as he turned away from where he was staring at the sun rising over the desert. "Introduce yourself kid, add your specialization " Sakumo ordered.

"Tometsu Uchiha, genin. Close combat fighter" I said with a slight wave to everyone besides the dog lover.

The first to speak next was a man with pale white eyes and a deadpan face. "Hazai Hyuga,Chunin. I'm the scout along with a melee combatant." the middle-aged Hyuga said as he gave me a nod in greeting. 'Oh, that is a way cooler sounding name than 'close combat fighter.'

"I'm Tora Inuzuka brat. A jonin focused on tracking and melee fighting" The man said with a smirk, I begrudgingly nodded to him.

The next to introduce himself was a man around Sakumo's age, he had spiky brown hair and had a staff strapped to his back.

"I'm Rizen Sarutobi, I'm a Tokubetsu Jonin as a ninjutsu specialist." The man said as he nodded to the last man to go. 'Could he be the son of the third Hokage? Damn.... That agreement keeps haunting me everywhere I go'

"Rei Casa, chunin with a specialization in fuinjutsu" The obvious brown-haired civilian shinobi said with a nod toward me. 'That's rare. The academy stressed that only the most intelligent shinobi could ever hope to become proficient in the sealing arts.'

"Now that introductions are over I'll go over our mission parameters. It's simple, we'll be heading into the heart of conflict." Sakumo stated to his squad mates with a slightly sad smile. 

"Obviously, where else could they need our undefeatable squad?" Tora said with a smirk that caused a few of the members to chuckle. His ninja hound next to him readily agreed with a small howl.

"Our directive is to provide relief for Lady Tsunade, she has been holding the Chiyo siblings back, along with healing as many she can from the new poisons they keep creating. And we all know it's only a matter of time before Russo rejoins the right" Sakumo said as he dropped his arm. I was surprised as everyone disappeared. 'Shit!' I realized I missed the signal as I was too focused on listening. I jumped from the wall into the sand with gusto as I tried to catch up with the retreating backs of my companions.

It took me around five minutes to catch up to them but I was greeted with a few smirks as I realized I was being hazed. 

"Anyway Sakumo, I doubt Russo is going to be in a hurry to return. You did stab him through the chest. It's only been three weeks, I doubt he'd be recovered that quickly." Rizen Sarutobi said with a smirk as the traveling gossip began. Luckily I acquired an up-to-date bingo book I had Sakumo's clone get for me.

'Russo of The Black Sand' was an S-rank shinobi. He has been active on this war front during the entire war, the amount of leaf shinobi he has killed has long passed the triple digits. His unique bloodline allows him complete control of Iron Sand, making the deserts of the Land of Wind one of the worst places to fight him. It was a forlorn conclusion that if the Second Kazekage were to fall, he would take the mantle of the Third.

"It was just strategy, without Lady Tsunade there I doubt my lightning could've pierced his defenses. It'd take someone with a decently powerful lightning affinity to even hope to pierce his magnet release" Sakumo said as he praised an enemy, it was obvious that the two had many battles during this war. 

As for Sakumo's page in the bingo book? It was rather impressive.

Sakumo Hatake, The White Fang. A proven S-rank shinobi with a confirmed kill count sitting at well over five hundred in the second war alone. He joined a prodigious lineup as he became Konoha's fifth active S-rank shinobi at the age of eighteen. A mastery of Lightning release that only the Third Raikage could topple and a proficiency in swordsmanship that would give any samurai from the Land of Iron pause. 

Rumors stated he created a jutsu that turned him into a monster on the battlefield, but reports on the specifics weren't confirmed. They did confirm that the jutsu made him incredibly fast.

His greatest achievement to date was in killing Suna's growing prodigy. Kokai Chiyo was a man who grew in renown after the number of shinobi who were confirmed dead due to his poisons, it was well over three hundred and that number rose daily. He was deemed 'Sunagakure's Poisoned Puppet' a few months before Sakumo took his head.

'How the hell I convinced this guy to train me with just a sob story, I'll never know.'

"I believe there are only three men with a lightning release strong enough to pierce Russo's defenses. The Captain, Lord Hiruzen, and the Third Raikage." The light-spoken civilian Rei said with exasperation at Sakumo's 'accidental' boasting. 

"I am inclined to agree with Rei on this" The Hyuga said as I realized he activated his bloodline, given the fact that there were dozens of veins around his eyes. Undoubtedly scouting ahead in case of an ambush, the large frown he wore was all I needed to realize there was a problem.

We'd been running for about twenty minutes and we'd long lost sight of the encampment, it seemed it would only be a matter of time before an obstacle appeared.

"How many Hizai?" Sakumo asked. Someone he knew as well that enemies were approaching. It seemed the others caught on as all banter came to a stony halt.

"Twenty shinobi. Based on their chakra levels I can confirm that it is a standard platoon, three jonin, seven chunin along with ten genin." Hanzai reported almost robotically, it seemed these numbers didn't seem to scare the Hyuga at all. I on the other hand was rather spooked that there were that many coming for our six-man squad. 

"Now I feel disrespected, those damn desert lizards think a single platoon can stop us from reaching the frontline?" The vulgar Inuzuka said with a hefty scoff.

"Formation?" Rizen asked as he withdrew his staff and gave it a twirl.

"Three, you and Tora will handle the Jonin. Rei and Hanzai will be more than enough for the chunin." Sakumo stated as he immediately came to a stop as a couple of silhouettes appeared from a dune across from us.

"And what of the cannon fodder?" Tora asked with an odd smile as he began cracking his neck.

"The boy will handle them, I will supervise the entire battle. Rare to get a chance to send my cronies out while I sit on the sidelines." Sakumo said with a playful laugh. I froze in place as his words registered.

'The hell do you mean I'll handle ten genin!'