As night descended and the rain eased into a gentle drizzle, an eerie quiet settled over the valley. Fugaku shut his eyes, taking a brief moment to rest, but the sound of soft footsteps brought him back to full alertness. Two groups of nine Sunagakure ninja were moving through the valley entrance, heading toward the Land of Earth. Fugaku immediately recognized some faces from the day before—likely teams that had regrouped after losing members to Iwagakure forces.

With three nations locked in battle, Fugaku understood this was a war of endurance. Each side was trying to wear down the others, and on this battlefield, every supply line and stronghold was a critical advantage.

Three days passed swiftly, and the eight members of the team gathered at their meeting spot. "Captain," Ning reported. "The situation is grim. There are about thirty ninja stationed at the stronghold—ten Jōnin and twenty Chūnin. Every day, around four teams come in to rest and resupply, with six to nine members in each."

Fugaku had expected as much, but hearing the numbers confirmed the mission’s difficulty. "Sato, Shinji, what did you observe?" he asked.

“Captain, we saw about twenty-four to thirty ninja entering the entrance we monitored each day," Sato reported.

“It was the same on our end,” Shinji added. “Some teams arrive daily, showing signs of heavy wear, so they’re clearly taking losses in the field.”

Fugaku nodded, piecing together the information. ‘It seems the Sand Village forces have met strong resistance on the front lines. They’re sustaining regular casualties, but even so, taking down this supply point won’t be easy. With numbers like this, a direct assault would be a costly mistake.’

Nozawa, from the Aburame clan, released a swarm of his insects, letting them spread throughout the valley to monitor the Sand ninja’s movements.

"Let’s find a place to rest," Fugaku instructed. "The upcoming battle will be challenging, and we can’t afford any slip-ups. If we fail to intercept a small Sunagakure team, we risk alerting the entire stronghold."

Ning nodded. "I scouted nearby areas during the last three days. There’s a cave not far from here that should be safe for us."

Following Ning, the team settled into a dry, spacious cave, protected from the rain. After three days of constant surveillance, everyone was exhausted.

Fugaku, bearing the extra weight of leadership, felt even more worn out but kept his calm, knowing that his composure would help boost the team’s morale.

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After a night’s rest, the team was ready. Early in the morning, Nozawa approached Fugaku. "Captain, I spotted a group of six Sunagakure ninja. My insects are tracking them now."

"Good," Fugaku replied. "We’ll follow them and wait until they’re far enough from the stronghold before we strike."

With Nozawa’s insects scouting ahead, the team moved through the damp terrain, shadowing the Sunagakure group. Around noon, they watched a brief standoff as the Sand ninja encountered a small Amegakure group. After a tense moment, both sides withdrew, avoiding a full fight. Though Amegakure hadn’t openly joined the war against the larger nations, any shift in their stance could spark an all-out conflict.

Once the Sunagakure group was isolated, Fugaku gave his orders. "Everyone, take your positions. Ning and I will engage the Jōnin. Nozawa, create some chaos with your bugs. Sato and Shinji, handle one of the Chūnin. Koda, you and the others team up on the second Chūnin."

"But Captain, what about the third Chūnin?" Koda asked.

"Leave him to me," Fugaku replied. "Just follow the plan."

He signaled the team to begin."Body Flicker Technique," Fugaku murmured, disappearing in a blur and reappearing behind the enemy. His Sharingan activated, locking onto the two Jōnin. At the same moment, Ning’s Byakugan flared to life as he charged forward, delivering a powerful Gentle Fist strike to one Jōnin, leaving him dazed.

Fugaku cast a quick genjutsu on the second Jōnin, trapping him in an illusion. With the enemy frozen, Fugaku’s kunai flashed as he moved, swiftly piercing a Chūnin’s heart, ending the fight in one strike. As he pulled his blade free, he hurled shuriken at the remaining enemies, keeping them at bay and buying his team precious seconds.

[Killed a Chūnin, gained a small increase in pupil power.]

The remaining Sunagakure ninja snapped out of the genjutsu, staring at Fugaku with a mix of shock and anger. One of the Jōnin quickly formed a series of hand seals.

Tiger, Ox, Dog, Rabbit, Snake.

"Fūton: Daitoppa!"

The Sand ninja’s chest expanded as he took in air, then exhaled a powerful gust, blending with the rain and hurling it directly at Fugaku.

Fugaku’s hands moved in response, forming seals in rapid succession.

Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

A blazing fireball burst from Fugaku’s mouth, colliding fiercely with the wind attack. As the fiery sphere met the rain-soaked gust, steam erupted in thick clouds, hissing and swirling into a smoky shroud that blanketed the area. Fugaku took advantage of the cover, creating a clone to buy himself a few more moments before disappearing in a flash with the Body Flicker Technique.

The fireball, no longer controlled by his chakra, was consumed by the wind, and the clone dissolved in the blast, adding more smoke to the field. The Sand Jōnin stared into the thick haze, wary. He knew an Uchiha wouldn’t fall so easily.

Out of nowhere, Fugaku emerged from the smoke to the side, flinging kunai in rapid succession. The blades twisted mid-air, ricocheting off each other, creating a web of attacks that covered every possible escape.

The Jōnin deflected three kunai, but two slipped past, hitting him in the arm and side. Blood darkened his clothes, and his movements slowed as Fugaku’s genjutsu took effect. Fugaku intensified his focus, pouring chakra into the Jōnin’s mind, watching his opponent’s face strain in resistance.

With a swift move, Fugaku struck the back of the Jōnin’s head, rendering him unconscious.

He glanced at his team, nodded in silent confirmation, then used the Body Flicker Technique once more, vanishing into the mist.