Fugaku knew that the Third Hokage and his advisors were likely busy planning strategies and organizing resources for the war effort.

However, Danzo would be focused on his own ambitions, likely using the chaos of war to plant spies and strengthen his influence. Fugaku also recalled that, in the last war, Orochimaru and Danzo had secretly collaborated to place spies in enemy lands.

He understood that the village’s inner workings were complicated, and not every Uchiha shared the same views.

Watching his two fellow clansmen, Fugaku kept his thoughts to himself. The Third Hokage was known for his “Will of Fire” philosophy, and Fugaku wasn’t sure if all his kin were truly loyal to the Hokage or if they prioritized the clan over Konoha.

Since he wasn’t the clan head yet, he knew he had to be careful with his words. “Jin, Yan,” Fugaku began, “The Uchiha name has struggled in Konoha, but now we have a chance to rebuild our reputation. I think it would be wise for my father to send more of our clansmen to the Land of Rain. Fighting for Konoha would help improve our standing and bring honor to the Uchiha.”

Fugaku doubted Konoha’s leaders would fully support this idea, but he knew that if his father made the offer, word would spread that the Uchiha clan was eager to serve. That alone could improve the clan’s image in the village.

Yan nodded in agreement. “Leave it to me to send word to your father,” he said with a smile.

“You talented types always avoid the usual summoning contracts. We have a family of ninja cats that’s been with the Uchiha clan for generations. I’ll send the message through them.”

Fugaku and Jin updated Yan on the current situation in the Land of Rain, offering insights that might help him avoid danger in future missions. Village intelligence wasn’t always reliable, as spies could be compromised or feed false information. Only firsthand experience gave true clarity on the battlefield.

After a while, they wrapped up the meeting. With tensions high, they didn’t want to stay together too long and draw suspicion. Fugaku and Jin returned to their tent, where they found Sato resting alone.

When Fugaku stepped in, he noticed a brief flicker of surprise on Sato’s face before it disappeared. “Are you the only one here?” Fugaku asked in a casual tone.

“No desire to catch up with old friends after the mission?”

Sato chuckled, a faint smile crossing his face. “No friends in this forward camp, unfortunately. I was the only one selected from my group. Not sure if that’s a stroke of luck or a curse.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Fugaku noted that it would take some work to confirm Sato’s background. Though Konoha was a village, it wasn’t overly large.

Finding friends and former classmates to verify Sato’s past would be easy enough, though inquiring through Anbu would be much harder. ‘Having a suspected Anbu operative nearby wasn’t necessarily a bad thing,’ Fugaku thought. It kept him alert and reminded him to be cautious.

For the next three days, things remained calm. Meanwhile, the battles in the Land of Rain intensified, and many Konoha teams were reorganized to meet the demands of the war.

Yesterday, Yan Uchiha was assigned to lead a team of nine on a mission, and Fugaku knew more changes were coming. Early the next morning, a ninja informed Fugaku that his team should assemble outside Sakumo’s tent at nine o’clock.

Fugaku suspected that the reassignments this time would be larger. As he headed over, Fugaku looked up at the rain-soaked sky. Over the past few days, he’d grown used to the constant rain.

At exactly nine, Hatake Sakumo stepped out of his tent, a stern look on his face. Sakumo’s sharp gaze swept over the assembled ninja. “In recent days, our forward troops have suffered heavy losses in the Land of Rain. Konoha’s leaders are understandably disappointed.

You were chosen from among Konoha’s finest, and the village expects a lot from you. However, your performance has left room for improvement. Recently, Konoha sent reinforcements, and after reviewing the situation, the leadership has decided to restructure the teams.”

At his signal, a clerk stepped forward with a scroll and began reading out the new team assignments.

“Team 001: Captain Fukada Nara, Vice Captain Iimura Yamanaka, Okada Akimichi. Members: Maru Nagasawa, Nakamura Matsubara…”

The assignments continued until they reached Fugaku’s new team.

“Team 009: Captain Fugaku Uchiha, Vice Captain Ning Hyuga, Maru Inuzuka. Members: Shinji Yamada, Koda, Nozawa Aburame, Dayo, Sato Maru, Haranogi, Kazusuke Yamamoto, Maki Aida, Tongze Harada.”

Each team now had one Jounin and three Chunin, a slight change from the usual setup of one Jounin and two Chunin. With Konoha’s reinforcements, a group of skilled Chunin had been temporarily promoted, likely to test their abilities in real combat.

Fugaku looked over at his new teammates. Four new members had joined his team, so they each introduced themselves to get familiar with one another.

Maru Inuzuka, from the Inuzuka clan, introduced himself with his tall ninja dog, who had been his companion since childhood. The dog was skilled in both reconnaissance and combat, though the rain made tracking harder.

Kazusuke Yamamoto, a young ninja promoted to Chunin, specialized in water techniques. His youthful look hinted he was around Fugaku’s age.

Maki Aida, a seasoned Chunin, had been in the ranks for years and had taken part in several high-risk missions. Tongze Harada, a Chunin promoted two years earlier, was skilled in wind techniques and his family’s unique sword style.

Fugaku addressed the group. “We’re all here as part of a reorganized team. Some of you might be new to the battlefield, and adjusting to the intensity of war might take time. But with the situation as it is, we don’t have much time to ease into it. In the coming days, we’ll likely receive our next mission. Use this time to train together and build trust. Get to know each other’s strengths so we can work smoothly in the field.”