War arrived faster than anyone had expected.
The Hidden Mist Village, which had originally hoped to remain on the sidelines and observe the conflict from afar, suddenly found itself pushed into the center of the storm.
Circumstances forced it to join the rapidly escalating war.
What had once seemed like a distant conflict was now standing right at its doorstep.
Land of Waves
"Lord Araki, it has been quite some time. You look as distinguished as ever."
Uchiha Su extended his hand with a polite smile.
Because of the large difference in height and age between them, Araki Taro, the Daimyo of the Land of Waves, had to bend slightly in order to shake hands with the young ninja.
"Su-kun has grown much taller since the last time we met," Araki Taro said warmly.
For him, the recent period had been the most peaceful and comfortable time since he became the Daimyo of this small country.
With powerful Uchiha ninjas serving as guards and protectors, the safety of the nation had improved dramatically. The once impoverished land was slowly beginning to recover.
Villages that had once been quiet and struggling were now lively again.
Fields were being cultivated.
Fishermen returned to their work.
Markets had begun to flourish once more.
Everything seemed to be gradually returning to life.
Araki Taro had witnessed all of this personally during his journey to greet Su.
The vibrant scenery was still vivid in his mind.
How could he not feel happy?
After all, he was merely the ruler of a small and humble nation.
He had no grand ambitions of conquest or power.
His only wish was simple: that the people of his country could live stable and peaceful lives.
Inside the Palace
After exchanging greetings, the group entered the palace and sat down for a formal discussion.
Uchiha Su spoke first.
"Has anything unusual happened in the Land of Waves recently?"
Araki Taro shook his head.
"No."
"Although the Ninja World has become quite unstable lately, the Land of Waves has not been affected so far."
He smiled slightly.
"Our country is poor. We have no ninja forces and no valuable resources."
"So naturally, the major powers have little interest in us."
Uchiha Su nodded slowly.
"Konoha ninjas have stationed troops across the sea on the border of the Land of Fire."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"That is the main reason I came to the Land of Waves this time."
Araki Taro thought about this for a moment.
"I understand."
"I will do everything in my power to cooperate with you."
"But I do have one condition."
"Please say it," Uchiha Su replied calmly.
The Daimyo's expression became serious.
"I hope the war will not affect the Land of Waves."
"Our country cannot afford the cost of war."
"The people have only recently begun to stabilize their lives again."
"I do not want everything they have rebuilt to be destroyed."
Uchiha Su nodded firmly.
"That will not happen."
"My battlefield will be located on the border of the Land of Fire."
"I will not allow the flames of war to spread into the Land of Waves."
His voice carried quiet confidence.
Araki Taro relaxed slightly after hearing this assurance.
"Good."
His eyes then shifted toward a small figure standing behind Uchiha Su.
"That child… is he also a ninja?"
He looked surprised.
"Isn't he a bit too young to go to the battlefield?"
The child in question was Kaguya Takuma.
Before Su could answer, Takuma spoke proudly.
"Please don't underestimate me!"
"Even though I'm only nine years old, the Chunin in my clan are no match for me!"
His face was extremely serious as he said this.
Araki Taro burst into light laughter.
"I see!"
"Appearances can truly be deceiving."
He shook his head in amazement.
"The ninja world is indeed extraordinary."
Heading to the Border
After finishing their discussion, Uchiha Su left the palace and began heading toward the border of the Land of Waves.
This border region contained a large port.
From the shoreline, one could clearly see the distant coast of the Land of Fire across the narrow strait.
Standing at the edge of the port, Su raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight as he stared across the water.
His eyesight was extremely sharp.
Even from such a distance, he could observe the general layout of the enemy's camp.
However, after several moments, he shook his head.
"I can only see the rough arrangement."
"If I want more detailed information, observation from here won't be enough."
He turned and entered the newly constructed military camp.
Inside, he immediately began issuing orders.
"Setsuna."
Uchiha Setsuna stepped forward.
"Send two squads across the sea."
"Gather intelligence about the enemy's position and find a suitable landing site."
Setsuna nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, Young Master."
He immediately left the camp.
After selecting two capable ninja squads, he personally led them across the sea to conduct reconnaissance.
A Warrior's Excitement
This time, Uchiha Hikari had also followed Su to the front lines.
Standing beside him, she stretched slightly and licked her lips.
"The war is about to begin, isn't it?"
Her eyes gleamed with excitement.
"I'm starting to feel something… a feeling I haven't experienced in a long time."
Su looked at her silently.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
He seemed to be thinking deeply about something.
Hikari noticed his strange expression.
"What are you thinking about?"
she asked curiously.
Su answered seriously.
"I'm thinking about establishing a new profession in the village."
"A psychiatrist."
Hikari blinked.
"Psychiatrist?"
She stared at him in confusion.
"I know those words separately…"
"But together they make no sense."
"Is it some kind of new ninja specialization?"
Su shook his head slightly.
"Not exactly."
"Although if they were ninjas, it would be better."
"Especially ninjas who specialize in Genjutsu."
"That would make psychological treatment much more effective."
Hikari looked even more confused.
The Mental Burden of War
Uchiha Su spoke thoughtfully.
"Being a ninja is an extremely dangerous profession."
"Many children pick up weapons and step onto the battlefield before their values and personalities have fully formed."
He thought of a well-known example.
"Take Uchiha Itachi."
"When he was only four years old, his father Uchiha Fugaku brought him to the battlefield."
"At that age, he had already begun thinking about the meaning of war."
Many people considered that impressive.
But Su did not.
"In my opinion, that kind of childhood creates a twisted mindset."
Otherwise, how could someone eventually cooperate with Uchiha Obito to slaughter their own parents, friends, clan members, and even their childhood sweetheart?
All for the sake of protecting a younger brother.
"To me," Su muttered quietly, "that's pure insanity."
And Itachi was not unique.
He was merely one example among countless ninja.
There were far more people with similar psychological problems throughout the ninja world.
Even Su himself was beginning to notice changes within his own mind.
Killing had slowly begun to feel… normal.
Routine.
In his previous life, he would not even have dared to kill a chicken.
Yet now, taking human lives felt like just another task.
"I'm being assimilated by this world," Su thought quietly.
The transformation was happening faster than he expected.
The only belief he still firmly held onto was one simple principle.
Wars between ninjas should never involve civilians.
The Konoha Camp
Meanwhile, across the sea in the Konoha military camp, another discussion was taking place.
A middle-aged man stood inside the command tent.
He looked strong and experienced.
His name was Sarutobi Sasuke.
He was also the father of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Uchiha Su…"
He frowned thoughtfully.
"So he is the commander of the Hidden Mist forces on the other side?"
"That name sounds familiar."
"I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."
Standing beside him was his advisor, Nara Ryusei, a Jonin from the Nara Clan.
"If I remember correctly," Ryusei said calmly,
"Uchiha Su is the nephew of Uchiha Madara."
"And he was once the disciple of Jonin Hiruzen Sarutobi."
He paused before adding,
"However, because he deserted Konoha, that position has now been given to another young ninja."
"A boy named Jiraiya."
Sarutobi Sasuke sighed.
"The Nara Clan truly has incredible memory."
"You always seem to know everything."
Then his expression turned serious.
"Even if the enemy commander is only a child…"
"We cannot underestimate him."
"In war, we must treat every opponent seriously."
"Of course," Ryusei replied with a confident smile.
"I will devise strategies for you."
He folded his arms.
"After all…"
"Strategic planning is what the Nara Clan does best."
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