Recently—
Our Uchiha Red Guard engaged in fierce battle at Infinity Castle, a major stronghold in the eastern Land of Fire, against the invading main force of Kirigakure that crossed the sea.
In this battle, the enemy commander, Fuguki Suikazan, led over two thousand elite Mist shinobi in a brazen assault. Their offensive was fierce and unrelenting.
To defend our land and protect the villagers, the Uchiha Red Guard stood firm at Infinity Castle and met the enemy head-on.
After a night of bloody combat, we inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy, crushing their main force. Commander Fuguki Suikazan was gravely wounded and captured, his arrogance utterly broken.
However, war is perilous, and victory never comes easily.
Our brave Red Guard—the noble Uchiha clan—paid a heavy price in this battle.
Many loyal and courageous clansmen fell on the battlefield, giving their lives for the people. The survivors suffered numerous injuries. Furthermore, a devastating fire caused material losses totaling as high as five hundred million.
This battle fully demonstrates the iron will of Konoha's shinobi to defend their homeland without fear of powerful enemies, as well as the Uchiha clan's unwavering loyalty to Konoha and their willingness to sacrifice.
We hereby announce this to the entire village.
May all villagers remember the achievements of the fallen heroes, understand the hardships of ninja warfare, and unite as one to overcome these difficult times.
—Konoha Military Police Force
A notice of just over three hundred words, written in neat script and stamped with a striking red seal, was quickly posted on bulletin boards across every street in Konoha.
The paste had yet to dry, glistening wet under the sunlight.
At the village center, the most eye-catching landmark—the Ginza Building—pushed the scale of this announcement to its peak.
Four enormous banners, each several stories long, hung from all sides of the building.
Black characters on white cloth, bold and forceful, each word as large as a tablet.
No matter where one stood in the village, a glance upward was enough to see the massive proclamation of the Uchiha's "tragic victory," like silent banners draped across the sky.
Outside the Ninja Academy, the bulletin board was crowded with children and parents seeing them off.
"Father, what does this mean?"
A little girl with twin pigtails pointed at the blood-soaked words on the notice. Fear flickered in her eyes—but so did curiosity.
Her father, a disabled shinobi, crouched down and pointed to phrases like "blood stained the battlefield" and "heavy sacrifices."
In a low voice, he explained, "A ninja protects everyone. Sometimes… that comes with a very heavy price. The Uchiha are heroes."
On the training grounds, children gathered together, their gazes drifting toward their Uchiha classmates—those bearing the fan crest on their backs.
There was envy in their eyes.
But even more—respect.
At barely twelve or thirteen, they already understood what sacrifice meant. What death meant.
An instructor even used the notice as a temporary lesson, explaining teamwork, sacrifice, and the importance of the Will of Fire.
Seated in the classroom, a Uchiha girl with a short ponytail stared blankly at the words on the board.
Her older brother was among the Red Guard.
Every impassioned word from the instructor tightened her heart just a little more.
"What 'Will of Fire'? It's clearly the credit of our brothers and sisters!"
"If it's really the Will of Fire, then why wasn't the Hokage on the front lines protecting everyone?!"
An Uchiha child suddenly shouted, his voice ringing through the classroom.
For a moment, those who dreamed of becoming Hokage fell silent.
Most of them were still innocent.
Their games were simple—become Hokage, protect everyone, protect the village.
Use powerful ninjutsu to wipe out enemies—not sit safely in the village while others charged into battle.
"Watch your words!"
A Sarutobi instructor barked sharply. "If you want to become Hokage, you need to think like one! Only then will you understand the Third Hokage's intentions!"
"I won't!"
The stubbornness of the Uchiha knew no age.
"Then get out! Uchiha!"
"Fine! I'm leaving! You don't teach anything useful anyway—just a bunch of garbage!"
Watching the Uchiha student walk out without hesitation, the instructor opened his mouth—then hesitated.
A flicker of regret surfaced.
—
Across the streets, the atmosphere was even more complex.
Outside a barbecue shop, several shinobi—fresh from missions and awaiting wartime deployment—gathered over sake, speaking in low voices.
"Two thousand Mist ninja… damn. The Uchiha really went all out this time."
"The losses must be heavy too. The notice is vague, but 'significant' isn't a light word."
"Still, they won. The eastern front can breathe for now… though the spotlight they're getting… hm."
Someone smacked his lips, tone ambiguous.
Another spoke with open admiration.
"One against ten. Facing overwhelming numbers. Losses measured in the hundreds of millions… truly worthy of the number one clan in the shinobi world."
"If only we had more Uchiha. They look cold, but working with them isn't bad."
"At least they don't play both sides. They mean what they say—you can trust them. Unlike certain clans…"
"Enough. Even food can't shut your mouth? Eat while you can—who knows if we'll still have the chance later."
In the marketplace, housewives picked through vegetables while exchanging news.
"Have you heard?"
"The Uchiha fought a brutal battle at Infinity Castle. So many died…"
"No wonder the Military Police have looked so serious these past few days… I wonder when my husband will come back."
The words fell like a stone into still water.
The surrounding women all paused.
If even the Uchiha suffered such heavy losses… what awaited their husbands and sons—mere chūnin and genin?
"Right now, all we can hope is that the Hokage finds a way to end this war soon…"
A younger woman lowered her head, her voice trembling with tears.
Passing by, Uzumaki Kushina felt a weight in her chest.
If only she were stronger… if she could perfectly control the Nine-Tails… Konoha wouldn't be invaded like this.
"The Uchiha may be strong, but they're still not the Senju. If the First or Second Hokage were still alive, the enemy villages would've been defeated long ago."
An old man leaned on his cane, squinting at the banners on the Ginza Building.
"…Still, these Uchiha didn't disgrace themselves."
In the orphanage, a blonde woman led the children in prayer—for the Uchiha.
Taverns, tea houses, mission halls…
Every place where people gathered, this battle report became the hottest topic.
Some sincerely admired the Uchiha's sacrifice.
Some felt relief that the eastern front had stabilized.
Others quietly speculated about the shifting balance between the Uchiha and the village behind this "tragic victory."
—
Not long after, another report swept through Konoha like a freezing gale—
The complete annihilation of the eastern shinobi army.
All discussions, admiration, and speculation were instantly drowned out—
Replaced by something heavier.
More raw.
Grief.
Fear.
"A thousand shinobi on the eastern front… gone just like that."
"If the Uchiha hadn't held the line at Infinity Castle, the entire east would've collapsed."
"Praise the Uchiha!"
—
Uchiha District.
Inside the clan head's chamber, the lamps burned brightly against the deepening dusk. The paper doors were shut tight, sealing out all outside noise.
Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Hokaku, and the old clan head sat around a low table.
Between them lay two documents.
One—the detailed frontline report from Infinity Castle, delivered through the ninja cat network.
Written in Mikoto's hand.
Clear. Precise. Backed by solid data.
The other—
The slightly exaggerated notice released that morning.
Hokaku's gaze moved between the two documents.
After a long moment, he sighed softly, the lines on his face deepening.
"Mikoto… that child… she's learned some bad habits."
He shook his head.
"This kind of method… doesn't feel right."
"Bad habits? Not right?!"
Setsuna scoffed, leaning forward slightly, shooting him a sideways glance.
"What do you know, you old fossil?"
"According to that 'Public Relations Department' Ren cooked up—this is called guiding public opinion, strengthening collective identity, and boosting morale!"
"In plain terms—make everyone feel that our victory was hard-fought and tragic, but as long as the Uchiha stand, there's still hope!"
Facing Hokaku's glare, Setsuna crossed his arms confidently.
"Facts are the foundation, sure—but facts alone are useless. Konoha's fools lost the eastern front themselves. People are panicking."
"At times like this, someone has to step forward and tell them—the Uchiha are holding the line in the east, and we can hold it. No matter the cost!"
"Every word of that notice strikes where people are weakest—where they most need something to rely on. That's skill. That's strategy!"
"Mikoto's grown up. She knows how to use the pen to win hearts for the clan—why should everything be decided by the Hokage?"
The old clan head sat quietly at the head seat, listening to the argument.
Deep in his eyes—
There was satisfaction.
And reflection.
"Enough."
Both men fell silent, turning to him.
"The report records the clan's substance. The notice shapes the clan's image. Information and discourse… are the clan's voice."
"If the voice is weak, even strong foundations will be misunderstood. Even a polished image will be hollow."
"If the Uchiha are to endure and grow stronger—"
"All three are indispensable."
His gaze deepened.
"Right now, public sentiment is in flux. Attention is focused on us. This momentum is like a rising tide."
"If we don't seize it—build channels, guide its flow—it will recede… or worse, turn into a flood."
"And that may give Sarutobi Hiruzen an opportunity."
A pause.
"It's time to implement the clan expansion plan Ren left before departing."
"Use Konoha's needs… to strengthen the Uchiha."
"In the name of reinforcing the eastern front, replenishing losses, and stabilizing defenses… recruit. Expand. Accumulate power."
"That makes sense."
Setsuna nodded, his expression growing more serious.
"But we all know Konoha's current state."
"The number of deployable shinobi barely reaches a hundred."
"And they're all tightly held by Sarutobi Hiruzen. He won't hand them over to us."
Hokaku stroked his beard, eyes flickering with thought.
Then suddenly—understanding.
"You mean… the other clans?"
But even as he spoke, he frowned.
"Those fence-sitters… they follow the wind wherever it blows."
"They only trust what they see."
"We need to show them real benefits. Let them understand that following the Uchiha isn't betting on a 'heroic reputation'—"
"But that there's real gain. Real opportunity."
He looked up sharply.
"How much do we reveal? And how?"
"We can't expose everything too early and let others see through us."
"But we also can't be stingy and appear weak."
Setsuna crossed his arms.
"Ren once said—if you don't plan for the whole, you can't plan for a part."
"That's why we didn't ask Hiruzen for expendable troops."
"Mixed forces with unclear loyalties and weak strength… are worse than none."
Hokaku nodded.
"I support the plan to build strength for the future."
"But it can't be rushed."
The old clan head raised a brow, a faint smile appearing.
"Oh? Do you two think I've been sitting here all these years doing nothing?"
They exchanged a glance—expressions subtle.
The old man's composure almost cracked.
"Enough of your riddles!"
"When the Red Guard deployed, the Hyūga's old fox sent his second son along."
"He's in the battle report."
"They know the truth."
"And that means… Ren allowed it."
He took a sip of tea.
"Soon, the Hyūga will come—under the pretext of checking on their clansman."
"Then we'll see whether they reinforce the eastern front… or get drained elsewhere by Hiruzen."
"With the Uchiha in front and the Hyūga behind—"
"Do you think the other clans will sit still? Wait to be pushed into even more dangerous battlefields?"
Setsuna nodded slowly.
"The real issue… is Kirigakure's reaction."
"If Fuguki Suikazan's defeat provokes the Mizukage… and they launch a large-scale invasion—"
"Those fence-sitters will retreat immediately."
Hokaku let out a cold laugh.
"Konoha is right here. Where can they run?"
The old clan head made the final call.
"Ren's plan stands."
"We expand under the banner of reinforcing the east."
"Let them choose—"
"Add flowers to brocade…"
"Or deliver coal in the snow."
A pause.
"And as for clan children who wish to withdraw from the Academy—"
"Let them withdraw."
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