Chapter 109: The Stains on a Bright Surface Can't Be Hidden

"We've only been out for a short time? We haven't even been to the front lines, and they want us to go back?"

Inside a tent, a young Uchiha ninja expressed his dissatisfaction to Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Yashiro. The others also wore faces of similar indignation.

The village not allowing a large number of Uchiha ninjas on the battlefield was already a kind of invisible discrimination. Their clan leader had finally fought for these few slots, and after only three months on the battlefield, they were being asked to return. What kind of situation was this?

Uchiha Fugaku was also somewhat displeased, but he could only say, "This decision is not only the village's but also my father's decision."

Clearly, Fugaku himself did not agree with the decision to retreat this time. However, as the acting clan leader, he had to follow his father's opinion and uphold his father's authority.

"The village is really too much, and the clan leader is too weak!"

At this moment, another dissatisfied Uchiha spoke up. Upon hearing fellow clan members daring to criticize his father, Fugaku could no longer stay seated. He stood up, ready to argue, but at that moment, a voice came from outside the tent.

"Fugaku Senpai! Fugaku Senpai!"

Upon hearing that somewhat hoarse voice with a hint of speaking too much, Fugaku immediately knew who it was.

The impression of Tatsuma on these Uchiha members was still quite positive. After all, Tatsuma never showed hostility towards the Uchiha clan for no reason, and he even praised and acknowledged them on occasion.

Therefore, when Tatsuma arrived, even the two Uchiha ninjas who had just spoken tried to restrain their discontent, sitting quietly to the side with gloomy expressions.

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions that had just surfaced, and said to the person outside the tent, "Tatsuma, right? Come in."

Tatsuma, carrying a slightly deflated large backpack, opened the tent flap and walked in. He greeted Fugaku, Yashiro, and the others before expressing his confusion, "We're about to return to the village. Haven't you all finished packing yet?"

"Hmph!"

Upon hearing Tatsuma bring up this topic, although reluctant to get angry at the young one, one or two Uchiha ninjas couldn't help but emit dissatisfied snorts.

Tatsuma knew what would happen here. After all, he came with Orochimaru's mission to persuade the Uchiha team to cooperate in returning to the village for a debrief. This might be challenging for other ninjas in the village, considering the inherent tension between the Uchiha clan and the rest. However, Tatsuma was different. Over the past three months, he had managed to build waves of goodwill among the Uchiha.

During this time, Tatsuma also learned the art of conversing with the Uchiha. Pretending not to know their thoughts, he spoke, "Sensei said that if you all want to stay and report, she can negotiate with the new commander for you."

Upon hearing that there might be a turning point, these Uchiha ninjas immediately focused their attention on Tatsuma. Yashiro, somewhat excited, asked, "Really?"

Tatsuma nodded and continued, "Although sensei mentioned that the new commander, Shimura Danzo-sama, has a bad temper, if it's for the village, Danzo-sama will surely understand."

Upon hearing this, the curiosity and excitement on the faces of the Uchiha instantly vanished, replaced by expressions of disdain and disgust.

In the village, most people didn't particularly like the Uchiha, that was a fact. However, making it explicit and targeting the Uchiha directly was not a common stance. The representative figure in this regard was Shimura Danzo. As a disciple inheriting the will of the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, Shimura Danzo's aversion towards the Uchiha was unparalleled.

Working under someone who harbored such intense dislike for the Uchiha, even the Uchiha themselves wouldn't be willing. Yashiro's current expression was as disgusted as if he had accidentally swallowed a fly.

Although he wanted to retract his earlier words, there was a sense of pride he couldn't easily set aside. Fugaku snorted lightly and took the initiative, saying, "No need to trouble Tsunade-sama. We will follow you back to the village. While we Uchiha are eager to contribute to the village, we prioritize obeying the village's orders. Since the village wants us to return for a debrief, we won't make any special arrangements. Let's proceed as originally planned."

Tatsuma inwardly gave Fugaku a big thumbs-up, acknowledging him as a future clan leader. He had indeed articulated that well.

Tatsuma nodded and said, "I won't disturb you all while you pack. According to the information from the village, Danzo will arrive in about an hour. After the handover, we can depart for the village."

"Alright, we'll be ready on time. Thank you for the reminder."

"You're too kind, Fugaku Senpai. I'll take my leave then."

After saying this, Tatsuma quickly departed. He wasn't lying; Shimura Danzo was indeed taking over this camp because he had the qualifications. Not only in terms of status but also because his Root ninjas were already dispersed between the two countries. A significant portion of intelligence work was handled by Danzo, making him the most familiar with the situation, second only to Orochimaru, the former commander.

Of course, while he had a broad understanding of the overall situation, the specific details of the combat scenarios would only be clear after the handover.

Moreover, although Danzo is coming to the front lines for the first time, he has already made significant contributions. Recently, the morale of Hidden Sand Village ninjas has been low, mainly due to the "All lives Matter" plan coordinated by the Root ninjas. In this situation, Danzo taking over is undoubtedly the best choice. Tatsuma also heard a bit of inside information from Tsunade.

To ensure he doesn't miss this opportunity, Danzo left two days early. When the village was about to choose a new commander today, Danzo was already near the front lines. Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to appoint him as the new commander.

If it weren't for this reason, Tatsuma and the others wouldn't have received orders to return to the village that day and set off immediately.

Back in the command tent, Tatsuma made an OK gesture to Orochimaru and Tsunade. Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction and said, "Not bad, consider this a completion for a B-rank mission."

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

Tatsuma felt a bit undeserving, but Tsunade nonchalantly remarked, "They are Uchiha, B-rank missions are not an exaggeration for them."

Orochimaru and Tsunade were unsure about how Tatsuma managed to persuade Uchiha Fugaku and others. However, if anyone else had gone, even Orochimaru and Tsunade themselves, they would have needed to handle the situation with great care. After all, the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village has always been sensitive.

Handling it poorly could affect the unity of the village. Convincing the reluctant Uchiha to return was not an easy task, and classifying it as a B-rank mission difficulty was not an exaggeration.

Moreover, Orochimaru knew he was about to relinquish command soon. If he took command again in the future, Tatsuma might not necessarily serve under him. Seizing the opportunity to gain some credit now seemed like a sensible move.

Not only did Tatsuma feel a bit embarrassed about this achievement, but Minato on the side also felt a bit ashamed. Suddenly, he had gained thirty additional completed B-rank missions and over twenty completed C-rank missions.

They accompanied the Uchiha on patrols, each time classified as a B-rank mission, occurring every three to four days on average over the past three months. Additionally, Orochimaru directly assigned Minato thirty instances for healing ninja and added more than twenty C-rank missions, such as taking care of war casualties (Tatsuma), ensuring the camp's logistics (delivery services), and preventing the spread of toxins from Hidden Sand Village (dishwashing).

Tatsuma's mission count was even higher, and he could potentially add an S-rank mission completion count at any time. All it required was Konoha's recognition that Hoshi was killed by Tatsuma. Of course, this task hadn't been officially added yet.

Hoshi's strength didn't meet the requirements for an S-rank mission, but his identity and the potential impact he might have on the development of Hidden Sand Village's Puppet Jutsu were enough to justify an S-rank mission.

If subsequent missions related to Hidden Rock Village were confirmed, then Tatsuma, Minato, along with the Uchiha and Orochimaru and Tsunade as the commanders, would accumulate completion counts ranging from a minimum of A-rank to a maximum of S-rank.

It was during this mission completion count calculation that Tatsuma understood why Minato, with only a brief fourteen-year ninja career, could complete over three hundred A-rank missions.

War was indeed the best way to accumulate mission completion counts. Jiraiya's completion counts of over six hundred A-rank and over a hundred S-rank missions were likely achieved in a similar manner, as the ninja world was always full of turmoil.

Tatsuma and Minato continued assisting Orochimaru in organizing documents. After all, Danzo would be arriving shortly, and these materials needed to be coordinated for him.

Watching the two diligently working, Orochimaru felt a slight itch in his hands, contemplating adding another B-rank mission for them. After all, contributing to the critical role of handling command at the warfront could be considered a significant B-rank mission.

However, considering the materials and files were already organized, and starting over would mean more work for the two, Orochimaru abandoned this brilliant idea.

...

After an hour passed, several figures suddenly appeared in the tent. The few people inside paid no attention since they had already known who the visitors would be.

Tatsuma had just finished organizing the materials and files, ready to seal them. Upon seeing the newcomers, he paused in his actions, observing the enigmatic figure of Shimura Danzo, the shadow of the ninja world, the root of Konoha, and the wanna be Hokage.

Shimura Danzo appeared slightly younger than Tatsuma had imagined, but his countenance remained just as unappealing. Under Tatsuma's scrutiny, he noticed the fabric under Danzo's armpits and collar had a slightly darker color.

Just like someone stained with sweat, although the clothes on Danzo's body were undoubtedly dry at the moment, the situation seemed to be one of alternating between wet and dry.

Observing Shimura Danzo's face, neither flushed nor panting, appearing relaxed and seemingly covering the distance from the village to the camp in the blink of an eye, Tatsuma speculated that Danzo must have taken a break just before arriving at the camp, showing no signs of fatigue.

Tatsuma quickly drew a parallel. A middle-aged person, in a rush to impress during a job interview, runs tirelessly, ending up drenched in sweat. However, before entering the interview room, to present a favorable image to the interviewer, they would go to the restroom to tidy up their hairstyle and clothes.

Then, walking with the confidence befitting a mid-level leader, looking as if they had weathered storms, they would enter the interview room.

Tatsuma stared at Danzo, and Danzo also noticed this young ninja. He met Tatsuma's gaze with his usual shadowy expression. However, for some reason, this young one seemed somewhat agreeable?

Danzo was a bit puzzled, but seeing Tatsuma shift his gaze away, he didn't delve deeper and instead glanced at the various data and files inside the command tent, saying, "Everything's prepared, right? Then, let me hear about the current situation."

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