Chapter 08: War. What is it good for?

[Previously:]

Fugaku met the Hokage and was greeted warmly by the Sandaime Hokage, who praises his potential and reminds him of his duty to serve and protect Konoha.

Fugaku is wary of the Hokage's trustworthiness and suspects him of orchestrating conflicts against the Uchiha.

The Hokage gives Fugaku an important mission to explore the Land of Rain and report back with any valuable information, which Fugaku understands is to prepare for a potential upcoming Ninja War.

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku knows that their Sharingan's Genjutsu makes intelligence-gathering missions relatively simple.

"Dude, stop summarizing my life. I feel kind of under-appreciated in this way.": Fugaku says annoyed.

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[POV: Narrator]

[Location: Not Konoha]

[Date: A few days later]

Uchiha Fugaku had been wandering for three days through the dense forest that surrounded Konohagakure. Until he finally reached the border of the Land of Rain, a country that was situated between the three major powers of Wind, Earth, and Fire. The Land of Rain was suffering from the war that had erupted between the Three Countries. The whole country was devastated, with ruined buildings and the debris of war littering the streets. There were areas where the land was still fertile, but many parts were barren and lifeless.

Fugaku walked through the streets of the city, aiming to reach Amegakure, and he could feel the tension in the air. The people were hardened by years of war and suffering, and they had become insensitive to the pain of others. However, some were still full of righteousness and refused to bow down to the great powers that were trying to control them, but what is the use of this?

The Land of Rain was a place where the weak were preyed upon, and the strong survived. The great powers that surrounded it had no regard for the lives of the people living there, and they fought to control the country's resources. The people of the Land of Rain had suffered enough, and they were tired of being used as pawns in the games of their more powerful neighbors.

As Fugaku continued to walk through the country, he could feel the weight of history pressing down on him. The Land of Rain had always been a place of conflict, and it seemed that there was no end in sight. In this cruel world, weakness was the original sin, and the people of the Land of Rain were paying the price for their weakness.

Fugaku knew that his mission was important, and he was determined to do his best to complete it. He hoped that his actions would make a difference and help bring peace to this war-torn land.

Under the cover of darkness, Fugaku stealthily would leave each night in order to check the Land of Rain, where multiple factions were engaged in fierce battles. The presence of elite Shinobi teams among the hostile forces made it difficult for Uchiha Fugaku to proceed, but he remained vigilant and cautious.

As a skilled and experienced Shinobi, Fugaku knew the importance of being well-prepared for infiltration missions. His Sharingan, with its three Tomoe, provided him with enhanced vision and perception, enabling him to keep a close eye on his surroundings even in the darkness of the night.

Fugaku trudged through the rain, feeling frustrated with his current mission. "Why am I even bothering with this nonsense?" he thought to himself.

"I could just use my [Envy-Version-Transformation Technique] and infiltrate the enemy directly. But then again, that would just mean the Hokage would be using me as a pawn yet again.".

Fugaku cautiously traced the trails left by passing Shinobi, navigating through mountains and rocks with difficulty.

The proximity to the Land of Fire increased the risk of the tracks one found to belong to Konohagakure Shinobi, making his mission more challenging.

To minimize the danger, Fugaku hid during the day in unmanned wilderness caves and advanced under the cover of the night further into the Land of Rain.

The strategy required patience and perseverance, and Fugaku kept pushing forward, determined to fulfill his mission for the sake of his village.

Finally, Fugaku spotted a patrol of three Amegakure Shinōbi in the night.

Using the Body Flicker Jutsu, he vanished and took cover behind a large rock.

Fugaku had not seen any Suna Shinōbi for two days, so he decided to capture and interrogate the Ame Shinōbi for information.

Fugaku remembered a lesson his father once taught him, "The lack of enemy presence is just as worrying as when there are too many enemies at one time.".

He couldn't let his guard down just because he hadn't encountered any Suna Shinobi in a while. He continued to move cautiously, always aware of his surroundings.

The darkness of the night only made him rely on his Sharingan even more, constantly scanning the area for any potential threats.

He knew that one wrong move could mean the end of his mission and possibly even the end of his life and the start of a war.

Fugaku kept his focus and determination, ready to face any challenges that may come his way.

As the footsteps drew closer, Fugaku prepared himself, holding the two kunai in his hand without making any sound.

Fugaku did not need to adjust his breathing, as he is a Homunculi, but out of habit, he did it anyway, focusing on the conversation of the three approaching shinobi.

He could tell that it was a chūnin squad led by one chūnin and two genin. He knew that he had to take them out swiftly and quietly or risk exposing himself to larger enemy forces.

As the sound of footsteps grew closer, Fugaku visualized the three shinobi walking towards him in his mind, preparing himself for the attack.

"Captain, the Wind, Earth, and Fire Nations are constantly sending Shinōbi to battle in the Land of Rain, disregarding Hanzō-sama's authority and causing our people to die at the hands of foreign Shinōbi. It's absolutely sickening!" one Shinōbi exclaimed, his voice dripping with disgust.

"Those so-called big nations are nothing but heartless monsters! They don't care about the lives of people from smaller nations like ours. It makes me furious!" another Shinōbi added, his voice filled with anger.

Fugaku appeared suddenly in front of the three Shinōbi. He swiftly cut the throats of the two young Genin with swift and precise movements. His three-tomoe Sharingan quickly activated, anticipating the movements of the Ame Shinōbi Chūnin who was just about to react.

Fugaku then deployed a Genjutsu using his Sharingan, immobilizing the Chūnin. The signal flare in the Chūnin's hand was useless now, as Fugaku had already neutralized their chance to call for backup.

Fugaku let out a deep sigh as he gazed upon the lifeless bodies of the two Genin. His mind wandered to his clan's history and how they were bred to excel in warfare. The ease with which he had dispatched the young Shinōbi disgusted him. He turned his attention to the Chūnin, who stood frozen in front of him like a statue.

As Fugaku watched the two lifeless bodies of the Genin he had just killed, he felt a strange sensation in his mind. Three lines of text appeared in his thoughts, almost like a message from someone. He felt a refreshing coolness spread throughout his body, easing the fatigue caused by his prolonged use of the Sharingan. The world around him seemed to become more vivid, more alive.

'What is going on?': Fugaku thought, trying to understand his situation.

But Fugaku had no time to dwell on this newfound power. He quickly incapacitated the Ame Shinōbi Chūnin with a swift strike to the neck and made his way towards a nearby cave, hoping to find a safe place for use as a momentary base and plan his next move. The urgency of his mission weighed heavily on his mind as he moved quickly and quietly, always alert for any signs of danger.

With the war looming, Fugaku knew that the corpses of the two Genin would soon be discovered by the patrolling Shinōbi of the Hidden Rain Village. He quickly cleared the traces left by him and to further confuse his pursuers, he formed seals with both hands and created two Shadow Clones. The clones ran in opposite directions, causing a diversion and making it harder for anyone to follow him.

As he disappeared into the darkness of the night on his way to the cave, Fugaku couldn't help but reflect on the irony of his situation. The Uchiha clan was known for their prowess in battle, but at what cost? The thrill of victory was always tempered by the tragedy of war, and Fugaku couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be a better way.

Fugaku quickly subdued the lone Ame Shinōbi and bound her four limbs, making sure to block her mouth to prevent any attempts at escape or shouting for backup/help.

He then carried her along as a prisoner, making his way through the night to the nearby cave that he had previously scouted. Once there, he lit a fire to dispel the darkness and settled in to wait for his captive to wake up.

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