Konoha Military Police Headquarters.
Under the iconic fan-shaped Uchiha crest, a stark red-and-white symbol that looked oddly like a table tennis paddle—dozens of clan shinobi gathered in the central hall. The atmosphere buzzed with tension. Scrolls of missions covered the tall assignment board, fluttering slightly under the faint breeze from the open doors.
In the crowd, a pale-skinned, sharp-eyed teenager, around fifteen years old, weaved through the shinobi ranks. His features were unmistakably Uchiha: angular jawline, high cheekbones, and intense obsidian eyes that seemed to reflect everything they saw. His jet-black hair, slightly tousled and damp with sweat from the jog over, framed his face with effortless charm. Uchiha Hero's gaze was fixed upward, scanning the mission scrolls with sharp focus and quiet urgency.
Unlike most here, Hero wasn't a formal Konoha shinobi.
Technically, he was just a "clan ninja"—not officially registered in the village's ninja register. He wore the Leaf forehead protector, yes, but on paper, he was no more than a foot soldier—a disposable pawn like those fielded by the Allied Shinobi Forces during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
As such, missions weren't issued to him directly by the Hokage's office. Instead, they were passed to the Uchiha clan in bulk, then posted here for self-selection. In theory, anyone could volunteer—so long as they chose missions appropriate to their rank.
But as Hero stood there staring at the board… his mood soured.
…The hell?! Not a single mission near the border?
His pupils shrank slightly.
The most dangerous regions right now, the ones on the brink of war—were obvious: the stretch between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, as well as contested fronts like the Land of Rain and the Land of Valleys.
And yet…
Not a single border assignment?
Not one patrol escort to Wind Country. No assassination missions. No long-range courier tasks. No risky sabotage operations.
Nothing!
Most of the tasks were internal, some were even D-rank tasks like chasing cats, plowing farmland, or delivering groceries.
Even among the C-rank tasks available to genin like himself, the most dangerous one listed was... herding a wild boar back into the Forest of Death.
Hero's expression darkened.
Are you serious? I thought this was finally my chance to leave the village and die with honor... and this is what I get?!
His eyes drifted back to the scroll marked "Wild Boar Containment." He sighed, utterly defeated.
…Guess I'll take this one. Maybe if I'm lucky, the boar'll gore me to death.
Just as he reached out—
Another hand beat him to it.
"Apologies. Please allow me to take this mission."
The voice was polite, but firm.
Hero looked up.
A teenage boy about his age stood in front of him, slightly younger, dressed in a sleek high-collared black shirt and matching pants, a tanto strapped across his back. His short hair framed a gentle face—and his bright, attentive eyes were instantly recognizable.
Hero blinked.
…Shisui?
It was none other than the future legend himself, Uchiha Shisui.
Hero's thoughts screamed: What the hell?! You're a registered Konoha ninja! Why are you snatching missions from the clan board like the rest of us nobodies?!
Shisui, as if reading the mood, gave a sincere nod.
"Sorry, Hero-kun. This mission will help me sharpen my kenjutsu. I'm willing to give you the reward, but I'd appreciate the opportunity."
That smile, earnest and humble, left Hero momentarily stunned.
I… guess it's not a big deal, right?
He wasn't trying to succeed anyway. Just find a way to die without suspicion.
A C-rank mission like this wouldn't cut it.
Still, a question bubbled up in his mind.
"You know who I am?" Hero asked, surprised.
Shisui smiled wider.
"We did a D-rank mission together once, didn't we?"
Hero blinked again.
"…Maybe?"
He'd done so many pointless missions over the past year, he couldn't remember half of them.
What he didn't know was: Shisui was lying through his teeth.
In truth, Shisui had looked up Hero's mission record out of curiosity—and what he saw had stunned him.
Uchiha Hero – Genin
Years in Service: 1
Mission Completion:
D-rank: 855
C-rank: 0
An absurd number.
It meant Hero had been taking 2–3 D-rank missions every single day without a single day off—for a full year.
It was madness.
To Hero, it was just a desperate grind. He'd hoped overwork might kill him. Or failing that, maybe he'd stumble into a fatal situation by sheer chance.
But to Shisui? This was proof of iron will.
Dedication.
Self-sacrifice.
This guy's built different…
And so Shisui stepped closer.
Close enough that their shoulders nearly brushed.
Hero immediately stepped back, alarmed.
"…W-What the hell are you doing?" he stammered. "Personal space, man!"
Shisui chuckled gently. He misunderstood Hero's reaction entirely—thinking he was just shy.
Leaning in, he whispered like a co-conspirator:
"Hero-kun, I know what you're planning."
Hero froze.
Wait—what?!
He knows I'm trying to die?!
Before Hero could react, Shisui continued in a hushed, serious tone:
"Two extremely dangerous missions are about to be announced, but rest assured that I won't let you be assigned to them."
Hero's eyes widened even further.
Is this guy a mind-reader?! Is he trying to sabotage my payout?!
But those words, two dangerous missions, piqued his curiosity.
"…What kind of missions?" Hero asked, leaning in instinctively. The moment felt like a shady back-alley deal.
Shisui smiled again.
"I knew it."
His respect for Hero deepened further.
He's not just strong—he's determined. He's ready to risk everything for the village.
I can't let someone like him die so easily.
At that exact moment—
A hush fell over the hall.
All eyes turned forward as a new presence entered.
Graying hair. A black mask that covered half his face. High-collared robes adorned with the Uchiha crest. A posture radiating restrained danger.
The man didn't wear a Konoha forehead protector.
Hero's pupils constricted.
That was—
Uchiha Setsuna.
The last surviving elder of the Uchiha.
A man so infamous, he once plotted to assassinate the Second Hokage—and lived.
A hardened war hawk. A relic of a darker era.
And now—he stood at the front of the hall, gaze like sharpened steel.
"Many of you have already guessed why I called you here," Setsuna began. His voice was calm, but carried across the entire room.
"You're right."
"War is coming."
The room tensed.
"Following the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, the balance of power has begun to crumble."
"The Land of Fire's borders are becoming unstable. The Land of Rain has already seen minor clashes. Iwagakure and Kirigakure are on the verge of open war. Kumogakure has started probing our outer territories."
"The Shinobi World… is once again sliding into flames."
He paused.
Then his tone dropped an octave—cold and commanding.
"But we… we are Uchiha!"
"We do not cower from war."
"We were born from it!"
"The village has issued an urgent request. Two squads will be sent out—one to the frontlines in the Land of Rain, and the other to Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water."
"Each team must consist of one jonin, one chunin, and one genin."
"Genin may volunteer. If not enough do… I will choose them myself."
A silence heavier than stone settled over the room.
Hero's eyes lit up.
This was it.
His hand began to rise—
But then, everything changed.
His vision blurred.
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his skull.
[Ding!]
[Talent Delivered.]
[Heart of Steel (SSS): "What doesn't kill you… makes you stronger"]
A deafening chime rang like a bell inside his head.
Hero snapped upright, heart pounding.
Then he read the description.
His pupils shrank.
His fingers curled tightly.