Unspoken Rules
If Ishikawa Itsuki were dead, everyone would probably be happier.
Uchiha Jin and Nara Kazama were smart enough to see the truth. Even Kudo Nobuyuki, stubborn though he was, had survived this long in the war — he wasn't a fool. Together, the three of them could survive nearly any mission.
But add Itsuki into the mix? The fool was a liability, nothing more. An arrogant teammate like that didn't just endanger himself — he dragged everyone else into the grave with him.
No one pitied him.
---
Two days later, after a weary march and a ferry crossing, the trio finally reached the front-line camp. They arrived in the evening of the third day, one wagon lighter but alive.
Uchiha Jin and Nara Kazama were assigned to a tent. Before settling in, they dropped the unconscious Ishikawa Itsuki off at the medical division and returned to their quarters.
When they were finally alone, Jin lowered his voice.
"Are you sure we'll get away with this? Two entire wagons lost. You really think they won't hold us responsible?"
Kazama smirked, leaning back as if the question itself was childish.
"Don't worry. This sort of thing happens all the time. Everyone does it. At worst, if there's no scapegoat, you get a reprimand and maybe a dent in your promotion. But in wartime? No one cares. The record says you lost wagons — then you go and earn merit later, and the slate's wiped clean."
He gestured lazily.
"And in our case? We already found a scapegoat. Relax. Not even a reprimand."
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"Two wagons is nothing. You want ruthless? A true operator raids an entire front-line warehouse, burns it down during an enemy assault, then reports to the Hokage that it was the enemy's sabotage. That's called battle damage. Do you know how much a single forward warehouse holds? Five. Billion. Ryō."
Jin sucked in a sharp breath.
He had tried to imagine the depths of corruption — but Kazama still managed to outstrip his worst guesses.
The familiarity of it was sickening. It was the same playbook as the war-profiteers in his previous life.
Yet… he couldn't understand. If it was so widespread, why hadn't he heard of it until now?
"This doesn't make sense," Jin muttered. "I'm Uchiha. One of the wealthiest clans in Konoha. Why hasn't anyone told me about this?"
Kazama gave him a long, unreadable look, then sighed.
"You answered your own question. Because you're Uchiha."
The words landed heavy. Jin froze — then the truth clicked into place.
Yes. He did understand.
The Uchiha were proud. Too proud. They would never accept these dirty little unspoken rules. They would make noise, demand recognition, chase honor instead of profit. They were shinobi who bled for glory, not manipulators who siphoned off the daimyo's budget.
The other clans? They played the game. They shared the spoils. Even the Sarutobi. Especially the Sarutobi.
The supplies weren't Konoha's to begin with — they were bought with the Fire Daimyo's gold. If more was needed, they simply petitioned again. Nothing lost. Nothing personal. Just business.
But the Uchiha wouldn't see it that way. Their pride made them outsiders. They could never be part of that circle.
And suddenly, Jin understood what had always puzzled him in his previous life.
Why exterminate the Uchiha? Surely there had been easier options. Keep them under watch. Send radicals to the front to die in battle. Drown them in bureaucracy. Anything but outright annihilation.
He used to think Hiruzen Sarutobi had been a fool, a sentimental old man with no sense. But now…
Now he saw it clearly.
It wasn't about radicals or coups. It was about incompatible ideals. The Uchiha didn't play by the same rules as the rest of Konoha's nobility. They couldn't be controlled — and worse, they threatened the system that let the other clans grow fat on war.
Jin gave a bitter smile.
"So that's it. That's why Uchiha could never become Hokage. That's why the clan was always targeted. Senju Tobirama was right in one thing, at least—"
His lips twisted.
"What an evil Uchiha."