Two More Days
So, it was all over.
They cremated Ishikawa Itsuki directly.
"Okay," Uchiha Jin said flatly, the flames of the cremation still dancing behind him. "There's no point in saying more."
"Ishikawa Itsuki was honorable. He sacrificed himself for the village. He is Konoha's hero and will live forever in everyone's hearts."
He paused, his tone unshaken. "Let's not discuss this anymore. We should focus on our next step."
Both Kudo Nobuyuki and Nara Kazama nodded immediately.
Yes—better not to discuss Ishikawa Itsuki. The truth was far too dirty, too out of line with the so-called Will of Fire.
But when they turned their minds to what came next, the three of them felt the same headache rising.
Kirigakure's searches were becoming more frequent—hardly surprising.
The Land of Whirlpools was the natural bridgehead for Mist's invasion of the Land of Fire. Losing control here was unacceptable. To Kirigakure, every Konoha survivor was a threat that had to be erased.
"It would be nice if we had a Hyūga on our team," Kudo Nobuyuki muttered before realizing what he'd just said.
He turned quickly to Uchiha Jin. "Ah—sorry, Jin-kun. I didn't mean—"
Jin shook his head. "No need to explain. You're right. For large-scale reconnaissance, the Sharingan can't compare to the Byakugan."
His tone was calm, even amused.
He truly didn't mind. For one thing, he had little love left for his own clan. More importantly, Kudo wasn't wrong.
The Sharingan was powerful in single combat—no one could deny that. But in the grand theater of war, the Byakugan was a strategic asset.
Hadn't Kumogakure proven that twice, when they infiltrated Konoha just to seize Hyūga bloodlines, ignoring the Uchiha entirely?
Even the Kumogakure nin he'd once encountered—those who had fled the battlefield and stumbled into his home—were after Byakugan eyes, not his Sharingan.
Because the Sharingan's strength was personal.
The Byakugan could change a battlefield.
A single strong shinobi could not. Unless one was a monster like Hatake Sakumo or Namikaze Minato, no individual could alter the course of a war.
Just then, Jin stiffened. A faint whisper reached his mind—a call from afar.
"Ninpo: Summoning Technique!"
His hands formed seals in a blur, and he slammed his palm onto the ground.
Bang!
A black crow materialized in a puff of smoke, a small scroll tied to its leg. Jin untied the message, glanced over it once, and burned it instantly with a flash of Fire Release.
Then he smiled.
"Two more days," he said.
The other two looked at him, stunned.
"The message is from Anbu. The village has already been informed of our situation. The Konoha army is assembling as we speak. This time, the Uchiha clan head himself—Uchiha Fugaku—will lead the reinforcements."
He looked up, calm but certain. "All we need to do is hold out."
The words hit like thunder.
Kudo Nobuyuki's face lit up. "That's great! Uchiha—we're saved!"
He almost shouted from relief. Days of fear and exhaustion melted from his shoulders.
Even Nara Kazama exhaled deeply.
If the Uchiha clan head himself was leading the mission, the reinforcements would be elite. They wouldn't be abandoned cannon fodder like them.
Uchiha Jin said nothing, but inside, a faint weight lifted.
He had spent days in this nightmare—every second tense, every breath laced with danger. To keep thinking, planning, surviving under constant pursuit… it was inhuman.
But now… just two more days.
"Alright," Jin said, his tone steady again. "We've received the message. Everyone, rest up. In two hours, we move."
---
Two days later.
Deep within the dense forests of the Land of Whirlpools, three shadows leapt silently from branch to branch.
Uchiha Jin led the way, his movements sharp and measured. Behind him, Nara Kazama and Kudo Nobuyuki followed in perfect rhythm.
Guerrilla warfare thrived in this world—it was, after all, a world of ninja.
Speed, stamina, and stealth were their greatest weapons.
Even though Kirigakure's search teams swarmed the forests, they still couldn't pin them down. Without sensory ninjas to maintain continuous tracking, finding them was like chasing phantoms.
Small patrols that crossed their path rarely lived long enough to report back.
Large units, however—they avoided completely.
And with Nara Kazama's support, even those patrols had a hard time detecting them.
The Nara clan might not possess the Byakugan, but their mastery of shadow was absolute.
A shadow left no trace.
And under the cover of night, it was almost impossible to guard against.
Beneath the whispering canopy of the Whirlpool forests, Team 7 moved like ghosts—silent, unseen, and waiting for dawn.