Chapter 69: Stepping onto the Battlefield – The Land of Rain
After returning to the Uchiha compound, chaos had already erupted due to the clan head's sudden disappearance. Everyone was frantically searching for Uchiha Tomiyama.
When Ling Yu arrived, he noticed the commotion right away. So he discreetly placed the puppet Tomiyama back in his own home.
Then he controlled the puppet to show itself in a few other places—calming the Uchiha clan's panic—while he slipped away to Mikoto's place.
"Ling Yu, are you okay?"
The moment Mikoto saw him return, she rushed over with concern.
"I'm fine. He couldn't do anything to me—I already killed him."
Gently stroking Mikoto's head, Ling Yu smiled confidently.
Tomiyama had only recently awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan—his strength barely reached Kage level. Against Ling Yu, who could handle three opponents at that level with ease, Tomiyama had no chance of even injuring him.
"Huh? Killed him…? Then… what if they find out?" Mikoto exclaimed, her expression turning nervous.
After all, Tomiyama was the current head of the Uchiha clan. If word got out that Ling Yu had killed him—and so many people had seen Ling Yu take him away—he would surely be branded the culprit.
"Don't worry. I turned him into a puppet—I can control him completely. I already had him smooth things over earlier. No one will suspect anything, and you won't have to worry about this place anymore."
Ling Yu had already considered the consequences. After turning Tomiyama into a puppet, he had followed the plan to tie up all loose ends.
Hearing this, Mikoto finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"By the way, how's your grandmother doing? Do you want me to take a look?"
Ling Yu suddenly asked.
"No need—she's fine. They only knocked her out with some sedative. There's no serious injury," Mikoto replied, shaking her head.
"Alright then. It's getting late—I should head back."
With the Uchiha situation resolved, Ling Yu didn't linger. After saying goodbye to Mikoto, he left.
Not Just Cute — This Endfield Operator Means Trouble
Endfield
After parting with Mikoto, Ling Yu returned home, took a bath, and went straight to bed.
The following days passed without incident. Ling Yu and the others continued their usual training routine.
Meanwhile, occasional reports arrived from the front lines—news about the Land of Rain, Konoha, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Wind clashing in battle.
The most attention-grabbing headline for Ling Yu was that Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had successfully repelled the so-called "demigod of the ninja world," Hanzō of the Salamander—and had been dubbed the "Legendary Sannin of Konoha" by him.
Even Hanzō had personally entered the war. This proved that the conflict between Konoha and the Land of Rain had escalated to an extreme level.
…
Time passed. One month later.
A unit of several hundred Konoha ninja marched out of the village under the respectful farewell of the villagers, heading toward the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire. Ling Yu, Kushina, and Mikoto were among them.
Just yesterday, while the team was still training, an ANBU ninja had urgently informed them that they were to depart for the front lines today.
According to the orders from the Third Hokage himself—who was already on the battlefield—the situation had grown dire. The combined forces of the Land of Earth, Land of Wind, and Land of Rain were pressing Konoha relentlessly.
The frontline was running dangerously low on manpower.
So the higher-ups had begun conscripting many newly graduated academy students, along with ninja from the major clans, to reinforce the war effort.
"Is Konoha's situation really this bad now?"
Mikoto spoke softly, her face filled with worry.
"No helping it. While Fire Country's average strength is higher than the other great nations, we can't withstand attacks from three countries at once."
"They've combined their forces—outnumbering us at least three or four to one. They can grind us down through sheer attrition. After fighting this long, Konoha's troops are already stretched thin. That's why it's our turn now."
Ling Yu calmly analyzed the situation for the two girls.
"Don't worry about that stuff! With how strong the three of us are, beating back the other nations' ninja will be a piece of cake!"
Noticing Mikoto's concern, Kushina stepped forward, puffed out her chest, and spoke confidently.
"Mm. As long as we're here, Konoha will definitely win."
After Kushina's encouragement, the group's mood lightened. They continued marching slowly with the main force toward the front lines.
The reinforcement unit moved at a deliberately slow pace—covering only one-sixth of the distance in half a day. At this rate, it would take several days to reach the battlefield.
Finally, after two days of travel, Ling Yu and the others arrived at the front.
As soon as they entered the Land of Rain, a light drizzle began to fall. Waiting to greet them were Koharu Utatane (the overall field commander), Jiraiya, and Tsunade—the three highest-ranking officers present.
"Big Sis Tsunade! We're here!"
From far away, Kushina waved enthusiastically at Tsunade.
Tsunade frowned as she walked over. She was puzzled why so many of the reinforcements were fresh academy graduates.
Most of them had likely never even seen real blood. What could they possibly do here—act as cannon fodder?
And why were Ling Yu and the girls here too? Though their strength was impressive, it was far too early for them to be sent to the battlefield.
"Why are you three here?"
Looking at Ling Yu and the others, Tsunade spoke with a hint of reproach.
"We didn't have a choice, Sis. The Hokage ordered it—we couldn't exactly refuse."
Ling Yu shrugged helplessly.
Tsunade's frown deepened, but since it was the Third Hokage's command, she had no way to argue. She sighed and said:
"Fine. Since you're already here, you'll stay close to me. Follow me—I'll take you to your quarters."
Ling Yu and the others nodded and followed Tsunade toward the camp.
"By the way, Sis—what's the current situation on the battlefield? Why does everyone here look so down?"
Noticing the wounded, low-spirited Konoha ninja around them, Ling Yu asked curiously.
"Tch… the battlefield situation is unstable right now. We're divided into three fronts: our side fighting the Land of Rain, the Third Hokage and Hatake Sakumo facing the Land of Wind, and Danzo and Orochimaru holding off the Land of Earth's advance."
"And just recently, the Cloud ninja withdrew their forces. That allowed the Rock ninja to attack even harder. We had to pull a third of our troops here to reinforce that front."
"So our side is critically short on manpower. We've been constantly suppressed by the Rain ninja. I thought the reinforcements from Konoha would ease the pressure—but I never expected they'd send a bunch of fresh academy graduates."
As they walked toward the camp, Tsunade explained the situation, her expression tinged with sadness.
"Hehe, no problem! With us here, defeating the Land of Rain will be easy!"
Hearing how bad things were, Kushina stepped forward, puffed out her chest, and declared confidently.
"Mm." Mikoto's face also showed determination.
"Heh, alright. This is where you'll be staying."
With a helpless shake of her head, Tsunade finally led them to their quarters.
The three looked up—and saw a large medical tent right in front of them.
"Huh? Isn't this the medical unit? We're staying here?"
Surprised that the place was different from what she expected, Kushina stared at Tsunade in confusion.
"That's right. Right now, this is the place that needs you most. You two girls will handle medical logistics. Ling Yu—you'll be using Mystical Palm to treat the wounded ninja."
Tsunade crossed her arms and pointed at the largest tent nearby as she announced to the three:
"And with your age, you think you're ready for the battlefield? Too early. You'll stay here and hone your skills for a while."
"Resources are scarce and tents are limited. The three of you are young—so you'll share one. My tent is just over there. If anything happens, come find me."
With that, she gave Ling Yu a subtle wink. Ling Yu was certain his sister was up to something.
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