Shinji pushed himself off the stone monument and dropped lightly to the ground below. It didn't take long before the towering building of the Hokage's administration office came into view.
The guards outside the building recognized him immediately. One of them gave a small nod.
"Special Jonin Shinji."
Shinji nodded back.
"I was summoned."
The guard stepped aside.
"Lord Third is waiting."
Inside, the halls were quiet. Most of the administrative staff had already gone home for the evening. Shinji climbed the stairs toward the top floor. The door to the Hokage's office stood slightly open.
He knocked once.
"Enter."
Shinji pushed the door open.
Inside, the Hokage sat behind his desk, a small stack of mission scrolls arranged neatly in front of him.
The older man looked up with a faint smile. "Ah, Shinji."
Shinji stepped forward. "You wanted to see me, Lord Third."
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "I did."
Hiruzen tapped one of the scrolls on his desk.
"A new assignment has come in."
Shinji's attention sharpened immediately.
"The Mist border."
Shinji didn't react outwardly.
One of the most brutal battlefields left in the war.
The Hokage continued calmly.
"Our forces there have been engaged in constant skirmishes with Kirigakure patrol units."
He gestured toward a map laid out on the desk. "Jonin commander Shikaku Nara has been leading the defensive operation."
Shinji nodded slightly.
Shikaku was widely respected in the village.
A brilliant strategist. And his Jonin sensei.
"But his forces are exhausted," Hiruzen continued. "Which means we're sending reinforcements."
Shinji waited.
Then the Hokage said, "You're part of that reinforcement group."
Shinji's eyes sharpened slightly. "Understood."
Hiruzen opened another scroll. "A twenty-man elite unit."
Shinji raised an eyebrow. "That's not a small patrol."
"No," Hiruzen agreed. "It isn't."
The Hokage stood.
But before he could continue. The office door opened again. Another figure stepped inside.
Standing in the doorway was Fugaku Uchiha.
Shinji blinked. "Father."
Fugaku stepped inside calmly. "Shinji."
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "
Shinji looked between them. "You're coming too?"
Fugaku nodded once. "I am."
The Hokage gestured toward the map.
Within a few minutes the office began filling with shinobi.
Elite ones.
Jonin.
ANBU.
Veteran fighters.
Among them Shinji recognized several immediately. Standing near the window was a tall man with dark hair tied loosely behind his head. The resemblance was obvious. Shinosuke Sarutobi. Son of the Hokage. Captain within the ANBU. And one of the Leaf's most trusted operatives.
Shinosuke's sharp eyes scanned the room once before settling briefly on Shinji. Then he gave a small nod.
The Hokage stepped forward once everyone had gathered. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice."
The room fell silent.
Hiruzen placed a hand on the map. "As you know, the Mist front remains unstable." His finger traced the coastline along the Land of Fire's eastern border. "Our forces there have been engaged in repeated skirmishes with Kirigakure units."
He looked up. "Commander Shikaku Nara has held the line well."
Several jonin nodded in agreement.
Hiruzen continued. "But his forces have been deployed continuously for months." "They need relief."
The Hokage turned slightly toward Fugaku. "That is why this unit has been assembled."
Hiruzen spoke clearly. "This twenty-man unit will travel to the Mist front immediately."
"Upon arrival, you will relieve Commander Shikaku of field command."
Hiruzen's gaze moved across the room. "Shikaku and several of his exhausted shinobi will return to the village."
Then the Hokage finished the briefing.
"The command of the Mist border operation will pass to…"
He paused deliberately.
Then said,
"Fugaku Uchiha."
The room remained quiet. But the significance of that decision was obvious. The Hokage had just placed a major battlefield front under the leadership of the Uchiha clan head.
Hiruzen wasn't finished. He gestured toward his son. "Second in command will be Shinosuke Sarutobi."
A bridge between two powerful families. Uchiha. Sarutobi.
Hiruzen looked across the gathered shinobi. "This mission requires cooperation." "The Mist front is not a place for clan rivalries or personal ambitions." "You will fight as shinobi of the Leaf."
Shinji felt a faint smirk tug at the corner of his mouth.
Looks like we're meeting again, Shisui.
Twenty shinobi of Konohagakure moved through the forest in perfect silence, their formation tight and disciplined after three days of near-constant travel.
At the front walked Fugaku Uchiha, the commander of the unit, with Shinosuke Sarutobi beside him.
Behind them came the rest. Among them was Shinji Uchiha. Shinji's eyes moved constantly through the fog as they approached the forward camp.
The forests near the Land of Water border were infamous among shinobi. Ambushes. Silent assassinations.
Shinji had expected resistance somewhere along the march. But none came.
The entire unit slowed instantly. Through the fog, faint structures appeared. Wooden watchtowers. Camouflaged tents. Supply racks.
Leaf shinobi moved along patrol paths inside the perimeter.
As the unit approached, one of the guards recognized them immediately. "Reinforcements!"
The guard snapped into a salute. "Commander, welcome!"
Fugaku gave a small nod.
"Where is Commander Nara?"
"In the command tent."
They entered the camp. Shinji took in everything at once. Medical tents filled with wounded shinobi. Exhausted soldiers sitting near campfires. Weapons stacked beside supply crates. Everyone here looked tired.
Inside the command tent stood Shikaku Nara. The jonin strategist looked up from the map spread across the table as the group entered.
His sharp eyes immediately took in the new arrivals.
Fugaku stepped forward first.
"Commander Nara."
Shikaku exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. "Took you long enough."
He glanced toward the gathered reinforcements. Then his gaze stopped. Right on Shinji. Then one corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Well that's interesting."
Shinji stepped forward. He bowed his head slightly. "Sensei."
Several of the shinobi in the tent blinked in surprise.
Shikaku studied him carefully.
"Last time I saw you," he said slowly, "you were a nine year old genin complaining about how long my strategy lectures were."
Shinji smirked faintly. "They were long."
Shikaku snorted quietly. "Still got that attitude."
"Special jonin already, huh?"
Shinji shrugged. "The war speeds things up."
Shikaku leaned back against the table, crossing his arms. "Yeah."
"It does."
"I heard the reports from the Sand front."
"Jonin kills."
"Infiltration strikes."
"Battlefield analysis."
Then he gave a short huff of laughter. "Guess those strategy lessons weren't wasted after all."
Shinji tilted his head slightly. "I still remember the formation you taught us during the river ambush exercise."
Shikaku groaned. "Don't remind me."
"That was the day Shisui convinced half the class to attack from the wrong direction."
A familiar voice suddenly spoke from the tent entrance.
"Hey."
"Don't blame me for that."
At the entrance stood Shisui Uchiha. His eyes immediately locked onto Shinji. "Well," Shisui said with amusement, "look who finally showed up."
Shinji stared at him for a moment. Then the corner of his mouth lifted. "You look terrible."
Shisui laughed. "Three months fighting Mist assassins will do that."
Shikaku sighed loudly. "Great." "Now the two troublemakers are reunited."
He pushed himself off the table and grabbed a rolled map. "Perfect timing."
Shikaku handed the command scroll to Fugaku Uchiha, who had been quietly observing the exchange. "Camp's yours."
Fugaku accepted it. "You're returning to the village."
Shikaku nodded. "Half my squad is exhausted."
He glanced once more at Shinji and Shisui.
Then he smirked faintly. "Try not to destroy the battlefield while I'm gone."
Shisui raised his hands innocently. "No promises."
Shikaku rolled his eyes. "Of course."
Then he turned and walked out of the tent, muttering to himself. "Kids these days becoming jonin before they learn how to shave…"
Shisui pushed himself off the doorway and stepped inside. He looked Shinji up and down.
"You got stronger."
Shinji shrugged.
"Had to."
Shisui smirked.
"Special jonin at twelve."
He whistled softly. "You're catching up."
Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Catching up?"
Shisui tapped the side of his head. "Body Flicker, remember?" "Still faster than you."
Shinji snorted. "We'll see."
For a moment the two simply stood there.
Shisui finally broke the silence. "Sand front was rough?"
Shinji nodded slightly. "Yeah."
Shisui studied his face for a moment.
Then he nodded back. "Yeah."
Shisui gestured toward the fog outside the camp. "Come on." "Let's walk."
They stepped out of the command tent and moved toward the perimeter of the encampment.
The mist drifted between the trees, thick and silent.
Shisui climbed onto one of the wooden watch platforms and sat on the railing.
Shinji leaned against the post beside him.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Shisui chuckled.
"Remember our first mission?"
Shinji groaned. "The bandits?"
"Yeah."
"Shikaku sensei spent two hours explaining a strategy."
"And you ignored it."
Shisui grinned.
"They surrendered faster that way."
Shinji shook his head.
"You gave the signal too early."
"It worked."
"Barely."
Shisui laughed.
Then his expression softened slightly.
"I heard about the jonin fight."
Shinji looked toward the forest.
Shisui didn't press further.
Then shisui stood up on the railing and stretched.
"Well," he said with his usual crooked grin, "good news."
Shinji raised an eyebrow.
"What."
Shisui pointed toward the mist-covered forest beyond the camp.
"The Mist shinobi here are insane."
He jumped down from the platform.
"And they attack almost every night."
Shinji smirked slightly.
"Sounds fun."
Shisui grinned wider.
"Good."