Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 213: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Konoha Year 49.

Amidst the swirling and falling autumn leaves, the once-bustling streets of Konoha were now filled with bleak desolation.

Each day in the village, old white mourning banners were taken down, only to be replaced with new ones.

Inside the Hokage's office:

"The war broke out in Year 45 and reached a full-scale eruption by Year 46. Now, it's already the autumn of the fifth year..."

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had once emanated an aura of authority and determination during the execution of the plan to collapse Kumogakure, had endured the most grueling five years of his life.

His temples had turned gray, wrinkles etched deeper into his face, making the fifty-something Sarutobi appear much thinner. Only his eyes, now more deeply concealed, retained their sharpness.

"Hiruzen, the ninja academy has already accelerated graduation to age eight. Although we've increased the intensity of the curriculum and even added a requirement to master a C-rank jutsu before graduation, the casualties on the front lines are simply too great..."

Mitokado Homura spoke with a heavy heart. These five years had been the most difficult of their lives. Every morning, as soon as they opened their eyes, they were faced with the same problem: a shortage of manpower in the battles waged across the Land of Fire.

"Those elite clans are truly infuriating. Even now, they're still hiding their strength!"

Koharu Utatane couldn't hold back her frustration. If only those clans would fully commit their resources, the situation wouldn't be this dire.

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly but quickly shook his head and replied:

"These five years of war haven't been easy for anyone. Even the Hyuga clan's main family members have appeared frequently on the battlefield, which is already proof enough."

Hiruzen refused to touch the topic of clans withholding their strength. Others could criticize them, but as Hokage, he absolutely could not.

Over the years, all the major clans had already suffered heavy losses. But expecting them to send every single ninja to the front lines was unrealistic. After all, even the Sarutobi clan couldn't do that.

If they pushed the clans any further, it would only backfire on them in the end.

"We're struggling in Konoha, but do you think the other villages are doing any better?"

At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a cold laugh and spread out intelligence reports on the four other great ninja villages.

"The entire ninja world is in economic decline. In Kumogakure, the internal strife has intensified. Although the Third Raikage's ruthless and decisive methods have brought stability by forcing all the rebel's ninjas onto the battlefield, it has deeply alienated them. Over the past two years, Kumogakure has seen an increasing number of defectors.

Under the guidance of Root, these defectors have now gathered in the Lands of Fields, Frost, and Waterfalls..."

At this point, Hiruzen couldn't help but acknowledge the abilities of Shimura Danzo and his Root organization.

If there was something honorable happening, Root had no part in it. But if it involved shady or despicable activities, Root was almost certainly involved.

Through manipulation and provocation, Root had caused a mass defection among Kumogakure's ninjas. Over the past two years, the village had become infamous, rivaling Kirigakure in the number of defectors.

"The Raikage is indeed cunning. Through war, he has managed to eliminate internal instability. The rebels have now been utterly marginalized."

Koharu sneered coldly, deriving satisfaction from Kumogakure's internal struggles.

"As for Sunagakure, they've already shown signs of fatigue over these years. With their low population and weak economy, Sunagakure has consistently lagged behind.

Kirigakure, on the other hand, is trapped in its terror due to the Blood Mist policy. The number of Kirigakure ninjas is the lowest among the great villages.

Even Iwagakure, despite being the strongest now, is beginning to face economic and logistical shortages..."

Seeing the struggles of the other villages, Homura and Koharu suddenly felt a sense of relief.

It wasn't just Konoha that was suffering—everyone was struggling.

"For years, the other three great villages have repeatedly attacked Kikyo Mountain. Despite their strongest efforts, we've managed to hold them off. Now, it's a battle of attrition. It's a matter of seeing who collapses first!"

"However, regarding Uchiha Shirou's Mangekyo Sharingan, though they've done a good job of hiding it, according to intelligence from the ANBU, his pupils are showing signs of unfocused dispersal. It's clear that his vision is starting to blur."

At the mention of the Mangekyo, the atmosphere in the Hokage's office turned solemn. Hearing that Shirou's vision was failing, the three couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

Sarutobi Hiruzen rasped:

"Although they've hidden it well, over the past year, Uchiha Mikoto has consistently been by Shirou's side, acting as his eyes during battles.

Moreover, the frequency of his eyes bleeding, his frequent visits to Tsunade for treatment, and the significant consumption of eye-related medical supplies all point to the same conclusion..."

It had to be said—ninjas excelled at intelligence gathering. They could infer details not just from visible actions but also from patterns like medical supply consumption.

"The use of Susano'o has decreased significantly as well. Even the cunning Onoki has noticed this issue and has started reducing his offensive pressure on the Mangekyo, clearly intending to leave this problem for us to deal with."

Hiruzen's voice grew more serious as he laid out the information. His tone turned bitter when he mentioned Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage.

Onoki had realized the limitations of the Mangekyo's power and had chosen to hold back, leaving Konoha with a ticking time bomb.

This was an open ploy—one they couldn't avoid.

A Mangekyo on the verge of blindness could easily become a source of chaos in its final moments.

"Hiruzen, we still can't let our guard down. Even though Uchiha Shirou's Mangekyo is failing, based on his battlefield performance, his strength is on par with yours."

Koharu's flattery made Hiruzen's eye twitch.

He acknowledged his strength—he was more than capable of holding his own against the Third Raikage. But Uchiha Shirou's feats had already spread across the ninja world.

Over the years, his taijutsu had grown strong enough to rival the Third Raikage, and his mastery of ninjutsu and the Mangekyo Sharingan made him an almost flawless, hexagonal Kage-tier combatant.

"Hiruzen, there's also the Uchiha clan!"

At this point, Homura's expression turned grim as he presented a statistical report.

"While the Uchiha clan has suffered heavy casualties over these years, the number of awakened Sharingan users and those advancing their Sharingan has surpassed the total from the past twenty years!

In war, the Uchiha clan's strength hasn't diminished much. Instead, it has produced nearly a hundred new Sharingan users!"

The three of them looked at the report, their faces filled with unease.

This was why the Uchiha clan faced envy and ostracism.

The awakening of the Sharingan required not only innate talent and bloodline power but also extreme emotional stimulation. And what could evoke more extreme emotions than the battlefield?

The death of loved ones, and comrades, the terror and madness of facing death—these conditions were perfect for the Uchiha clan to awaken their Sharingan.

"A nearly blind Mangekyo... but what about Uchiha Fugaku?"

Suddenly, Sarutobi Hiruzen shifted the topic. His two old comrades immediately understood what he was getting at.

Koharu smirked coldly and nodded:

"On the battlefield against Kirigakure, Uchiha Fugaku has performed exceptionally, even surpassing the Hyuga clan. He has earned the title of Crimson Eye and is more than capable of standing on his own.

If necessary, we can elevate his reputation and use it to bolster Uchiha Fugaku's name..."

Indeed, Konoha's elders were adept at internal manipulation. Even amid war, they were already preparing for the political games that would follow.

After hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded steadily.

"Uchiha Fugaku, huh? Not bad! But now is not the time to stir up conflict, so the issue of Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities remains an absolute secret."

"Understood!"

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado both understood the situation clearly. Now was not the right time, but allowing Uchiha Fugaku's reputation to grow had already been tacitly agreed upon.

The rest would have to wait until after the war.

"Minato has become increasingly proficient in space-time ninjutsu over the years. He's earned the name Yellow Flash on the battlefield, especially with his flawless execution of missions involving infiltrating enemy lines and destroying their supplies."

Although war brought mostly bad news, the growth of Namikaze Minato was a silver lining for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Minato, huh? He's a shinobi who embodies the Will of Fire. I believe he will achieve even greater glory."

When speaking of Namikaze Minato, Sarutobi's old face rarely showed such a pleased, almost flower-like smile.

After all, Minato was a ninja he had personally cultivated, and to this day, he was the one Sarutobi trusted the most.

"Now, the question is, who will falter first?"

Minato's space-time ninjutsu was practically tailor-made for infiltrating enemy lines and executing supply destruction missions. It was also the fastest way to achieve merit.

...

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In the Kikyo Mountain Range, the damp, vast forest reeked of blood and slaughter.

A flash of lightning illuminated the dark, humid space. A ten-year-old Samui, with her short, golden hair neatly trimmed, wielded a short blade crackling with lightning as she attacked.

"This technique is—"

Before the enemy could finish speaking, the young Kumo-nin's eyes glazed over, a short blade with a crimson hilt embedded in his throat. Blood sprayed out as the blade continued to emit faint traces of lightning.

"This technique is Lord Shirou's Chidori Stream. I may not have mastered it fully yet, but it's more than enough to kill you!"

Samui flicked the blood off her blade and sheathed it with practiced efficiency. Despite her young age, her chest already boasted a figure far beyond her peers.

"Is it over?"

At that moment, her two teammates appeared in the trees nearby, staying vigilant. Yugito Nii, with her light brown braided hair, slowly retracted her sharp cat-like claws, which were still stained with blood.

Yugito stood protectively in front of Mabui, who remained calm as she closed her eyes to sense her surroundings. Mabui's silver-white hair revealed her dark red-toned skin, which seemed to glow in the dim forest light.

"The battle is over."

When Mabui opened her eyes and confirmed the end of the fight, Samui flicked her short golden hair and laughed loudly:

"Looks like Shiranui's team has wrapped things up too."

The three girls, originally from Kumogakure, had matured significantly under the crucible of war. The Konoha forehead protectors they now wore symbolized their transformation into capable and loyal Konoha ninjas.

Mabui let out a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and smiled.

"The enemy infiltration squad has been completely wiped out. We can return to report now."

At that moment, the forest rustled as Shiranui's team appeared before them, carrying the bodies of fallen enemies.

"Seriously, the three of us men can't even compare to three girls!" Shiranui Genma sighed helplessly, teasing as he spoke.

"Alright, let's hurry back and report."

It was evident that Mabui, as the team leader, was the backbone of her squad. Though she hadn't yet unlocked space-time ninjutsu, she was exceptionally skilled in sealing techniques and analysis. These abilities included sensory ninjutsu.

Shiranui Genma, along with Binzoku Raito and Tetsui Iwashi, formed a separate team with Shiranui as their captain. Judging by their flak jackets, they were all already Chūnin.

The six of them moved through the forest, maintaining a formation that allowed them to be battle-ready at any moment.

"I heard Kakashi has already been promoted to Jōnin!"

"A twelve-year-old Jōnin—he's probably the youngest in Konoha's or even the shinobi world's history, right?"

"Tch, Kakashi might be a genius, but it's all thanks to Lord Shirou's teaching. Otherwise, how could he be this strong?"

The prolonged war had taken a toll on the mental state of many ninjas. To boost morale, the major villages used every means at their disposal. For example, Kakashi's promotion to Jōnin at just twelve years old, earning him the title of the youngest Jōnin in history, was a calculated move.

It served not only to inspire the shinobi world but also to encourage the young graduates to join the battlefield in Konoha. Kakashi was being portrayed as their role model.

As the group passed through the forest, the distant sound of explosions reached their ears. By now, they were so accustomed to the noise that no one even flinched. Instead, their expressions remained calm and composed.

"Remember to conserve your energy and stay ready for combat."

"Understood!"

Under Mabui's steady leadership, Samui and Yugito nodded solemnly. Similarly, Shiranui Genma's team also responded with calm determination.

As the forest thinned out, the battlefield at Kikyo Mountain came into view.

"So this is the power of the gods?"

From a distance, they saw the massive red figure of the Susano'o towering over the battlefield. Samui and Yugito's faces lit up with a mixture of awe and fanaticism.

However, Mabui frowned deeply at the sight.

"The Allied Shinobi Forces have frequently used large-scale war machines to fight against Lord Shirou in recent years."

Due to the lack of intelligence, Mabui didn't fully understand the cost of wielding such power. She only knew that if the Allied Shinobi Forces were resorting to this strategy, they must have their hidden agenda.