"Teacher, I think when you struck during the seventh move and the twenty-fifth move, I could counter like this…"
"If you used that technique, I'd respond with this one to suppress you—your attack would fall right into my prediction…"
After sparring, the two began their usual review and analysis.
Watching Uchiha Yuan, Hatake Sakumo couldn't help feeling a touch of nostalgia. As impressed as he was by the boy's rapid progress, memories of teaching Kakashi surfaced unbidden—those training days when he would calmly correct Kakashi's every flaw after each session.
When their review concluded, Sakumo asked, "How goes the war in the village lately?"
Uchiha Yuan replied, "News came two days ago—Sunagakure launched another incursion near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. But they've already withdrawn for now. Our forces are facing them in a standoff along the frontier."
A wistful light flickered in Sakumo's eyes as he sighed softly. "Sunagakure… a band of desperate gamblers. The Land of Wind's terrain and climate are the harshest among all nations—so every time they see even the slightest chance, they wager everything."
"You're right, Teacher," En said. "Two years ago at the Battle of Kikyo Mountain, Sunagakure suffered a crushing defeat under Orochimaru and sued for peace. Yet now they've once again raised their blades against us."
Sakumo's gaze deepened. "For them to risk another offensive against Konoha… it must mean the other three Great Villages are taking significant action against us."
He paused, then added with quiet reflection, "Orochimaru is an exceptional shinobi among our juniors. His reputation among the Sannin is the greatest—he was likely to become the Fourth Hokage."
En chuckled. "Teacher, it seems you don't yet know the current state of the village. The Fourth Hokage has already been chosen—but it isn't Orochimaru."
Sakumo's eyes widened slightly. He couldn't think of anyone more qualified. "Then… Tsunade?"
"No."
"Jiraiya, perhaps?"
"Neither," En said, shaking his head. "It's Namikaze Minato."
Sakumo blinked in surprise. "Kakashi's jōnin instructor… Minato? That can't be. He's an excellent ninja, yes—but to be Hokage? Isn't he too young?"
Uchiha Yuan's lips curved into a faintly mocking smile. "Teacher, while you and I might see Orochimaru as the most fitting choice, the Third and his council would never willingly relinquish power.
Someone like Orochimaru—too strong, too respected—could never be their puppet."
He continued, voice calm but edged with irony. "From what I've observed, in the days leading up to the Hokage selection, the village propaganda heavily praised Minato's battlefield feats while deliberately downplaying Orochimaru's.
Minato's speed and skill on the fronts against Iwagakure and Kumogakure earned him the title of 'Konoha's Yellow Flash.' He struck down countless enemy shinobi in the blink of an eye.
But that's all history now. The Fourth Hokage gave his life during the Nine-Tails' rampage months ago. The Third Hokage has reclaimed his post, serving as acting Hokage once more."
Sakumo fell silent, his expression clouded with mixed emotions. "I never imagined so much could have changed in the village."
En gave a cold smile. "That's the Third Hokage and his council for you—so consumed by power they'd suppress even a disciple they personally trained."
"How is Kakashi now?" Sakumo asked, frowning slightly. If En's words were true, he worried his son might have been caught up in the village's political struggles.
"Kakashi-senpai is likely in the ANBU now. The last time I saw him, he was cold toward his peers—isolating himself from everyone."
Sakumo sighed quietly. "That child… he's suffered enough."
Something seemed to occur to Uchiha Yuan, and he said, "Teacher, do you know a genin named Might Duy?"
A faint smile touched Sakumo's lips. He nodded. "A man of tireless effort—a true embodiment of the Will of Fire. I respected him deeply."
"He's fallen."
"…I see." Sakumo's face dimmed, the light in his eyes softening. "Tell me—how did he die?"
En's expression turned solemn. "According to clan intelligence, on the frontlines against Kirigakure, the vanguard encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Duy-senpai stayed behind alone to cover the retreat.
He unleashed unimaginable power, slaying four of the Seven on the spot. Even now, many in the village can hardly believe it—four of the infamous Seven Swordsmen, killed by one man."
Sakumo smiled faintly, pride and sorrow mingled in his eyes. "I always knew Duy was strong. He endured years of mockery without bitterness, always holding true to his spirit."
He lifted his gaze to the sky, as if glimpsing a familiar green silhouette in the wind.
Farewell, my friend.
Then Sakumo spoke again. "Though Sunagakure has retreated, they'll surely attack once more. It likely means Konoha is faltering on the Iwagakure and Kumogakure fronts. This Great Ninja War… is far from over."
En smiled lightly. "At least Iwa and Kumo have longstanding grudges—they'll never ally against us. Otherwise, the frontlines would already be in chaos."
Sakumo's expression hardened. "If the war drags on, even you academy students will eventually be sent to the battlefield."
En nodded. "Yes. I believe the village is already preparing for that."
Sakumo said gravely, "In the past two Great Wars, genin suffered the highest casualties. Though your current strength rivals that of an elite chūnin, remember this—on the battlefield, any mistake can be fatal.
Even a jōnin can fall to a careless blow from a genin. I'll pass on to you everything I've learned about surviving the frontlines."
Some time later—
"I should return."
After finishing his explanation on recognizing traps in the field, Sakumo suddenly spoke.
At once, the demeanor of the shadow clone he had possessed shifted—the sharp, commanding aura faded from its eyes.
Poof!
The clone performed a seal and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Around En, four other shadow clones, each stationed at the corners of a barrier, also released their seals and dissipated.
Standing alone, Uchiha Yuan exhaled a wisp of gray vapor. The nearby grass withered instantly wherever the mist touched.
Teacher's spirit carries the chill of the dead. Once he possesses my clone, it takes on that deathly yin aura. Fortunately, it's harmless to me—as long as I discard the chakra from that clone afterward, it won't affect me at all.
Just then, a faint blur flickered through the trees nearby.
In the next heartbeat, the air split with a hiss—a massive serpent covered in crimson-black markings lunged from the shadows, jaws gaping wide as it struck toward Uchiha Yuan.
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