Under the pressure of frequent Iwagakure troop movements, the conflict that had flared up earlier faded as quickly as a ripple on the surface of a pond.
Konoha ninja were dispatched again and again, monitoring and probing every move made by the Iwa-nin. Along the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass, the air was tense and oppressive—alarms everywhere, hidden currents surging beneath the surface.
Uchiha Yuan sat atop a massive boulder. Before him lay a barren cliff; gazing into the distance, he could see the uniquely rugged mountain ranges of the Land of Earth, towering peaks formed entirely of stone.
A fist-sized rock rested in his hand, stone chips falling steadily to the ground.
He held two fingers together like a blade, chakra clinging to them like a sculptor's knife, carving into the stone with calm, precise motions.
Beside him already lay several finished carvings.
A wild, arrogant warrior carrying a massive door-like greatsword on his back.
A sword-wielding girl with a single cowlick sticking up.
A stout, adorable komainu.
And a Nine-Tailed Fox, head lifted high, roaring toward the heavens.
Whoosh—whoosh.
Two figures flashed into existence behind him—it was Yamanaka Kino and Akimichi Kai.
The instant they arrived, their gazes were involuntarily drawn to Yuan's hands. His fingers moved swiftly over the stone, carving and shaving in smooth, continuous motions, the rhythm of his movements forming a strangely mesmerizing cadence.
That thin blade of chakra, nearly solid in appearance, drew another silent marvel from them.
Even though they had seen this scene many times before, each time they witnessed it, they were still struck by awe at Yuan's unbelievably precise chakra control.
The first time they had seen Yuan carving stone with his fingers, they hadn't thought much of it—until they realized he was doing so purely to temper and refine chakra control.
"Eh? Lord Yuan, are you carving the Eight-Tails this time?" Akimichi Kai asked, eyeing the stone in Yuan's hands.
Yamanaka Kino spoke next.
"Lord Yuan, the latest intel is in. The Iwa-nin forces have begun a large-scale withdrawal. They've completely pulled out of the Land of Grass."
Yuan didn't stop carving.
"Kino—what do you think?"
Kino pondered for a moment.
"My guess is that Iwagakure is preparing to retreat. I heard from Uncle Inoichi that news came from the Land of Hot Water—the Kumogakure offensive there has suddenly slowed."
"At the same time, there have been several small troop movements within the Cloud camp. Our scouts noticed those units heading toward the battlefield where Cloud and Iwa have been clashing."
Yuan's fingers paused. He set down a vividly lifelike Eight-Tails stone sculpture.
"Looks like negotiations between Kumo and Iwa collapsed—and now the two sides are fighting."
Kino nodded.
"That's my conclusion as well. You severely injured the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki. Iwa likely obtained that information."
Yuan casually picked up another stone, turning it in his hand.
"We've blocked several large-scale offensives from both Iwa and Kumo."
"At this point, the village can barely be said to have survived the crisis brought on by the Nine-Tails incident."
"Iwa couldn't break through us, but they weren't willing to withdraw either."
"However, once they realized their old enemy—Kumogakure—had exposed a massive flaw, with the Fourth Raikage and Killer B disappearing from the battlefield and reports of heavy injuries spreading…"
He smirked faintly.
"Between Konoha and Kumo, Iwa would much rather seize the chance to cripple Kumogakure."
Kino agreed at once.
"Lord Yuan's analysis matches my own. Iwagakure will likely send envoys for peace talks soon."
Sure enough, just a few days later, an Iwa-nin delegation, under constant Konoha surveillance, arrived at the Konoha camp bearing news of peace negotiations.
When Yuan heard the report, a wave of relief washed over him—followed by a trace of regret.
He had still hoped to personally witness Iwagakure's unique techniques, especially Light-Weight Rock Technique and Added-Weight Rock Technique.
In Yuan's eyes, those jutsu were entirely different from ordinary Earth Release. They touched upon fundamental laws of nature, involving the manipulation of gravity and gravitational fields.
If he could study them, his overall strength would undoubtedly rise another level.
After the peace delegation arrived, communication hawks flew constantly between the Konoha camp and the village itself. At the same time, squads were dispatched again and again to exchange terms with the Iwa side.
After half a month of negotiations, the two villages finally reached a consensus.
Not long after, a towering Iwa-nin named Akatsuchi, built like a human fortress, crossed from the Land of Earth with an escort squad, formally heading to Konoha to sign the peace treaty.
Yuan stepped out of the central command tent, having just received a new order from Mitarashi Shishō.
He had been assigned to personally escort the Iwa negotiation team safely back to Konoha—along with severely wounded Konoha personnel returning to the village.
When Yuan led Kino and the others outside the camp, he saw the Iwa delegation already assembled under Konoha protection, ready to depart.
"Shisui—you're part of the escort as well?" Yuan asked, looking at the figure standing beside Akatsuchi.
Shisui glanced at him, a trace of complicated emotion flashing through his eyes. He already knew of Yuan's astonishing achievements.
If the clan learned that Yuan had defeated the Fourth Raikage, their arrogance would only deepen.
Shisui let out a soft sigh inwardly, then said seriously,
"Captain Yuan, I'm the vice-captain of this escort mission."
Yuan smiled slightly.
"With two Uchiha on this mission, nothing can possibly go wrong."
Then he turned to Akatsuchi.
"Representative Akatsuchi, I'll be responsible for your safety along the way. If you require anything, feel free to ask."
Akatsuchi sized Yuan up. The round-faced giant broke into a simple, honest grin.
"Uchiha Yuan—your name is well known. To think even the Fourth Raikage fell to you… truly astonishing."
Yuan laughed arrogantly.
"The Fourth Raikage was nothing more than a brainless brute. How could he possibly defeat me?"
Akatsuchi nodded in admiration.
"The Uchiha truly live up to their reputation as Konoha's greatest clan—first Shisui the Teleporter, and now the 'Fierce Tiger of Konoha.'"
On the surface, Akatsuchi maintained his harmless, honest smile, but his eyes flickered subtly as they appraised Yuan.
The old man told me to observe Uchiha Yuan closely…
If the Fourth Raikage heard those words just now, he'd probably explode from anger.
Still, anyone capable of defeating a heavily wounded Raikage would naturally be this arrogant.
Shisui, on the other hand… how unexpected. So humble, so gentle.
Akatsuchi cast another glance at Shisui, deep in thought.
Some people die… yet they are not entirely gone.
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