"Uchiha Hikaru, don't spout nonsense! When did I ever allow the Mist to attack the rear camp?"
Under the weight of every gaze in the tent, Mito Gate Shōgo felt his heart sink. He immediately spoke in protest.
Seeing him rush to defend himself, Hikaru could not suppress the smile tugging at his lips.
"You didn't allow it? Then tell me—when the Mist attacked the rear camp yesterday, where was the unit you were leading?"
"That's right. Why didn't the rear guard appear? They're the closest to the rear camp, aren't they?"
Until now, most had only focused on the Uchiha's supposedly delayed reinforcement. With that reminder, they suddenly realized—
The rear guard's absence was far more suspicious.
A few began murmuring, only to fall silent when Kohane Utatane shot them a vicious glare.
"Uchiha Hikaru, stop trying to divert the—"
"Silence! Who do you think you are?"
Hikaru's voice cracked like a whip.
"The rear camp's defense failed, and so many comrades died inside it. You're not free of responsibility either!"
The three tomoe in his eyes spun slowly.
A cold gaze swept over Kohane.
The instinctive fear carved into the shinobi world by the Sharingan surfaced immediately. Kohane opened her mouth again and again—yet no words came out.
Pathetic.
Hikaru hadn't even used much chakra, nor activated any true ocular technique.
Nara Suzaku observed quietly. As long as no actual violence occurred, he had no grounds to intervene.
After all, as a three-tomoe wielder and jōnin of the Uchiha clan, it was no exaggeration to say that, aside from Shisui, not a single person in this tent could defeat Hikaru in direct combat.
"Now," Hikaru continued coolly, "Jōnin Shōgo, answer the question. When the Mist attacked, where was the rear guard?"
His gaze was filled with undisguised contempt—directed equally at everyone present.
Shōgo's face darkened. This brat, barely in his twenties, dared to treat him—an elder—with such disdain.
He glanced at Suzaku.
The commander remained impassive.
Grinding his teeth, Shōgo answered stiffly.
"Yesterday, the rear guard was executing a special mission."
"What mission?"
"I already said it was a special mission. Uchiha Hikaru, mind your position. You have no authority to know."
"Hah… Hahahaha!"
Hikaru threw his head back and laughed wildly.
The others exchanged confused looks.
"Did you all hear that?" Hikaru sneered. "A special mission! Mito Gate Shōgo led the entire rear guard on a special mission!"
"We've been fighting this war for over a year, haven't we? When has the rear guard ever carried out a mission? When have you, Shōgo, ever set foot on the front lines?"
"And now, the moment the war ends, you suddenly have a mission? And just as you're off on this mission, the Mist arrive. The rear camp is attacked."
With every word, his expression twisted further, his presence swelling.
The mood inside the tent shifted.
A strange unease began to take root.
"A mission? What a joke."
Hikaru's voice dropped, heavy and sharp.
"I say you colluded with the enemy. You betrayed your comrades."
Colluded with the enemy. Betrayed comrades.
Shōgo's face drained of color.
Collusion?
At worst, this was dereliction of duty!
"When does a rear guard unit need to leave the rear camp for a mission?"
"Exactly. Why was it only when the Mist came that he had a mission?"
"What kind of mission requires mobilizing the entire rear guard?"
"Dozens of Mist shinobi breached the defense and reached the rear camp, and he noticed nothing?"
Of the twenty-odd people present, more than half were civilian jōnin.
The more they thought about it, the uglier their expressions became.
They stared directly at Shōgo, demanding an explanation.
The remaining few said nothing—but their eyes were no different.
"I—"
Shōgo's mind raced.
He couldn't possibly admit he had consolidated the rear guard to intercept the Mist. That would amount to a confession.
"What? Nothing to say?"
Hikaru's killing intent began to leak outward.
"So you are a traitor after all!"
The pressure inside the tent intensified.
Instinctively, many reacted—
Not against the Uchiha—
But against Shōgo.
The weight of their hostility shook him.
"Uchiha Hikaru! Don't slander me! You have no evidence, yet you fabricate accusations! If anyone is a traitor here—it's you!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Nara Suzaku sighed inwardly.
Idiot.
Sure enough, the gazes that had been suspicious hardened into certainty.
They glared at Shōgo with open hostility.
"Hmph. A corrupt Mito Gate dog. Betraying the village and your comrades. I should cut you down myself—"
"Enough!"
Before matters spiraled further, Suzaku raised his hand sharply.
As commander of the eastern front, his authority carried weight.
Gradually, the killing intent subsided.
Even Hikaru halted, though the hostility in his eyes remained.
"Jōnin Shisui," Suzaku said evenly, turning his gaze. "How do you believe this matter should be handled?"
Shisui's face was calm.
Inside, he felt profound admiration for his teacher.
Everything unfolding before him had been foreseen.
"He must give the village an explanation," Shisui said steadily.
"And he must give an explanation to the comrades who died in the rear camp."
The words moved many.
They had expected reliability from the Uchiha on the battlefield.
They had not expected the same composure off it.
Suzaku was equally surprised.
So the Uchiha could still produce someone with a brain.
Looking at the heated expressions around him, he knew a decision was unavoidable. If this festered, the war's victory would be meaningless.
After a brief silence, he turned to Shōgo.
"Jōnin Shōgo, in my capacity as eastern front commander, I hereby relieve you of all duties."
"From this moment, you have the right to remain silent. You will be transferred to the Third Hokage for investigation."
To be stripped of duty now meant—
A year of war would leave him with nothing.
No merit.
No credit.
Yet upon hearing he would be transferred to the Third Hokage, Shōgo held his tongue.
"A traitor like him still needs investigation? Just execute him!" Hikaru muttered loudly.
Suzaku pretended not to hear.
"And what about the other one?"
Hikaru's gaze slid sideways toward Kohane.
He did not name her.
He didn't need to.
Everyone knew.
"I will report the matter to the Third Hokage," Suzaku replied lightly. "He will decide."
Kohane snorted coldly.
Face dark, she turned and left the tent.
"That's it?" Hikaru scowled, clearly dissatisfied, ready to speak again—
But Shisui caught his arm and led him out.
Outside the tent, Hikaru was flushed with excitement.
"Shisui, why did you stop me? Did you see how arrogant that woman was? We should've pressed on and taken her down too!"
For the first time, he had experienced the thrill of cornering someone without lifting a blade.
Only the lack of a finishing blow left him unsatisfied.
Shisui smiled faintly.
He, too, felt pleased—but he remained far more restrained.
"It wouldn't have worked."
"She fulfilled her duty. We can't touch her."
Should Kohane be held responsible?
No.
When the rear camp was attacked, she organized resistance. She organized attempts to break through. As a medical captain, she had done enough.
Her only flaw was that her bias had been too obvious.
Obvious enough that everyone sensed something was wrong.
But that alone was not proof.
"She's been targeting us since yesterday," Hikaru growled. "She's definitely working with Mito Gate."
Of course she is.
Shisui sighed inwardly.
Her surname alone had been enough to raise suspicion.
But what of it?
"She didn't do anything that directly harmed everyone present," Shisui explained. "Even if everyone suspects her, without evidence, there's nothing we can do."
Hikaru frowned.
If everyone knew she was suspicious, why could nothing be done?
He didn't fully understand.
But if Shisui said so—
He would believe him.
"Shisui," Hikaru suddenly grinned, "since this morning, you've seemed especially sharp. When did you get so clever?"
"…Huh?"