Naruto: The Tale of Neo

"Neo."

Shisui Uchiha walked over and patted Neo Uchiha on the shoulder.

He had keenly noticed Neo's brief shiver.

However, since Shisui had graduated early and was still quite young, he was short like a "little radish." His attempt at comforting someone looked a bit comical.

"You don't have to worry too much. I didn't expect Elder Setsuna to personally lead the mission. With him there, the danger on your side shouldn't be too high."

Shisui smiled warmly, trying to ease Neo's nerves.

Even though he himself had chosen the more dangerous battlefield in the Land of Rain, here he was, comforting Neo instead.

Neo snapped out of his daze and stared at Shisui, looking utterly defeated inside.

Seriously? You already stole my pig-feeding mission—and now you're stealing my death march too?

Can you act a bit more human, please?

"Neo, I need to finish this C-rank mission before tomorrow's assembly, so I'll be off."

Shisui waved the mission scroll he had just picked up and left after a quick farewell.

After Shisui left, Neo's eyes flickered with thought.

Is Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water really not that dangerous?

I don't think so.

Nighttime

The moon shone brightly, spreading its silver light across the land.

Within the Uchiha compound, Setsuna Uchiha stepped up to the sliding door in his wooden sandals and pulled it open indifferently.

Inside the modest room, dozens of crimson Sharingan eyes glowed in the dim light.

"Elder!"

A chorus of respectful greetings rang out as Setsuna walked in and took the seat of honor at the center of the room.

Sitting to his right was the second-in-command of the hawk faction, Yatsushiro Uchiha.

Seated below them were nearly a hundred Uchiha, all of whom were chunin or higher, and every single one had awakened the Sharingan.

This was the hawk faction's power base.

"Elder, hadn't we agreed to send a skilled team of clan members to the Land of Hot Water?"

Yatsushiro furrowed his brows and asked,

"Why is there a genin on the list—and one who hasn't even awakened his Sharingan?"

"Did you not inform the clan members of the mission's dangers?"

Setsuna picked up a teacup, glanced at Yatsushiro, and replied calmly:

"I will personally lead this mission."

"With me there, that's all we need."

Yatsushiro's frown deepened.

"But this isn't just about the Chi no Ike Clan's recent movements and the increased guard duties."

"The Land of Hot Water is positioned between the Lands of Fire, Lightning, and Water. On top of that, Iwagakure and Sunagakure have both had small skirmishes with Kirigakure recently. The entire region has descended into chaos."

"There are spies and battle units from every nation lurking in the area. Add to that the rogue groups that emerged in the aftermath of the Second Shinobi War—the Xuanyuan Group, Prajna Group, Jashin Cult, Tsuchigumo Clan, the remnants of Yōen Village, Kirigakure's Cut Rain Squad and Hunter Nin, Iwagakure's Demolition Corps, Sunagakure's Rasa trying to rack up military achievements on the Mist front, and bounty hunters from the underground market..."

"That place is a complete mess." Yatsushiro shook his head, clearly concerned that Setsuna was underestimating the situation.

Even if the Third Hokage himself led the mission, there was no guarantee of a favorable outcome.

Although Setsuna was a veteran Uchiha from the Warring States era, leading a mission with only a genin and a chunin seemed far too reckless.

Still, the clan didn't have many hands to spare. Members of the Military Police Force were restricted by Konoha and couldn't leave the village without permission.

Yatsushiro hesitated before suggesting,

"Maybe... we could request backup from Konoha?"

"That's enough."

Setsuna placed his teacup down firmly, his tone calm but authoritative.

"I am enough."

He stared coldly at Yatsushiro, his Sharingan glowing ominously.

"The mission to guard Hell Valley didn't come from Konoha—it was commissioned directly by the daimyo of the Land of Lightning. It's one of the few lucrative contracts our clan has left."

"Don't place your sense of security in the hands of others—especially not Konoha, not Hiruzen Sarutobi, and certainly not Danzo."

"Only the things you can control yourself truly matter. If you rely on handouts, you'll end up like a dog—begging and bowing, only to be kicked aside when you're no longer useful."

Yatsushiro fell silent at those words.

As shinobi, who were detached from ordinary means of production, the Uchiha could only rely on their ancestral wealth, village property, or income from major clan-contracted missions to sustain themselves.

The task of guarding the Chi no Ike Clan alone brought in an annual sum equivalent to an S-rank mission—stable, long-term income.

This was why Setsuna adamantly refused to let Konoha meddle in their affairs.

At Neo's House

Neo had just opened his front door when a gray, dust-covered figure wearing goggles fell out of the tree in his yard.

Neo immediately realized that this guy had fallen because his chakra control while climbing trees was off-balance.

"Obito, what are you doing?"

Looking at the unexpected visitor, Neo felt a bit speechless.

The boy was none other than Obito Uchiha, his neighbor, who had only graduated from the Ninja Academy last year.

"Yo, Neo! Haha, I'm training for the chunin exams!" Obito rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and then frowned.

"That jerk Kakashi is using his rank as a chunin to boss me around and make me follow his orders!"

"It was just a simple mission to catch a cat!"

"When I pass my chunin exam, I'll shove my new chunin vest in his face!" Obito ranted, grumbling about the details of the incident.

Neo listened and then blinked in realization.

He had unknowingly spent an entire year in this still-peaceful Konoha.

The timeline had progressed without him noticing. Obito had already joined Minato Namikaze's team with Kakashi and Rin Nohara, and they'd been doing D-rank missions for a while now.

But Obito's goal of becoming a chunin this year... was unlikely to be achieved.

The Third Shinobi War was about to break out. Minato, as an elite jonin, would soon be heading to the frontlines, taking his team with him.

It wasn't until the Land of Lightning's forces eased their assault that Konoha would have enough breathing room to hold the chunin exams in Konoha Year 48.

That was when Obito would be seriously injured by Might Guy during the exams. Although he lost that fight, he still succeeded in becoming a chunin.

"What are you spacing out for? Grandma made noodles—come and eat!"

Obito waved a hand in front of Neo's face and tilted his head curiously.

"Alright, I'll put my stuff away first." Neo nodded, accepting the invitation.

On his way back earlier, he had retrieved his sandals and fork from the riverbank.

However, the sack of recyclable cans he had collected—which could have been sold for some cash—had disappeared. Someone must've snatched it.

Neo cursed under his breath. The world's going downhill.

Konoha didn't have this problem last year.

But with the looming war, the Uchiha clan's Military Police Force had been busy with meetings and war preparations, leaving less time for regular patrols.

That's why petty theft had been on the rise lately.