Konoha: The King of Souls

"Hey, Gen, you're back. Captain Hachidai is looking for you."

As Uchiha Gen returned to the clan grounds, a patrolling Uchiha ninja swiftly landed in front of him.

"Ah, it's you, Hiro. Do you know what Captain Hachidai wants?" Uchiha Gen asked with a slight smile.

"You'll know when you see him. Don't worry—it's not bad news."

Gen felt exasperated. Why bother being so mysterious if you already know?

"Alright, thanks, Hiro."

Hiro nodded slightly before vanishing in a blur.

Uchiha Gen turned and left the clan grounds, heading toward the Police Force headquarters located on the western edge of Konoha Village, near the village's prison.

At this point, the Nine-Tails incident had yet to occur, so the Uchiha clan's grounds were not on the outskirts of the village. However, the distance to the Police Force was still considerable.

If he were to jump across the rooftops, the trip would be much faster, but ninjas were not allowed to leap around the village unless it was an emergency.

Typically, only members of the ANBU, the Police Force, or the more covert Root division had the privilege of moving freely in that manner.

Not belonging to any of these groups, Uchiha Gen had no choice but to walk.

Konoha Village's total area was neither particularly large nor small, covering about 400,000 square meters—the equivalent of around 55 football fields.

After a roughly 20-minute walk, Uchiha Gen arrived at the Police Force headquarters. He ascended the stairs to Captain Hachidai's office.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

Entering the room, Gen gave a slight bow. "Captain Hachidai."

"Ah, it's you, Gen. Perfect timing. Take this with you."

Hachidai's usually stern face softened into a faint smile as he tossed a green vest from his desk.

Gen caught it deftly, noticing a rolled-up scroll tucked into the upper-right pocket. He pulled it out—it was indeed a Chūnin appointment scroll.

"Thank you, Captain Hachidai."

"No need to thank me. You've earned it."

"To think you managed to kill so many enemies. You're truly a genius of the Uchiha clan."

"But it's still a bit of an injustice."

"You took down 34 enemies, including four Chūnin, all on your own. That, combined with your two-tomoe Sharingan and the fact that we're in wartime..."

"If it were up to me, I'd promote you straight to Tokubetsu Jōnin."

Unbeknownst to anyone, Gen had deliberately concealed half of his accomplishments, burying the extra bodies with Earth Release techniques. Otherwise, his feats would have seemed too extraordinary.

Even with the partial report, the documented results caught the attention of Hiruzen Sarutobi, who discreetly sent the ANBU to verify the claims.

Although Sarutobi doubted that the proud Uchiha would falsify such reports, due diligence was still necessary.

After awakening his two-tomoe Sharingan, Gen had been tested by the clan using chakra paper to determine his elemental affinities.

In addition to Fire Release, common to most Uchiha, he had Earth and the relatively rare Wind affinities.

While this wasn't as remarkable as having all five elemental affinities, possessing three was still quite rare.

With mastery over a variety of ninjutsu, Gen could face nearly any enemy with confidence, even those with opposing elemental techniques.

"It's fine. Tokubetsu Jōnin and Jōnin promotions will happen sooner or later," Gen replied, his tone calm and expression unmoved by his Chūnin promotion.

"Good. Stay that way. You may leave now."

Hachidai appreciated Gen's pride. For Uchiha, this self-assuredness was more admirable than off-putting.

"Excuse me, Captain Hachidai."

With the Chūnin vest in hand, Gen exited the office, closing the door behind him.

As he made his way out, fellow Uchiha ninjas offered congratulations, and Gen responded to each one courteously without overstepping.

Meanwhile, the villages of Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure had received intelligence regarding the Battle of Kikyo Mountain.

Though disappointed by their defeat, the first three villages, having suffered heavy losses, refrained from taking further reckless actions, opting instead for steady, direct attacks.

In Iwagakure's Tsuchikage Tower, Ōnoki sat in his office, reviewing the reports on the battle. His sharp eyes gleamed with thought as he contemplated.

Dressed in a red shawl, a green striped vest, and the traditional Tsuchikage hat, Ōnoki's diminutive stature and large nose gave him a somewhat comical appearance.

Yet, no one in the Five Great Shinobi Nations dared underestimate this quirky-looking Kage. Even in old age, he commanded great respect, let alone now, when he was still near his prime.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi was in the mid-phase of his peak, then Ōnoki was in its latter stages.

Of all the Kage, Sarutobi considered Ōnoki the most dangerous—cunning, devious, and relentlessly stubborn.

"Someone, come."

"Tsuchikage-sama."

An Iwagakure ANBU, clad in yellow-brown combat gear and a face-concealing mask, appeared before him, kneeling respectfully.

"Notify the elders to convene for a meeting."

"Understood."

Fifteen minutes later, in a bright, spotless conference room at Tsuchikage Tower, Ōnoki and the village's influential elders gathered.

"Take a look at this report," Ōnoki instructed.

The elders picked up the documents on the table and began reading.

"So, what do you make of it?" Ōnoki asked after two minutes.

"Konoha truly lives up to its reputation as the strongest village. Even while fighting on four fronts, they managed to repel a surprise attack by the joint forces of Kumogakure and Sunagakure. It's terrifying."

"Can we even defeat Konoha?"

This remark stirred murmurs of agreement from several elders.

Ōnoki's expression darkened. He slammed his hand on the table, scolding, "I didn't bring this report here for you to inflate their morale while crushing ours!"

His authority silenced the room. No elder dared challenge him further.

"Don't just look at the surface!"

"The report shows that Konoha also suffered significant losses, even with Hiruzen Sarutobi himself joining the battle."

"And consider this—Konoha's defenses were breached to the point that the enemy reached their gates. What does that tell us?"

"It means that Konoha is a bow strung too tight—a paper tiger!"

"What if we strike again?"

One elder's eyes lit up. "Another attack could break Konoha, triggering a chain reaction."

"Even if Konoha doesn't collapse outright, they'll never again dominate the Land of Fire's rich lands and resources."

Ōnoki gave the elder a look of approval, then spoke firmly. "Elder Matsumoto is absolutely correct."

"That's why I plan to deploy a unit to bypass the battlefield at the Land of Grass and push directly into the Land of Fire, aiming for Konoha."

The idea excited many elders, though a more cautious one raised a concern.

"Tsuchikage-sama, your strategy is sound, but we've sustained heavy losses from the ambush on the Third Raikage. Our forces are stretched thin, balancing the front lines against Konoha while guarding against Kumogakure and Sunagakure. Assembling another unit would be difficult."

Ōnoki shook his head. "We can afford to be bolder."

"Kumogakure may despise us for the Raikage's death, but they won't act against their interests."

"The Land of Fire is a fat, juicy steak. Taking even a bite yields immense gains, while our own Land of Earth is a tough, lean morsel."

"And with the sea separating us, Kumogakure would struggle to mobilize the necessary ships. They're unlikely to attack us."

"So, we can reallocate troops from the Kumogakure front, maintaining only the bare minimum defense."

"If Kumogakure does act recklessly, we'll lure them in, then retaliate with a decisive blow."

"What do you all think?"