c7: Promotion to Chūnin
"Hey, Gen, you're back. Captain Yashiro is looking for you."
Just as Uchiha Gen returned to the clan compound, a patrolling Uchiha shinobi dropped down in front of him. It was Uchiha Hiro, a young patrol officer tasked with outer perimeter watch.
"It's Hiro. What does Captain Yashiro want with me?" Gen asked with a faint smile, adjusting the forehead protector tied snugly around his brow.
"You'll know when you get there. Don't worry it's not a bad thing," Hiro replied with a smirk.
Gen sighed internally. He could already guess what this was about.
"Alright, thanks, Hiro."
With a nod, Uchiha Hiro vanished in a flicker of movement, the standard Shunshin no Jutsu the Police Force often used during transitions.
Gen turned and headed toward the Konoha Military Police Force Headquarters, located near the western quarter of the village, not far from the Konoha Correctional Facility. This was before the Nine-Tails' Attack, so the Uchiha compound was still located relatively centrally within the village rather than on its outskirts.
Although it wasn't far for a shinobi, Gen couldn't simply leap rooftops through Konoha. Village regulations restricted free travel through the urban zone to specific corps: the ANBU, the Police Force, and Root.
Gen belonged to none of these, so he walked at a steady pace.
Konoha wasn't vast, but it wasn't small either spanning an estimated 400,000 square meters, which, when compared to standard football fields, equated to about fifty-five in total area.
Roughly twenty minutes later, Gen arrived at the Police Force building. He climbed the stairs and reached Captain Yashiro's office.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in," a voice called from within.
Gen entered, bowing slightly. "Captain Yashiro."
"Ah, Gen. Good timing. Come get your things," Yashiro Uchiha said, allowing a rare smile to break his stern features. He retrieved a flak vest from his desk a forest green chūnin vest and tossed it over.
Gen caught it midair. Reaching into the vest's right pocket, he pulled out a tightly rolled scroll bearing the Fire Daimyō's stamp. Unfurling it, he confirmed it: an official chūnin commission.
"Thank you, Captain Yashiro."
"You earned it," Yashiro said with a nod. "I didn't expect you to take down so many enemy forces. You're truly one of the brightest talents of the Uchiha."
"In fact, I think it's a bit unfair to you."
"You eliminated thirty-four enemy shinobi, including four chūnin solo and awakened a two-tomoe Sharingan. And it's wartime."
"If it were up to me, I'd have recommended you for tokubetsu jōnin directly."
Gen had actually hidden a large part of his accomplishments. Many bodies had been buried using Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu to prevent their discovery. The full tally of his kills would've drawn excessive scrutiny.
Even so, his current report was enough to catch the attention of Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, who dispatched an ANBU agent to verify the claims. Though Hiruzen trusted the Uchiha's pride would deter dishonesty, protocol demanded investigation.
After awakening his second tomoe, Gen had tested his chakra nature using standard paper strips. As expected of an Uchiha, he possessed Fire nature, but also Wind and Earth an uncommon trifecta.
While not as rare as someone like Hiruzen who had all five chakra natures, possessing three elements made Gen versatile. With the proper ninjutsu training, he could counter nearly any elemental opponent even ones outside his affinity set.
"It's alright. I'll reach jōnin eventually," Gen said without emotion. His voice was flat, his expression unreadable, as though the promotion meant little to him.
"Good. Stay ambitious." Rather than being offended by the boy's pride, Yashiro admired it. It was the Uchiha way.
"Farewell, Captain Yashiro."
With the chūnin vest in hand, Gen exited the office and gently shut the door.
On his way out, several Uchiha shinobi congratulated him. Gen acknowledged each one with polite nods, though he neither lingered nor showed visible pride.
…
At the same time, word of the Battle of Kikyo Pass had reached the other Great Nations. Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure each received intelligence reports detailing the Konoha victory.
Kumo, Suna, and Kiri viewed it as a regrettable setback, but in light of the significant losses, they chose to adopt more cautious strategies shifting from covert infiltration to direct offensive planning.
In Iwagakure, within the Tsuchikage's Office, Ōnoki of Both Scales studied the latest intel.
He sat behind a thick wooden desk in the Tsuchikage Tower, adorned in his traditional red apron and vertically-striped green vest. His clay Kage hat sat atop his balding head. Short in stature, with a heavy mustache and prominent nose, Ōnoki exuded an odd mix of sternness and wit.
As he flipped through the documents, his eyes narrowed.
The Kikyo Pass disaster had cost them a significant number of elite chūnin. More troubling, however, was the report of an Uchiha youth who had annihilated an entire platoon with minimal support.
Ōnoki's fingers drummed thoughtfully on the desk. If the Uchiha clan was beginning to produce such talent again, it might upset the fragile balance between the Five Great Nations.
The gears of war continued to turn.but so did the undercurrents that shaped the next generation of shinobi.
However, no one in the Five Great Shinobi Nations dared to underestimate this seemingly comical Kage, not even in his old age let alone now, when Ōnoki was still near the end of his prime. He might not possess the youthful vitality he once had, but his intellect, combat prowess, and strategic insight remained razor-sharp.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi was in the midst of his prime still active on the battlefield and feared as "The Professor" for his mastery of all five chakra natures then Ōnoki was just exiting his prime, yet remained one of the most dangerous shinobi alive.
In truth, of all the rival Kage, it was Ōnoki whom Hiruzen Sarutobi regarded with the most caution. The man had weathered three Shinobi World Wars and lived to tell the tale. He was shrewd, obstinate, manipulative, and as unyielding as the Earth Release he wielded. His stubbornness was legendary, and his brain as sharp as his Particle Style jutsu was destructive.
"Someone's coming."
"Lord Tsuchikage."
An Iwagakure ANBU agent, clad in a khaki-colored flak uniform fitted tightly for stealth and speed, and wearing a stylized earth-tone mask, appeared in a blur. Dropping to one knee with precise discipline, the shinobi spoke respectfully.
"Summon the elders. I want a full council session immediately."
"Yes, my lord."
Fifteen minutes later, the high council of Iwagakure had assembled in the bright, orderly conference room on the upper floor of the Tsuchikage's Tower. The atmosphere was tense; the Battle of Kikyo Pass had upset the delicate balance between the villages.
"You all need to take a look at this intel."
Ōnoki's gravelly voice cut through the murmurs. Each elder took a file from the center of the polished wooden table and began scanning its contents battle reports, troop movements, casualty records, and Konoha's known reinforcements.
"Well?" Ōnoki asked two minutes later, his tone expectant. "What have you noticed?"
One elder finally responded, voice uncertain.
"Konoha has proven again why it remains the most powerful shinobi village. Despite being stretched across four major battlefronts, they still managed to repel a surprise assault by the Kumogakure–Sunagakure coalition. It's frightening."
"Is it even possible for Iwagakure to triumph against them?"
That statement caused an uneasy stir in the room, with several elders exchanging concerned looks. Ōnoki's face darkened. His hand slammed the table, his chakra flaring ever so slightly.
"I didn't call this meeting so you could praise the enemy and tear down your own village's morale!"
His voice carried the same weight as his Jinton techniques: sharp, commanding, and absolute.
Ōnoki's authority in Iwagakure was unquestioned. When he grew angry, not a single elder dared to object. They bowed their heads in silence.
"Don't take surface-level reports as absolute truth!"
"The information confirms Konoha suffered significant casualties. And that's with the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, personally engaging on the battlefield."
"Furthermore, what does it say about Konoha's current state that they allowed enemy forces to march all the way to their gates before pushing them back?"
"It means they're running on fumes strong on the surface, but hollow underneath."
"And what happens if someone strikes them again, before they can regroup?"
One of the more aggressive elders, a bald, square-jawed man named Matsumoto, leaned forward, his voice laced with ambition.
"There's a strong possibility we could breach their defenses. At the very least, it would cause political and military chaos. Even if we don't topple Konoha, we could break their monopoly over the Land of Fire's vast resources."
Ōnoki gave Elder Matsumoto an approving glance, then returned his gaze to the room.
"Matsumoto is right."
"My proposal is to circumvent the main conflict in the Land of Grass and directly infiltrate the Land of Fire through a lesser-guarded route. If we strike fast and hard, we may be able to march right to Konoha's doorstep."
The room buzzed with renewed excitement. But not all were convinced. A grizzled elder with silver streaks in his beard raised a voice of reason.
"Lord Tsuchikage, your plan is bold. But following the death of the Third Raikage, our skirmishes with Kumogakure have already drained our reserves. We're stretched thin—guarding our border with Kumo and still engaging Konoha on the front lines. Where can we find the manpower for a new assault force?"
Ōnoki waved a hand dismissively, already prepared for the objection.
"We need to be daring. Kumogakure may hate us for the Third Raikage's fall, but hatred doesn't pay for war."
"Kumo is driven by profit and resources. And the Land of Fire is the juiciest prize on the continent overflowing with fertile land, trade routes, and chakra-rich territory."
"They know that sailing across the ocean from the Lightning Country to invade Earth Country is a logistical nightmare. They lack the fleet, the supplies, and frankly, the courage."
"So here's what we do we shift some of our defensive forces stationed near Kumogakure's border. Leave just enough to hold a line."
"If Kumo does lash out, we'll feign retreat, lure them deeper into our territory, then encircle and crush them with a prepared ambush. We turn their aggression against them."
He paused, scanning the faces around the table.
"Well? What do you think?"
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