Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 229: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

The deafening explosions of explosive tags and ninjutsu echoed through the dense forest. Three Chunins hiding behind a rock were filled with fear.

"How is this possible?! Lord Shinnosuke could not have failed!"

On the battlefield, Sarutobi Shinnosuke had been utterly defeated. If not for the sheer number of Konoha ninjas present, they would have already been overwhelmed.

"For the village! We need to go and help!"

Sarutobi Asuma shouted, his voice full of unwillingness. Although fear and dread gripped him, the thought of his inner resolve gave him the courage to fight.

Beside him, Ebisu's eyes were filled with terror, but he gritted his teeth and spoke:

"Asuma-sama, the opponents are the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. If we join the fight, we'll only drag everyone down. We should—"

"Shut up!"

Faced with his companion's cowardice, Sarutobi Asuma's expression turned furious.

Since the start of the Third Ninja War, many of his classmates had either died or been gravely injured while protecting the village on the front lines. Yet he, as the son of the Third Hokage, had been assigned to the rear, ostensibly because he was a target for enemy ninjas.

This had always been his shame!

Kakashi and even Might Guy were on the front lines, but he was placed far behind, under the pretext of being targeted by enemy ninjas.

How ridiculous! Once again, he felt furious and humiliated by the shamelessness of his family.

"Ebisu! Our comrades are all fighting on the front lines! We weren't there for the Battle of Kikyo Mountain! Kakashi, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and Shizune—everyone was there!

We weren't at the Land of Whirlpool battlefield either! There, too, countless comrades our age fought with the same passion and bravery! And now that we've encountered the enemy while we're hiding in the rear, you're telling me to retreat!?"

Asuma's voice grew resolute and his suppressed anger surged forth, finally exploding.

"I, Sarutobi Asuma, am a Chunin of Konoha! I take pride in being a Konoha ninja! But if we, who are already hiding at the rear, choose to flee again, I will feel nothing but shame!"

As he said this, Asuma raised his kunai with anger burning in his heart. He was ashamed to be the son of the Third Hokage!

Seeing Asuma's determination to fight, Ebisu's pupils trembled, as if he had come to understand something.

A lackey! No one is born willing to grovel and serve as a sycophant. Ebisu, too, had once been a passionate ninja! But the expectations of his parents and the honor of serving the Hokage had muddled his heart, making him believe that following the Hokage's son was a privilege.

Yet, over the years of fighting alongside Sarutobi Asuma, he had slowly realized the truth. Beneath the Hokage's prestigious title was an ordinary human being, no grander than anyone else.

As the saying goes, "Proximity to virtue makes one virtuous; proximity to vice makes one corrupt." After spending so much time with Asuma, Ebisu's inner beliefs gradually shifted under Asuma's influence.

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This wasn't because Ebisu lacked a firm stance—it was because a hollow "Will of Fire" could never compare to Asuma's tangible and heartfelt conviction.

Thus, without even realizing it, Ebisu's empty ideals had already been replaced. What remained was merely a shell of the Third Hokage's "Will of Fire," while his true heart had undergone a quiet transformation.

"Captain Asuma!"

This time, Ebisu smiled as he spoke, and Asuma was momentarily taken aback. It was no longer the title of "sama", but "captain!"

"In that case, for the sake of Konoha, let me charge ahead! As for you, Asuma—"

Ebisu seemed to have made up his mind. His face bore a determined smile as he raised his kunai.

"After all, compared to me, the bounty on you is far more valuable, Captain Asuma!"

"Ebisu!"

At that moment, as their eyes met, the loneliness in Asuma's heart seemed to dissipate, replaced by a sense of camaraderie.

"How touching... what a poignant bond," a sinister voice suddenly interrupted.

The two instinctively dodged, but warm blood still splattered onto their faces.

As they moved, their pupils widened in disbelief at the sight before them.

Their third companion was coughing up blood, his face frozen in shock. A long blade—the Sewing Needle—had pierced through both the rock and his chest.

It all happened in an instant. Asuma roared in rage, while Ebisu, trembling, shouted out critical information.

"Damn it!"

"Captain Asuma, be careful! The enemy is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—Kuriarare Kushimaru!"

Standing atop a massive boulder, the thin and masked Kuriarare Kushimaru appeared, his bloodthirsty eyes fixed on the two little mice before him.

"Heh heh, two little mice... you'll soon be squealing delightful melodies, hahaha!"

His twisted and sadistic personality brought him great excitement—he lived for the sound of agonizing screams.

"Daima!"

In the next moment, Asuma and Ebisu watched in horror as their companion, Daima, was riddled with wounds and strung up with wires. His anguished screams echoed as his flesh was pulled apart, his body twisted into a grotesque puppet-like state.

"Hahaha, your friend is waving hello to you."

The gruesome sight of Daima's bloodied body being manipulated by wires tore at their hearts. Watching him scream in agony, Asuma's fury boiled over.

"Damn it!"

Meanwhile, Ebisu remained calm, quickly assessing the situation and identifying the enemy's techniques.

From a nearby boulder, Kuriarare Kushimaru sneered, the malicious glint in his eyes resembling a predator toying with its prey.

"Now, now... let's hear those sweet, sweet screams."

Asuma's eyes burned with rage, but his thoughts were interrupted by a desperate shout.

"Where's our reinforcements?! Where are Minato and his elite team?! They're the closest to us—why aren't they here yet?!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was also struggling on his side of the battlefield, roared in anger and despair. Meanwhile, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist burst into cruel laughter.

Among them, the hulking figure of Fuguki Suikazan, who resembled a massive humanoid shark, cackled maniacally.

"You'll never see your reinforcements!"

Despite Suikazan's claim, Shinnosuke held firm, unwilling to believe it. Minato Namikaze, the wielder of the Flying Thunder God Technique, was known for his unmatched speed and prowess in battle. Even his father, the Third Hokage, had admitted that he might not be able to best Minato in combat.

"Minato must've been intercepted by Mist ninjas! Hold the line! There's no way many of them could've infiltrated this deep into the Land of Fire!"

Wiping blood from his mouth, Shinnosuke's voice boomed with determination, rallying his comrades.

Unbeknownst to them, Minato was indeed on his way... but the distance was far greater than anyone had anticipated.

...

Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze and his team were racing across the sea, their faces drenched in sweat as they pushed their limits.

"Thirteen! Captain Minato, this is the thirteenth distress call from Shinnosuke!"

Nara Shikaku's face was grim. Just last night, their team had been celebrating a triumphant raid on a Mist outpost.

Who would've thought that Shinnosuke's urgent pleas for aid would follow so soon?

"Our forces have been stationed along the borders of the Land of Fire to mislead the enemy. To avoid leaks, Shinnosuke wasn't informed of our movements. He must've thought we were still at the border..."

Shikaku's voice trailed off, his expression darkened by the unfortunate turn of events.

"This is bad! The Flying Thunder God seal is too far away—I can't sense it!"

Minato Namikaze, usually wearing a bright and sunny smile, now had a serious expression on his face—it was clear something major had happened!

Originally, the Third Hokage had been relying on Sarutobi Shinnosuke, openly and secretly assigning him elite forces to assist him. Shinnosuke wasn't a fool and naturally understood the Third Hokage's expectations.

Minato was deeply grateful to Shinnosuke, his elder brother figure. But who would've thought things would turn out like this? Minato had just ventured deep into enemy territory and secured a victory, only to receive news of this disaster immediately afterward.

To make matters worse, the distance was too great. Even with his mastery of the Flying Thunder God technique, he couldn't sense any of his marked locations nearby, rendering the technique useless in this situation.

"Urgent report: The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have appeared within the borders of the Land of Fire. Lord Shinnosuke is struggling to hold them off!"

After reading the thirteenth urgent report, Nara Shikaku couldn't help but show a frustrated expression.

Even with his high intelligence, no jutsu could instantly transport him to Shinnosuke's side.

When Minato heard the news, his face darkened—it was clear that Shinnosuke's situation was dire.

"Shikaku, I'm leaving the command of the team to you. I need to go ahead!"

Even though he had just fought a fierce battle and expended a lot of chakras, Minato couldn't ignore the debt of gratitude he owed both Shinnosuke and the Third Hokage.

As Minato prepared to leave the team and rush to provide support, Shikaku wanted to say something but hesitated. Considering Shinnosuke's importance, Shikaku nodded gravely.

"All right. At your speed, you should reach the destination in no more than 30 minutes!"

"No, 10 minutes!"

Minato firmly corrected him, nodding with determination. "I have a Flying Thunder God marker near the border. As long as I can sense it, I can teleport there instantly. Though it will consume a lot of chakra, I trust you, Shikaku."

"Minato, be careful!"

Shikaku's face grew serious as he watched Minato's figure disappear into the distance. Left alone, the rest of the team was now under his command on the vast ocean.

"Shikaku, do you think we truly have no other choice in this situation?"

With Minato gone, the usually cheerful Akimichi Choza rarely showed such a somber expression. He lowered his voice as he asked Shikaku quietly.

Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi—almost the next generation of the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho trio—exchanged solemn glances.

Faced with Choza's question, Shikaku sighed and shook his head.

"At least for our three clans, there's no choice."

He understood perfectly well. After following the Third Hokage for over two decades, the three clans of Ino-Shika-Cho enjoyed significant benefits. Naturally, many within the clans were reluctant to give that up.

But what could they do? Their opponent this time had the Mangekyo Sharingan—and Princess Tsunade on their side!

"Choza, all we can do is focus on our tasks."

Compared to the other two, Yamanaka Inoichi was the most optimistic. Shaking his head, he looked at Choza, who could only respond with a helpless expression.

It was easy to say, but the Yamanaka clan had always been a bit of an outlier—fervently loyal to the Senju clan. Back then, many mocked the Yamanaka clan for their stance, which led to them receiving the smallest share of the benefits among the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

But now, looking back...

It turns out the Yamanaka clan had been playing the long game, and the rest of them were the real fools. The Yamanaka clan had aligned with both sides.

"All right, our job now is to provide reinforcements to Shinnosuke and bring this meaningless war to an end!"

Shikaku spoke in a deep voice, his eyes reflecting his calm and calculating nature.

The current ninja war had dragged on for so long that all five great nations were already exhausted. The five great ninja villages had suffered losses of more than half their forces.

Unless there was a major shift in the war or some significant gain to be had, the war was nearing its end.

Without any benefits to pursue, both sides had inflicted heavy wounds on each other, leaving peace negotiations as the only viable option.

"However, we can't let our guard down. The closer we get to the end of the war, the bolder these villages become. The Mist Village's actions this time are a perfect example."

Shikaku reminded himself to stay vigilant, realizing that wars often ended with desperate and reckless moves from the enemy.

Just when the war seemed to be tapering off and reaching its conclusion, the Mist Village made a bold and unexpected move.

...

Meanwhile, Minato was rushing at full speed toward his destination, silently praying in his heart.

"Shinnosuke, you must hold on!"

The joy of destroying a Mist Village stronghold last night had long since faded, replaced by anxiety as Minato read report after report calling for reinforcements.

If the Third Hokage's son were to die—and during a mission, Minato had carried out without informing him—there would be serious consequences.

...

Inside the Land of Fire, in a dense forest.

"Asuma, is this where it ends for us? It's so frustrating..."

Ebisu, exhausted and hoarse, spoke with despair, unable to see any hope of survival.

Across from them, the masked Kuriarare Kushimaru let out a twisted laugh.

"Heh heh, I just love seeing that look of utter despair on your faces, hearing the agonized moans of people like you—those who come from high and mighty clans..."

"Back in the Mist Village, it was always people like you, blessed with power and privilege. But now, it's my turn! The Hokage's son... Your screams will be the most delicious. I'll save you for last..."

Kushimaru's deranged voice made it clear this was nothing more than a game of cat and mouse to him.

Around them, the bodies of seven or eight Konoha ninja lay motionless, their joints pierced and rendered useless. They could only let out weak and pained groans as their bodies were cruelly manipulated by wires like marionettes.

"Damn it! Is this really where it ends for me?"

Sarutobi Asuma had never felt so exhausted before. In this cruel game of cat and mouse, he even began to think that death might be a release.

The ugly side of his clan, his father's greed and stubbornness—believing only he could lead Konoha to glory while others would bring chaos—all of it disgusted him deeply.

"All of this ugliness and darkness... If I die, I won't have to face it anymore..."

Asuma's face showed a hint of relief. He was tired—too tired of carrying the burdens of his clan, the village, and his father.

"Asuma, Captain!"

Seeing Asuma give up, Ebisu shouted in shock and anger. But far away, Kushimaru only laughed with excitement.

"Heh heh, so the little brat's finally lost the will to fight. But that's fine. Soon, I'll show you what true hell feels like..."

Suddenly! A flash of lightning erupted on the battlefield, and Kushimaru's senses screamed in alarm. He quickly dodged.

"Damn it! It's the Mangekyo! It's Konoha's reinforcement, Uchiha Shirou!"

The moment he saw the flash of lightning, Kushimaru shouted in anger and fear.

The last time they had fought Uchiha Shirou, even with the combined strength of their forces, they had been completely suppressed. If not for the joint invasion of the Land of Fire by the three great ninja villages, they weren't sure how they would've escaped the fight alive.