Naruto: Saving the Uchiha

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"Old man, wait a moment." 

After everyone else had left, Tsunade called out to the Third Hokage. 

"Old man, I know that because of past events, the conflict between you and Kazuki has deepened to the point of being irreconcilable. I'm not asking you to follow my arrangements, but I have one demand—don't hold Kazuki back." 

Tsunade's tone was stern, and she spoke with utmost seriousness. This was not the time for stubbornness or petty disputes. If things went wrong, it would create difficulties for everyone. 

At other times, she might indulge in some willfulness or give him some leeway, but not now. When it came to major external affairs, no one—not even the Third Hokage—was allowed to drag their feet. 

It was better to lay things out plainly now rather than risk discord on the frontlines. If such a situation arose, regardless of the outcome of the Five Great Shinobi Villages' joint attack on the Akatsuki and Amegakure, Konoha would first become a laughingstock for the other villages—and the entire shinobi world. 

After finally stabilizing the situation and finding someone reliable to depend on, Tsunade didn't want the Third Hokage to mess things up. 

If you want to go to the frontlines, fine—I'll allow it! But you must follow orders. No reckless actions, no flaunting your authority as the Third Hokage. Don't make things difficult for everyone. 

"I understand." 

The Third Hokage's expression remained calm as he gave his assurance: 

"I won't interfere with any frontline arrangements. I only wish to lead a team into battle—nothing too large, since the other villages will be the main force." 

"Agreed. I'll relay the message and coordinate with Kazuki." 

If the Third Hokage could make such a promise, Tsunade was willing to compromise as well. Mutual concessions would benefit everyone. 

Once the potential instability posed by the Third was resolved, Tsunade immediately had the Intelligence Division contact Kazuki to clarify the situation regarding the Third's arrival. 

Since the Third Hokage was willing to mobilize his own forces from the border outposts, things became much simpler. Konoha only needed to assemble a logistics team for supplies. 

Shikaku, ever the efficient Jonin Commander, resolved the transport unit issue in just three days. Under his command, the supply team gathered the necessary materials from the logistics department and set off for Amegakure. 

---

"How amusing." 

Upon receiving Tsunade's message, Kazuki couldn't help but chuckle. 

The Third Hokage wanting to come to the frontlines was unexpected. It seemed that Utatane's death had affected him deeply. 

Honestly, his reaction to his comrade's death is stronger than when his own son died. What kind of person does that? 

Kazuki didn't know what to say about such a man. But if the Third wanted to join the fight, so be it! 

Konoha was already handling supply transportation, which had caused some quiet dissatisfaction among the other villages. With the Third bringing half of Konoha's elite forces to the battlefield, those complaints would be silenced. 

As for whether the Third Hokage might die in battle—that depended on how well Nagato and the Akatsuki performed. The real threat lay with the Six Paths of Pain. 

The Akatsuki's S-rank missing-nin could cause trouble for the Five Great Shinobi Villages, but only minor trouble at best. The main event would be Nagato—and Konan's billions of explosive tags. 

If Konan was willing to go all out, those countless explosive tags would make the allied forces suffer. 

The Third Hokage's presence on the frontlines didn't matter much, as long as he didn't cause problems or hinder Kazuki's plans. The rest was irrelevant. 

In fact, Kazuki wouldn't mind if the old man died in battle—saving him the trouble of plotting revenge later. 

Just because I, Uchiha Kazuki, have risen to power doesn't mean past grievances are forgotten. We have plenty of time to settle accounts. But if you die early, even better! It'd save me the effort of keeping an eye on you—and the suspicion that comes with it. 

This wasn't an empty thought. Many already suspected Kazuki of deliberately letting Utatane die—either by refusing to save her or delaying rescue. With Kazuki and Shisui's abilities, protecting her should have been effortless. 

Yet Utatane still died, making Kazuki a natural suspect. 

But suspicion without proof was meaningless. 

Still, such doubts were best kept to a minimum. Too many incidents would tarnish his reputation, evidence or not. 

So Kazuki hoped Nagato would be ruthless—and that the Third Hokage would be foolish enough to charge into Amegakure, letting the Six Paths of Pain finish him off. 

--- 

The supply team departed from Konoha and reached the border camp in Amegakure within two days, bringing enough food to sustain thousands for at least half a month. 

While this seemed like a lot, it was insignificant for Konoha. In war, food was the cheapest and most expendable resource. The real expense lay in weapons and equipment. 

Past wars often saw shortages because of disrupted supply lines—a favorite tactic among shinobi. Without retreat orders, few dared return to camp for rations, forcing them to ration what they carried. Not everyone could afford storage scrolls for supplies. 

--- 

The Third Hokage's arrival surprised the other Kage. 

Why is this old man here? Konoha never mentioned this. 

At the next strategy meeting, Kazuki attended with Shikaku, while the Third Hokage remained in Konoha's camp. Kazuki didn't summon him, and the Third wisely stayed away. Requests were relayed through messengers—a mutual understanding to avoid friction. 

Shikaku, who had been worried about internal conflict, sighed in relief. As long as no disputes erupted, things would proceed smoothly. 

Kazuki took Konoha's seat, with Shikaku standing behind him. 

No sooner had he sat down than Ōnoki asked pointedly: 

"I heard the Third Hokage has arrived in camp. Why isn't he attending this meeting?" 

Always stirring trouble. 

Kazuki glanced at him coldly. 

"The Third Hokage will lead half of Konoha's elite into battle—so no one can accuse us of shirking danger by only handling supplies. Are you still dissatisfied, Tsuchikage-sama? Or do you want internal strife before the war even begins?" 

"Hmph. Now's hardly the time to pick fights with allies," A sneered, adding fuel to the fire.