Chapter Twenty-One: Establishing an Image

The battle ended swiftly with the arrival of Uchiha Rei. Now, everyone on the battlefield watched him as he rested, their expressions a complex mix of emotions.

Uchiha Rei, however, paid little attention to their gazes. He simply feigned exhaustion, breathing heavily, not wanting to appear too different from the others or stand out as an anomaly. Though, given his recent display, the gap between him and the rest was already stark.

“No wonder the clan leader repeatedly warned us to pay special attention to Uchiha Rei,” Nara Suzaku thought to himself, recalling Nara Shikaku’s instructions before their departure. Shikaku had told him that Uchiha Rei in their squad might be hiding his true strength and should be watched closely.

Previously, Suzaku hadn’t believed it. After all, Uchiha Rei was only a thirteen-year-old kid. Even if he had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, at best he’d be on par with Suzaku himself. But reality had surpassed his expectations—Uchiha Rei’s strength was likely at the level of an elite jonin.

He knew that a battle of this scale, with similar levels of strength on both sides, wouldn’t end so easily even with a surprise attack. Yet Uchiha Rei had crushed and eliminated an enemy jonin in a matter of moments, completely shattering the balance of power and morale.

Often in war, the slightest difference could determine victory or defeat. This time, the Cloud Village lost an entire elite squad, while their own losses amounted to only two severely wounded and three lightly injured. Such a casualty ratio was nothing short of a resounding victory.

While Suzaku reflected on this, Akimichi Sito was having similar thoughts. Before the mission, he had assessed Uchiha Rei as only slightly stronger than a jonin. This battle, however, had shown that both the village and the Uchiha clan had underestimated this young Uchiha. His strength was likely on par with that of Uchiha Shisui, known as "Shisui of the Body Flicker."

The realization left Sito both helpless and awed. Why was it that, while they were all part of the Leaf, the Uchiha seemed to produce prodigies one after another? Was the Sharingan truly that powerful?

Compared to the complicated feelings of Suzaku and the others, the rest of the squad looked at Uchiha Rei with far simpler attitudes. Most now regarded him with awe and admiration; the faint rejection and wariness they had felt before had significantly faded. After all, he had been utterly dedicated in supporting his fellow squad members.

The Uchiha clan’s reputation had never been particularly good. With most of its members being proud and aloof, it was easy for others to feel that they were hard to approach or trust. Over the years, compounded by various factors—such as the misunderstood Police Force—the clan’s reputation only worsened. Repeated gossip eventually became accepted truth, and the Uchiha were seen as they were rumored to be, whether or not it was fair.

Uchiha Rei was well aware of this. He knew he wasn’t particularly welcome in this assault squad. Part of his purpose in this battle was to confirm his own strength, but more importantly, he wanted to establish himself as a powerful and reliable Uchiha. So, after killing the enemy leader, he wasted no time in dispatching the remaining foes, minimizing their own casualties.

In war, nothing brings more reassurance and trust than a dependable comrade. Ruthlessness toward the enemy is the greatest help one can give allies. The stronger Uchiha Rei appeared, the more these Leaf ninja admired and accepted him. Though for now, this change was limited and only a few recognized his worth, he believed that change was a gradual process. If he could shift perceptions little by little, one day, outsiders would truly see the Uchiha in a new light.

When that day came, perhaps there would be no need for further efforts—the Uchiha and the village would be inseparable, impossible to tear apart even if someone wanted to.

About half an hour passed, and everyone had recovered enough. Nara Suzaku gathered the team and laid out his plan. “According to our mission, we need to eliminate four enemy outposts in this area and disrupt the Cloud’s supply lines. With this elite squad dealt with, I intend to carry out both attacks simultaneously.”

His gaze swept over the group and finally landed on Uchiha Rei. “Rei, do you have any other ideas?”

Uchiha Rei was momentarily surprised by the question, but quickly realized why he was being consulted. In the past, his opinion on operational matters would never have been sought. Now, however, his demonstrated strength had earned their recognition, even exceeding their expectations.

He shook his head and replied, “I have no suggestions, Captain. Your arrangement is fine.”

Suzaku breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “In that case, Sito and I will lead the main force against the outposts. Rei, you’ll take a squad to intercept the Cloud’s supply convoy.”

“Understood.”

Uchiha Rei agreed. This was already a very fair arrangement. Outposts were easy to defend and hard to attack—so even with the main force, it would be a tough and time-consuming task. Intercepting the supply lines would be much simpler, and as a solo leader, he could fully utilize his abilities.

With the new assignments in place, the team split into two groups.

Uchiha Rei, leading his five-man squad, soon located a supply convoy after some searching. Without hesitation, he launched a swift assault, aiming to finish the skirmish quickly.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

“Damn it! How could Leaf ninja be this far behind our lines?!”

“Don’t panic! We have outposts all around. Reinforcements will come soon!”

The Cloud convoy was briefly thrown into chaos but quickly regained composure under command, forming up for battle. They had no idea, however, just how formidable their attackers truly were. Waiting for reinforcements was nothing but a joke.

“Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!”

Three fire dragons erupted from Uchiha Rei’s mouth, instantly breaking through the first line of the convoy’s defenses and cutting off their front and rear.

Screams followed as the Cloud ninja fell one after another—none could withstand even a single exchange with Uchiha Rei. In fact, the squad members Rei brought hardly needed to act at all; he alone dispatched the entire front half of the convoy.

His squad watched him in stunned silence, exchanging whispers in awe.

“He’s unbelievably strong. So this is the power of the Uchiha?”

“I thought his earlier display was already terrifying, but we clearly underestimated him!”

“It feels like there’s nothing left for us to do…”