Chapter 28: Encounter
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with absolute confidence. After finishing, he subtly glanced at Danzo Shimura, feeling perplexed.
Normally, this old man was a staunch warmonger.
Yet today, despite the strong opposition from the two advisors, he remained completely silent.
This was quite unlike his usual behavior.
"Koharu, I suggest you take a look at the latest list of fallen shinobi before making a decision," Utatane Koharu reminded him again, interrupting Hiruzen's thoughts.
Snapping out of his contemplation, Hiruzen glanced at Koharu before casually picking up the casualty list from the table.
As he flipped through the pages, he recognized many familiar names.
Some belonged to his own Sarutobi clan, while others came from prominent Konoha families—
The Hyūga clan, the Uchiha clan, the Inuzuka clan, the Akimichi clan, the Yamanaka clan, the Aburame clan…
Alongside their names, the list recorded their ages and genders.
The more he read, the heavier his heart grew.
Most of the fallen shinobi were young—the youngest only eight, the oldest barely thirty-five.
The older ones could be considered sacrifices, but the young ones… They were the future of the village, its fresh blood.
Without new generations to replenish the forces, the decline of both the village and the nation would be inevitable.
At this moment, Hiruzen couldn't deny that a sliver of doubt had crept into his heart.
From his seat, Danzo Shimura, who had remained silent with his eyes half-closed, was quietly observing Hiruzen's reaction.
Suddenly, he spoke.
"Hiruzen, what you said earlier is correct. Konoha has suffered losses in this war, but so have our enemies."
"This is now a battle of endurance—whoever lasts longer wins. We've just repelled the Hidden Mist forces and forced the Land of Water to the negotiating table. The advantage is currently ours."
"Retreating despite having the upper hand? I fail to understand such reasoning. But of course, the final decision rests with you, Hiruzen."
After finishing, Danzo resumed his meditative pose, his eyes half-shut as if dozing off.
But his words had struck a chord with Hiruzen.
"Deploy more intelligence units to gather information on all factions on the battlefield. We need to assess the true balance of power between us and our enemies."
"For now, we can concentrate some forces to reinforce other battlefronts. We'll know the outcome only by continuing the fight. That's my decision."
With that, Hiruzen picked up his pipe again and gazed out the window.
Koharu and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances, hesitant to speak.
Meanwhile, beneath his calm exterior, Danzo was secretly pleased.
---
Uchiha Dali moved swiftly through the forest, making his way back to regroup with his clan.
The entire way, his extraordinary sensory abilities remained on high alert, scanning the battlefield without pause.
Since Hidden Mist suffered severe losses from his counterattack, they no longer dared to send large forces into the Land of Fire for raids.
The crushing defeat and annihilation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen only deepened the Land of Water's apprehension.
Now, in the eastern battlefront—at least within Dali's sensory range—no enemy activity remained.
"I suppose the Third Hokage will either summon us back or send us to reinforce other battlefronts," he mused.
Just as he finished this thought, he abruptly halted.
At the same moment, a figure appeared on the outstretched branch of a nearby tree.
The newcomer looked slightly younger than him, appearing to be in his teens.
He had short black hair, a short sword strapped to his back, and wore a Konoha forehead protector. His face was resolute, his gaze both scrutinizing and curious.
"The Uchiha prodigy… the flawless shinobi… 'Shisui of the Body Flicker'…"
With just a glance, Dali instantly recognized him.
After all, they were both Uchiha, and the name "Shisui of the Body Flicker" was now known far and wide.
Shisui's gaze shifted from Dali's face to the weapons strapped to his back—spoils of war from his battle against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Among them were:
The Hiramekarei, once wielded by Kagura Karata
The Blunt Blade: Kabutowari, formerly used by Jinin Akebino
The Long Blade: Nuibari, previously belonging to Kushimaru Kuriarare
The Explosive Blade: Shibuki, which had been in the hands of Jinpachi Munashi
Had the remaining three Swordsmen not managed to flee while their comrades kept Dali occupied, he could have collected all seven legendary blades.
"…Looks like I arrived too late," Shisui remarked calmly.
His words implied that he, too, had been hunting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"You were after these too?" Dali asked, pointing at the weapons on his back.
"There's been a lot of talk on the battlefield about you. Given what I've heard, I assume you've already awakened the Sharingan?" Shisui countered.
Hearing this, Dali suddenly activated an advanced Body Flicker Technique, appearing right beside Shisui in an instant.
Now standing side by side, he turned to face him. "I've already reached the highest form of the Sharingan."
It was a test—a probe to see how far Shisui had progressed.
As expected, Shisui's eyes flickered with surprise. "The Mangekyō?"
That simple question carried significant implications.
It meant Shisui already knew about the Mangekyō Sharingan—something most Uchiha weren't even aware of.
Which strongly suggested that he had awakened it himself.
"The Mangekyō?" Dali feigned ignorance, deliberately showing a puzzled expression. "Isn't the highest form of the Sharingan the three-tomoe stage?"
At this, the astonishment on Shisui's face faded, replaced by an expression of realization. "No, it isn't."
"The Sharingan has a stage beyond the three-tomoe form—one that holds the true power of the Uchiha."
As he spoke, Shisui's eyes suddenly changed.
His once dark, luminous pupils morphed into the unmistakable shape of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
It took the form of a four-bladed windmill, radiating an aura of profound mystery.
Seeing Shisui reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan, Dali displayed genuine surprise this time.
This wasn't an act—he truly hadn't expected Shisui to have awakened it already.
(Support me and read additional chapters on my Patreon: p@treon.com/craxxtranslation. Thanks!)