Konoha Police Force Headquarters
Under the iconic red and white clan crest, which resembled a ping-pong paddle, a crowd of Uchiha gathered in the hall, selecting missions.
A handsome young man was squeezed into the crowd, staring up at the bulletin board covered in mission scrolls.
Normally, missions were issued at the Hokage Building's mission center.
But Neo Uchiha wasn't officially registered as a Konoha ninja.
He was like the cannon fodder ninja troops suddenly drafted during the Fourth Shinobi World War.
A ninja belonging solely to the Uchiha clan.
Although he wore the Konoha insignia on his headband, there was still a difference.
For example, missions were often directly assigned to the Uchiha clan by the village, and the clan would post them internally like this for members to take on.
The idea was to allow members to contribute at their own pace.
But...
This clearly didn't match Neo Uchiha's expectations.
"Seriously? Not a single mission near the border?"
Neo Uchiha was dumbfounded.
At this time, the most dangerous places were the regions between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind,
especially places like the Land of Rain and Land of Valleys.
But on the mission board...
There wasn't a single mission involving border patrol, escorting supplies across countries, or assassinating key enemy figures.
Everything was domestic—missions that could be completed within the Land of Fire.
Some D-rank missions even included tasks like finding lost cats, delivering letters, and plowing fields!
Among the C-rank missions he could accept,
The most "dangerous" one...
was chasing a giant wild boar back into the Forest of Death.
"Come on! I thought if I could leave the village, I could finally die on the battlefield." Neo Uchiha felt like crying.
"But how is this any different from before?"
Neo's face went pale with despair. With no other choice, he decided to accept the most "dangerous" C-rank mission to chase the wild boar.
Maybe he could add himself to the boar's dinner menu.
But just as he reached for the mission scroll, a young hand snatched it away first.
"Sorry, but I'll be taking this mission."
A boy with a clean-cut, handsome face, wearing a black high-collar shirt and pants, with a short sword strapped to his back, smiled at Neo.
His iconic "dumpling" nose made Neo instantly recognize him—Shisui Uchiha, the yet-to-be-famous Uchiha prodigy.
Neo Uchiha: "..."
What the hell, you're an officially registered Konoha ninja! Why are you stealing my clan-only missions?!
"Apologies, Neo Uchiha.
This mission will help me refine my swordsmanship. I'm willing to let you have the mission reward,
but please let me have this opportunity!"
Shisui Uchiha smiled earnestly, sincerity in his eyes.
With such a cheerful and genuine smile, Neo Uchiha had no reason to refuse.
It was just a C-rank mission, unlikely to get him killed. Once the Shinobi World War began, there would be plenty of chances to die. Neo didn't care about this one.
Still, he was a bit curious. "You know me?"
Of course, Neo knew who Shisui Uchiha was.
But the fact that Shisui knew him was surprising.
"Yeah, we've done a D-rank mission together before, remember?" Shisui said with a casual smile, making up a story on the spot.
"Maybe..." Neo muttered. He'd done so many missions that he couldn't remember all of them.
Neo had no interest in befriending characters from the original story. After all, if he changed the future and Naruto couldn't save the world...
That would be a massive sin on his part!
Right now, all he wanted was to die and go home.
Neo turned his attention back to the mission board.
In reality, Shisui had only just learned Neo's name from the mission records.
And he'd been shocked by what he saw.
Neo Uchiha: Genin
Ninja Career: 1 year
Number of Completed Missions:
D-rank: 855C-rank: 0
This unremarkable peer was a mission maniac, averaging 2–3 D-rank missions per day without a single day off for an entire year.
It was insane!
Neo had no idea that his mission record had shocked Shisui. He'd only done so many missions to see if he could work himself to death.
But if Neo knew that his hard work had earned Shisui's respect, he would've thrown up his hands and yelled:
"This is ridiculous!"
Shisui became even more convinced—Neo wasn't an ordinary Uchiha.
A genin working this hard!
He was burning himself out for the village!
Because of this, Shisui didn't mind Neo's cold response.
Instead, he stepped closer, nearly shoulder to shoulder with Neo.
"What... what are you doing?!" Neo Uchiha cried out in surprise.
No way...
Shisui Uchiha, with his serious face and thick eyebrows... did he have those kinds of interests at such a young age?
Shisui only thought Neo was socially awkward and gave him an understanding smile before leaning in and whispering:
"Neo, I know what you're thinking."
Neo's eyes widened.
How... how does he know I'm trying to fake my death for insurance?!
"During the upcoming clan meeting, the elders will announce two highly dangerous missions," Shisui said gravely.
"But don't worry—I won't let you take either of them!"
Like a devil whispering in his ear, Shisui's words sent shivers down Neo's spine.
He stared at Shisui in horror.
Is this guy reading my mind?!
Is he trying to milk me for money?
Still, the mention of two dangerous missions caught Neo's attention.
"What missions?" Neo whispered back, not wanting anyone else to hear. The two of them now looked like they were conducting a shady secret deal.
"I knew it—you're that kind of person!" Shisui was stunned for a moment before looking at Neo with admiration.
His respect for Neo grew even more!
He silently vowed that he wouldn't let Neo die on a dangerous mission.
Someone like this...
should become the bridge between the village and the Uchiha clan!
At that moment...
An elderly man with spiky white hair, a cold half-face mask, and a high-collared black Uchiha robe without a Konoha headband stepped onto the platform in the police force hall.
His eagle-like gaze was so sharp that no one dared to look directly at him.
Neo Uchiha's heart skipped a beat.
The man standing before him was the last remaining elder of the Uchiha clan—Setsuna Uchiha!
This was the man who had once plotted to assassinate the Second Hokage and survived.
Naturally, he was the leader of the Uchiha clan's hawkish faction.
The gathered Uchiha all turned to look at him, their gazes filled with varying emotions—respect, hatred, indifference.
"You probably already know why you've been summoned here."
Setsuna Uchiha spoke calmly, his voice resounding through the hall.
"That's right!"
"War... is coming!"
"Ever since the Third Kazekage disappeared, the shinobi world has become increasingly unstable."
"The borders of the Land of Fire are facing heightened skirmishes.
The latest reports say that skirmishes in the Land of Rain have already escalated into small-scale battles.
Further away,
the Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist, with their long-standing grudges, are on the verge of war.
The Hidden Cloud's war-hungry shinobi have made several incursions into the Land of Fields."
"The entire shinobi world is about to be engulfed in flames!"
"However—"
Setsuna paused, his tone turning cold.
"We, the Uchiha, have endured a millennium of war. These petty conflicts are nothing to us!"
"Now—two locations require reinforcements: the battlefield in the Land of Rain and the Hell Valley outpost in the Land of Hot Water."
"We need two squads, each consisting of a jonin, a chunin, and a genin, to deploy there."
"Participation for genin is voluntary. Jonin and chunin, however, must choose, and if there aren't enough volunteers, I will personally assign you."
The hall fell silent.
When they heard the names of the two locations, many Uchiha turned pale.
Neo Uchiha wanted to raise his hand and volunteer immediately,
to shout: "For the glory of the Uchiha, I am duty-bound!"
But suddenly, his vision blurred, and his body trembled.
An emotionless voice echoed in his mind:
[Talent has arrived.]
[Heart of Steel (SSS-Rank): 'Let me be strong... one more time!' —"Steely Resolve"]
With a deafening metallic clang in his ears, Neo Uchiha snapped back to full awareness.
But hearing the name of the talent, his heart skipped a beat.