Going to the Front Line
Lately, they had been taking on C-rank missions with increasing frequency, and D-rank missions had all but disappeared from their schedule.
Ming Jing speculated that this was partly because their team's strength had steadily improved—making simple missions less suitable. But deep down, he suspected another reason: the situation at the front lines was worsening.
This was already the seventh group of rogue ninjas they had tracked and eliminated this month.
With the Fire Country growing more unstable by the day, Ming Jing suspected Konoha's perceived weakness was emboldening smaller groups to stir trouble. Bandits, missing-nin, and opportunistic mercenaries now sought to exploit the chaos, convinced that the village was overstretched.
Rumors were constant: enemy shinobi units had been sighted within Fire Country's borders. Konoha had dispatched squads to intercept them, but the outcomes were mixed. Supply caches and outposts had been sabotaged. Equipment storages burned. And every attack only seemed to invite more scavengers hoping to fish in troubled waters.
Ming Jing didn't know if he and his team would be sent to the battlefield, but he was almost certain that elite shinobi like Kato Dan would be redeployed soon.
Kato Dan had been their leader for nearly half a year, largely because of a serious injury he sustained on the Wind Country front lines. After returning to Konoha to recuperate, the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—had reassigned him to lead a Genin squad. It was a way to give him lighter work while still making use of his talents.
But his wounds had fully healed over a month ago.
And now, it seemed the call to war was imminent.
"Forget it," said Inuzuka Rui, shaking his head. "No point worrying about things we can't change. All we can do is get stronger and complete our missions. Leave the rest to the big names in the village. We're just Genin, like Naruto—he's not stressing over this stuff either."
He laughed and patted Ming Jing on the shoulder. For once, it was his turn to offer reassurance.
---
Kato Dan was heading to the front lines soon.
And not just him—his Genin team was going with him.
"Is it really so bad in the village," Ming Jing asked, stunned, "that even Genin like us, who just graduated half a year ago, are being sent to the front lines?"
It didn't make sense. Their team wasn't made up of typical Genin.
From the moment they graduated, they had been placed under the direct command of a seasoned Jonin—something usually reserved for high-potential recruits. Konoha was clearly investing in them as part of the village's future. If the situation truly demanded cannon fodder, wouldn't the village send less promising Genin first?
Kato Dan sighed.
"The village is fighting on three active fronts. Sakumo-senpai is holding the western line against Sunagakure. Up north, the Third Raikage is pushing into Lightning Country's border zones. The battle in the Land of Rain has become a brutal quagmire. And to top it off, we have to maintain defenses against Kirigakure along the eastern coast."
Dan's expression darkened.
"After years of war, we're stretched thin. Every front is draining us."
He paused before continuing, his tone softening.
"But you three are important to the village's future. If we weren't desperate, we would never risk sending Genin like you to the battlefield. If that time comes… it means we have no choice but to bet everything—including our future—just to survive."
There was a long silence. Then Dan smiled faintly and patted each of their shoulders.
"That said, your assignment—for now—is logistical support. Guarding supply lines, transporting gear, defending material depots. You won't be on the front lines right away."
"I'll go say goodbye to my family this afternoon," he added. "We meet tomorrow at Training Ground #1. Six a.m. sharp. Bring your gear and your medicine packs."
The three nodded silently and dispersed, each lost in thought.
---
Uchiha Clan District
"You're going to the front lines?" Uchiha Yu asked, still seated in his usual place, polishing the blade of his ninja sword.
"Yeah," Ming Jing replied. "Teacher Dan says we're just support for now. Logistics, guarding supplies. We won't see direct combat."
Yu set the blade down, looking at the boy with narrowed eyes.
"When the front liners start dying, they'll call on the next wave to fill the gap. That's when they'll send the youth in to die."
He shook his head bitterly.
"The First and Second Hokage… even Madara… They never would've let kids take the brunt before themselves. Tobirama especially wouldn't have allowed this. But the current Hokage—he's not at their level. In strength or in leadership."
His voice was laced with quiet resentment.
"But even so, Sarutobi Hiruzen is the only one holding this village together. Maybe Sakumo will follow someday… but I doubt he'll survive long enough. He's strong, yes—but lacks the cunning and the roots. Upright men don't fare well in politics."
"Just like Madara," Yu murmured, "denied the Hokage seat, driven out of the village by Tobirama's maneuvering."
He turned his gaze to Ming Jing.
"Maybe… if you awaken the same eyes as Madara and Izuna… and with the Uchiha backing you… maybe you could stand a chance to reach that position one day."
He smiled grimly.
"If you live that long."
"Ming Jing."
"Yes, Grandpa Yu?"
"When you get to the battlefield—don't tarnish the Uchiha name. And more importantly… come back alive. You are the future of the clan."
"…I understand."
---
Winter, Year 35 of the Konoha Calendar
From Training Ground #1 to the village gates.
Uchiha Yu stood among the quiet crowd, watching the column of shinobi march away toward the distant smoke rising from the horizon.