Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

Chapter 583 Why should something sold through merit need after-sales service?
Border of the Land of Fire
The main force of Konoha assembled at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Fields. Because this location was a key transportation route to the prosperous interior, it was a priority protection area for the Konoha forces.
However, at this moment, the usually bustling avenue was deserted, and the temporary barracks erected by the Konoha troops were neatly stacked on both sides of the road.
A lone figure stood at the end of the road, gazing into the distance, several miles away, into the land of fields.

With his superior eyesight, Uchiha Kagami, his expression grave, could clearly see the three flags standing side by side opposite him.
A chilling breeze ruffled his unkempt curly hair, which had been neglected for days, making his already heavy mood even more agitated. A hint of sadness flashed in his scarlet eyes.
"War"

"Secretary, the intelligence has been sent back, but we don't know when the reinforcements will arrive."

The ninja in charge of intelligence transmission appeared behind Uchiha Kagami in a flash. Sensing the faint pressure emanating from his commander, he cautiously reported...
"That's too late."

Uchiha Kagami shook his head and said,

The combined forces of Lightning, Earth, and Water, assembled at the border of the Land of Rice Fields, are definitely well-prepared. A terrifying war could break out in an instant, and support from Konoha is unlikely.
But he was also puzzled as to what had happened to unite the three kingdoms of Lei, Tu, and Shui, whose relationship was not harmonious.
It's important to understand that, due to the previous generation of Kage, there is an irreconcilable hatred between the Land of Water and the Land of Earth.
Has anything major happened in Konoha recently?

The only plausible explanation is that something happened in Konoha.

"Reporting to you, sir, intelligence came back from Konoha this morning, saying that the Senju clan has announced its complete disbandment, with all clan members abandoning their surnames and being dispersed to integrate into Konoha."

The ninjas in the intelligence team dared not conceal anything and immediately presented the still-fresh intelligence.

"Disband? No wonder they chose this time."

It seems there are quite a few foreign spies hiding in the village, as they were able to obtain news of the Senju clan's disbandment so quickly.

Uchiha Kagami did not question the authenticity of the intelligence; after a moment of surprise, he analyzed why the allied forces of the three kingdoms were at the city gates.

The Senju clan, once the most powerful ninja clan in the Land of Fire, possessed unparalleled cohesion and fighting prowess throughout the ninja world.
Now that the group has suddenly disbanded, Konoha will naturally be the first to be affected.
The disappearance of a powerful clan is a fatal blow to Konoha's fighting strength. The village is probably in complete chaos right now, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, who stayed behind to maintain order, is likely overwhelmed with work.

The three kingdoms of Lei, Tu, and Shui, who had also received this intelligence, were certainly not going to let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It's just a mystery how they came to agree to form this coalition.

At this moment, several captains of subordinate units of the Konoha main force rushed over. Among them, the captain in charge of reconnaissance held the enemy intelligence he had just gathered and said with a worried expression,

"Secretary, the combined forces of the three kingdoms of Thunder, Earth, and Water number about 10,000, and their commanders are the Tsuchikage Onoki, the Mizukage Katsura, and the Kumogakure Nozomi."

"I see. I didn't expect all the big shots to come."

Uchiha Kagami nodded expressionlessly.
The three commanders opposite are all renowned figures in the ninja world, each with the fighting strength of a thousand soldiers. It seems they are determined to seize a large chunk of the Land of Fire's territory before they are satisfied.

The captains exchanged bewildered glances. Their forces numbered a little over three thousand, with Uchiha Kagami being their only top-tier fighter. If the allied forces from the three nations launched an attack, Konoha would most likely suffer a gruesome defeat.
One of the team leaders, born in Shimura, offered his valuable advice after weighing the pros and cons.

"Now that the enemy outnumbers us, Secretary, I think we should first try to negotiate and ask them what they really want. That would make things easier."

Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Uchiha Kagami, with his eyes slightly narrowed, raised his hand to interrupt him.
"Those who disrupt the morale of the troops on the battlefield shall be dragged away and fed to the dogs."

"Yes!"

"Secretary! Lord Tuanzang is my cousin."

"and many more."

Captain Shimura, who was being forcibly dragged away by several guards, was overjoyed. His uncle hadn't lied to him after all; mentioning his name really worked.

"I'm afraid military dogs will develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar if I feed them to dogs. I'll take them to the pigsty and feed them to the pigs."

"Tonic medicine~"

As Captain Shimura's screams faded into the distance, Uchiha Kagami turned to the other captains, who were now trembling with fear, and asked in a deep voice,

"Who still wants to talk about peace now?"

"People of Konoha! Soul of Konoha!"

"Your subordinate is willing to live and die with the troops."

"Secretary, I am willing to be the vanguard and cut off Onoki's head within three rounds!"

"Alright, all of you, shut up."

Seeing the captains begin their impressive performance, Uchiha Kagami, who had maintained a blank expression the whole time, finally broke down and rolled his eyes at them in annoyance.

"If the Party Secretary doesn't believe me, I'm willing to sign a pledge!"

An Uchiha clansman who had followed Uchiha Kagami for many years clenched his fists in fury, his black eyes involuntarily turning crimson.

"War is not child's play."

Looking at his clansmen with satisfaction, Uchiha Kagami adopted a gentler expression and lightly shook his head at them.
"If they really wanted to fight, they wouldn't have deployed their troops so openly in front of us."

Upon hearing this, the Nara clansman with the pineapple-shaped haircut among the team leaders squinted and pondered for a moment, a glint of shrewdness suddenly flashing in his eyes.
"I understand! The allied forces of Lei, Tu, and Shui never intended to actually start a war."

"Yes."

War is never a game of chess; there is no such thing as a fair and square war. It is all about underhanded tactics.

If the three-nation alliance truly intended to invade and plunder the Land of Fire, they would have already broken up into smaller groups and broken through the weakest points in the defenses, catching Konoha off guard.

"The military intelligence you just gathered was probably deliberately leaked to us by them, with the aim of throwing our troops into chaos."

Glancing at the captain who had just reported the enemy situation, Uchiha Kagami shook his head and said,
"The Party Secretary is wise!"

The captain quickly showered him with compliments, fearing he might end up like Captain Shimura, being forced to feed the pigs.

"They are doing this simply to make us give in. If we actually go to negotiate, we will fall into their trap."

Uchiha Kagami's thinking was very clear. The allied forces of the three countries totaled over ten thousand men, plus three top-tier experts. Defeating them would be as easy as cutting vegetables; there was no need to waste time there.
"So we're just going to keep putting up with them like this?"

"No, if they do not achieve their desired results in a short period of time, the allied forces of the three countries may still launch a strong invasion."

Having already analyzed the battle situation to a near certain extent, Captain Nara frowned and rejected his colleague's suggestion.

It would take at least three days for Konoha's reinforcements to arrive. If the three-nation alliance did not receive a response within three days, bloodshed would definitely still occur.

"What's your suggestion?"

Turning back to look at Captain Nara, whose intelligence surpassed that of the other captains, Uchiha Kagami asked with great interest,
"We should still talk, not for a result, but just to delay as much time as possible."

What a convenient delaying tactic!

"I will send someone immediately."

"Wait." Uchiha Kagami raised his hand again to stop him.

"I'll go meet them."

To avoid unnecessary sacrifices, Uchiha Kagami decided to go himself.
"Secretary, please be careful!"

"No!"

"Your subordinate is willing to go!"

Upon hearing Uchiha Kagami's words, the captains immediately erupted in chaos. In a battle between two armies, how could the commander-in-chief act as an envoy?

"Don't worry, they can't do anything to me."

Uchiha Kagami also had his own considerations. He was actually very curious about what the Land of Fire wanted to obtain from the three countries of Lightning, Earth, and Water after going to such great lengths.

After saying that, Uchiha Kagami checked his equipment and, once he was sure it was in good condition, he set off alone towards the camp of the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces.
"Secretary, be careful!"

Several team leaders followed closely behind, their eyes filled with gratitude. The Party Secretary had chosen to go to the meeting alone for their safety; such a good leader was hard to find even with a lantern.

After their sighs, the group's expressions turned serious. With Uchiha Kagami temporarily absent, the stability of the unit still depended on them. They absolutely couldn't cause trouble for the Party Secretary like Captain Shimura, who was dragged off to feed the pigs.

"Ugh"

At the other end of the camp, in the logistics unit's area, Captain Shimura, who had just been dragged away, sighed dejectedly, skillfully scooping up the swill behind him with a ladle.
"Why am I back to my old profession?"

"Hmph, haha."

Before him, plump pigs bearing the large seal of the Shimura clan emblem were scrambling to get closer to him.

This human smells like family. Hmm~
The Three Kingdoms Allied Forces Camp within the territory of the Land of Fields

The entrance to a command post, larger than the surrounding military camps, was guarded by three teams of soldiers with distinctly different physical characteristics.

The three teams kept a certain distance from each other, cautiously guarding against their temporary teammates.
Inside the camp, a triangular table stood, and a map of Konoha's borders hung on the wall. Floating in mid-air, Onoki stared at the map, carefully calculating the exact time when Konoha's reinforcements would arrive.
Hei Lao Da Xi, who had been unable to contain his restlessness any longer, couldn't help but ask in a muffled voice.

"Onoki, are you sure Konoha will send someone over?"

"I'm not sure about others, but if it's Uchiha Kagami, there's a 99% chance he'll come."

Distracted from his train of thought, Onoki looked displeased, turned his head and glared at the burly, dark-skinned man from Kumogakure, before slowly stating his conclusion.

What makes you so certain?

"Because he has curly hair."

Katsura, who was resting with her eyes closed, suddenly interrupted. Hearing this answer, Nozomi blinked in confusion, and the image of another curly-haired character, sharing the same lineage as Uchiha Kagami, involuntarily surfaced in her mind. Her expression gradually became strange.
Curly hair ≈ Good person

What you said seems to make some sense.

"What are you talking about?"

Oonoki, still slumped in his seat, looked bewildered at the two temporary allies who had somehow reached some kind of consensus, and said with some annoyance,
“Uchiha Kagami is a well-known dove in Konoha. With such a big show of force, he will definitely give in for the sake of the bigger picture.”

It can only be said that Onoki underestimated Kagami.
Although Uchiha Kagami is the only moderate among the F6, he is by no means a dove; his gentleness is always reserved for his own people.
As for the enemy, eat my beam of light and wash your face and teeth!
"Report! Someone is approaching from Konoha."

Onoki's face lit up with joy upon hearing this; as he had expected, Konoha had indeed sent someone to negotiate.
"See, I told you I was right, didn't I?"

Nozomi and Katsura, who had just opened his eyes, exchanged a glance. Nozomi then got up and followed the impatient Onoki out of the command post. They happened to see a lone figure moving rapidly in the distance, the speed of which secretly alarmed them.

"This person's movement technique is superb; his speed is actually no weaker than my Thunder Armor Mode."

Xi said with a furrowed brow.

"This chilling chakra... the newcomer is an Uchiha."

Gui, who had been using her senses, quickly identified the person who had come.
The Great Tree, which had been floating high above the ground, slowly landed, a look of solemnity appearing in its eyes.
"Stop guessing, it's curly hair."

clatter--

As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Kagami, leaving afterimages behind him, landed steadily in front of the three of them.
"We never expected that the village chief of Konoha would come in person. We are truly flattered."

Onoki narrowed his eyes warily, but his movements were unusually polite.

"Please come inside for a chat."

"No need. You gentlemen have gathered a large army and stationed troops on the border. You're not just here to see the scenery, are you?"

Even though he was confident he could escape, Uchiha Kagami remained wary in front of the three Tailed Beast Riders and shook his head, declining Onoki's offer.

"Look at what you're saying. Your Land of Fire is a land of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, with many attractions that have been rated as must-see destinations in one's lifetime. We have long yearned to visit them for a long time."

Seeing that Uchiha Kagami hadn't let his guard down, Onoki didn't press the matter further. Instead, he went along with Kagami's words and praised the Land of Fire.

"If it's a friend coming, we'll naturally welcome them with open arms, but if it's an enemy, hmph..."

Looking at the ill-intentioned little potato Onoki, Uchiha Kagami, well aware of the other's cunning, subtly curled his lip, his tone extremely firm.
"Looks like there's no room for negotiation?"

Upon hearing this, Onoki frowned, slowly drifting to Katsura Kazuki's side, a sharp glint in his eyes.

Uchiha Kagami's attitude was completely different from what he had imagined. Instead of any dovish subservience, it exuded a strong and assertive presence.

If things continue like this, there's no way he'll get the result he wants.

"Whether we talk or not depends entirely on your attitude. Let's be frank and ask each other directly: what exactly is the purpose of your visit?"

Unexpectedly, the negotiations collapsed before they even began. Uchiha Kagami leaped back to create distance and loudly questioned,

"Since you've put it this way, I'll be frank."

Onoki winked at the two people beside him, and Katsura and Kazuki, having received the signal, flanked Uchiha Kagami from the left and right, respectively.
"Just talk, don't move your hands or feet."

Uchiha Kagami frowned slightly as he looked at the three people surrounding him.
"Back then, your Konoha tricked several villages into going there under the pretext of holding a meeting. During the meeting, you used sweet words to coax us into buying tailed beasts that were not what they seemed. As a result, so many years have passed, and none of the bloodline limits that were promised have been developed. All our money and energy have been wasted."

Having already prepared his speech, Onoki began his tearful accusation, managing to squeeze out a few murky tears from his eyes, which were as hard as stone.
"We are here today simply to make reasonable demands from a consumer's perspective: either triple compensation or guaranteed after-sales service!"

(End of this chapter)