Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Although such a deduction is not very reliable, at this point, the Third Star Shadow cannot afford to be careless or complacent any longer; he must consider all possibilities.

Normally, with the village facing such a crisis, it would be best to involve Shoji, which could greatly reduce the risk. However, due to his own selfish desires, the Third Hoshikage wants to resolve the situation by relying on himself and the power of his village, as long as there is even the slightest possibility!

Jiang Si was merely a last resort, and he would never let this insurance take effect until the very last moment. However, the Third Hokage's worries were not entirely without merit, since Jiang Si did indeed have a tiny bit of interest in that extraterrestrial meteorite.

This is something that should not be discussed with outsiders.

This is something the Third Hokage needs to be wary of. In addition, he really doesn't want his family scandals to be aired in public. It would be perfect to deal with them internally!

The Third Generation Star Shadow's eyes flickered slightly as he silently pondered deep within his heart.

at the same time.

In the left-hand position.

A figure flashed into view; it was Firefly, who had been sent by the Third Hokage to Akahoshi's residence to investigate relevant information.

"Lord Star Shadow!"

"how?"

Upon seeing the fireflies, the Third Hoshikage turned slightly to the side, placed his hands behind his back, and spoke in a calm tone.

"Nothing particularly noteworthy was found, but a letter that was deliberately left behind was discovered in the inner room."

Firefly lowered her head slightly as she spoke.

'letter?'

The Third Hoshikage paused, then, as if remembering something, looked at Firefly with a serious expression and said, "Give it to me!"

"Yes!"

The letter must have undergone the most comprehensive inspection to ensure there were no special settings before it was brought over. The words "To be opened by the Third Generation Lord" were clearly written on the outer envelope, and the handwriting was obviously from Akahoshi.

The Third Hoshikage quickly opened the letter, and after glancing at its contents, the elderly leader of Hoshigakure's pupils suddenly contracted.

Firefly, sitting opposite, was very concerned about what the letter said. Even now, he couldn't believe that his closest companion would choose to betray the village. Although his master, Star Shadow, hadn't made it public yet, the unauthorized theft of Star Stones and the murder of his companions were bloody pieces of evidence right in front of him.

It was undoubtedly Akahoshi's doing.

Fireflies were eager to know what had happened.

However, Firefly still understood the difference between superiors and inferiors, and he had to suppress the impulses deep within his heart before his master, Star Shadow, spoke.

Fireflies!

"Yes? Lord Hoshikage!"

While the firefly was still lost in her own thoughts.

In the opposite seat.

The Third Hoshikage immediately shouted in a deep voice.

That look of suddenly waking up.

"You immediately..."

This was clearly a very moving and important letter. After reading it, the Third Hoshikage immediately gave the corresponding orders to Hotaru, who listened with a shocked expression.

"Yes, Lord Hoshikage! Please rest assured, I will do as you command!"

"Okay, go ahead!"

The Third Hoshikage nodded solemnly.

Immediately afterwards.

The young Jonin from Hoshigakure also turned and sped off in another direction. However, he was unaware that just as he turned around, the Third Hoshikage behind him was also watching the spot where he had left, a strange look in his eyes.

"I hope you're not one of them, Firefly. Otherwise, not only you, but also Summer—those who betray us must be punished with the most severe penalties!"

The situation has become increasingly chaotic, forcing the Third Hoshikage to approach and handle every matter with extreme caution. He hopes that these events are all false and can be salvaged, but if they are not the outcome he desires, the Third Hoshikage will harden his heart and act decisively!

The same world, the same position, the same perspective—it's just that the situations we face are different, but these three generations are no less significant than those three generations.

Whether such a judgment is correct or not, no one can be sure until the very last moment. The only certainty is that there is no going back in this world. Once you take that step, you have to bear the consequences.

Shoji, who had already left, was naturally unaware of the many thoughts and arrangements made by the three Hoshigakure (Hidden Star Village) behind him. Even if he knew, he wouldn't care. Putting aside himself, with the current strength of Itachi, Kurotsuchi, and Deidara, as long as they weren't trapped in an encirclement, Hoshigakure might not be able to keep the three of them.

These three are already at the level of ordinary Chunin in terms of individual strength. Itachi has the Sharingan, Deidara has Clay Explosion Release, and Kurotsuchi has Lava Release. To say that the three are comparable to Jonin would be an exaggeration. However, it would be very difficult for an ordinary Jonin from the five great ninja villages to defeat them one-on-one. If they are not careful, they will fall into their tactics.

All three have a fairly good chance of winning.

This is Jiang Si's assessment of the current strength of the three.

That's why we accepted this mission, and why Shoji even wanted the three of them to be bolder.

Strength is always the greatest source of confidence.

"So, do the three of you dare to give it a try?"

Back at their lodgings, Jiang Si crossed his arms and looked at the three people before him, then explained his plans.

"Is this considered an internal test, Mr. Jiang?"

Heitu asked with a grin.

"It's not wrong for you to think that way."

"Now that it's finished, shouldn't there be some reward?"

Hei Tu asked with a sly look on his face.

"Hmm? Sure, but it depends on how well you can accomplish it, and you must remember what our mission is!"

Jiang Si said with a smile.

295. Cleverness can backfire.

"Hehe, as long as there's a reward, that's fine. Just you wait and see, Mr. Jiang!"

Kurotsuchi chuckled and said confidently. Itachi, who was sitting next to her, had originally planned to be cautious, but since the little princess of their ninja village had said so, they could only follow Kurotsuchi's wishes. Fortunately, this did not violate the core essence of their mission; it was just a matter of different methods and routes.

Moreover, with their own Shoji-san in charge, they didn't need to worry about their own mistakes causing an irreparable situation. Itachi knew very well that their team was completely different from the other teams in the village. Shoji's requirements for them were that their personal growth far exceeded the mission itself. Anyway, with Shoji there, even if the three of them failed the mission, Shoji could still cover for them and forcefully salvage the situation. What Shoji valued most was the tempering and transformation of the three of them in each mission.

It's not just Itachi who can see this; Kurotsuchi and Deidara are the same. The difference is that Kurotsuchi has a stronger desire to perform, while Deidara is really okay with anything as long as he's not interfered with. He's a pure example of personal art, and otherwise very laid-back. Of course, certain common-sense bottom-line issues are another matter.

"Then you should make your move. If I'm not mistaken, that leader will definitely have other plans, and that rogue ninja Akahira and the external enemies will also have other plans. Otherwise, there would be no need to wait until today!"

Jiang Si smiled slightly and looked at the three of them.

"Yes, General Sisang!"

Itachi, Deidara, and Kurotsuchi also lowered their heads and answered in unison.

Immediately afterwards, each of them flashed away from their original spot and went to carry out their own predetermined mission objectives!

Shoji wasn't worried at all about the three of them going out of his sight to carry out their first B-rank, or even A-rank, mission alone. Not to mention that the area of ​​operation was still within the vicinity of Hoshigakure, the three of them were also carrying the corresponding signal flares and other items, so if any problems arose, Shoji could arrive in the shortest possible time.

Even just considering the strength of the three of them, they could have easily handled this mission on their own. That's the difference between geniuses and ordinary people. Don't be fooled by the fact that it's only been a little over a month since Itachi graduated from the Ninja Academy, less than two months. Before he even enrolled last year, Itachi already possessed strength that surpassed that of an average genin.

Now, with their Sharingan becoming increasingly proficient, their individual strength has reached the level between elite Chunin and ordinary Jonin. Although Deidara and Kurotsuchi are slightly inferior, if the three of them were to face three Jonin, their chances of winning would certainly not be very high, but their chances of escaping would be quite good. Don't be fooled by the fact that the original work seems to be full of strong people, with each character being at least at the level of elite Jonin. That's from the protagonist's perspective. The ninja world is so vast that Jonin are already at the pinnacle of the pyramid.

It's impossible for such frequent occurrences to happen so easily. This isn't a ninja war between the five great ninja villages. Moreover, the quality of the so-called Jonin from these smaller ninja villages is often quite questionable. At least, the Jonin from Hoshigakure like Akahira and Hotaru are a joke to Shoji. They are at most a step above the elite Chunin from the five great ninja villages, and may not even be as good as the Special Jonin.

Therefore, Itachi, Kurotsuchi, and Deidara are generally strong enough to handle the situation. The only concern is that the three of them are all under ten years old and lack combat experience and skills, making it relatively easy for the opponent to find an opening.

But the more this is the case, the more necessary it is to actively cultivate the three of them to face challenges independently and solve problems on their own. Only in this way can the three of them truly grow.

Even taking a slight risk is acceptable.

However, the company still needs to take some insurance measures.

After all, Kurotsuchi's identity is quite special. To put it bluntly, considering the current situation of the Uchiha clan, Itachi and Deidara could both get into trouble, but Kurotsuchi being seriously injured is already a matter of crossing the line. If the outcome is even worse, Shoji and even the Uchiha clan may not be able to handle such a result.

Therefore, some advance measures are still very necessary.

"Well, let me see who's behind this, and what kind of abilities and resources you all have. Hopefully, it'll be an interesting bit of entertainment!"

Jiang Si raised his eyebrows, looked out the window at the location where the 'Star Stone' was stored not far away, and after forming a hand seal to leave a shadow clone, his main body also flickered and disappeared from the spot, disappearing into the shadows.

It wasn't a particularly difficult A-rank mission, but it still put Itachi, Deidara, and Kurotsuchi, three fresh graduates from the Ninja Academy, to the test in terms of their ability to make quick decisions. In missions where unexpected situations could arise at any time, adaptability was especially important.

After all, this mission was extremely difficult for the three of them. The enemies they had to face were at least Chunin. Compared to the ordinary mountain bandits and robbers they had dealt with before, even though the latter were far more numerous, the former were dozens of times stronger. While the three of them were bold in their attacks, they also needed to maintain a rational and calm mindset at all times, which was especially important.

Confidence is one thing, arrogance is another.

After leaving Jiang Si's side, the three of them began their first intelligence gathering. Although everything they saw and heard might not be true, at least the intelligence they gathered themselves was more reliable than information passed on by others.

It must be said that the Third Hoshikage underestimated the strength of Shoji and his three subordinates. The Hoshinin scattered around the perimeter of Hoshigakure did not detect the three subordinates at all, let alone find out where Shoji was.

It's impossible for a ninja village with only two or three hundred people to set up a sensory barrier. The village doesn't even have a single proper sensory-type ninja. And the sensory abilities of ordinary ninjas can be easily bypassed by Deidara's clay creatures and Itachi's Sharingan.

Itachi, Deidara, and Kurotsuchi could easily evade these Star Ninjas, and even sneak into the Star Stone storage site to gather relevant information after the Star Ninjas finished their investigation and the main force left with the Third Star Kage.

This information was gathered after several hours of investigation.

This gave Itachi, Deidara, and Kurotsuchi a basic understanding of the current situation. They had to admit that in many ways, the Third Hokage had not concealed any information, but there were still two crucial points that the Third Hokage had not told them.

This is also the most valuable gain for Itachi, Deidara, Kurotsuchi, and others.

296. Tricks and Actions (Third Update)

"It seems that this Third Hokage has begun to suspect that there is more than one rogue ninja within his ranks."

"Such an operation cannot be accomplished by one person alone. Although the scene has been cleaned up, it is still somewhat evident that this is an internal strife. We still need to be skeptical about the situation in Kusagakure. The key now is to see what the Third Hokage will do next!"

After initially organizing the collected intelligence...

The three of them also got together to analyze information and assess the situation.

"So, should we keep an eye on that self-proclaimed Third Star Shadow?"

Kurotsuchi blinked and looked at Itachi, asking a question.

“Monitoring is necessary, but our three abilities might be a bit insufficient. Although we don’t need to worry about the strength of most Star Ninjas, and it seems they don’t have any special sensory methods, that one is, after all, the village leader. Even if he’s so old, there’s no guarantee he might have some special means to detect us, which would be a loss. Let Deidara’s clay creatures conduct remote monitoring. It’s a bit troublesome, but it’s safer. We can monitor those most important people in the village; their actions might provide us with some different intelligence!”

Itachi looked at Kurotsuchi and Deidara with a very calm expression and said.

"Okay! Let's do as You say, Itachi-san!"

Heitu nodded and said.