The Land of Fire and the Land of Water don't actually share a border. The islands of the Land of Water are quite far from the coastline of the Land of Fire. Between them is a vast stretch of neutral sea. However, given current technology and the ways ninja fight, most battles still take place on land.
Even though ninjas can walk on water, doing so requires chakra, and most ninjas are not willing to waste their chakra on that.
On the rare occasion that naval battles happen, they usually occur in coastal areas, with very few battles fought out in the open sea. Historically, the wars between the Hidden Mist and Hidden Leaf villages have mostly taken place along the long coastline of the Land of Fire.
The Mist ninjas usually take the offensive, while the Leaf ninjas defend.
Even now, with Uchiha Obito backing the Mist ninjas, this pattern hasn't changed.
The unique terrain and political situations of both nations determine this style of warfare.
**BOOM!**
An explosive tag detonates in the mountains and forests.
The smoke rising into the sky signals one thing: ninja are fighting here.
"We can't keep this up. There are too many Mist ninjas. At this rate, they'll wear us down," a middle-aged man panted as he tossed another kunai attached to an explosive tag behind him. As soon as he spoke, another explosion rang out.
"Captain, what should we do?"
A young subordinate, his face pale with fear, asked anxiously.
Though fear gripped him, his training in the ninja academy and the border guard helped him suppress it. In this critical moment, he followed orders without hesitation. Even if the captain ordered him to stay behind and hold off the enemy, he would carry out the command to the best of his ability.
This was a patrol squad under the border guard unit.
Originally a team of four, now only two and a half remained. Besides the captain and the young subordinate, there was another teammate gravely injured and unconscious, being carried on the young ninja's back. As for the fourth member, he was already lost when they first encountered the three pursuing squads of Mist ninjas.
The only reason they survived the ambush from three Mist squads was thanks to their 'half' teammate.
The teammate carrying the Uchiha fan had always been arrogant, looking down on others. But despite his annoying attitude, the young subordinate had to admit that this guy was reliable in battle. He had single-handedly held off the attacks from the three Mist squads, giving the others a chance to escape.
If only the other teammate hadn't been so unlucky, getting blown up by an explosive tag in the first wave of attacks, they might've escaped together!
"I'll hold them off. Kagemiya, you take Akifusa and run."
The captain, a middle-aged man, gritted his teeth and felt the few remaining explosive tags he had left. Finally, he made a difficult decision. It was time to make a choice—dragging things out any longer would only lead to their entire team being wiped out.
"Captain?" Kagemiya's eyes widened.
"This is an order! Take Akifusa and go! I don't know how long I can hold them off. If things get worse, leave Akifusa behind and keep running. No matter what, you must get the message back about the Mist ninjas breaking through the defense at Ogasaki."
Once the captain made up his mind to die, he actually became less tense.
As a seasoned Special Jōnin, his talent wasn't top-tier. Otherwise, he wouldn't still be stuck at Special Jōnin at his age. But time hadn't dulled his courage.
He would rather sacrifice himself than leave the younger ones behind. If he could buy them more time, it would be worth it.
"Think you can escape? I'd like to see where you plan to run!"
A voice from high up in the trees chilled the hearts of the two Leaf ninjas, snuffing out any remaining hope they had of survival. Another Mist ninja squad had encircled them from the front.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the captain's face turned grim. He gripped his kunai tightly and resolved that he'd rather die than fall into enemy hands. Before that, though, he'd have to put his unconscious teammate out of his misery, and destroy those Sharingan eyes.
"Seems like we're in luck today. Didn't expect to get our hands on a pair of Sharingan."
The Mist ninjas in the trees eyed the unconscious Uchiha Akifusa greedily, thinking about how they could obtain the Sharingan without damaging them.
At this moment, both the Mist and Leaf ninjas were so focused on each other that none of them noticed a small black mouse scurrying through the grass. The little mouse quickly returned to its starting point—a small clearing in the forest. It neatly re-entered a white scroll laid on the ground.
The mouse reverted to ink and recorded the information it had gathered in the form of text on the scroll.
"Sixteen Mist ninjas, huh?"
Sōgen picked up the scroll and quickly scanned the gathered intelligence.
"And an Uchiha? I didn't expect to run into a clansman in trouble. As clan leader, I can't ignore this."
With that, Sōgen picked up a brush and began drawing on the blank part of the scroll.
In just a few strokes, a majestic eagle appeared on the paper. Sōgen put the brush away, gave the scroll a slight shake, and the eagle suddenly broke free from the confines of the paper. Its flat form inflated as though filling with air.
In an instant, a giant black eagle, large enough to carry three to five people, appeared in front of him.
This was the **Secret Technique: Super Beast Imitating Drawing**.
After obtaining this Yang Release technique from a member of the Root, Sōgen had immediately started studying it. With ample information he had extracted from the Root member's mind, and the abundant energy provided by Samehada, Sōgen was able to master the technique in less than half a month.
Though it seemed fast, in truth, the time and effort Sōgen had invested were far more than what met the eye.
He had been training in Yin Release and Yang Release ever since obtaining Samehada. His progress in Yin Release had been smooth, especially with the Sharingan being so closely tied to it. By the time he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he had nearly grasped the essence of Yin Release.
Yang Release, however, had been another story.
It wasn't that Sōgen lacked talent in Yang Release—he simply needed a key to unlock its potential. Unfortunately, there weren't any satisfactory records of Yang Release techniques in the Uchiha Clan's archives. Although the village had some research materials, they weren't accessible to someone like him.
That changed when he acquired the Super Beast Imitating Drawing technique.
He finally unlocked the secrets of Yang Release. His deep foundations quickly bore fruit. He was no longer merely using this power crudely but had learned to wield it with greater finesse.
Of course, mastering a single secret technique didn't mean he fully understood Yang Release, but it was a good start. He had gained valuable insights into the use of Yang chakra.
"Fujika, Yakumo, come over here."
Sōgen climbed onto the eagle's back and beckoned his sister and student to join him. He was going to take these two youngsters to witness some action. Sixteen Mist ninjas would be a decent appetizer!
"Hey, Sōgen, I want to ride, too!"
Uchiha Chisaya eagerly called out.
She wanted to fly through the sky on the eagle as well. Flying was a distant dream for most ninjas. Even the Uchiha Clan wasn't an exception.
Fully-developed Susanoo could fly, but how many Uchiha had mastered the complete form of Susanoo? Many clan members didn't even know what the Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo were!
So, flight held a significant allure for the Uchiha as well.
After seeing Sōgen fly using the Super Beast Imitating Drawing technique, Uchiha Chisaya had tried to learn the technique herself. Sōgen hadn't kept it to himself, patiently teaching her. However, she failed.
Without knowledge and experience with Yang Release, mastering the technique would be nearly impossible for her, even in ten or twenty years.
Secret techniques were notoriously difficult to pass on.
Bloodline limits were different. As long as a person had the necessary genes, they had a chance to awaken the ability. But secret techniques required careful cultivation, exceptional talent, and years of dedication. These stringent requirements filtered out 99% of practitioners. That's why, despite its vast resources, the Root had only one person who successfully learned the Super Beast Imitating Drawing technique. Out of 50 children, only one mastered it.
Such was the difficulty of mastering secret techniques.
As for the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans, their secret techniques had evolved over generations to the point where they were almost like bloodline limits.
The Nara clan members were naturally intelligent and quick-witted. The Akimichi children were born heavier than usual. And the Yamanaka clan had powerful and active mental energy from birth. These traits were the result of countless generations of effort to perfect their secret techniques.
In fact, the Yamanaka Clan could one day become a bloodline limit family like the Kurama Clan at its peak.
"You already flew once this morning."
Sōgen sighed with a slight headache, but in the end, he nodded and agreed. After all, there was still enough room on the eagle's back, and it wasn't fully loaded. As Uchiha Chihaya eagerly squeezed on, Sōgen directed his gaze toward the only one left on the ground—Uchiha Akitaro.
"Akitaro, if anyone catches up, tell them I'll be back soon."
The nearly 4,000-strong ninja army didn't march in a long, snake-like formation like the typical samurai armies of the Daimyo's palace.
In fact, ninja warfare follows its own set of rules.
The rapid speed of movement, large-scale offensive jutsus, and the incompatible battle tactics between ninjas make it rare for them to act in groups larger than a hundred unless they are dealing with a massive creature like a tailed beast or attacking a barrier-protected defensive outpost.
Even in war, the ninja's small-team combat style doesn't change.
Sōgen's force of nearly 4,000 ninjas had been split into numerous small squads, each moving separately. As the highest commander, Sōgen naturally led the charge at the front, with his troops left chasing closely behind him.
"I understand, Clan Leader!" Uchiha Akitaro nodded in acknowledgment.
In the next moment, the giant black eagle spread its wings and soared into the sky, swiftly flying toward their destination under Sōgen's guidance.
"So cool!" Uchiha Fujika stood on the eagle's back, her eyes shining as she looked at the mountains and forests below shrinking in size. She felt the strong winds blowing in her face, and instead of fear, she was so excited that she almost shouted out loud.
Even though it wasn't her first time flying, her excitement had yet to subside.
Uchiha Chihaya felt the same.
She unsheathed her long blade, gently brushing the sharp edge. Tiny wind blades spun at her fingertips as she became absorbed in her practice of wind-style jutsu.
In contrast, Kurama Yakumo, who looked pale and had trembling legs, seemed to be the most "normal" of the group.
"The Uchiha bloodline, huh?"
Sōgen glanced at his childhood friend and younger sister, both showing unusual reactions, and then looked at Yakumo, whose response was more typical for an ordinary person.
He could only chalk it all up to the arrogant and combative nature of the Uchiha bloodline. The special nature of chakra can indeed influence a person's temperament, and it wasn't just prejudice that the Uchiha's Sharingan chakra gave off an unsettling vibe.
It's only natural, after all.
The power born from extreme emotions wouldn't be calm and peaceful. Having an air of hostility is normal.
Sōgen didn't dwell on these trivial details for long. Lowering his gaze to the forest below, he saw an explosion from a paper bomb that helped him pinpoint the location. He lightly stomped his foot, and the giant black eagle quickly began descending at high speed.
When they were close to the treetops, Sōgen grabbed the two kids beside him and leaped downward like a missile toward the ground. As for Uchiha Chihaya, while his childhood friend might be a bit strange, he was still one of the top talents of their generation—not so fragile that Sōgen needed to worry about him all the time.
(End of the chapter)