Under the setting sun, the waves continuously lapped against the golden beach.
Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Shiranui Genma, Iwashi Tatami, Raidō Namiashi, Hyuga Hizashi, Kurenai Yuhi, Uzuki Yugao, Mitarashi Anko, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Shisui, and Uchiha Kaien all stood tall on the golden sand.
In the glow of the setting sun, the elongated shadows of the twelve people were cast upon the golden beach. At this moment, Might Guy gave a thumbs-up and energetically exclaimed, "This is the burning spirit of youth! We'll be waiting for you in the village."
All twelve people looked at the man in black clothing and a masked face in front of them with various relaxed smiles, yet the man revealed a complicated expression.
Leading them, Uchiha Kaien smiled and waved his hand, saying, "You don't have to feel guilty. Remember, I personally slashed your face and even planted a seal in your mind."
Though his words were brutal, they felt as warm as the evening breeze to those who heard them.
The man in the black clothes and mask was Ukake. He bowed his head in guilt and said hoarsely, "Lord Kaien, I've leaked information and betrayed the village."
Before he could finish, Uchiha Kaien stretched lazily, waved his hand with a lazy laugh, and said, "The one who betrayed the village is from the Sarutobi clan. You're just a pawn. Go, leave before I change my mind."
Everyone thought Kaien would kill him. Keeping him alive would make the Sarutobi clan target Kaien, so the best option was to dispose of him secretly.
And Ukake's death report had already been sent back to the village.
"Lord Kaien."
Seeing the man cry, Kaien shook his head and spoke softly as he faced the setting sun, "It's the Leaf Village's fault right now. You don't need to apologize. Go, lie low and train well. Believe in us. Once we drive away the darkness looming over the Leaf, you can safely return home. So please endure for a few years."
"Lord Kaien, I understand. Even if I return to the village, if anyone finds out, my family will be in danger," Zhi Shu said with a self-mocking smile, pointing at his own head. "I also understand your painstaking efforts, Lord Kaien. The seal is simply to save my life."
He knew that if Kaien didn't place the seal, even if he chose to spare him, what about the others?
"I'm leaving."
Glancing around at everyone, Ukake showed a sincere smile of gratitude. Although he couldn't return to the village, at least he had a glimmer of hope in his life—hope that one day he could go back and reunite with his family. Whether it took ten years or twenty, he would live well outside and wait for that day.
The shadow slowly disappeared on the coastline under the setting sun, and twelve figures stood on the golden beach, gazing at the sunset.
"Kaien, the sunset is so beautiful." With a straightforward personality, Mitarashi Anko excitedly hugged Uchiha Kaien's arm and looked at everyone, raising an eyebrow and laughing loudly, "Shouldn't we come up with a catchy team name? After all, we are the future of Konoha."
Upon hearing this, only Might Guy showed an excited smile, immediately giving a thumbs-up and shouting, "How about we twelve people be called Konoha's Twelve Youth Combat Team!"
Wow, indeed, those who are thick-skinned are amazing. Although aware of some darkness, they can turn their heads and throw it away. Since they can't change anything for the time being, it's better to face everything happily. This kind of person is either big-hearted or has a good mentality.
"That sounds awful!"
Mitarashi Anko and Might Guy, both big-hearted people, immediately started an excited discussion about the title. On the other hand, Uzuki Yugao and Kurenai Yuhi watched Anko hugging Uchiha Kaien's arm, their hearts filled with agony.
The more Uchiha Kaien trusted them, the more guilty they felt.
Twelve figures stood on the beach under the setting sun, presenting a beautiful landscape. They could be said to be a group of young geniuses from Konoha.
Finally, Uchiha Kaien turned his head and looked at everyone, suddenly laughing, "How about calling it Konoha's Twelve Cockroaches?"
Wow, everyone was speechless, even the dark Kakashi at this time had a twitching eye corner. He never realized that Uchiha Kaien had this quirk.
At the same time, everyone thought of one thing: never let Uchiha Kaien name anything.
However, under the setting sun, Uchiha Kaien looked at the sun sinking into the ocean, squinting his eyes with a mesmerizing expression, murmuring, "Our path ahead is full of endless hardships. With the name 'Cockroaches,' I hope we will have strong vitality. No matter how strong the enemy is, we will all survive and then together create and witness a new history for Konoha."
His light words echoed in everyone's ears, and suddenly everyone was stunned, followed by smiles appearing on their faces.
Mitarashi Anko, who had just said the name sounded awful, came bouncing over, hugging Uchiha Kaien's arm again and showing her cute little fangs, sincerely laughing, "Konoha's Twelve Cockroaches actually sounds pretty good."
"Yo! From today on, we are Konoha's Twelve Cockroaches, haha, this is youth!" Might Guy under the setting sun flashed his signature thumbs-up and bright white teeth.
Kakashi Hatake even more so held his forehead and sighed softly, "Let's leave it this time, but Kaien, could you please refrain from naming things in the future?"
The naming "Cockroaches" may be awkward, but when Kaien uttered its implication, a warm current rose in everyone's hearts.
However, they didn't know what Uchiha Kaien was thinking at the moment. Under the setting sun, his smile was inwardly muttering, "Since there is fate, this time I'm at least hitching a ride on the title of the protagonists of the future world. Hopefully, I can also hitch some luck."
Even Hyuga Hizashi, who usually has a stern face, nodded in rare approval of this title. The implication is good, signaling that they will all tenaciously overcome all difficulties.
Under the setting sun, on the golden beach, the newly formed group called "Konoha's Twelve Cockroaches" began to shine. They will become the strongest power among the younger generation in Konoha in the future.
The will for change has been recognized. Starting from just a few people, it has now developed into a not-so-weak group. Moreover, they have various connections behind them. These are all potential development forces. Although they may not look strong now, once this will develop, it will become an unstoppable force like a terrifying flood.
…
Under the night sky, the atmosphere within the Hidden Leaf Village's base in the Land of Whirlpools was heavy, as if every blade of grass and tree was a soldier on edge. The sense of relief they had felt after their previous victory vanished in an instant.
Inside the tent.
"According to the intelligence, almost all of our reinforcements have been wiped out. Only fewer than twenty ninjas managed to escape."
As the sun set, the sudden arrival of this urgent information immediately put all the Hidden Leaf ninjas on the island on high alert. The moment he received the information, Uchiha Kaien issued the highest level of combat readiness.
Uchiha Kaien, who was sitting solemnly inside the tent, looked seriously at everyone. "Everyone, our reinforcements are gone. Although the ninjas below don't know this yet, I suspect the Mist ninjas will spread this information. Since we can't keep it a secret, I suggest we prepare ourselves mentally."
"Damn it, what a waste the Sarutobi clan is! Nearly five hundred elite troops, even if they were five hundred pigs being chased, at least a hundred would manage to escape!"
"That failure is just jealous of Lord Kaien. He has been delaying our march since the beginning. It's been over half a month now. Even a Genin could have reached the destination by now. And yet, their elite forces have just barely reached the border and got ambushed immediately. Useless!"
"Lord Kaien, do you even have to ask? Ever since you single-handedly took down twelve upper-level Mist ninjas last time, your reputation has spread across the front lines. This is definitely Sarutobi Shinzō being jealous of you, making such a mess and treating our Hidden Leaf ninjas' lives as a joke."
"Exactly, it's clear to me now. They want to pave the way for Shinzō. First Orochimaru, now Lord Kaien. Can't the Hidden Leaf have someone stronger than this Shinzō?"
Most of them were originally part of Orochimaru's team, and now that Uchiha Kaien had risen to take over everything, they were infuriated by this new turn of events. Their new grievances piled onto old ones.
Especially since they were already outcasts, they dared to speak their minds.
"Enough! From now on, none of you are allowed to speak of this again. I haven't heard anything you've just said."
Uchiha Kaien could only raise his hand to stop everyone's discussions, feigning a stern face and warning glare.
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Just as they started to get emotional, he shut them down. The idea is the same; let these people hold it in, and they will become his most loyal forces in the future.
"Kakashi, can you report how many supplies we have received recently? How long can we hold out if the Mist ninjas launch a strong attack?"
None of them knew how many enemies were lurking in the dark this time, but an enemy capable of swallowing nearly five hundred Hidden Leaf ninjas was definitely not a small number. Adding them to the battlefield would be a terrifying equation.
And there were also the Mist ninjas! Will they take advantage of the situation?
Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Kakashi immediately reported: "We have enough supplies. After our last losses, we've pulled quite a bit of supplies from the border to here beforehand. Medical supplies, ration pills, kunai, exploding tags...enough for us to last a month, even enough for several major battles."
After hearing Kakashi's report, Uchiha Kaien looked solemnly at everyone. "Everyone, we are at a critical point of life and death. Our reinforcements have been ambushed. We don't know exactly who the enemy is, but to send another ninja force from the rear will take at least three days. So, let go of all restraints for these three days."
"All Leaf ninjas in the camp should have their kunai and shuriken fully stocked, and the number of exploding tags should be doubled. In short, we can afford to lose our positions, you can use all the exploding tags, but I need you to come back alive!"
"Do not skimp on exploding tags and blades. If we run out, I can request more. The three bases in the Land of Whirlpools have scattered our forces. If an unavoidable situation arises, abandon the other two bases and lead the surviving forces to break through and come here!"
When he said this, Uchiha Kaien looked around at everyone and said gravely, "This is our last line of defense. I will take full responsibility for losing the ore veins. How the Hokage will punish me afterward, I will bear it alone. But you must remember one thing: I want people, not cold ore veins. I want to bring all of you home! To receive the flowers of victory."
"Lord Kaien!" Never before has there been a commander in the ninja world who would rather give up gains to preserve the lives of ninjas. After all, ninjas are touted as tools. How could anyone care about the loss of tools? It's all about worth.
"I need your answers now! Can you do it?"
As Uchiha Kaien's resounding voice echoed once again in the tent, all the ninjas' eyes reddened with emotion, shouting, "We can! We will do it."
"Lord Kaien, if the Hokage wants to blame someone, I am willing to take responsibility."
"Big talker, what will you take responsibility with? Is your face that big?"
"Yamamoto! You!"
"What are you looking at? I'm willing to share the blame with Lord Kaien."
"Me too."
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the tent, but Kakashi saw that people were united, moved in his heart. Uchiha Kaien is indeed a born leader, convincing everyone in such a short time.
"What's all this commotion!" Facing the chaotic tent, Uchiha Kaien roared in an imposing manner, and with a slap on the table, the tent immediately fell silent.
"Hmph! Do you all really think this is a precious ninjutsu? Still fighting over it? What's your status? Behind me is the Uchiha clan, and I am a disciple of a Sannin, Orochimaru. What about you?"
Though he had revealed his loyalty and responsibility, Kaien's voice dropped into a softer yet commanding tone. "What I need from all of you is unity. We are not just shinobi—we are comrades. So save the arguments for the battlefield and show me what you're truly made of."
His words brought a renewed sense of purpose to the room, and a wave of determination seemed to sweep over everyone present. Each ninja nodded solemnly, their gazes filled with a shared resolve.
"Dismissed," Kaien declared, waving them off. "Prepare yourselves. The next three days will test us all."
As the group began filing out, Kakashi stayed behind, his visible eye observing Kaien with quiet intensity. "You're taking a big risk, you know," he murmured.
Kaien leaned back, his fingers tracing absent patterns on the table. "Calculated risks are part of the game, Kakashi. If we don't protect our people, there won't be anyone left to celebrate victory."
Kakashi hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Understood."
Outside the tent, the night deepened. Stars scattered across the dark sky like fragments of hope. The Hidden Leaf shinobi moved with purpose, preparing for what was to come. They weren't just a group of warriors anymore; under Kaien's leadership, they had become something more—a family bound by trust and an unyielding desire to survive.
Kaien stepped out into the night, the cool air brushing against his face. His eyes, sharp and reflective, scanned the horizon. Somewhere out there, the enemy was watching, waiting for the right moment to strike.
But so was he.
The faint echo of the waves breaking against the distant shore reached his ears, a gentle reminder of the fleeting nature of peace. Yet, in that fragile moment, Kaien found a strange solace. Despite the challenges ahead, he felt an unshakable confidence rising within him.
"Three days," he whispered to himself. "That's all I need."
The stars above bore silent witness as Kaien turned back to his camp, the weight of leadership heavy yet resolute upon his shoulders. A storm was coming, but for the first time, he was certain they would weather it—together.
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