"When will reinforcements arrive?"

"They should be here soon, but until then, we need to hold our ground here."

In the middle of a forest, many people huddled behind a large wall of boulders; the ground continued to shake as the walls were bombarded with attacks from the other side.

"Damn, what's keeping them up! We asked for help a while ago."

"Complaining will not help us, focus on keeping this wall up!"

The man, who appeared to be in his early thirties, spoke to the younger man next to him, both of his eyes blazing a deep blood red, the older with a three-tomoe pattern and the younger with only two.

"Tch...yes sir, we should be lucky Sunagakure isn't known for their Lightning Release users."

"I think we should be lucky, but it doesn't imply we've made any progress here. It's already bad enough that we need to be cautious of their poisonous techniques."

"Sir, let me create an opening with my Earth Release, and then you follow up with a Great Fireball Jutsu."

The man looked over at his junior, a tinge of astonishment visible in his crimson eyes. "That's right, I nearly forgot your Fire Release is terrible."

The man proceeded. "Okay, we'll go with that. Be quick!"

"Yes, sir!"

A closer glance at the young adult revealed an oval-shaped face with dark circles around his eyes, giving him a panda-like appearance. His raven black hair was short and reached his neck. He wore a forehead protector that had a leaf-shaped symbol embedded into it.

"Also, Kumanai."

The young adult, now referred to as Kumanai, halted. "Yes, sir?"

"You have to survive. The Uchiha Clan needs to keep such prodigies like you alive."

Kumanai's eyes trembled with surprise before he swiftly collected himself. His senior, Kutai, was a Jonin and an elite member of the Uchiha Clan, along with the three Tomoe Sharingan. It was uncommon for most Uchiha to unlock it, with some only reaching the two-tomoe state.

"I understand, Sir."

"Good, now get going, I'll cover you!"

Kumanai vanished in a flickering blur, leaving Kutai to stare at the location for a time before preparing for the upcoming combat. This was only one of several fights between his platoon and the enemy forces. He was responsible for keeping the borders secure, which was a demanding job, especially during war.

Kutai, with his remarkable abilities, resolved to stay on the frontlines for virtually the entire year, refusing to return unless the Clan Head issued his return order. Kutai considered himself disposable, expecting to serve as a barrier for the future generation to progress. Kumanai was one of the individuals in whom Kutai sensed potential.

…

Kumanai wasn't sure why his affinity for Fire Release was lower than his affinity for Earth Release, but as a result, he was assigned as a defensive unit to Kutai's platoon.

In other terms, he was a shield rather than a weapon.

"There! A Konoha Ninja!"

"What, by himself? Ha! What fools!"

"Idiot, be careful, he's still a Uchiha, look at his eyes."

Kumanai looked up at the treetops and noticed a large number of people peering down at him. They all wore Sunagakure Shinobi clothing.

"So what, he won't be the first Uchiha I kill in battle, just watch!"

The man who spoke jumped down from his high position, carrying an air of arrogance, something that Kumanai could potentially exploit. After all, he was from the Uchiha clan, where arrogance was a common sight. A flimsy ninja from an enemy village wouldn't bother him.

"Are you sure you don't want to listen to your comrades? I'll give you a chance to hide behind your puppets."

"I don't need it against you! Attack!"

The Suna Shinobi that were on the treetops all threw a bunch of shuriken and kunai at Kumanai, causing his Sharingan to glow as he pumped a bit of chakra into them. He flipped around the ninja tools with ease before landing back on the ground. The lone Suna ninja lunged forward, reaching into a pouch on his waist and taking out a kunai. Kumanai's eyes blazed as he watched the guy approach; thanks to his Sharingan, Kumanai had a crystal-clear vision, allowing him to discern his opponent's moves.

Despite not having the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Kumanai was able to comprehend information at breakneck speed. Kumanai pulled out a short sword from the sheath on his back and clashed with the kunai of the Suna ninja.

"Not bad, but it seems like your Genjutsu is terrible."

Kumanai clicked his teeth and pushed the ninja back. "I don't need it for you, Suna Shinobi."

"What was that!"

It wasn't from the ninja in front of Kumanai but from those above. "Puppet Poison Storm!"

"Ha, looks like you're dead kid!"

The Suna ninja jumped back as a multitude of poison-coated senbon flew at Kumanai, however, despite the incoming attack approaching quickly, the Uchiha smirked.

"I think you need to look at yourself closely."

However, as the Suna ninja came close to landing back on the treetops, the scene changed, revealing himself on the ground, riddled with shuriken, senbon, and kunai.

"What! Since when!"

"No wonder your village is regarded as pathetic, you're all idiots. You've been under the Genjutsu since you heard my voice," A voice came from behind one of the Suna shinobi on the treetops, causing them to turn, only to see blood spraying into the air and falling.

Kumanai continued to jump down, performing hand signs before landing on the ground. "Earth Release: Shifting Plates!"

"Earth Release?" The Suna Shinobi, who was still in shock, exclaimed. "What type of Uchiha uses Earth Release!"

The approaching Suna ninja stopped his movements as the ground underneath him began to tremble violently. The ground split in two before a fracture formed.

"Damnit!" The Suna ninjas plummeted into a vast pit spanning many kilometers.

Kumanai turned his head. "NOW!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A chorus of voices rang out from behind Kumanai, and the sky lit up orange.

"Get us-"

However, before the Suna Shinobi, who had fallen into the pit, could finish his sentence, the vast pit was enveloped in flames. Screams quickly followed the cries of the flames.

Kumanai tilted his head as Kutai landed to his left, appearing to stare deeply into the blazing pit. Such a combination was fatal.

"Seems it worked."

Kumanai shakes his head. "I expended a bunch of chakra with that Jutsu; it only worked because of the Fireball Jutsu."

Kutai placed his hand on Kumanai's shoulder. "Do not underestimate yourself. Eat a Soldier Pill to recuperate. We'll be counting on you for opportunities like these."

Kumanai nodded and turned his attention to the pit; the screams had subsided, and the faint scent of scorched flesh began to pervade the air, causing his nose to scrunch.

"Anyway, we'll be returning to camp, if you can, set up more earth walls."

"I will, sir."

Kutai whirled around and dashed back to camp, leaving Kumanai to stare down at the flaming pit. Was the war worth it? Kumanai couldn't help but ponder as he showed a nasty-looking round pill and popped it into his mouth.

His face tightened in disgust before he felt his chakra recharge, although slightly. He could only wait till he was instructed to return to the village.

…

A few hours later, a big troop of ninjas appeared at the large camp, wearing the same forehead protector as Kumanai and Kutai. About 50 more reinforcements, which was less than Kutai had hoped for.

"Lord Kutai."

Kutai, as the camp's highest command, was treated with the utmost respect by the newcomers, prompting the guy to give a strong nod.

"We managed to hold off the last wave of Suna ninja, so just be prepared for another," Kutai told the newcomers. His Sharingan remained active as he did so. "We'll have a few of you alternating on night watch; the Suna ninjas have a habit of dropping poison bombs at night, so we'll be counting on your awareness to keep us alive."

Kutai's statements were short, prompting the newcomers to nod. Kutai dismissed the group and returned to his tent, entering inside to review the reports on his temporary table.

This fight had been going on for a while, and it was starting to show on his face. He appeared relatively youthful, but he had minor bags under his eyes, which were not as obvious as Kumanai's.

"Lord Kutai, can I come in?"

Kutai looked up and saw a teenage boy. His boyish face bore no traces of purity, with two short-cut brows. His long brown hair reached his back, and two bangs framed his face. He wore black eyeliners around his eyes.

Kutai sighed. "You're already inside my tent, Kuro."

Kuro grinned impishly. "You were just too slow to answer, old man."

"I'm not that old.."

"Yeah...anyways, I'll take the first cycle of the night watch. I need to improve my Sharingan."

Kutai raised an eyebrow. "I'm aware you have the Three-Tomoe, but what more could you get from it?"

Kuro shakes his head. "You know, I thought old men were supposed to be wise, don't you know, if you train hard enough, you'll eventually awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Kutai sighed as he put down the papers in his hands. "Kuro, the Mangekyo Sharingan isn't something that can be attained by training, if that was the case, Fugaku would've unlocked it by now."

Kuro chuckled. "That's because you're both old. Don't worry, I'll unlock the Mangekyo while you're still able to walk without a cane."

Kutai's forehead grew veins as he yelled. "Idiot! I am only in my thirties. Go out and bother Kumanai!"

"Okay, fine! Don't start getting gray hair just yet," Kuro joked as he chuckled his way out of the tent.

As Kuro went through the campsite, his eyes sharpened, and his thoughts began to flow about his original mission.

"I forgot how long I've been on this planet."

AN: This chapter was all around the place, and I trimmed it down, and I still think it is, but I wanted to get something out. Also, I got a question: do you all prefer "Earth Release" or "Earth Style"

[Earth Release: Shifting Plates - B Rank Ninjutsu: It creates a large fissure underneath the opposing forces. This is a Jutsu that works well with trapping enemies, allowing for it to combo well with other Jutsu's.]

Let me know your thoughts; things will begin to flow well after this chapter. I wanted to give some screen time to other characters besides the MC.

Also, happy 2025 to you all, I hope this year treats you all well. I'm open to any suggestions about Mangekyo Abilities, although I have a general idea of what I want them to be, I'm all ears for your thoughts.