Chapter Seventeen: The Eve of Farewell

Three days later, at the Uchiha residence.

Gazing at the empty table, with nothing on it, Uchiha Li touched his stomach and let out a wry smile.

Ever since he had left the Hokage's office that day, he had gone home and told Yao about his upcoming deployment as a squad leader. As expected, over these three days, Yao's attitude towards him had taken a sharp turn for the worse. Not only did she greet him with cold indifference, but she also stopped preparing his meals, forcing him to eat out for the past few days.

"Yao, can't you forgive me already? I admit I was wrong," he tried to placate her, looking at Yao's frosty face as she sat on the sofa.

But Yao clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily. Her voice was cold as she asked, "And what exactly did you do wrong?"

Pressing his lips together, Uchiha Li confessed sincerely, "I was wrong not to discuss such a decision with you first, and also wrong for not taking you with me."

Seeing her demeanor finally soften a little, he quickly began to explain, having carefully prepared these words in advance.

"So, will you dare to do it again next time?" Yao fixed her large eyes on him, refusing to let go.

"I won't do it again," he replied instinctively, but then, realizing something, quickly added, "No, there won't be a next time!"

It seemed Yao hadn't expected him to catch the trap in her words, and she could only huff, "That's more like it. How many times have I told you? We have to discuss things together..."

She launched into a sharp, lengthy lecture that lasted nearly half an hour. In the face of such a barrage, Uchiha Li hardly dared to breathe.

Perhaps she was tired, or perhaps her anger had finally subsided, for she finally fell silent, went to the kitchen, and brought out breakfast.

"Phew, I managed to smooth things over at last..." Li murmured quietly, touched to see that Yao had already prepared breakfast.

He knew well that Yao's anger stemmed from her worry for him. After all, he was heading to the border—unlike regular missions, war was far more brutal and dangerous. During the most intense period of the Third Great War, even with his three-tomoe Sharingan, he had faced mortal danger several times.

The most serious incident had been when his squad was ambushed by several jonin. Although he had managed to hold out for reinforcements with the help of his Sharingan, he was gravely injured and lost consciousness. By the time he was brought back to the village, he was barely alive, and the shock had caused Yao to faint on the spot.

As he ate breakfast, Uchiha Li reminded her, "While I’m gone, I’ll leave the Police Force to you. If anything comes up, go to the clan head—don’t be afraid to trouble him."

"I know," Yao replied with irritation, "How many times do I have to say it? Don’t underestimate me. You just don’t trust me."

Li shook his head with a gentle smile. "It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m just worried. The outside world is dangerous—it's better for you to stay home."

The truth was, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to discuss things with Yao; rather, in his eyes, some things were simply not suitable for her to be involved in. Yao was gentle and delicate, and while her skills weren’t lacking, he couldn’t bear the thought of sending her into the bloodshed of battle. Perhaps it was a touch of chauvinism, but Li believed that he should be the one to shoulder the burden, while Yao should only have to remain beautiful and carefree.

Such a lovely, elfin girl ought to live like a sprite—free from worry.

Still uneasy, Li gave another reminder, "If you see any unfamiliar faces, be extra careful. I have a feeling there’s something dangerous lurking in the shadows."

At this moment, life in the Leaf Village was still relatively safe. After all, at this point in time, the power balance had yet to collapse, and the strongest forces in the ninja world were still at the level of the Kage. Especially now that Fugaku Uchiha had revealed his Mangekyo Sharingan, the village’s main attention toward the Uchiha was focused on the clan head.

Still, two recent incidents left Li deeply uneasy. First, the murderer who had killed a Root member inside the Police Force—there was still no trace of him. Second, the mysterious person who exposed and retaliated against Orochimaru—someone whose strength was likely formidable as well. Neither figure matched anyone in his memory, and Li still couldn’t pinpoint where things had gone awry to set these changes in motion.

"You’re so long-winded. Eat your breakfast and disappear as soon as you’re done!" Yao’s eyes flickered, her gaze unconsciously drifting to the corner of the storage cabinet before she quickly looked away.

Seeing this, Li assumed she was simply growing impatient with his nagging, so he closed his mouth and began to focus on the upcoming campaign.

After his face-off with the Third Hokage three days earlier, the other clans had quickly responded to the call to arms. Because both the Cloud and Stone Villages were amassing troops, the village needed to defend on two fronts, so the forces would be divided into two groups.

The Uchiha’s assigned target was the northeastern region of the Land of Fire, near certain outposts along the border with the Land of Hot Water. Normally, several hundred Leaf ninja were stationed there, rotating regularly as a precaution against the Cloud. But since Minato had been recuperating, the situation had grown even more tense, with the Cloud sending additional forces.

Things had grown even more dire after Orochimaru’s defection. That very afternoon, news had reached the Cloud, and their forces had attacked an outpost. Though the skirmish wasn’t large, it was clearly a test—and no one could say when a true assault might begin.

Because of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi had repeatedly pressed the clans to expedite their mobilization. After intense preparations, nearly a thousand ninja had gathered by today and would soon set out. Though this might not seem like a large number, it was only the vanguard. If the Cloud sent further reinforcements, the Leaf would respond in kind—at which point, it would no longer be a border skirmish, but outright war.

It was also worth noting that the commander leading the fight against the Cloud was the Nara clan head himself, Shikaku Nara.

At that moment, a middle-aged ninja’s voice called from the courtyard, "Lord Li, it’s time. We should get going."

Li stopped eating and patted the girl on the shoulder. "Yao, I’m leaving now. Take good care of yourself."

Yao nodded softly, a faint smile forced onto her face, but she could not hide the worry in her eyes.

Casting one last glance at her, Li shouldered his ninja pack and walked out of the new home they had only recently moved into.