CHAPTER 127
"Hmm?"
Uchiha Feiquan frowned slightly after hearing Shisui's request.
He glanced at his son before looking toward the direction where Might Guy and the others were through the tent entrance.
His voice remained cold and indifferent.
"That's unnecessary."
"Just send two members of the clan to escort the prisoners."
"As for those three... they can remain in the camp."
Uchiha Feiquan did not have any personal grievances against Might Guy and his teammates.
He simply had no desire to assign important tasks to outsiders.
The pride of the Uchiha Clan had always made them prefer to accomplish everything with their own people.
If outsiders were unnecessary, they would not be involved.
However, Shisui did not retreat.
He raised his head, meeting his father's eyes with an earnest and unwavering gaze.
"Father, let them come with us."
"This way... people outside the camp will be able to see."
"They'll see that the Uchiha Clan can cooperate and fight alongside other Konoha shinobi."
"On the battlefield... that's beneficial for everyone."
Hearing those words, Uchiha Feiquan fell silent.
He understood exactly what his son was trying to say.
Within Konoha, the Uchiha Clan had long carried the reputation of being difficult to approach.
On the surface, it was because of the pride and isolation that came with their bloodline.
But inside the clan, there had always been voices hoping the Uchiha could truly integrate into Konoha instead of remaining isolated.
Unfortunately, generations of estrangement, combined with the clan's pride and unwillingness to take the first step toward reconciliation, caused most Uchiha to simply maintain the status quo.
They hid behind their cold demeanor.
Over time, this gradually became the atmosphere outsiders feared and insiders quietly accepted.
Listening to Shisui's words now...
Allowing these young shinobi to cooperate openly with outsiders...
Didn't seem like such a bad idea.
Besides, this mission was only an escort assignment.
After hesitating briefly, Feiquan looked at the anticipation in Shisui's eyes before finally giving a slight nod.
"...Very well."
"You may arrange it."
"Escort the prisoners there and return immediately."
"Stay safe."
"Yes, Father! Thank you!"
A bright smile appeared on Shisui's face.
After bowing respectfully, he immediately left the command tent.
Walking briskly across the camp, he arrived outside the tent where Might Guy and the others were staying.
"Might Guy! Ebisu! Genma!"
"Come out for a moment!"
Hearing his voice, the three quickly stepped outside.
Seeing them emerge, Shisui smiled warmly before sharing the news.
"Captain Feiquan has approved it."
"I'll be leading the escort mission to deliver these three Iwagakure prisoners to Captain Inoichi Yamanaka for interrogation."
"The three of you will be coming with me."
The three froze for a brief moment.
Then surprise and delight immediately spread across their faces.
Escorting prisoners to Captain Inoichi Yamanaka?
Didn't that mean they would finally have the opportunity to see Kurenai Yūhi and the others?
It had been more than a year since they graduated from the Academy and were assigned to separate squads.
It wasn't only Guy who wanted to see Kurenai.
Ebisu and Genma also wanted to reunite with the classmates they had spent every day with during their Academy years.
But...
Why had Uchiha Feiquan suddenly agreed?
The three exchanged glances before looking toward Shisui.
They immediately understood.
This had undoubtedly been Shisui's doing.
On their very first day in the camp, they had casually mentioned that several of their classmates served under Captain Inoichi Yamanaka.
"Shisui... thank you."
Guy spoke sincerely.
Ebisu immediately adjusted his sunglasses and flashed a broad grin.
"You're a true friend, Shisui!"
Genma also nodded gratefully toward him.
Shisui waved his hand with a gentle smile.
"It's nothing."
"It's on the way anyway."
"Besides, escorting three prisoners requires extra manpower."
"I was worried you'd find it troublesome."
The four of them laughed together.
Their impression of Shisui improved even further.
Seeing how genuinely happy they were, Shisui smiled softly.
"Since there aren't any problems, let's finish preparing and head out."
"Alright!"
Without wasting any more time, the four escorted the three bound Iwagakure prisoners out of Outpost No. 8 and departed together toward the sector where Captain Inoichi Yamanaka's unit was stationed.
Two hours later.
The largest Konoha frontline base in the Land of Rice Fields gradually appeared before them.
Unlike Outpost No. 8, this was a true military base rather than a small outpost.
Guy and the others had been stationed at an outpost containing only thirty shinobi.
The place where Inoichi Yamanaka was stationed, however, was the largest frontline headquarters in the Land of Rice Fields.
Much like the Mount Kikyo headquarters, it housed the majority of Konoha's forces in the region, numbering in the thousands.
It served as the frontline's most important strategic headquarters and command center.
Fortunately, the distance between the outpost and the headquarters wasn't great.
It only required about two hours of travel.
Otherwise, providing rapid support during emergencies would have been impossible.
Unfortunately, because they had never previously received transfer orders or missions requiring them to leave, Guy and the others had never been permitted to visit.
Now that they had finally arrived...
Guy couldn't help feeling slightly nervous.
Nearly two years had passed since they graduated from the Ninja Academy and were assigned to different battlefields.
During wartime...
Two years was enough to change countless things.
"I wonder what Kurenai looks like now."
"Has she become thinner?"
"She probably couldn't have gained weight while serving on the front lines."
"How much taller has she grown?"
"When we separated, she only reached about my shoulder."
"Has her hair grown longer?"
"Are her crimson eyes still as beautiful as before?"
"Does she still become nervous so easily?"
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Guy subconsciously touched his chest.
Hidden within the innermost layer of his clothes was the letter Kurenai had written to him.
Beside it rested the gift he had specially prepared for her.
It was something he had exchanged using war merit borrowed from Ebisu and Genma before leaving the Land of Waves.
Escorting their prisoners, the four approached the headquarters.
After their identities and mission documents were carefully verified at the entrance checkpoint, they were finally permitted inside.
The atmosphere of the headquarters was completely different from that of Outpost No. 8.
People moved everywhere.
Although discipline remained strict, the camp bustled with voices, training exercises, supply transports, and the constant rhythm of military activity.
The air carried the unmistakable atmosphere of a massive wartime headquarters.
Rows of tents stretched into the distance.
Patrols marched continuously through the camp.
The medical division, training grounds, command center, and logistics area were all clearly separated.
The entire place strongly reminded Guy of the Mount Kikyo headquarters.
Not long after they entered the camp, Ebisu, who was walking behind Shisui, suddenly lit up.
Pointing excitedly toward a figure in the distance, he lowered his voice and exclaimed,
"Hey! Look over there!"
"It's that person!!"