I Am Fugaku Uchiha

Despite the explosive tags being detected, the Suna troops faced minimal losses. Behind the fourth earth wall, Fugaku's shadow clones, along with himself, calmly led the clansmen through the forest, urging them to run faster.

"Run, run! I won't save you if you're too slow!" Fugaku's demeanor was composed as he aimed to minimize casualties.

Though he didn't explicitly state that he wouldn't take lives, he believed that strategic elimination could help reduce overall violence.

With thousands of pursuers hot on their heels, Fugaku recognized the urgency but had no intention of resorting to wholesale slaughter this time.

"Clan head, be careful!"

"Clan head; I'll go ahead!"

"Clan head, sorry, I'll go too."

He observed as some of his clansmen hurriedly retreated. He reminded them, "I'm just a shadow clone; why are you acting like my life is at stake?"

As the last of the clansmen disappeared into the forest, Fugaku's keen eyes caught sight of the head of a sand ninja behind the earth wall.

Sand Ninja was cautious, and Fugaku knew they had been on high alert since the first three earth wall traps.

"Don't bother, I'm alone here—no explosive tags, no trap!" Fugaku, along with his five clones, repeated the same words in unison to buy time and divert attention towards them.

As the fourth earth wall crumbled, revealing him standing nonchalantly before the advancing Suna troops, dressed in a green vest and a Konoha headband, a murmur of surprise spread through their ranks.

"Did he return?"

"When did he come back?"

"Captain, he's the Uchiha's clan head!"

The Suna troops exchanged hushed words simultaneously, with many recognizing him and recalling vivid memories. Some squad captains were already familiar with Fugaku, yet despite the recognition, they remained alert.

His relaxed demeanor suggested he cared little about their presence, even though he stood alone.

"Welcome to the last challenge. My goal is to delay you and give my subordinates a chance to retreat. So, what are you waiting for?" Fugaku declared, gesturing with his right hand, beckoning them to advance.

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On the land of the fire border, Ino-Shika-Cho and Tsunade observed as the Uchiha emerged one by one from the woods of the Land of Rivers.

Puzzlement etched their expressions as they couldn't discern the purpose behind the Uchiha clanmen wetting the forest. Shikamaru, known for his analytical mind, found himself unable to decipher the mystery.

Initially, they assumed it to be some elaborate special technique requiring many Uchiha clan members. However, with most of them having departed, leaving only a thousand to defend, they were left in the dark about Fugaku's plans.

"Tsunade-sama, isn't Fugaku-sama still back?" Nono, standing beside Tsunade, asked with concern.

She chose to confide in Tsunade, a fellow woman, rather than questioning the returning Uchiha clan members.

Tsunade cast her a peculiar look and teased, "You care about him so much?"

“What… No!” Nono blushed, trying to dismiss any romantic notions.

Tsunade observed her and queried curiously, “Do you know he has a wife?”

She couldn't help but wonder about the complexities in the young woman's mind. She knew better than to involve herself with a married man.

“Yes, I know,” Nono admitted, acknowledging Tsunade's awareness of their situation. She nodded without hesitation.

“You know, still..." Tsunade paused, realizing she might have said something insensitive. She corrected herself, “Don’t take it the wrong way. I wasn’t talking about you. I just think it's not right.”

Nono responded with a gentle smile. “To be honest, I don’t understand it myself. Even though I’ve only spent a few days with him, I feel so calm around him. I know it’s not right, but I can’t get him out of my mind. Do you know what that feels like, Tsunade-sama?”

“What?” Tsunade stared at Nono in disbelief. The situation sounded all too familiar, reminiscent of her own feelings for Dan. Was this young girl truly in love with Fugaku?

She sighed and said, “Never mind; I won’t say anything. But don’t worry, he’s not weak.”

As she spoke, Tsunade recalled Fugaku's invitation for a drink. The looming war raised concerns about his survival, but she kept those thoughts to herself.

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Deep within the forest, Uchiha Itsuki and his clansmen perched atop tall trees, their Sharingan eyes focused on the ongoing battle between their clan leader's shadow clones and the Suna troops.

"Why is the clan leader only defending and not attacking? The Suna has fewer casualties than last time." one of the clansmen exclaimed, expressing concern about the strategy being employed.

"Don't worry about that; just follow the clan leader's orders!" Another clansman reassured him, emphasizing the importance of adherence to Fugaku's directives.

As they continued to observe, one of the clansmen's expressions shifted to one of dread. "The clan leader's shadow clone has been defeated!"

"What? Let me see!" Itsuki urgently grabbed a pair of binoculars, peering through them to confirm the unsettling news.

At the same moment, Fugaku knew the moment had come, and with a knowing smile, he remarked, "Farewell, my mission is complete!"

In the middle of the forest, the Uchiha clan watched as Fugaku's four clones vanished, signaling the completion of his mission.

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