Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

At the break of dawn, beneath the soft glow of the morning light, a caravan bearing the Uchiha clan crest departed from the Land of Fields, heading toward the Land of Fire.

"Mikoto, there's no need for you to come personally for such a small matter."

Inside the carriage, Shirou gently caressed Mikoto's long black hair while she smiled and shook her head, saying:

"Shirou, there's no such thing as a small matter when it comes to you."

Meanwhile, Hyuga Hizashi had already collapsed in exhaustion inside another carriage, finally able to let go of his vigilance and fall into a deep sleep. The stress of the journey had taken its toll on him.

For the past half month, he had kept his Byakugan active almost constantly while traveling, maintaining an intense state of mental tension. This relentless pressure had left him utterly drained.

Now, with the arrival of reinforcements, he could finally rest and recover his combat strength.

Inside one of the carriages, eight young girls were curled up in the cramped space. Though it was crowded, each of their eyes shone with determination.

The despair and emptiness that had once filled their gazes were gone, replaced by resolve and the burning hatred buried deep in their hearts.

The hypnotic power of the Sharingan the previous night had not only awakened the hatred within them but had also made their hearts more fragile.

At this moment, not only was there a chance to leave a deep impression of salvation in their minds, but it was also an opportunity to strengthen their resolve.

"Mabui, Yugito… we're still together!"

In the carriage, Samui, a short-haired blonde girl, whispered with trembling lips, her eyes welling with tears.

Mabui and Yugito both nodded shakily in response. At this point, they were not yet the elite jonin they would become in the future—they were merely a group of children, full of youthful dreams, preparing to enter the ninja academy.

But before they could even begin their studies, they had already faced the darkest moment of their lives.

"Remember, from today onward, we are Lord Shirou's tools. If we want power, if we want revenge, we must obey Lord Shirou."

Mabui, the calmest among them, suppressed her trembling voice and spoke resolutely to the other two girls and their companions who shared their plight.

"We are Lord Shirou's tools, not slaves for some noble's amusement! Tools only have value under Lord Shirou's command. If we work hard and become strong, one day we'll crush our enemies beneath our feet!"

"That's right. Only by becoming powerful tools will we have the right to seek revenge!"

Inside the carriage, the eight girls who had been sold from the Kumogakure all showed expressions of determination.

As slaves, they had almost no chance of changing their fates. However, as tools of a powerful ninja, they had the opportunity to gain strength—and with it, a chance for revenge in the future.

...

Outside the Carriage

"Shirou, if you need tools, I can arrange for people to purchase or locate children with chakra cultivation potential within the Land of Fire."

In the ninja world, while those capable of cultivating chakra were rare, they were incredibly valuable resources. This scarcity was why so many rogue ninjas and bandits with only basic chakra skills roamed the land.

Looking at Mikoto's dedication to him, Shirou smiled, lightly tapping her forehead and whispering:

 "Mikoto, this is just a cover for the outside world. Among these children, three have potential worth cultivating, especially that young girl Yugito. Her physique is exceptionally unique—she has the potential to become a jinchuriki."

A jinchuriki!

 Hearing this, Mikoto's face turned serious. Her black pupils discreetly glanced at the silhouettes of the girls inside the carriage.

"A ninja with the potential to become a jinchuriki is an extraordinarily valuable resource, even among the Five Great Nations. If this is true, she could become your most formidable tool in the future."

"But… can they be trusted? At their age, they already have a strong sense of self. Should we erase their emotions or their memories?"

Mikoto's traditional mindset, focused on loyalty and single-mindedness, was evident in her words.

Shirou, however, responded with a fond smile and shook his head:

 "Mikoto, a ninja without emotions has limited potential. You must understand the essence of chakra—every strong individual, aside from their natural talent, possesses an unyielding will. Let's not waste their gifts."

Behind Shirou's calm smile lay a calculated confidence. These children had already been abandoned by their village, and their hearts filled with hatred.

Just as Sasuke's hatred toward Itachi fueled his strength, hatred could drive these girls to work tirelessly. At the same time, hatred was one of the most steadfast sources of resolve.

"The girl, Mabui—I can sense a faint spatial talent within her. Combined with her calm personality, she's also worth cultivating."

Hearing the mention of spatial talent, Mikoto couldn't hide her shock. In all of Konoha, only three individuals had mastered space-time ninjutsu, and one of them was the late Second Hokage.

She had personally witnessed Shirou's efforts to learn the Flying Thunder God technique, so she understood how rare and valuable spatial talent was.

"As for the blonde girl, Samui—her lightning chakra affinity is quite good. She might currently be the weakest of the three, but even she has the potential to become a jonin."

The potential to become a Jonin!

 The weight of those words was enough to make Mikoto take her seriously. Even if she ultimately stopped at the rank of a special jonin, it would still be a worthwhile effort.

"Understood. Since these three show promise, I'll keep them by my side and personally oversee their training."

Mikoto nodded firmly. With such potential, she would make sure to prioritize their development, keeping them close to build trust and foster loyalty.

"Thank you, Mikoto."

Shirou smiled warmly. Identifying talent, taking them in, and nurturing them—these individuals would become his most reliable assets in the future.

Mikoto, as a traditional woman of the great clans, devoted herself entirely to her husband's ambitions. Since her husband aimed to achieve great things, she would fully support him from behind the scenes.

Cultivating tools was something most powerful individuals did.

As they traveled back, the sudden cry of a Konoha messenger hawk pierced the sky, instantly changing their expressions.

"Not good! It's an emergency village summons!"

The hawk's cry echoed, its urgency shaking the group of ninjas to their core. This was the highest-level summons from the village.

Anyone receiving this order, regardless of their mission, was required to return to Konoha immediately. This type of summons was only issued in times of emergency readiness or the outbreak of war.

"Something's happened to the village!"

Hyuga Hizashi, who had been resting in the carriage, exclaimed with a grim expression. But Shirou, watching the messenger hawk in the sky, narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice:

"No… it's not just the village. Something is happening to the entire ninja world."

...

...

...

At the same time, throughout the Land of Fire, Konoha's emergency messenger hawks filled the skies. Ninjas wearing the Konoha forehead protector hurried back to the village at full speed.

Within the Land of Fire's borders, ninja divisions received urgent orders. Tensions rose as preparations for war began in earnest, and troops were rapidly mobilized.

The emergency summons from Konoha set the entire ninja world ablaze.

No one had anticipated that war would erupt so suddenly, without any warning.

The Sunagakure launched an outright assault on the Land of Rivers, declaring war on the Land of Fire. What made it even more alarming was that the Sunagakure had mobilized 5,000 ninja troops without any preliminary skirmishes.

Within the Land of Wind, the Sunagakure issued further conscription orders, preparing to send even more forces to the battlefield.

...

The Iwagakure.

"Chaos! Everything's in chaos! The entire ninja world has been thrown into disarray by the Suna's sudden actions. What the hell is going on?!"

In the Tsuchikage's office, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, slammed his desk in fury.

"What did Konoha do to provoke those sand-eating fools? The Sungakure is acting like they've gone mad! Who starts a war with 5,000 troops right out of the gate?!"

When the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, received this urgent intelligence, he was so shocked that his eyes widened, and he slammed the table in astonishment. He had envisioned many scenarios for the outbreak of the Third Shinobi World War, but never did he imagine the Suna Shinobi would act so recklessly.

"Third Tsuchikage-sama, urgent intelligence!"

At that moment, an Iwagakure ninja hurried in. Onoki's expression darkened as he waved his hand and said, "Speak!"

"The Sunagakure has declared to the Shinobi World that the Third Kazekage was assassinated by Konoha's Root ninjas. At the same time, the Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning has responded, announcing that the two great villages have formed an alliance to launch a retaliatory war against Konoha!"

The sudden declaration of war by the Sungakure had already left Onoki dumbfounded. Before he could even process this, Kumogakure joined in as well.

"Third-sama, both the Sunagakure and Kumogakure have proclaimed to the Shinobi World that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, coveted his position as Hokage to the extent that he first conspired to assassinate the Third Kazekage and then caused a tailed beast rampage and racial conflicts in Kumogakure."

Upon hearing this, Onoki was even more stunned.

"Has Konoha gone mad?!"

While Onoki was still in shock, members of the Anbu suddenly appeared, urgently reporting:

"Third-sama, both the Suna and Kumo Villages have sent urgent reports to the major villages in the Shinobi World, warning them to be on guard against Konoha..."

After reading the letters sent by the Suna and Kumo Villages, Onoki's expression shifted from initial astonishment to anger, and finally to fear. He slammed the table in frustration.

"Immediately! Launch a thorough investigation of everyone in the village. Do not give Konoha any chance to create chaos, especially regarding the jinchuriki. Deploy elite forces to protect them at once."

"At the same time, we, as Iwagakure, must denounce Konoha's despicable act of inciting war to the entire Shinobi World, particularly the selfish and ruthless actions of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. I will spread this news far and wide!"

In a fit of anger, Onoki slammed the table again. After issuing internal security precautions, his external denunciation of Konoha left many Iwagakure shinobi utterly baffled.

"Third-sama, isn't it good that the Suna and Kumo Villages are teaming up to attack Konoha? Why are you so furious?"

In the Tsuchikage's office, many elite jonin cast puzzled looks. Onoki, wiping the sweat from his forehead, threw the intelligence reports in his hand to them.

"Take a good look at what Konoha has done. Shimura Danzo! Hiruzen Sarutobi! They nearly succeeded in their plot."

By this point, Onoki was breaking out in a cold sweat.

The letters from the Sunagakure and Kumogakure detailed Konoha's various conspiracies with precision.

First, they secretly assassinated the Third Kazekage to destabilize the Sunagakure. Then they orchestrated racial conflicts and a tailed beast rampage in Kumogakure using the same methods.

"The turmoil experienced by the Suna and Kumo Villages should have plunged them into chaos and internal strife, by any reasonable standard."

After recovering from his shock, Onoki addressed the group in a grave tone, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

"You've seen the previous state of the Shinobi World. Konoha's strength is unmatched by any single village. Konoha knows this too, which is why they've been engaging in covert battles to prevent us from forming an alliance.

But the constant feuds among our four great villages have prevented such an alliance, giving Konoha an opportunity."

As he spoke, Onoki's face grew more cautious, his voice turning icy:

"Shimura Danzo truly lives up to his title as the Darkness of the Shinobi World. If it weren't for the fact that the elders of the Sunagakure, Chiyo and Ebizo, held real power and suppressed the issue, the Sunagakure would have already fallen into civil war.

And Kumogakre? The rampages of the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails would have been catastrophic precursors to internal strife in any village."

"If Kumogakure hadn't promptly allied with the Sunagakure to retaliate against Konoha by declaring war, the village would already be in chaos."

Onoki calmly analyzed the situations in the two villages, leaving no room for doubt.

"In other words, Konoha's conspiracy came dangerously close to succeeding. If the Suna and Kumo Villages had succumbed to internal strife, Konoha's strength would have easily overwhelmed Iwagakure and Kirigakure. Konoha would have initiated war and crushed us first."

At this point, Onoki, still shaken, allowed himself a cold, mocking smile.

"Konoha's plan was flawless, but they miscalculated the rage of the two great villages. Faced with imminent internal unrest and conflict, they decisively shifted the focus outward to war."

As Onoki's analysis unfolded, the Iwagakure shinobi began to understand. One calm, elite Jonin furrowed their brow and said:

"Third-sama, the Shinobi World War has begun, but Konoha's tactics may not only target Suna and Kumo Villages. Our village could be next!"

Before the jonin could finish speaking, Onoki interrupted with a cold laugh:

"Which is exactly why I immediately ordered a thorough investigation of the village. While I trust in Iwagakure's unity, Konoha has angered everyone this time!"

The plans to study Wood Release, assassinate the leaders of the Five Great Villages, and instigate tailed beast rampages were all blatant provocations to the nerves of the great villages.

If Konoha was willing to act this way against the Suna and Kumo Villages, how could the other villages be exempt from their schemes?

"But Kumogakure is truly cunning," Onoki remarked.

Looking at the intelligence reports in his hands, Onoki scoffed. "The Sunagakure has started the war, but while Kumogakure declares war publicly, they've only sent about 3,000 ninjas to the border of the Land of Hot Water."

"Though it's understandable. After all, the Sunagakure lost their Kazekage and needed an outlet for their vengeance."

The sudden outbreak of war had disrupted everyone's plans. No one had anticipated that the war would come so quickly.

"Deploy 3,000 troops to the borders. Publicly announce that we've uncovered Konoha's schemes against Iwagakure and are now on high alert."

The cunning Onoki laughed slyly, his expression full of craftiness and schadenfreude.

Since someone else had stepped forward to challenge Konoha, Iwagakure would support them, no matter who it was. Onoki even planned to fan the flames of conflict in the Shinobi World, further implicating Konoha.

He intended to make the entire Shinobi World feel as though Konoha was orchestrating a grand conspiracy against all villages, aiming to unify the Shinobi World under the Land of Fire's rule.

In doing so, Onoki skillfully plunged the Shinobi World into a haze of fear and suspicion.

The specter of Konoha's ambition loomed ominously as if the entire Shinobi World was on the verge of falling victim to Konoha's grand schemes. Every village, gripped by paranoia, would instinctively choose to unite against Konoha.

Onoki's cunning maneuvering shrouded the Shinobi World in a pervasive air of mistrust and foreboding.