As the Root ninja Otsu let out that thunderous shout, all eyes converged on the document in his hands. When they saw the official seals of the Konoha high command clearly stamped upon it, the entire group was struck by profound shock.
To let this Uchiha brat lead their ambush squad? He was only twelve, wasn't he?
Even the most gifted young ninja in Konoha, Kakashi Hatake, was currently only a Chunin, still running errands under Minato Namikaze. Yet, Ren Uchiha was now the head of an entire unit?
For a moment, the crowd stared at Ren, wondering if they were trapped in a dream. Of course, after witnessing the young man's heroic dominance on the battlefield, they held no resentment toward the decision. Even the Uchiha members, known for temperaments as stubborn as mules, didn't utter a word of protest. On the contrary, in the meat-grinder chaos of the Land of Rain, being led by such a powerhouse meant their chances of survival had increased exponentially.
Anticipation began to flicker in their eyes. They hoped the boy would accept the appointment.
Ren himself was dumbfounded. He had expected Orochimaru to let him act freely, but he never imagined the Sannin would be bold enough to hand the command of a whole unit to a twelve-year-old Chunin.
His first instinct was to refuse. Are you kidding? I don't know the first thing about commanding! Leadership wasn't a game; it wasn't about having the squad stand behind him as cheerleaders. These were living lives, comrades of the same village. If he failed in intelligence, deployment, or defense, he would be the one sending them to their graves.
He looked up to decline, but he was met with a sea of expectant gazes. Those looks were complex—filled with unease, trepidation, and fear—but more than anything, there was trust. Absolute, unshakeable trust that said: If you lead us, I know we will win.
Ren couldn't describe the feeling. Looking at the squad, a familiar quote from a woman flashed through his mind: "I never wanted to be a leader. I fight, and they follow. The weight of it... a thousand people hanging on every word you say. They are waiting for me to speak. What should I say..."
The words of refusal reached his throat, only to be swallowed back down. Yes, what should he say? Was he going to fight alone again? Faced with a powerhouse who could force Aburame Ryuma to fire a red signal, with his own chakra depleted and currently unable to even beat a stupid snake... in such a desperate disparity, every ounce of strength was precious.
Could he truly refuse this gift?
Ren fell silent. In his current state, rescuing Ryuma was an impossible task. To participate and turn the tide, he had to shoulder the lives of these men, their expectations, and their destinies. He couldn't refuse this gift if he wanted to keep fighting. But leading them into a meat-grinder conflicted with his own vision of a solitary crusade.
Wildfires flowed in the night wind. Smoke drifted under the starlight. In the center of the desolate battlefield, ninety ninjas waited with bated breath, hanging on every word their young commander would utter.
Finally, Ren opened his black eyes. He took a deep breath and, supported by Shinichi and Shisui, forced himself to stand. He raised his remaining left hand and took the document, hoisting it high!
This single gesture ignited a spark of joy in the crowd. Ren faced them, his voice deep and resonant:
"Everyone! In this Third Shinobi World War, in this operation against the Sand!"
"We were pawns! We were abandoned existences! We were the bait intended to be fed to the Sand!"
"But," Ren pointed to the ruins he had created, "if the Sand forces before us were the Dragon Gate, then we have already leaped over it and transformed into dragons! From this moment on, we are the real Surprise Attack Squad!"
He surveyed the area, his analysis sharp:
"Right now, the front lines are locked in a stalemate, the flank mission is facing failure, and the core team's fate is unknown! We have a leak within, and the situation is under the enemy's control! From without, the Sand army invades, and the ambitions of other nations are clear—they seek to invade our home!"
"This is a moment of extreme peril! The only certainty is that here, we have achieved a great victory! I finally understand the meaning of why I stand here!"
Ren's gaze turned fierce as he pointed the document toward the red smoke wavering ten miles away on the desert horizon.
"Therefore, I shall accept the command of this Konoha unit. By my hand—I will complete a true surprise attack!"
"YEAH!" The squad roared in unison. Their morale surged, and the aimlessness they felt upon learning they were bait vanished. As Ren said, they were the only ones who had won. And what was more inspiring than a boy who had suppressed three hundred men single-handedly? Even Shinichi's face flushed with excitement.
However, while the rest were swept up in the heat of the moment, Uchiha Shisui, standing to Ren's right, felt his eyelid twitch. He realized this scene felt strangely familiar. The tone... why did it feel so recognizable?
And what did Ren mean by "By my hand"? Normally, shouldn't it be "By our hands"?
Shisui looked up, sensing something was wrong. In the center of the cheering crowd, Ren watched their burning eyes and nodded with a small smile.
Then, he gripped the document tight and barked an order: "Everyone, listen up!"
The squad snapped to attention, looking up at the boy in the center. "SIR!" The shout was so loud it startled the crows circling overhead. Ren's expression became deathly serious, as if he were about to assign the most vital of tasks.
Then, he spoke with absolute gravity:
"Every member of the Konoha Surprise Attack Squad!"
"Under the leadership of Uchiha Shinichi, pack your gear and return to the Konoha Main Camp immediately!"
Ren paused. Amidst the stunned, disbelieving silence of the men who wondered if they had misheard him, he slammed his left fist over his heart.
"This mission—"
"Shall be carried out by me alone!"