The domineering Uchiha drove the Third Hokage mad!

Chapter 538 Is there a ceasefire between Kumogakure and Iwagakure?

In the early morning, wisps of smoke rise from the kitchen chimney.

Wisps of pale gray smoke drifted slowly in the morning light, waking the sleeping camp.

The courtyard of the Uchiha Three Peaks was completely different from the bustling camp, still immersed in a lazy tranquility.

Inside the room, on the tatami mat, Coral, who had just tasted the forbidden fruit, was still deep in sleep. The entanglement between her brows had faded, and her long eyelashes drooped gently like butterfly wings, occasionally trembling slightly, as if she were having a peaceful dream.

Uchiha Mitsunori quietly got up, afraid of disturbing the person sleeping soundly on the bed.

He slowly lifted the covers from his body, and inadvertently touched Coral's warm skin, feeling its delicate and soft texture.

He subconsciously stopped what he was doing, looked down at her, and saw that her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she had been startled, so he quickly softened his movements.

But the bed still shook slightly, disturbing the light sleeper, Coral.

Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her sleepy eyes.

"Coral, go back to sleep. It's still early and the morning dew is heavy. You don't need to get up. I'll have Huiyi bring you breakfast. You can eat it when you wake up."

Coral was stunned for a moment before slowly recalling the tenderness and affection of the previous night. A faint blush instantly spread across her cheeks, and even her neck turned pink.

She nodded gently, wanting only to hide herself under the covers and avoid that heart-pounding gaze: "Okay, I understand."

Uchiha Mitsunori slowly straightened up, his eyes filled with even more tenderness.

He walked out of the room, glanced back at Coral, then gently closed the door and headed towards the courtyard.

At this moment, Uchiha Ami and Uzumaki Megumi were already waiting there.

A clean, coarse tablecloth was laid out on the stone table, with a simple yet warm breakfast laid out. Bowls of rice porridge steamed gently, and several plates of refreshing and delicious side dishes were neatly arranged, each one revealing the hard work of Huiyi Xuanwo.

"Brother Sanfeng!"

When Uchiha Ami saw him, her eyes lit up immediately. Like a cheerful little bird, she jumped up and went to greet him, reaching out to tightly grab his arm.

"You've finally come out! Huiyi and I have been waiting for you for so long. I thought you were going to forget about us again and go to do something else. I was so worried!"

Huiyi smiled gently, her eyes crinkling.

She slowly got up, picked up the celadon bowl beside her, and served a bowl of rice porridge to Uchiha Mitsumine.

She held the bowl with both hands and gently handed it to him, her voice as soft as a spring breeze across a lake: "Sanfeng, eat quickly, the rice porridge is freshly cooked, warm yourself up."

Uchiha Mitsunori reached out and took the celadon bowl. His fingers touched the warmth of the bowl's surface, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He lowered his head and took a sip of the rice porridge. It was smooth and soft, with a faint aroma of rice, and the warmth slid down his throat into his stomach.

A hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes, then he looked up at Huiyi and pointed to the green vegetables on the table: "Huiyi, bring Shanhu a breakfast later too. Make sure to give her plenty of rice porridge and a plate of her favorite green vegetables. Add less salt, as she is still weak and needs to eat something light."

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Coral slowly walked out.

She was still wearing that light blue dress, the soft fabric outlining her slender figure.

However, there was still a lingering weariness between her brows, indicating that she had not rested well last night.

Her legs trembled slightly as she walked, her steps were slow, and each step seemed to be taken with all her might.

She kept telling herself that she was an exorcist, and that she had always protected herself since she was a child. She had gone through countless storms, and even though she was sore all over, she did not want to be seen as a weak person who needed to be protected.

Coral slowly walked to the stone table: "No need to trouble Miss Huiyi. I am a demon exorcist, not a delicate ordinary person. I am often out on the road exorcising demons, and it is common for me to eat in the wind and sleep in the open. This little thing is no problem for me."

Uchiha Mitsunori watched as she tried to appear calm and strong, but couldn't hide her unsteady steps and embarrassed expression. He slightly raised the corners of his mouth and forced himself not to laugh out loud.

He didn't expose her stubbornness or her embarrassment. He simply picked up his chopsticks, took a plate of her favorite stir-fried vegetables, and gently placed it in the bowl in front of her: "Eat up, don't force yourself. I know you're strong-willed, but you have to take care of yourself."

Coral's cheeks flushed. She glanced at him quickly, then immediately lowered her head. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, concealing the panic and shyness in her eyes. Her heart was filled with a mixture of shyness and warmth, and a touch of emotion.

She picked up her chopsticks and ate her breakfast in small, gentle bites, chewing slowly and carefully. However, her fingers were still slightly clenched, and even the roots of her ears were flushed a faint pink. She seemed a little uncomfortable all over.

The atmosphere in the courtyard was both subtly ambiguous and gently warm. The tranquility seemed to temporarily erase the war and clamor on the border, leaving only this moment of peace and gentleness.

After breakfast, Uchiha Mitsunori slowly put down his chopsticks. The gentleness on his face completely disappeared, and his expression became calm and solemn. His aura also instantly became fierce, and the air around him seemed to solidify.

He knew perfectly well that the border war was not over and the intelligence gathering was urgent. He had no extra time to indulge in the gentleness of the courtyard, nor did he have the right to slack off. Protecting the base and the people around him was his responsibility.

He raised his hand and gently rubbed Ami's head, his fingers lightly caressing her soft hair. His tone softened, and he nodded to Huiyi, his tone concise and solemn: "You all stay in the courtyard for now. Don't wander around. Keep an eye on Coral and don't let her go out in the wind. If anything happens, have someone notify me, and I'll go take care of things at the camp."

After saying that, he turned around and said goodbye to Uchiha Ami, Uzumaki Megumi and Sango, and went straight to the base's conference room.

By this time, the conference room was already full of people, all of whom were core members of the base and ninjas from the intelligence squad.

Each of them had a serious expression, their backs were ramrod straight, and they each held a neatly organized intelligence scroll in their hands. The entire conference room was filled with a heavy and oppressive atmosphere, as if one could feel the urgency of the border war.

Tsunade was already seated in the chair next to the main seat, her yellow outfit clinging tightly to her figure.

She seemed to be sorting through the key information in the intelligence, analyzing the situation on the border, and silently planning the next steps.

As she saw Uchiha Mitsunori walk in, she looked up at him, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.

She felt a mix of resentment and grievance that he had dumped all the work on her; a sense of injustice that she had to shoulder everything alone; and a touch of concern for his safety while he was away. But she quickly regained her composure, nodded gently, and gestured for him to sit down, her fingers ceasing their tapping on the table.

"grown ups!"

Upon seeing Uchiha Mitsunori enter, the ninjas in the conference room all stood up.

Uchiha Mitsunori waved his hand lightly, without saying a word of unnecessary nonsense: "Sit down, everyone. Intelligence squad, give a report... on the recent war situation between Kumogakure and Iwagakure."

As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Inahime immediately stood up and reported with a serious expression: "According to Class A's intelligence, recently, the Fourth Raikage A personally led a team of dozens of elite ninjas from Kumogakure to engage in a fierce battle with the Four-Tails Jinchuriki Rōshi and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han from Iwagakure... in the Rocky Valley on the border."

"The battle was fierce. The Valley of Chaos was destroyed beyond recognition by ninjutsu. The Fourth Raikage's lightning release ninjutsu was incredibly powerful, with lightning intertwining and extremely destructive. Killer Bee's Tailed Beast Ball also caused massive damage, blasting huge craters into the ground. In the end, they successfully defeated Roshi and Han, but did not kill them. The two escaped in the chaos. The Hidden Cloud Village also suffered heavy losses, with more than ten elite ninjas killed or wounded."

"Currently, the war between Kumogakure and Iwagakure has reached a stalemate. Both sides are suffering losses and the battle is deadlocked. Neither side is willing to back down first, and neither side has the strength to completely defeat the other. They can only maintain a temporary standoff."

Immediately afterward, Uchiha Tetsuka also stood up, his tone equally serious.

The intelligence scroll in his hand was wrinkled from being flipped through so many times, showing that he had checked it repeatedly.

He bowed slightly and reported expressionlessly: "According to B-class intelligence, in recent days, Kumogakure, unwilling to accept the loss of so many ninjas, has launched three surprise attacks on Iwagakure's temporary camp. Each attack was carried out late at night, attempting to catch Iwagakure off guard while the ninjas were resting, and to destroy and burn their supplies."

"But Iwagakure was prepared, having set up traps and warning ninjutsu in advance, and arranged for ninjas to take turns on guard duty. Kumogakure's surprise attack did not achieve good results, and instead lost dozens of elite ninjas."

"Nowadays, large-scale battles between the two sides have gradually decreased, with more small-scale probing and standoffs. There are occasional sporadic clashes, but none of them have triggered large-scale battles. Both sides are secretly recuperating and accumulating strength."

After the two finished their report, they slowly bowed and sat down, still tightly gripping the intelligence scroll in their hands, their expressions still serious, their eyes fixed on the table without the slightest slackening.

A brief silence fell over the meeting room once again, the atmosphere growing increasingly heavy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

On everyone's face was a mixture of contemplation and worry, as they silently considered the situation at the border and worried about any unforeseen events that might occur.

After a moment, Tsunade leaned forward slightly and placed her hands on the table: "Mitsubin, what do you think? At this rate, how long will this war last? Our Konoha ninjas have been holding the border for too long, and their losses are huge."