Konoha.
"What did you say?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand trembled, nearly dropping his smoking pipe. He took a deep breath, clutched his chest, and stared at the Anbu before him with disbelief. "Say that again?"
Had he misheard just now?
"Advisor Danzo said that according to your orders, the entire Uchiha clan needs to be placed under control," the Anbu jonin replied, though puzzled as to why the Hokage wanted him to repeat it, he obediently complied. "But a portion of the Uchiha clan has disappeared. We haven't yet determined where they went."
Sure enough...
"..."
Hearing the Anbu's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen froze for a moment, sighed inwardly, and then...
"Tell Advisor Danzo to get his ass over here NOW!!"
He roared.
...
As for how to handle the Uchiha clan, Uzumaki Jun also felt a headache coming on.
Because this time, the alias he used wasn't Uchiha Shin...
To some extent, the Uchiha clan's current predicament was all his—ahem, that Uchiha Shin's—doing. Otherwise, the Uchiha clan could have lived peacefully in Konoha for another 20 years or so. So, if the Uchiha clan were to find out...
Uzumaki Jun estimated that this batch of Uchiha members raised in Konoha would definitely develop extreme mindsets.
After all, the Uchiha clan's tendency to feel like the whole world had wronged them at the slightest provocation was just too terrifying.
Thus, for a period of time afterward, the Uchiha clan's focus would have to be on ideological reconstruction. But right now...
The issue with Konoha needed to be handled carefully.
It was likely that Uzushiogakure wouldn't be able to keep things hidden for long. Once Konoha found out, they would definitely investigate thoroughly. They couldn't just let dozens of Uchiha members roam freely outside. What if one of them awakened the Mangekyo in the future and decided to destroy Konoha?
Take Uchiha Fugaku, for example.
Uzumaki Jun guessed that his mind was currently occupied with thoughts of revenge.
He was just restraining himself for now because he hadn't yet seen the Uchiha clan settled safely.
So...
"Since we can't hide it, we'll have to prepare for a fight with Konoha," Uzumaki Jun sighed and muttered. "The Senju clan, the Uchiha clan, the Kamizuru clan, the Chinoike clan..."
Without realizing it, Uzushiogakure had become the enemy of the entire shinobi world.
But...
Recently, he needed to give Konoha something else to worry about, to keep them too busy to focus on this. He couldn't let Konoha surrender so easily.
"Zetsu, Zetsu," Uzumaki Jun sighed, feeling melancholic. "When are you coming back?"
How long does it take to steal a bit of Hashirama's cells? Why hasn't he succeeded yet?
Could it really be...
"I've failed your mother!" Uzumaki Jun suddenly froze, putting on a sorrowful expression. "Don't worry, I'll take care of your mother for you in the future..."
However, before he could finish speaking.
"What did you say?" A black-and-white figure appeared in Uzumaki Jun's office, then pulled out a leaf-wrapped object and handed it to him. "I've gotten what you asked for."
"Nothing," Uzumaki Jun narrowed his eyes and smiled upon seeing Zetsu. "I was just saying you've contributed your part to the great cause of peace in the shinobi world."
"..."
Zetsu completely ignored Uzumaki Jun's nonsense and said flatly, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
He had decided never to come back unless absolutely necessary. If he kept messing around like this, someone would eventually notice something.
"Don't be in such a hurry," Uzumaki Jun smiled. "Remember what I told you last time?"
"Stirring up conflict in the shinobi world?" Zetsu frowned. "But Konoha has already surrendered now."
"That's exactly why I need you!" Uzumaki Jun said.
"What do you want me to do?" Zetsu frowned. "If the Uchiha clan in Konoha is wiped out, the other villages won't continue the war."
After all, the purpose of the war was to weaken Konoha's strength. With the Senju clan gone and the Uchiha clan on the verge of destruction, Konoha was already weakened enough. Pushing further would only make them fight desperately.
So, though he felt some regret, Zetsu believed he should wait for the next opportunity.
However...
Uzumaki Jun narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "For example..."
"Someone in Konoha might awaken Wood Release."
"..."
Zetsu stared at Uzumaki Jun in shock. No wonder they had hit it off the first time they met—this kid was even more ruthless than him, a millennium-old mastermind of the shinobi world!
"Are you a devil?"
And that Wood Release from last time...
Zetsu hadn't seen it with his own eyes, and he found it very strange. After all, he had examined Senju Toshiki and confirmed there was no Wood Release chakra in his body.
So, even now, he still didn't know how that Wood Release had appeared.
Because...
Unless absolutely necessary, he avoided showing up wherever this kid was.
...
"Is this where I'll be working?" Uchiha Fugaku frowned as he stood before the building labeled "Public Security Bureau" and walked inside. Yesterday, when he had asked Lord Jun what his duties would be, he had been assigned to a place that sounded just like Konoha's Military Police Force. Though it came with benefits like insurance, a pension, and weekends off when things were quiet...
He had been reluctant. After all, why had the Uchiha clan fallen to such a state?
Wasn't it because they had been too diligent in their work and made too many enemies?
But considering that the Uchiha clan had just arrived in Uzushiogakure, and Lord Jun had promised that if he wasn't happy with the job, he could resign and find another, Uchiha Fugaku had agreed.
"Let's see what it's like," Uchiha Fugaku sighed inwardly and muttered. "Maybe it's different here?"
As soon as he entered, he saw a spacious hall with over a dozen staff members in different uniforms bustling about, seemingly busy with various tasks. At the center of the hall hung a sign that read...
"Serve the People?" Uchiha Fugaku stared at the five large characters, momentarily stunned. "What does this mean?"
Just then...
A young man in a black uniform walked over and smiled. "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Ah, yes." Uchiha Fugaku snapped out of his thoughts and nodded expressionlessly. "I'm here to report for duty."
He handed over the envelope in his hand.
"A new colleague!" The young man brightened upon hearing this. "The chief mentioned you this morning. I didn't expect you to come so early."
"We've been swamped lately. It's great that they finally approved adding more staff."
"Come with me. The chief said to bring you straight to him if you arrived."
Then...
Uchiha Fugaku followed him, feeling a strange sensation in his heart.
"This place really is different."
After walking further inside the Public Security Bureau, the young man led Uchiha Fugaku to an office, knocked on the door, and said, "Chief, the person you mentioned has arrived."
After a moment...
"Come in."
A deep voice sounded from inside.
"You can go in by yourself," the young man smiled. "I still have work to do."
With that, he left.
Uchiha Fugaku frowned at the door but decided to enter and take a look. He stepped inside slowly.
Inside the office...
A middle-aged man stood with his back to Uchiha Fugaku, seemingly gazing out the window.
Sensing movement, the man spoke calmly without turning around. "Uchiha clan?"
"Yes." Uchiha Fugaku's brow twitched slightly before relaxing. He assumed Lord Jun must have informed him.
At that moment...
The middle-aged man turned around, his expressionless eyes meeting Uchiha Fugaku's.
Instantly, Uchiha Fugaku's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the man's eyes. "Th-this..."
His Mangekyo Sharingan activated involuntarily...
"Chinoike bloodline eyes!!"