The Konoha Intelligence Division was in complete disarray.
For any village, the corpses of enemy ninjas were a treasure trove of information. Through various interrogation techniques, chemical analysis, and chakra residue tracking, even a dead body could reveal secrets. However, the more skilled the enemy ninja, the more precautions they took to erase their traces before death. The corpses now piling up in Konoha's examination halls had been sterilized, sealed, or sabotaged with special jutsu to ensure minimal data leakage. Even with a large haul of bodies, the information uncovered was frustratingly sparse.
Inside the Hokage's office, a rare gathering had taken place. The Third Hokage sat with a solemn expression. Around him were Tsunade and Jiraiya, two of the Legendary Sannin, as well as representatives from the major clans. Notably, the Uchiha clan was present—though a noticeable tension lingered in the air.
Every clan in the village had been assigned an emergency task following the recent invasion threat.
Except the Uchiha.
They had refused to participate in the emergency response, disregarding the Hokage's direct orders.
Given their reaction, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, chose not to push them further. The Uchiha clan had always been a thorny issue. Their loyalty was questionable in the eyes of the higher-ups. What if they just let the entire village burn, refusing to lift a finger?
Other clans might grumble but would obey orders.
But Uchiha?
They were the only clan who just might walk away from the village and never look back.
"Third Hokage-sama," a calm voice rang out. It was Andrew, a younger shinobi but sharp and outspoken. "I've been thinking... don't you find it odd how much Cloud Shinobi Village knows about Konoha's defenses?"
The room immediately grew silent. All eyes turned toward him.
Andrew continued, "First, there was the incident with Kushina Uzumaki. They tried to abduct her as a child, nearly succeeded—and we didn't even notice until it was too late. Then there was the more recent case with the Hyuga clan. Despite being monitored by Uchiha Kamasu's squad, the suspect escaped, infiltrated the Hyuga compound, and disappeared without a trace."
The older shinobi present frowned in thought. Many of them had lived through those incidents, but had never connected the dots before. Now, Andrew's words struck a nerve.
"To have such precise knowledge of our shifting defense patterns… there must be a mole close to the center of command."
Tsunade nodded grimly, arms crossed over her chest. "I've thought the same thing. This wasn't some fluke. Someone high up is leaking intel—or worse, actively working with the enemy."
The Third Hokage's face stiffened.
He felt a familiar sensation creeping in—shame.
He had been embarrassed already when Anbu failed to detect the infiltration. Then came the blatant disregard from the Uchiha. Now, even a younger shinobi like Andrew was tearing into the long history of failures that had occurred under his watch.
Kushina's near-abduction.
The Hyuga incident.
If there really was a traitor embedded in Konoha's leadership, then everything—their losses, their humiliations—was his fault.
"I'll handle the internal investigation," the Third Hokage said heavily. "But for now, we need to prepare for a larger threat. The Cloud Village attack was only the beginning. Once word spreads that Konoha is weakened, the other Hidden Villages will act. We may have no choice but to fight."
Before he could finish, the office doors creaked open.
"Third Hokage-sama," Andrew interjected. "Regarding the Uchiha… they're no longer available for village defense."
Hiruzen blinked. "What do you mean, no longer available?"
Andrew shrugged. "At the request of the daimyo, the harbor terminal has officially begun operations. Uchiha Inabi has led most of the clan's ninja to the harbor to protect the port. Some of them have even been officially recruited by the daimyo's prefecture. What's left in the village… is barely a handful."
The Third Hokage's eyes went wide. He looked around the room and saw only four Uchiha present, including their clan head, Fugaku.
"What?! When did they move? How did we not notice such a large-scale departure?"
Fugaku remained calm and collected. "Not entirely accurate. Mikoto and young Sasuke are still in the village."
He paused.
"But yes, the rest have gone. The Uchiha clan's compound now stands mostly empty. If the village is interested in repurchasing the land, we're willing to retain a small contact post for communication purposes."
The bluntness of his statement sent a ripple through the room.
It wasn't just a physical departure.
It was a political message.
The Uchiha were done.
They no longer trusted Konoha—and perhaps never did.
"Fugaku!" the Hokage exclaimed. "This is madness. Konoha has always had room for your clan!"
Fugaku met his gaze, unflinching. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama… the people of my clan have decided. They're tired. From jōnin to civilians, none of them feel safe here anymore. I tried to stop them, but I can't fight their will."
Andrew folded his arms. "We've lived through the discrimination. The suspicion. The whispers. Maybe we were never truly welcome."
The air went cold.
That was the truth. One that no one wanted to admit, but no one could deny.
Tsunade sighed, breaking the silence. "Let it go, old man. You can't force people to stay in a place that's poisoned against them. And don't think they would've fought alongside us even if they had stayed. Uchiha's loyalty to the village died long ago."
She glanced at Andrew. His words still echoed in her mind.
"When has the village ever treated Uchiha like comrades?"
Her fists clenched.
Even she had to admit, Uchiha's decision made sense. It was Konoha that pushed them away, not the other way around.
At that moment, the door burst open again.
"Lord Hokage!" Yamanaka Inoichi's father, Yamanaka Haiichi, came running in, scroll in hand.
He was out of breath and didn't even knock.
"The intel from the corpses has been compiled. We finally found something!"
Tsunade seized the scroll before the Hokage could react. Her face darkened as she scanned the contents.
"Unbelievable," she muttered. "So that's why Anbu didn't detect the infiltration. They didn't miss it… they escorted the enemy straight into the village!"
She threw the scroll onto the table and slammed her fist beside it, cracking the wood.
The Third Hokage quickly picked up the scroll and read through it.
With every line, his heart sank.
Anbu—his most trusted department, handpicked and personally vetted—had a traitor.
Not just a minor traitor.
This Anbu had actively collaborated with the enemy, using his clearance to lead enemy ninjas around Konoha's defenses, straight toward the Hokage Tower.
A direct betrayal.
The room was silent.
It wasn't just incompetence anymore. It was treason from within.
And it made perfect sense now why Cloud Shinobi had been so confident, so well-informed, so precise.
One of their own was feeding them everything.
The Hokage's hands trembled.
Anbu—the elite of the elite—were supposed to be unbreakable.
If even they were compromised, what did that say about Konoha's strength?
What did that say about his leadership?
"This changes everything," Jiraiya muttered.
"Not just Cloud Shinobi," Tsunade said. "If we've been compromised this deeply, who knows how much intel other villages already have? Rock, Mist, even the smaller hidden villages—they could all strike next."
Jiraiya turned toward the window, eyes scanning the horizon.
"And we can't count on the Uchiha to help anymore."
The Hokage closed his eyes.
His village was fractured. His people were scared. His leadership was under question. And now, with this betrayal, he had no idea who to trust.
"Prepare a lockdown," he finally said. "Nobody leaves or enters the village without direct approval. We start a full internal sweep of Anbu. Every operative gets reviewed. No exceptions."
No one dared oppose him.
It was the only way forward.
But in the minds of everyone in that room, one unspoken truth had already rooted itself:
Konoha was no longer the unshakeable stronghold it used to be.
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