Chapter 31: The First Encounter with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Looking at the grand manor before him, and then at the radar showing nothing but an empty reading, Coulson had no choice but to believe that the building in front of him possessed some kind of mysterious power that blocked both radar and satellite detection. And yet, strangely enough, the human eye could still see it clearly.
Much like America's stealth fighters—same kind of effect.
The guard had just said he'd gone to notify the clan leader, asking him to wait at the gate for a moment. The two guards at the entrance were clearly of Asian appearance—black hair, black eyes, and even dressed in attire with a faint Japanese flair.
Their clothing was clearly uniform, bearing a distinctive red-and-white insignia.
What kind of special symbol is this? Coulson silently made a mental note of it.
"The clan leader has agreed to meet you. Please follow me, and don't wander around—there may be unknown risks." The man who came was stern, leading Coulson into the manor.
Once inside, Coulson realized it was nothing like what he had imagined. The outside was a typical American manor, but within lay an Eastern-style landscape. Many children ran about, playing and laughing, the whole place radiating tranquility.
Coulson carefully observed everything. His professional instinct made him constantly aware of his surroundings, gathering intelligence as naturally as breathing.
In the distance, a child barely up to his knees, while chasing others, accidentally charged straight toward him.
"Careful!" Coulson, seeing the child about to bump into him, hurried to reach out a hand. But the child was running too fast—his forehead slammed directly into Coulson's stomach. In an instant, Coulson felt his insides turn upside down, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Uncle, are you okay? Sorry, I didn't mean it. But Uncle, how come your body is so weak?" The little culprit had the nerve to blame him for being weak. Damn brat. Kids are really unbearable sometimes.
"I'm… I'm fine…" Coulson gasped in reply. He said he was fine, but in truth, he couldn't even get up.
"Just let me rest a bit… just a bit…" Coulson thought the blow to his stomach hurt worse than anything he had suffered from hardened criminals in the past.
"Since you're fine, I'll be off then!" The brat, oblivious to Coulson's suffering, ran off to rejoin his friends, leaving him writhing on the ground alone.
Coulson couldn't bring himself to admit he was hurt. Glancing at his guide ahead, he saw the man covering his mouth, laughing. Coulson felt this group was downright sinister—humiliating him like this.
"My apologies, Clan Leader. The guest was injured on the way, which is why we're late." Finally, Coulson came face-to-face with the leader of this faction—Uchiha Akira.
Seeing the young boy sitting before him, Coulson was taken aback. No wonder—Akira was simply too young. Asian faces tended to look younger as it was, and given Akira's actual age, he looked excessively young.
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. Here are my credentials." Coulson put on his signature smile.
"Hello, I'm Uchiha Akira. As you can see, I'm the head of the Uchiha clan. By the way, the name of your organization is far too long. I'm sure I'm not the first one to point that out."
"Besides, I don't recall us ever dealing with your department. And if I remember correctly, when you passed along your message just now, you claimed to be with the FBI."
As a reincarnator, Akira knew exactly what kind of organization S.H.I.E.L.D. was. But he had no intention of exposing that knowledge. Knowing the plot was a massive advantage, and until he had absolute superiority, he would conceal himself as much as possible.
"We're a highly classified division. When carrying out missions, we often act under the guise of the FBI. But this time, to show sincerity, we're revealing our true identity."
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division? Very well, Coulson. Tell me why you've come. As we say in the East, one doesn't visit the temple without reason. So please, state your purpose directly."
"Of course, Mr. Uchiha. Our mission at S.H.I.E.L.D. is to protect ordinary people worldwide. Whenever abnormal or extraordinary forces appear, we minimize their negative impact and keep these secrets from spreading. This time, we came mainly to investigate one matter—whether the force that aided Xavier's school was yours."
Coulson's self-important explanation made Akira laugh inwardly. After all, it was S.H.I.E.L.D.—sure, they protected ordinary people. As for the extraordinary? They either ended up as Hydra pawns or as corpses.
"Yes, it was I who led my men to help. After all, Charles and his people are our neighbors, aren't they? And if I recall correctly, in that operation, we neither harmed ordinary civilians nor obstructed law enforcement. So, Coulson, are you here to accuse us of something?"
Akira's counter-question caught Coulson off guard. He hadn't expected him to admit it outright. He thought there would be pushback, but instead the other party appeared so "frank."
And yet, despite that apparent frankness, Akira wasn't cooperating on any other level. Aside from admitting the deed itself, he offered nothing. Coulson realized he'd hit a wall here.
"That's not my intention. I certainly didn't come to lay blame—otherwise I wouldn't have come alone." Coulson's trademark smile radiated trustworthiness.
"Oh? Then those men lurking outside aren't your people? In that case, I won't hold back. After all, under the American Castle Doctrine, this whole area counts as my private property—I have every right to retaliate."
Akira spoke gently, but to Coulson's ears it was thunder.
"You jest, Clan Leader. Those are simply personnel assigned to another mission. We didn't expect you to notice them so quickly." Being caught was embarrassing, but Coulson's skin was thick. The boy before him didn't look vicious, but who could say for sure?
"Oh, never mind then. I thought they were some random intruders." Akira looked at Coulson's embarrassed face and nearly chuckled.
For now, Akira had no desire for deeper contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. In this era, before Iron Man was even born, mysterious powers hadn't yet been exposed to the public.
If he got too entangled with S.H.I.E.L.D. now, Hydra's infiltration would expose them sooner or later. What the Uchiha needed most was time to grow stronger.
"Would the Uchiha Clan Leader be open to establishing cooperation with us? With our resources spanning the American continent, we could offer your people support. And for extraordinary individuals such as yourselves, we'd never expect you to contribute without reward…"
"Sorry. At present, I have no such plans." Akira flatly rejected Coulson's proposal.
"Is there some concern holding you back, Clan Leader?" Coulson hadn't expected the other party to refuse outright.
"I won't rule out the possibility of cooperation in the future. But for now, we have no intention of exposing ourselves to ordinary society. Let's just say… the time hasn't come yet."
In truth, it wasn't even about exposure. Akira simply didn't want to get entangled with S.H.I.E.L.D. too soon.