"Shigeo, don't think that just because you got first place among the kids, you're the number one in Konoha. In life, it's better not to let your eyes grow above your head!"
One of the Uchiha men, in his thirties, glared at Shigeo, his Sharingan already active.
Several members of the Uchiha Police Force—all adults, tall and imposing—closed in on the boy barely over a meter tall. Their crimson eyes and murderous aura made it seem as if they wanted to tear him apart on the spot.
The two Takigakure shinobi at the corner of the street recoiled in fear. These were Uchiha.
It was said their Sharingan could kill without a sound, that their genjutsu could be triggered anytime, anywhere. People sometimes fell into illusions without even knowing it, suffering endless torment.
Ninjutsu required hand seals. But genjutsu didn't.
What were these men planning? Were they going to kill Shigeo?
The two Takigakure shinobi were trembling, but the boy surrounded by grown men stood calm, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips, not a trace of fear in his expression.
"Are you sure you're not mistaken? You were the ones who told me to 'get lost.' I simply asked you to show me how to do that. What's wrong with that? Are only Police Force members allowed to bark orders and throw insults, but a child can't defend himself? And besides, Fū is my friend. She's in danger, and I can't even ask about it?"
The moment Shigeo finished, the Uchiha lunged forward. "Brat, you're courting death!"
They never tolerated anyone questioning them. One reached to grab Shigeo—but this was the same man who had once tried to seize him in the street years before. He assumed the kid's sharp tongue was all he had, that he wouldn't dare resist.
He was wrong. Shigeo lashed out with a swift kick to the man's ribs, flipped, and slipped cleanly out of their encirclement.
"You dare attack us? Do you even know who we are? We're the Police Force!"
"And what of it? On what grounds are you trying to seize me? What crime have I committed?" Shigeo's brows furrowed. He could call Uchiha Itachi his friend, but he couldn't abide the behavior of certain Uchiha.
"You attacked us…" one snarled, charging again.
Shigeo vaulted onto a nearby wall, and when they tried to ensnare him with genjutsu, doubt flickered in their eyes—would illusions even work on a blind child?
Before they could answer their own question, the world twisted. All four fell into Shigeo's Mirror Illusion, a genjutsu cast without even a Sharingan.
They froze mid-motion, locked in grasping poses as their minds plunged into a nightmare of blood, cruelty, and despair, from which there was no escape.
The most merciless torture was hopelessness. Shigeo wanted them to taste that, to reflect on their arrogance.
The two Takigakure shinobi rushed forward. "What happened to them? Are they alright?"
"They'll live," Shigeo replied, shaking his head. "Now—speak. What's going on?"
"This is what happened…"
They explained: since the joint exam, Fū's condition had been unstable. Four days ago, a massive explosion shook the mountains outside Takigakure. Then the chimeric beast, the Charmed Beast, appeared, howling wildly. Fū's tailed beast erupted out of control.
The village leaders barely managed to reseal the beast into her, but since that day, her condition worsened. Then, on the day they left, Fū vanished, heading toward the Land of Earth.
Desperate, Takigakure dispatched them to Konoha to beg for help. But the Third Hokage refused their mission. Left with no options, they came to Shigeo's door.
"Alright. Let's head to Takigakure." Shigeo said simply. He had no urgent matters in Konoha, and Fū had treated him kindly from the start. For that alone, he would help.
"Thank you—thank you so much!" The two bowed deeply, relief flooding their faces.
To move faster, Shigeo took to the skies, carrying them with him as he flew north.
Within a day, they were within the Land of Waterfalls.
There, the Takigakure village head came to meet them personally.
"Little hero Shigeo, I can't believe you truly came to help us. They've explained the situation, haven't they? I can't thank you enough! I'm at my wit's end, and I…" The man flushed, words catching in his throat.
"Spit it out. What's going on?" Shigeo asked bluntly.
The elder shifted aside, and behind him stood three Grass shinobi, all wearing Kusagakure forehead protectors. They were about eighteen or nineteen.
The three crossed their arms, smirking. They had heard the stories about Shigeo and were curious to see the boy for themselves.
The Takigakure leader stammered, "I… I asked Kusagakure for aid as well. I didn't think the Hokage would allow you to come. I never imagined he'd send someone as important as you on such a dangerous mission. These Grass shinobi only arrived today."
"How about this?" one of the Kusagakure nin interrupted with a sneer. "Whoever rescues the girl gets the reward. Simple enough."
Shigeo's gaze sharpened. On their necks, he spotted the triple-fang curse marks. Orochimaru's mark. They were his pawns, cursed and bound.
"Fine," Shigeo said evenly. "Whoever saves Fū, gets the reward. Let's go."
(End of Chapter)
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