Chapter 426: That's Called Reputation!
"I'm being framed!"
Seeing his father's expression grow increasingly strange, Yasushi's face turned green with panic. He immediately started protesting his innocence.
"This definitely has nothing to do with me!"
"I'm just a little kid. What value could I possibly have?"
"Someone must want to kidnap me to threaten you, Dad!"
Takeshi awkwardly scratched his nose. He knew that before awakening his Sharingan, he'd been just an ordinary genin, probably not worth "threatening" anyone over.
But in front of his son, he really couldn't bring himself to admit he used to be a washout nobody cared about.
Seeing no one believed him, Yasushi gritted his teeth and slapped his thigh.
"I've got it! This must be Danzo's doing!"
"He's crying thief while being the thief himself. His goal is to frame the Uchiha!"
"The assassins who attacked us before might not have been from another village at all. They could have been Root operatives!"
"Danzo? Root?" Fugaku's eyes widened in alarm, his expression immediately turning serious.
A person's reputation precedes them like a tree's shadow. Danzo's notorious title "Darkness of the Shinobi World" wasn't just known to outsiders—villagers were well aware of it too.
It was just that out of respect for the Hokage, everyone pretended ignorance, acting as if this person didn't exist in the village.
The Uchiha clan was especially familiar with Danzo.
While the Second and Third Hokage were wary of the Uchiha, at least their methods followed certain rules and maintained appearances.
Their public actions were relatively fair—punishment when deserved, rewards when earned, never stingy with either.
But Danzo operated completely differently. He might as well have had the word "hatred" tattooed on his forehead.
Who knew if the Uchiha ancestors had desecrated his family graves or something, given his hostility toward them.
For the Uchiha, that name itself represented ruthlessness, enmity, and darkness.
As clan leader, Fugaku knew many things Takeshi and Yasushi didn't, including numerous past frictions and "accidental losses" between the two sides.
So when Danzo's name entered his ears, Fugaku's guard immediately went up.
He rapidly reviewed the assassination incident in his mind, and suddenly realized that if you placed Danzo as the mastermind behind it all, every inconsistency made perfect sense.
Why didn't the assassins immediately self-destruct, but instead first tried to kill Uchiha Takeshi and Yasushi?
Why did such a dramatic assassination end so anticlimactically—lots of noise but no actual child casualties?
Why did the village want to send ANBU into clan territory for "protective surveillance" of Takeshi after the incident?
Both groups wore masks to hide their identities. Who could say whether the ninja who entered would actually be ANBU or Root operatives?
If he hadn't firmly opposed it and proposed an alternative, would Danzo have succeeded?
When Fugaku reexamined the entire incident through the lens of "Danzo conspiracy theory," many suspicious points suddenly had "reasonable" explanations.
The assassination was fake. Creating a pretext for "Root" to infiltrate and monitor the Uchiha under the guise of "ANBU" was the real goal.
That outsider Arato might be a "variable" Danzo deliberately introduced for some purpose. If so, this matter definitely wasn't over yet. There would certainly be follow-up moves.
The more Fugaku thought about it, the more frightened he became. His heart grew increasingly cold.
He rubbed his face hard with his palm and said gravely:
"This matter ends here."
"Let's align our story. If the village asks, the Military Police Force discovered a suspicious individual."
"Everything is unrelated to Yasushi."
"If this is Danzo's doing, he definitely won't let it go so easily."
"That suspicious person called Arato specifically approaching Yasushi to gather information couldn't be coincidence. Most likely he's trying to flush out our response, or has some follow-up plan."
"Even if we don't report this information, he'll steer things in that direction anyway."
"Next, we just need to watch how this develops. That will tell us whether Danzo is involved or not."
Takeshi's expression became solemn. Understanding Fugaku's intent and the risk he was taking on, he immediately bowed formally in gratitude.
"Thank you, Clan Leader."
Only Yasushi felt somewhat unconvinced by this conclusion.
Personally, he believed the two incidents were probably unrelated.
The former might be Danzo's doing, or it might be Hidden Sand Village. As for the latter, he couldn't say for sure, but the masterminds behind both were definitely not the same person.
But unable to share intelligence about "Kara Organization," he could only nod in agreement.
As long as they started taking this seriously, that was enough. The actual truth wasn't as important.
Safety came first.
Fugaku continued:
"I'll quietly tip off Minato-san about this, have him pay extra attention to Obito's situation."
"Once that person goes looking for Obito, he won't escape Minato's capture. Then everything will become clear."
"If this person is connected to Danzo, and Obito is also Uchiha, ultimately..."
He stopped halfway through, but everyone understood the implication. He'd made up his mind to use Obito as bait.
Though both were Uchiha, one's father was a Three-Tomoe Sharingan expert and he himself had already awakened one tomoe, while the other was just an orphan who still hadn't awakened his eyes. The scale didn't need any consideration to know which way it would tip.
Yasushi felt no guilt whatsoever about using Obito as bait.
They had no relationship anyway, and after this guy turned evil in the future, he wouldn't be any good either.
If Obito died now, maybe the ninja world could actually enjoy a period of peace!
After Fugaku and Takeshi finished discussing, Takeshi took Yasushi home.
On the way back, Takeshi quietly instructed his son.
"Yasushi, remember—don't act alone from now on, not even inside the village."
"At school, stay with your teacher. After school, return with the older clan members."
Having experienced life-and-death crisis and a new potential threat, Takeshi became extremely sensitive and cautious about his son's safety.
Yasushi certainly didn't want to personally test just how ruthless Danzo could be, and even less did he want to become the catalyst for his father's Mangekyo Sharingan awakening. He quickly nodded agreement.
"I understand, Dad."
In the night, father and son's figures walked close together toward home.
Konoha's lights gradually lit up behind them, but beneath this seemingly peaceful evening, many uneasy undercurrents lurked invisibly.
Meanwhile, in Hidden Sand Village, the Third Kazekage finally received the intelligence he'd been waiting for.
"According to information from the front, Hanzo the Salamander set a trap and destroyed the Akatsuki organization. Leader Yahiko was killed on the spot."
"Our people's 'rescue' came too late. We only managed to save Konan."
"Konan has now been sent to meet with Nagato."
Pakura's report was concise and cold.
The tragedy in the Land of Rain had played out as scheduled, reduced to just a few ordinary sentences in her account.
Hearing the report, the Kazekage's face lit up with joy. He couldn't help laughing aloud.
"Hahaha..."
"Excellent!"
"Absolutely excellent!"
"Shimura Danzo's efficiency is truly impressive!"
"Our careful planning wasn't wasted."
After laughing for a while, he looked down and asked:
"Did you obtain evidence of Konoha's involvement?"
"My sincerest apologies, Kazekage-sama." Pakura bowed her head guiltily. "Danzo was too cautious in his methods. I couldn't catch them in the act."
"I see..." The Kazekage sighed regretfully, thought for a moment, then waved his hand. "Forget it. No evidence, no evidence then!"
"Nagato trusts us quite thoroughly now anyway. We'll just say the information came from our spy in Konoha Village. He has no reason to disbelieve us."
"Understood." Pakura immediately grasped the Kazekage's meaning. "I'll create flawless intelligence documentation to ensure Nagato learns the complete story behind this incident."
"Good, very good." The Kazekage nodded with satisfaction, then asked: "What about the Konoha Village situation? Still no progress?"
"No progress whatsoever."
The Kazekage's brow furrowed slightly, his tone showing some displeasure:
"This matter is important. Even if we have to pay a higher price, it's worth it. Don't be stingy with sacrificing operatives."
Pakura quickly explained:
"It's not that I'm being soft-hearted. That Uchiha Yasushi suddenly took Uzumaki Kushina as his teacher and became the Nine-Tails jinchuriki's student."
"The jinchuriki is under constant ANBU surveillance. Our people find it extremely difficult just to get close."
"Moreover, he's just a six-year-old child with no nightlife. His daily routine is either training beside Kushina or playing within the Uchiha clan compound."
"Our operatives in Konoha Village simply can't find an opportunity!"
"I see!" The Kazekage's eyes gleamed. He lowered his head in thought for a long while, then suddenly smiled broadly.
"Looks like we'll need to make use of Shimura Danzo again!"
"I'll write a letter now. Send someone to secretly deliver it to Shimura Danzo. Don't let Sarutobi Hiruzen know."
Once again, he turned his attention to that "cooperative partner" inside Konoha.
Since his own people couldn't act, he'd borrow someone else's blade. Using Danzo's hostility toward the Uchiha and his influence within Konoha, they could still achieve their objective.
"Understood." Pakura didn't ask questions. She simply watched the Kazekage finish writing and seal the letter, then took it and departed.
Watching Pakura's retreating figure, the Kazekage's face showed a fox-like smile.
"Danzo, don't disappoint me!"
Over the following days, Yasushi remained extremely careful and cautious. His daily routine followed two points and one line—either beside Kushina or inside his clan compound. He went nowhere else.
But everything that had happened before seemed like an illusion. Suddenly everything became calm and peaceful.
Arato vanished like vapor, and Danzo's side showed no activity either.
The anticipated follow-up tracking, probing, or attacks never materialized. No one came looking for trouble with him at all.
Not only did he have no trouble, even that idiot Obito had no trouble.
That guy cheerfully ran all over the village every day, sometimes helping old ladies with chores, sometimes carrying things for old men, practicing his version of the "Will of Fire" in his own way. No matter how you looked at it, he was an innocent, kind-hearted good kid.
If not for knowing he'd already been marked by Madara and Black Zetsu with his fate sealed, Yasushi might have had trouble avoiding becoming friends with someone like him.
I can be a bad person, but I hope all my friends are purely good people.
This day, after another training session ended, Kushina announced dismissal and left first.
Just as Yasushi was about to leave, Jun suddenly called out to him.
"Um..."
Jun acted completely unlike her usual straightforward self. Her small face flushed red, head lowered, gaze fixed on her fidgeting toes, appearing especially awkward and shy.
"You've been really helpful these past few days. I'd like to invite you to my house for dinner."
She clearly wasn't good at this kind of social invitation. Her words came out somewhat stiff.
"Huh?" Yasushi blinked in surprise.
These past days, Yasushi had been diligently practicing the Three Basic Jutsu. He could now perform these three fundamental techniques at will and was currently attempting various situational combinations under Kushina's guidance.
Jun and Yugao were earnestly studying introductory sealing technique theory and memorization.
All three studied their own things. Their only interaction came during breaks and lunch. What "help" was she talking about?
If there was any "help," it was at most Yasushi frequently telling jokes to make the beautiful older sister happy, incidentally making the two little girls laugh too.
But seeing Jun's awkward manner, Yasushi immediately understood. This wasn't the little girl inviting him—it was the adults behind her wanting to help their daughter build closer relationships with her teammates.
Understanding this, Yasushi's face immediately broke into a cute smile.
"Ah, that sounds great!"
"I've been craving Auntie Inuzuka's sweet dumplings ever since I tasted them last time. Perfect chance to satisfy that craving at your house today."
Seeing Yasushi readily agree, Jun visibly relaxed, her face showing a happy smile. She ran off to invite Yugao as well.
Yasushi first sent word home, arranging for his father to pick him up later, then the three of them held hands and headed together to the Inuzuka clan compound.
The Inuzuka compound wasn't as large as the Uchiha compound, nor did it have as many people.
Originally, Yasushi had expected to see dogs running wild all over the place upon entering!
But reality differed from imagination. The Inuzuka compound was clean and orderly, houses neatly arranged, no different from his own clan grounds.
Seeming to sense Yasushi's confusion, Jun quietly explained:
"Training and raising dogs requires lots of space, so we don't keep them in the village. They're housed separately outside."
"The ninja dogs in the clan compound are all fully trained. They generally live in individual homes as family members and don't run around freely."
"Oh." Yasushi nodded. Seeing Inuzuka clan members walking between houses all accompanied by dogs, he couldn't help turning to Jun and asking curiously: "By the way, where's your ninja dog?"
"Come to think of it, since we've known each other, I've never seen a ninja dog around you."
"Don't Inuzuka clan ninja dogs get selected to accompany children from birth?"
At this question, Jun's eyes immediately reddened. Her face showed an expression of distress as she turned her head sharply to the side, her reaction extremely intense.
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Chapter 427: The Uchiha Plan a Rebellion
Oh no!
Could Jun's ninja dog have died?
Yasushi's heart lurched. Terrified the little girl might burst into tears, he didn't dare continue questioning. He quickly forced an awkward laugh and changed the subject.
After much coaxing and cajoling, they finally reached Jun's home safely. Auntie Inuzuka was waiting at the door to greet them.
Only then did Yasushi breathe a sigh of relief. Babysitting was truly exhausting work.
Navigating around an emotionally sensitive little girl left even this "fake child" feeling worn out.
He quickly hurried forward, spreading his arms to throw himself into Jun's mother's embrace, his face the picture of innocent adorability.
"Oh, Auntie Inuzuka, sorry for the intrusion. I hope we're not being too much of a bother."
Jun's mother smiled and opened her arms, returning Yasushi's hug and greeting warmly.
"Don't be silly! I'd be delighted if you came by more often!"
"Jun's father is away on a mission. You should feel free to visit whenever you have time. Keep me company and chat."
After speaking, she also gave Yugao a hug before warmly inviting them inside.
Yasushi's gaze swept through the room, and he noticed something unexpected: there were no traces of pet habitation whatsoever.
No dog bed, no dog toys, no food bowls. Not even stray dog hair in the corners.
This was definitely abnormal!
This was an Inuzuka household. How could there be no signs of dogs living here?
A thread of suspicion rose in Yasushi's mind.
But he knew little about Inuzuka clan matters. Perhaps he was just being ignorant—maybe the dogs had separate living quarters. So he didn't feel comfortable asking more.
Jun's mother had already prepared the meal. Seeing the three arrive, she immediately brought everything out.
The food was abundant, Jun's mother was enthusiastic, so Yasushi ate to his heart's content, pushing his doubts to the back of his mind.
After they'd eaten their fill, Jun's mother served tea and brought out various games and board sets, letting the three play freely.
Not until Takeshi arrived did the three reluctantly finish up.
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Takeshi took Yasushi's hand and bowed politely to Jun's mother.
Jun's mother smiled and returned the courtesy:
"Such an adorable child as Yasushi could never be a bother."
"Actually, there's something I'd like to ask of you, Takeshi-san. I hope I'm not being too forward?"
Takeshi blinked in surprise and quickly replied courteously:
"Please, go ahead."
Jun's mother glanced at Jun, her face showing complex emotions, but she ultimately spoke with determination:
"You may have already noticed, Takeshi-san, that our home is different from other families. There are no traces of ninja dogs living here."
"You see, Jun is... special."
"She's allergic to dog fur."
When Jun's mother spoke these words, her eyes filled with a mother's helplessness and heartache.
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment. Everyone understood the heavy weight behind those simple words.
In a clan whose power centered on ninja dogs, where bonds with ninja dogs were a source of pride, a child allergic to dog fur had essentially lost all possibility of learning the family's secret techniques.
Even making friends with clan members would be nearly impossible.
After all, other Inuzuka children couldn't abandon their ninja dog partners while playing. The one who'd inevitably be isolated would be her, the "aberration."
Having this fact laid bare, Jun's face immediately flushed with shame and embarrassment.
Her face burning red, feet fidgeting anxiously against the floor, she felt like a freak.
Only now did Yasushi understand why Jun, despite being an Inuzuka, had no ninja dog companion and had made the exceptional choice to study under an outsider, insisting on learning conventional jutsu. The root cause lay here!
He sighed quietly and interjected with a question:
"What about medical ninja? Can't they help?"
"We've already tried, but this kind of allergy is a congenital immune issue, not an external injury. Medical ninjutsu can't treat it."
"I see."
Yasushi scratched his head. He had no solution either.
Even modern medicine had no good options for this kind of allergy. The only method was isolating the allergen—medication was ineffective.
Especially for congenital conditions, which were mostly genetic defects. Unless you could perform bloodline fusion like Hiruko, they were nearly incurable.
Hiruko?
A thought suddenly stirred in Yasushi's mind. Vague ideas seemed to be forming.
But Hiruko hadn't yet developed his "Chimera Technique." Yasushi couldn't "spoil" things ahead of time, so he had to let it go for now, filing the matter away mentally.
Takeshi also looked at Jun with sympathetic eyes and asked seriously:
"So, what is it you need me to do?"
Jun's mother sighed and continued:
"To overcome her physical limitations and become a qualified ninja, Jun has trained hard in conventional jutsu since childhood. She hasn't had any friends."
"Since being together with Yasushi and the others, I've finally seen more smiles on her face."
"But you understand—within our clan compound, if you want to avoid dog fur, your only option is to stay locked inside your house."
"How can a child be cooped up at home all the time?"
"So I was hoping that after training, Jun could often go play with Yasushi."
"If it gets too late, she could even stay at your place. I trust a good child like Yasushi completely."
"Ah, I see. That's no problem at all." After hearing this, Takeshi immediately agreed readily.
He'd always liked children anyway. After hearing Jun's mother's explanation, he felt great sympathy for Jun and certainly didn't mind providing this small convenience.
"Oh, thank you so much!"
Jun's mother was overjoyed, quickly pulling Jun to bow in thanks to Takeshi.
Jun kept her head deeply lowered, gaze fixed on her shoes, her thanks barely audible like a mosquito's buzz.
Takeshi assumed the child was just shy and didn't think much of it. After returning the bow, he took Yasushi and Yugao and departed.
After their figures disappeared into the night, Jun's mother slowly closed the door.
The door hinges creaked softly, blocking out the starlight and warmth from outside. The bright interior lights now seemed pallid and cold.
When she turned around, not a trace of kindness remained on her face.
That face which moments ago had radiated warmth and maternal love now wore an expressionless mask, eyes sharp as blades, devoid of any warmth.
She raised her hand. Crack. A slap landed heavily on Jun's face, directly knocking the little girl to the ground.
Jun's left cheek swelled visibly red.
"Your performance just now was inadequate!"
"Infiltrating the Uchiha compound is something you as a child should have proposed, not me as the adult. That would have been far more natural."
"So what were you hesitating about at the critical moment?"
"Hmm?"
"Have you forgotten your mission?"
"You're supposed to win that Uchiha's favor, make him trust you, grow close to you!"
"Don't tell me you actually think those two brats are your friends?"
"Guess what their attitude toward you would be if they knew your true identity?"
"Tools should act like tools!"
"Understand?"
The icy words lashed down like whips, each question sharper than the last, completely shredding any pretense of warmth.
"I... I understand." Jun lay on the ground, one hand covering her face, biting her lip hard. Her voice trembled with tears. Her eyes brimmed with moisture, which only made Jun's mother angrier.
"Stop crying! Hold those tears back!"
"Remember this clearly: since we joined Root, we must follow Danzo-sama's orders as our highest principle. We don't need superfluous personal emotions."
"Whether love or hate, whether joy or sorrow... you cannot have any of them!"
"You must smile!"
"Smile at all times!"
"A smile is the best tool for lowering others' guard. You must wear a smile on your face constantly!"
"Yes, Mother." Jun slowly climbed up from the floor. Her lips twitched several times before her face once again displayed that "cheerful smile" trained into her countless times until it became instinct—sweet and adorable.
The next day, after training ended, Yasushi brought both little girls back to the clan compound together.
After all, might as well look after two as one. No sense playing favorites!
So many conflicts arise from treating people unequally!
Yasushi's only regret was that his two teammates weren't sexy mature big sisters, but rather little girls he could look at but not touch.
Ah well, think of it as a raising simulation game!
Yasushi sighed internally, engaging in self-deprecating humor as he converted his unrealistic fantasies into the psychological comfort of a "character development game."
After all, little girls were potential stocks. They'd eventually grow from small caps to blue-chip status!
Yasushi's mother had known guests were coming today and had prepared enthusiastically. Seeing them arrive, she immediately came over with a beaming smile.
"Come in, come in! Auntie prepared fresh fruit for you!"
"Thank you, Auntie."
The two little girls stood side by side, bowing politely. Delicate and adorable, they made Yasushi's mother beam with delight and envy.
"Oh my, such cute little girls!"
"My Yasushi is like a wild monkey, running around everywhere all day, never staying still. Gives me so much worry."
"I've always wanted to have a daughter. Now two have come at once—my wish finally came true."
"You must visit often from now on. Auntie will make delicious things for you."
Yasushi's mother made no effort to hide her longing for daughters and her affection for the two well-behaved girls. Her words brimmed with maternal tenderness.
The two little girls were also quite good at charming people, surrounding Yasushi's mother with constant chatter, making her forget she even had a son nearby.
Yasushi paid no attention to his mother's fickleness. He grabbed a handheld gaming device and started playing a ninja fighting game, immersing himself in his own world.
Once he settled down, his mother became displeased again.
Yasushi's mother shot her son a glare and scolded in a low voice:
"You child! Don't you know to look after your little friends? All you do is sit there absorbed in your game."
"Is that game really so entertaining?"
"Hurry up and show the girls around the compound. Let them have fun. After that, come back for dinner."
Yasushi sighed and stood up with resignation.
His mother was exhibiting classic parental mentality: complaining when kids were too rowdy, complaining when they were too quiet, saying they didn't know how to be good hosts and entertain guests.
Of course, she might also be creating opportunities for her foolish son to charm potential girlfriends.
Don't think six is too young. In the ninja world, six-year-olds already knew how to compete for attention and get jealous.
Boys became simps. Like Obito.
Girls became fangirls. Like Sakura.
This was the standard "helping your child win at the starting line" mentality!
Yasushi internally complained about this precocious world's bizarre courtship culture and his mother's possible "long-term planning."
Left with no choice, he put down his gaming device and resumed his "childcare" career.
The three left the house and began "strolling the streets" within the compound.
The Uchiha were Konoha's premier clan and the ninja world's most prominent family. Their territory was certainly spacious, with plenty of children around the right age.
It was now evening. Many Uchiha children were gathered in small groups playing various ninja games.
Seeing Yasushi approach with two pretty unfamiliar girls, quite a few playmates jumped up waving.
"Yasushi, come play with us!"
See that?
Like moths to a flame!
Though they were all just kids, the desire to show off in front of pretty girls was already quite strong!
However, Yasushi had no such desire to perform.
Before awakening his "past life memories," he'd indeed run around like any normal kid, playing ninja games with clan children.
But now that he'd awakened, asking him to play those childish games like a real kid again—he couldn't get past that psychological barrier.
"Haha, you guys play by yourselves. I've got friends here, so I'll pass."
He instinctively wanted to refuse, but just as the words left his mouth, his peripheral vision caught Jun's hopeful expression. He suddenly remembered that Jun had been excluded by clan playmates since childhood and had never experienced these games.
His thoughts shifted instantly, and he immediately changed his tune:
"But just because I won't play with you doesn't mean you can't play with us!"
"How about it? Want to join us?"
The kids were happy as long as they had something to play. They didn't care what it was. They immediately ran over asking to join.
With more people, things would be livelier. Yasushi simply accepted everyone, gathering a whole group of children before asking Jun beside him:
"Jun, what would you like to play?"
"I..." Jun wasn't stupid. She immediately understood Yasushi's intent, and her heart warmed. But thinking of her mission, her heart immediately cooled halfway again.
After hesitating, she ultimately couldn't escape the shackles of her assignment, so she lowered her head:
"Then let's... let's play hide and seek!"
"You all hide, and I'll search."
"Alright, hide and seek it is!"
Yasushi was quite satisfied with this game too. Easy—he wouldn't have to personally participate.
Jun turned her back, and the group of children scattered in all directions.
Yasushi casually found a spot to lie down, used Transformation Jutsu, and started slacking off.
After estimating everyone had hidden themselves, Jun turned around and began searching with apparent effort.
Though she couldn't learn the secret techniques for combined combat with ninja dogs, she could still use ordinary family techniques.
If she used secret techniques to enhance her sense of smell, she could easily find all these children.
But her true purpose lay elsewhere, so she used the most basic method, running around everywhere to search bit by bit.
In this process, she could "accidentally stumble into" places she normally had no reason to approach.
And as a child playing hide and seek, even if adults didn't let her in, they wouldn't scold her.
Innocence and ignorance were the best camouflage.
Originally, Jun had only planned to familiarize herself with the terrain and environment today, not expecting to gather any classified intelligence. But she couldn't help that some people talked too much, sending their voices straight to her ears during casual conversations.
"...Do you think Takeshi-sama will choose the radical faction or the conservative faction?"
"Hmph, what 'Takeshi-sama'? He's just a lucky guy, nothing more!"
Within their own clan compound, those adult Uchiha didn't deliberately lower their voices while chatting. Naturally, they had no idea the little girl passing by in the distance had heard their entire conversation crystal clear.
Danzo had chosen her for this infiltration mission partly because of the Inuzuka clan's keen hearing.
Attracted by the familiar name "Takeshi," Jun immediately slowed her pace, circling around nearby bushes and behind large trees, putting on a show of earnestly searching for people.
She heard the group continue their gossip:
"...Before awakening his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he was extremely afraid of death. He always wore steel plates, terrified of assassination."
"I also heard that he actually had Three-Tomoe Sharingan all along but didn't want to contribute to the clan, so he kept it hidden and only operated as a genin."
"You think a Three-Tomoe Sharingan expert taking genin missions would face any danger?"
"He survived the battlefield using these underhanded methods. Didn't expect that incident at the academy to expose him."
"You think someone like that would dare stand up against the village?"
"Hmph, utterly shameless!"
"My brother died on the battlefield, so I especially can't stand cowards like him."
"I suspect he's not the only one in the clan secretly hiding their strength."
"It's because we have too many wastes like this that the Uchiha can't get the respect we deserve in the village!"
"We can't continue like this!"
"We need to do something to show those people in the village that the Uchiha are not to be trifled with!"
"Let me tell you, the Great Elder is extremely dissatisfied with the Clan Leader's weak performance lately. He plans to lead the radical faction in impeaching the Clan Leader at this weekend evening's clan meeting."
"Once we replace this weak Clan Leader with a strong one, we can openly protest to the village. Make them take our demands seriously..."
The group's voices grew louder, more impassioned, the content more explosive. It seemed if she kept listening, they might be on the verge of open rebellion. Jun's heart pounded, her expression growing tense.
The Uchiha clan was planning a rebellion!
She wanted to keep listening, but while wandering around randomly, she actually found a child hiding in the bushes.
This was... awkward.
"Wow, big sister, you're so good! I hid here and you still found me!"
The child scratched the back of his head, grinning as stupidly as Obito.
"Hehe..." Jun forced a dry laugh, wanting to send him away. "You've been caught, so go back and wait. I still need to find the others."
"Oh, I'll just follow you then. I've got nothing else to do anyway."
The little brat followed Jun like a shadow, grinning foolishly, clearly up to no good. Yet Jun had no way to deal with him.
With this kid tagging along, she couldn't continue gathering intelligence. She had no choice but to speed up, find everyone else, and end the game.
After the game finished, she ate dinner at Yasushi's house, then said goodbye and returned home.
After much hesitation, she ultimately didn't dare conceal such major information. She reported the intelligence to her mother in complete detail.
"Well done, Jun. This is exactly what you should do!"
"Remember to make more trips there in the future. Gather more intelligence."
Jun's mother took the intelligence and left home excitedly. Before long, this report appeared on Danzo's desk.
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Chapter 428: Madara's Attention
"Tap... tap... tap..."
Crisp footsteps echoed through the cave, especially clear in the vast underground space.
Sasori and Zetsu's figures appeared one after the other in the cave's depths.
Under the dim torchlight flickering on both walls, their shadows stretched and twisted, writhing across the rough rock face like lurking malice, making the atmosphere particularly oppressive.
"This is your base? Pretty shabby."
Sasori was covered in blood but remained expressionless, his face showing complete indifference.
"You're telling me!"
The White Zetsu leading the way seemed completely oblivious to the contempt in Sasori's words, chattering away like a chatterbox.
"With our current strength, we could easily operate in broad daylight and control several nations."
"Then I could go around asking everyone what it feels like to take a dump."
"Why hide in the shadows like vermin in a gutter, never even seeing the sun?"
"But Madara-sama's most crucial..."
"Shut up, you idiot!" The Black Zetsu sharing his body snapped, furiously interrupting. "Stop carelessly leaking intelligence!"
"Huh? Did I leak something?" White Zetsu looked utterly clueless, lacking any self-awareness. "Was it the intelligence about wanting to know what taking a dump feels like?"
"Nobody cares about that nonsense! I'm talking about... things related to Madara-sama's plan!"
"Oh, I see!" After Black Zetsu's scolding, White Zetsu actually stayed quiet for a while, but soon started blabbing again.
"The White Zetsu sent to lure Sand Village's pursuers got killed. That old hag Chiyo definitely knows about our existence now."
"A creature that can perfectly disguise itself as another person, with identical chakra signature and even body scent—that should be worth noting for any ninja, right?"
"It doesn't matter." Black Zetsu replied calmly. "With just one White Zetsu corpse, they'll assume it's a ninja with a special bloodline limit. They won't think too deeply about it."
"In the entire ninja world, artificial constructs like us are absolutely unique."
The term "artificial construct" precisely struck a chord with Sasori, the puppet master and eternal art pursuer. For the first time, a spark of inquiry appeared in his indifferent eyes. Showing considerable curiosity, he focused more attention on Zetsu.
Sensing Sasori's intense gaze, Black Zetsu remained unconcerned.
As long as he had desires, there was room for manipulation and exploitation.
Mere puppet techniques could never comprehend his form of existence.
After turning several corners, the space ahead suddenly opened up, revealing an enormous cavern.
In the center of that space, a massive monster sat enthroned, filling the entire area.
This colossal being created an overwhelming visual impact. Just standing there, it was breathtaking and intimidating.
Even Sasori couldn't help feeling shaken, his gaze locked onto it.
At the monster's feet, an old man with white hair and beard sat with closed eyes, his back connected to the creature by countless densely packed tubes.
"Madara-sama, we've brought Sasori of the Red Sand."
Hearing White Zetsu's voice, Madara slowly opened his eyes, studying this genius rogue ninja from Hidden Sand Village.
Though his body was withered, his gaze remained sharp as a hawk's, as if it could pierce through to one's soul.
Sasori looked at the pathetically aged old man before him and sneered dismissively.
"I had such high hopes for the legendary figure of the ninja world. Turns out all I'm seeing is just a decrepit old man!"
"So even Uchiha Madara can't escape aging after all!"
"As expected, everything is false. Only immortality is real!"
"Hmph!" Madara snorted with displeasure, his aura suddenly erupting and pressing down on Sasori like an overwhelming wave, making even breathing difficult.
This wasn't a chakra burst, but the unique presence of a supreme powerhouse who'd experienced countless life-and-death battles and stood at the ninja world's peak—a will that dominated all living beings.
Sasori's arrogance flickered like a candle in wind, instantly suppressed under that pressure.
After establishing dominance, Madara withdrew his aura and said flatly:
"There's no such thing as an immortality technique in this world. Even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't survive to the present day."
"If you waste your time pursuing 'immortality techniques,' you're purely wasting your life."
Madara's tone was calm yet carried undeniable authority.
Sasori steadied his pounding heart. His view of Madara immediately changed.
The ninja world was like this—strength above all. Even if the person before him was a dying old man, he had to give proper respect.
But respect didn't mean submission. Sasori lifted his head proudly and declared confidently:
"Just because the Sage of Six Paths couldn't do it doesn't mean I can't."
"Life is fragile, puppets are eternal!"
"I already have a complete vision. Given enough time and materials, I can create the perfect human puppet."
"When parts break, just replace them. No suffering from life and death at all."
"Hehe, human puppets..." Madara's withered lips twitched slightly. He didn't continue refuting Sasori's philosophy, only smiling as he said: "How you choose to proceed is your own business, nothing to do with me."
"I can provide you with ample manpower and resources, allowing you to research your human puppets in peace."
"In exchange, you'll need to do some things for me."
"Fair trade. What do you say?"
Sasori hesitated, but after glancing at his still-unhealed wounds, he finally nodded in agreement.
"Fine. It's a deal."
"I'll throw in some intelligence as a bonus."
"The reason I'm being hunted is because someone leaked information that I would assassinate the Third Kazekage in the future and turn him into a human puppet."
"And the reason that person could know about events that haven't happened yet is because he's a time-traveler who came back from the future to the present."
"What?" Even Madara was shocked by this intelligence. He suddenly sat upright, his eyes blazing with terrifying light.
"A time-traveler?"
"Are you certain this is true?"
"Time-traveler" meant interference with the timeline, possession of future intelligence. This could have immeasurable impact on his "Moon's Eye Plan" that he'd been planning for decades.
Under Madara's burning gaze, the air seemed to freeze again.
Sasori replied gravely:
"I carefully verified it with Sand Village ANBU. Whether village classified intelligence or personal family information, everything matched perfectly. Even his genetic information was identical to a child in the village. There's absolutely no mistake."
Before Madara's face could show delight, Sasori added with a strange expression:
"However, since he dared leak my information to my face, I naturally wouldn't let him off."
"When I went rogue, I gave him a slash in passing to delay the pursuers. He's most likely already dead by now."
"Even if Sand Village has techniques to extract memories, they'll only get some fragmented recollections at most."
"Wasteful! Such waste!" Madara immediately became furious, stomping his feet and cursing repeatedly: "Such an important person—alive, he could have provided countless pieces of crucial intelligence! How could you just kill him?"
"As long as he was alive, he would have eventually belonged to me."
"But now that he's dead, all that intelligence in his head has completely turned into garbage buried in Sand Village's archives."
"Such a shame! What a terrible shame!"
Madara's heartache was palpable. The way he looked at Sasori was filled with the feeling of looking at a wastrel.
After a long moment, Madara sat down heavily, gasping for breath.
The violent emotional fluctuation placed serious strain on his aged body, forcing him to suppress his anger and accept this galling reality.
"No wonder the Kazekage actually went and abducted Nagato."
"I thought there was a Sand Village spy in the Akatsuki organization leaking information about the 'Rinnegan.' Turns out it's because of this time-traveler's existence."
"Seems like Nagato really does develop well in the future if even the Kazekage was moved to action, willing to arrange all this complicated business."
"Nagato?" Sasori was completely unfamiliar with this name.
Madara glanced at him and sighed:
"Though I don't know how much Sand Village learned, since even Nagato has now been taken as the Kazekage's student, our plan will definitely face major disruption. We must make corresponding modifications."
"In that case, Sasori, it's quite necessary for you to know more."
Madara selectively explained portions of the "Moon's Eye Plan" to Sasori, then urged:
"I don't know your exact purpose for researching 'immortality techniques,' but it must be because you've endured unbearable suffering in this nightmarish world called the ninja world, which gave birth to such thoughts."
"But so-called 'immortality' is meaningless!"
"Simply living forever would still mean living painfully in this hellish world."
"Living like a walking corpse is worse than dying brilliantly like fireworks."
"The ninja world has already completely rotted beyond salvation. Only the 'Moon's Eye Plan' can truly save it!"
"In the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' world, everyone can find redemption, including you."
"There, you can realize any wish, including but not limited to having a happy family, living joyfully with parents, lovers, children, having countless like-minded companions..."
Sasori's heart suddenly pounded. Before his eyes, the images of his parents seemed to appear again.
He couldn't help swallowing, his lips going dry.
Madara's words struck the deepest part of Sasori's heart—emotions he'd perhaps deliberately forgotten or suppressed even from himself.
His parents' early deaths were one of the major driving forces behind his pursuit of puppet art and the eternal.
That phantom of a "happy family" held fatal attraction for him.
Though rationally he was quite skeptical, emotionally he'd already begun wavering.
The cavern fell into silence, with only the faint sound of chakra flowing through the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and Sasori's gradually accelerating heartbeat.
After a long while, Sasori's dry voice finally echoed in the cave.
"Alright. I'm in."
Another important piece added to the plan brought a satisfied smile to Madara's aged face.
Sasori's recruitment brought them the most lacking immediate combat strength, avoiding the flaw of relying solely on Black and White Zetsu for everything.
"Regarding the intelligence that time-traveler brought back, what else do you know?"
Sasori shook his head straightforwardly.
"After that fool's identity was confirmed, his first action was reporting me to the Kazekage. I don't know what happened after that."
"However, I do have some secret loyal subordinates I can mobilize from my years in Sand Village. I can have them gather intelligence."
"Good. Have White Zetsu coordinate with you to collect as much Sand Village intelligence as possible."
"Though we don't know exactly how much Sand Village knows, we need to prepare for the worst-case scenario and assume they know everything."
"On that basis, we currently need to treat Sand Village as our greatest hypothetical enemy and strive to throw Sand Village into chaos in the shortest time possible."
"If possible, it would be good to replace who serves as Kazekage."
Once he entered planning mode, Madara's bearing became completely different.
His eyes shone with brilliant light, his face radiating the aura of an ambitious mastermind, making people completely overlook his aged, decrepit body.
After giving those instructions, he turned his face toward the daydreaming White Zetsu and asked:
"Has there been any unusual activity on Sand Village's side recently?"
"Unusual?" White Zetsu tilted his head in thought, scratching his cheek. "Besides what happened in Rain Village, the only anomaly would be that assassination incident at Konoha's academy."
After White Zetsu explained the details, Madara immediately grew suspicious.
"Such reckless methods completely contradict Sand Village's interests. The problem must lie with that Uchiha father and son."
"It seems this must also be related to that time-traveler's intelligence."
"So who's their target?"
"Uchiha Takeshi, or Uchiha Yasushi?"
After thinking it over, Madara ordered:
"Regardless of who their target is, at minimum this person must at least achieve Mangekyo Sharingan to warrant such focused targeting from Sand Village."
"Then let's help them along. Apply some pressure to these two clansmen of mine!"
"Only with pain and despair as catalysts can they evolve successfully faster."
"Huh?" White Zetsu said in surprise. "Wasn't the child Madara-sama originally selected that kid named Obito? Why change now?"
"No." Madara shook his head, explaining: "The child I'm most optimistic about is still Obito. It's just that now I have two additional options."
"As for these two new choices, which one can ultimately survive the trials and complete the Mangekyo Sharingan evolution depends on whether their love is intense enough."
"Understood." White Zetsu nodded carelessly. "Then I'll arrange for the White Zetsu who've infiltrated the Uchiha clan to pay more attention to these two lucky ones and appropriately give them some trouble."
Without Yasushi knowing anything, he'd already been marked by Madara, becoming a contestant in a race fueled by "love" with life and death as the finish line.
*******************
Chapter 429: Capturing Uchiha Takeshi
Konoha Village, Hokage's office.
Morning sunlight slanted through the large windows, illuminating the room's floating dust particles like dancing golden flakes.
Behind a desk piled with documents, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi leisurely smoked his pipe, wisps of smoke mingling with the sunlight.
"How's Kushina doing with her students? She hasn't gotten frustrated enough to flip a table, has she?"
The Third joked good-naturedly with Minato standing nearby.
"Haha, nothing like that."
Minato scratched his head somewhat sheepishly, his face showing its usual gentle smile, though with a hint of guilt.
"Though she gets a bit irritated and loses her temper sometimes, all three students are quite sensible. They haven't caused Kushina much trouble."
"It's actually my students who are the real headache."
"Ah, Kakashi?" The Third's expression turned serious, immediately guessing the problem. "He still can't form bonds with his teammates?"
"Yes. He keeps his heart locked away. Others can't break through at all."
The Third sighed, feeling conflicted.
The matter with Sakumo Hatake remained a permanent pain in his heart. He bore responsibility toward Kakashi.
Just as he was about to ask Minato more details about Kakashi's situation, the door opened with a creak. A figure pushed through, silhouetted against the light.
The Third's brow immediately furrowed, displeasure rising within him.
In Konoha, etiquette wasn't just protocol—it reflected the power structure.
In this village, only a few old friends would barge in without being announced first.
Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw that face wrapped tightly in bandages.
Backlit by the doorway, a gaunt figure stood there—half his face and right eye wrapped in white bandages. It was Shimura Danzo.
His one visible left eye held a sinister gaze, like an unfathomably deep ancient well. He radiated an aura completely at odds with the Hokage office's bright atmosphere—the cold, hard scent of someone who'd spent years dwelling in shadows.
Seeing Danzo arrive, Minato immediately stopped speaking and bowed respectfully.
"Hokage-sama, I'll take my leave."
The Third didn't try to keep him, merely nodding acknowledgment.
Minato's figure disappeared swiftly and gracefully outside the door, carefully closing it behind him.
Inside the office, only the two old men who comprised Konoha's highest decision-making layer remained. The air seemed to freeze slightly, even the dust floating in the sunlight appearing to drift more slowly.
"What does Root need now?" The Third asked with a frown, his voice carrying the distant professionalism of routine business.
Danzo paid no attention to the impatience on the Third's face, or rather, had long grown accustomed to it.
Moving without haste, he extracted an unmarked dark envelope from his wide sleeve. The paper had a special texture—the unique grain and scent of Wind Country's signature sandpaper, edges straight as if cut by blade.
He placed the letter on the Third's desk, his finger tapping lightly on the envelope. His voice came low and flat.
"This is a letter sent to me by the Third Kazekage."
The Third's eyebrows immediately shot up in surprise.
"If the Kazekage had business, why would he write to you instead of me?"
"Are you certain the letter's source is legitimate?"
Bypassing the Hokage to directly contact Konoha Village's Root leader was extremely abnormal behavior, bordering on diplomatic impropriety—one might even call it provocation.
Or did the two of them share some unknown connection?
Suspicion followed swiftly.
The Third's gaze sharpened, locked tightly on Danzo.
"I've verified it repeatedly." Danzo answered with a dark expression.
The Third took the letter, broke the seal, and pulled out the enclosed missive.
His eyes rapidly scanned the ink marks. Initially his examination was serious, but as he read, his complexion visibly darkened, brow furrowing tight, lips pressed into a hard line.
Reaching a certain passage, fury suddenly blazed in his eyes. He swung his arm, slamming the letter heavily onto the solid desk with a sharp crack.
"Bastard!"
"Is the Kazekage trying to provoke us?"
Though his question nominally targeted the Kazekage, his gaze stabbed like a blade toward Danzo who'd brought this letter, as if asking: What role exactly are you playing in this?
Inside the office, the mild spring warmth that had existed moments ago was now completely driven out by icy fury.
"Don't tell me you've engaged in this kind of dirty backdoor dealing with him before?"
The Third's gaze toward Danzo filled with distrust, deeply wounding Danzo's heart.
"Hiruzen, have you gone senile?"
Danzo's voice suddenly rose, carrying the anger of being wrongfully accused as he retorted indignantly:
"If I really wanted to do something, would I voluntarily bring these things to show you?"
The Third didn't respond immediately, only studying Danzo deeply, as if trying to see through those layers of bandages and years of accumulated darkness to his true intentions.
The office filled with tobacco scent and the tense atmosphere of confrontation.
After a long while, the sharp edge in the Third's eyes slightly softened as the rationality of a Hokage weighing the bigger picture regained dominance.
He slowly settled back into his chair, picked up his pipe again, took a deep draw, and exhaled the smoke.
White smoke curled upward, forming a brief barrier before him that blurred the line of sight between them, also easing the tense atmosphere.
"So what do you think the Kazekage is really scheming?"
"Why would he make a deal with you to kill Uchiha Takeshi's entire family?"
"By sending this letter, he's practically admitting outright that the assassination at the academy was Sand Village's doing!"
Each question fell like a small hammer striking the congealed air.
The Third's gaze pierced through the smoke, locked onto Danzo, trying to dig deeper truth from beneath that eternally impassive mask.
Danzo's lips curled dismissively, still wearing his infuriatingly smug expression.
"This letter didn't come through official channels. You have no evidence you can present publicly. He can deny it anytime."
"Do you actually have the resolve to launch a war against Sand Village in retaliation?"
His words floated lightly yet carried invisible poisoned barbs, precisely stabbing at the Third's most difficult choice as Hokage—the boundary between maintaining stability and exercising forbearance.
"You..." Facing Danzo's mockery, the Third took a deep breath. He desperately wanted to smash the pipe in his hand over Danzo's head, but ultimately restrained himself.
This old partner of his knew him too well, always able to dance right at the edge of his tolerance limits.
But he, Hiruzen Sarutobi, possessed great magnanimity. He wouldn't stoop to the level of this white glove.
The Third suppressed his anger, habitually engaging in self-consolation to calm his emotions.
He took another draw from his pipe, eyes flickering. Some things he simply couldn't understand.
"Even if we can't make it public, we ourselves know the truth and will harbor resentment toward Sand Village. How does that benefit them?"
The Third's finger tapped the letter again, his tone full of confusion and wariness.
"Furthermore, what exactly did Uchiha Takeshi do to offend the Kazekage so badly that he'd resort to such undignified behavior, personally writing to you to exchange for his entire family's lives?"
"Look at the conditions he's offering in this letter. This is worth more than the lives of several jonin!"
His voice gradually lowered, as if talking to himself while also untangling a complex knot.
When something seems abnormal, there's always a reason!
The "price" the Kazekage offered in the letter far exceeded what the target itself should be worth.
And this was precisely what made the Third most uneasy.
That excessively generous "price" kept weighing on his mind. The more he weighed it, the heavier it felt.
Sand Village certainly wasn't foolish. They absolutely wouldn't make a losing deal.
Their willingness to pay such a high price meant they believed that once Uchiha Takeshi's entire family was dead, they could gain even greater benefits.
But benefits in this world were always finite. When someone gained, naturally someone else lost.
If Sand Village gained benefits, the party paying the price would most likely be Konoha Village.
Which raised the question: what did Sand Village want from Konoha that was far more important than a few lives?
This doubt hung over him like dark clouds, impossible to resolve.
Danzo gave the Third no more time for contemplation. His single eye shot out a terrifying gleam, locked tightly on the Third like a hawk targeting prey, giving him no room to evade.
"Regardless of the Kazekage's motivations, at least one thing we can now confirm."
"Uchiha Takeshi must possess something special that the Kazekage cares about greatly—something he's willing to risk angering Konoha Village to ensure Takeshi's death!"
"However, I don't believe a mere Uchiha Takeshi warrants such massive conflict with a village leader. Most likely someone more powerful is backing him—perhaps certain important figures within the Uchiha clan."
"It's very possible this Uchiha Takeshi, while carrying out orders to secretly communicate with Sand Village, inadvertently obtained certain classified Sand Village intelligence, forcing the Kazekage to silence him."
"I recommend Root conduct a thorough investigation of this matter. Just hand Uchiha Takeshi over to me. I'll definitely get to the bottom of this."
"Whoever—or however many people—are secretly colluding with Sand Village and selling out village interests, I won't let any of them escape. I'll drag them all out and bring them to justice!"
Hearing this familiar speech that made his ears callous, the Third immediately felt impatient.
He waved his hand as if to dispel the obsession and hostility emanating from Danzo.
"Enough. Stop making everything into some grand conspiracy!" The Third's brow furrowed tight, his tone carrying unquestionable warning. "Even if there's a problem, it would only be Uchiha Takeshi's problem alone. It has nothing to do with his family or clansmen."
"Fine, then we'll only investigate Uchiha Takeshi himself."
Danzo's lips curved into a barely detectable arc as he immediately seized the opening.
"But this person definitely has issues. You can't deny that, surely?"
"Well..." The Third suddenly realized he'd fallen into Danzo's verbal trap, but truthfully he now harbored suspicions about Uchiha Takeshi himself.
The Third's gaze fell once more on that secret letter from the Kazekage. The cold words on the paper seemed to silently corroborate Danzo's judgment.
Once the seed of doubt was planted, it quickly took root in the soil of responsibility.
As Hokage, he couldn't turn a blind eye to such clear external threat signals, even if the investigation itself might harbor other risks.
Brief silence enveloped the entire room.
Moments later, the Third finally made his decision.
"In that case, let's investigate."
"However, Root need not be involved."
"I'll have Minato lead ANBU to bring him back for thorough questioning."
"I'll speak with Fugaku. With this evidence, I'm sure he won't object to Takeshi's capture."
"Minato?"
Danzo watched his prize about to fly away. Fury immediately blazed in his heart, the cold light in his single eye nearly materializing into an actual blade.
While the Third harbored various wariness and disgust toward Danzo, Danzo had grown thoroughly sick of this Hokage's political maneuvering.
"He doesn't even know how to conduct interrogations. How could he possibly extract useful results?"
"Don't tell me you'll have him use the 'Will of Fire' to emotionally move the suspect into voluntarily confessing?"
Facing Danzo's malicious sarcasm, the Third continued leisurely smoking, his words steady as stone.
"ANBU has its own methods. They haven't disappointed in all these years. This time certainly won't be different either."
"It doesn't matter that Minato can't torture. ANBU has interrogation experts. But torture is something that can't be used carelessly, especially against comrades from our own village."
"Heh..." Danzo laughed disdainfully. "The methods you're talking about—you're planning to use genjutsu, aren't you? Don't forget, Uchiha Takeshi is now a Three-Tomoe Sharingan expert."
"That's not your concern."
"You're being foolish, Hiruzen!" Danzo struck his cane against the floor in anguished frustration, his voice rising a full octave.
"Intelligence has a time limit! Even if you eventually obtain the information, what if it's already expired?"
"Even the Kazekage knows to invest properly. Are you really going to be stingy over one ordinary Uchiha?"
The Third's eyebrow twitched. Not wanting to waste more words with Danzo, he slammed his palm on the desk and shouted:
"The Uchiha are also Konoha Village's comrades, not tools to be casually discarded!"
"This matter is settled. No more arguments!"
"Remember—I'm the Hokage!"
After speaking, the Third stared directly at Danzo with blazing eyes, waiting for his old partner to curse "You'll regret this" and storm out.
But to his surprise, Danzo actually remained standing in place this time, eyes flickering, not leaving.
This shocked him greatly.
This was very unlike Danzo!
Who are you, and what have you done with my old partner?
This abnormal silence felt more unsettling than any outburst—like the suffocating calm before a storm, foreshadowing something spiraling out of control.
The calculating gleam in Danzo's single eye made the Third's spine grow colder than any heated words could.
He knew his old partner never lingered without purpose.
*******************
Chapter 430: Turmoil Approaches
The Third watched Danzo warily and asked cautiously:
"Is there something else?"
Danzo hesitated, then finally decided to play his trump card.
"Hmph, Hiruzen, you as Hokage probably don't know this yet, do you?"
"The Uchiha clan is extremely dissatisfied with their clan leader Fugaku's weakness. They've already decided to challenge him and replace him with a hardline faction leader."
"They've already coordinated everything. Once the new hardline clan leader takes power, they'll launch a rebellion within the village and force the village to compromise."
"When that time comes, I wonder if you'll still be able to sit comfortably in that Hokage seat!"
"What?" The Third was immediately shocked, standing abruptly. "Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course it's true. This is intelligence my operative gathered through infiltration."
"Hiss..." The Third sucked in a sharp breath, immediately unable to remain calm.
Inuzuka Jun was a Root spy. The Third had known from the start—he'd been the one to place her there.
These past days Jun had constantly been running to the Uchiha compound to play with Yasushi. Naturally the Third was aware.
Based on his understanding of Danzo, this matter was most likely genuine.
Danzo probably wished the Uchiha would raise the banner of rebellion so he could simply eliminate them all in one sweep!
"You..." He pointed furiously at Danzo and shouted: "Such crucial information, and you've been hiding it from me this whole time without reporting it?"
"If I hadn't decided to have ANBU investigate Uchiha Takeshi and you realized you couldn't keep hiding it anymore, were you just planning to bury this intelligence completely?"
"You've gone too far!"
"Do you really intend to let internal strife break out in the village?"
Facing the Third's accusations, Danzo showed not the slightest fear.
He suddenly stepped forward forcefully, his single eye blazing with obsessive fervor, ready to pour out years of accumulated grievances. His voice rose even higher than the Third's!
"Hidden dangers should be eliminated early!"
"Just because you don't deal with them doesn't mean those radical elements cease to exist!"
"If you'd listened to me earlier and made some moves during the war to clear out a batch of those people, would they have grown to this extent?"
"You constantly appease, concede, compromise... and what's the final result?"
"Have those evil Uchiha felt satisfied?"
"No, they haven't!"
"Their desires will never be satisfied, even if you handed them the Hokage position!"
"Once an Uchiha becomes Hokage, they'll want the clan to dominate everything, passing the position down generation after generation, monopolizing it forever!"
"Now is the perfect opportunity—let all those would-be rebels jump out, then sweep them away in one stroke and completely resolve the village's hidden danger!"
The Third shook with fury. He slammed his pipe heavily on the desk and shouted:
"Don't you consider the losses the village would suffer from this?"
"The Uchiha are the village's premier clan. How many ninja lives would you need to sacrifice to suppress an internal rebellion?"
"I've naturally considered it carefully!" Danzo smiled coldly, his face showing a cruel expression. "Let Fugaku lead the Uchiha clan's conservative faction to slaughter each other with those radicals first."
"Even if the radicals ultimately win, their losses will inevitably be massive."
"Then I'll lead Root to suppress the rebellion and capture them all in one net!"
"If Fugaku wins in the end, that's even better—we won't even need to lift a finger. They'll have killed each other internally. It has nothing to do with the village."
"Don't you say Fugaku has the 'Will of Fire'?"
"Now's the time to test his loyalty to the village!"
"If he refuses to act, that's fine too. I've already found a suitable candidate—we'll just have Uchiha Takeshi take the lead."
"I'm sure for his precious son's sake, he'll be willing."
"You..." The Third stared slack-jawed at Danzo, finally understanding his earlier doubts.
"No wonder you received the Kazekage's secret letter but didn't make a deal with him. You had this plan all along!"
"You don't want to kill Uchiha Takeshi. You want to control him, make him your chess piece to manipulate however you please."
"Correct." Danzo smiled proudly, declaring triumphantly: "In the past, a mere Uchiha family of three—killing them would have been nothing, using them to exchange for Sand Village benefits would have been guaranteed profit."
"But now it's different. I've already planted a nail within the Uchiha clan—a nail that can continuously provide me with Uchiha clan internal intelligence."
"Uchiha Takeshi's family is expendable, but if their deaths cause this nail to fail, that would be a net loss."
"More interestingly, as long as that nail remains in place, Uchiha Takeshi's precious son's life will be in my control. Uchiha Takeshi will have no choice but to follow my orders."
Danzo slightly lifted his chin, his single eye gleaming with the confident light of one who controls everything.
He savored this feeling of manipulating complex human nature and dangerous situations in the palm of his hand.
To him, emotions were weaknesses, family bonds were chains, and grasping these meant grasping the whip to drive the strong.
"It's just a shame you're too soft, Hiruzen, refusing to let Root handle Uchiha Takeshi. Otherwise once he falls into my hands, his son would have no choice but to obediently enter Root and become my subordinate."
"Then I'd possess two Uchiha clan subordinates. Learning any Uchiha clan intelligence I wanted would be effortless."
"Even if this Uchiha upheaval doesn't completely solve the problem, I can use these two chess pieces to monitor Uchiha clan internal movements in real-time going forward, preventing them from escaping control."
Danzo smiled slightly, lowering his voice and speaking in a seductive, coaxing tone:
"Hiruzen, I understand you well."
"Now that you know about the Uchiha clan's impending turmoil, you'll definitely send people to stop it."
"But even if you stop it this time, can you stop the next time?"
"Will those Uchiha troublemakers notify you in advance when they decide to cause problems?"
"Like this time—if I hadn't told you, you'd only have realized what was happening after the fact."
"So Hiruzen, you urgently need someone who can monitor the Uchiha clan's internal situation for you and continuously provide relevant intelligence."
"And I have such a person!"
"Just hand Uchiha Takeshi over to me. Soon I can return to you a 'utterly loyal' tool."
"Once you have this tool, you'll never be blind to what happens inside the Uchiha clan like you are now."
Danzo extended his hand, palm upward, as if holding that "solution" he promised—illusory yet tempting.
After listening, the Third shook with fury.
I'm blind because of you!
The intelligence you obtain should be reported to me in the first place!
But these words could only circle in his mind—he couldn't speak them aloud at all.
Because he knew clearly that his old partner didn't play by those rules. Root had long since grown too powerful to control.
A deep sense of powerlessness mixed with the fury of being blackmailed churned in the Third's heart.
He felt his lungs burning, yet had to forcibly suppress all intense emotions beneath a calm exterior.
As Hokage, he had to weigh options, had to compromise, even if this compromise was like drinking poison to quench thirst.
I must properly restrict Root's authority in the future.
After this thought flashed through the Third's mind, he slowly nodded.
"In that case, the investigation of Uchiha Takeshi will be Root's responsibility."
Future matters would be dealt with later. He had to handle the present first.
Besides needing to borrow Root's power to deal with possible upcoming Uchiha turmoil, he was indeed dissatisfied with the Uchiha clan's historically closed-off policies.
That Uchiha compound was practically a nation within a nation. Things happened there that he as Hokage knew nothing about.
How could this be acceptable?
This intelligence had truly frightened him. If it happened again in the future, without intelligence sources he might not be able to prevent internal strife in time.
The need for stable, reliable intelligence sources forced him to engage in another dirty political exchange with Danzo.
He knew he was making a deal with the devil, but the coming storm facing Konoha's great ship seemed to leave him no choice.
It wasn't the first time anyway. He'd long since lost any psychological burden about it.
As for Uchiha Takeshi's safety...
"Danzo, you must guarantee Takeshi's safety. No unauthorized use of torture on village comrades!" The Third warned sternly.
He knew this warning held little binding power over Danzo, but he had to say it—because this was the last, most insignificant protection he could offer Uchiha Takeshi.
"Don't worry." Danzo smiled slightly, looking thoroughly satisfied. "I need an informant trusted by the Uchiha clan. A ninja spurned and rejected by his clansmen doesn't meet my requirements."
"Ah, right, Hiruzen—I'll need you to arrange a mission for Takeshi outside the village."
"To avoid future clan suspicion, Root can't conveniently arrest him at his doorstep."
Danzo's tone was as casual as discussing dinner plans, speaking with the matter-of-fact air of their past cooperation.
"Hmph!" The Third snorted coldly but didn't refuse.
He took paper and pen from his drawer, skillfully fabricated a reason, handwrote the orders, stamped them, and handed them to Danzo.
Danzo reached out to accept them, then turned cheerfully toward the door.
Bang!
Accompanied by a loud crash, the office door slammed heavily shut.
"Ah, my apologies. Force of habit."
After leaving this utterly insincere apology outside the door, Danzo strode away from the Hokage building with head held high, radiating undisguised victor's bearing.
"Damned bastard!"
The Third's face darkened. Danzo's almost provocative rudeness made him increasingly furious, but after several rapid breaths, he could only focus on immediate matters.
Now wasn't the time for self-recrimination.
"Someone, summon Minato to my office."
If the Three Sannin weren't currently in the village, who could easily suppress Uchiha clan internal strife without bloodshed? Without question, only Minato.
Soon Minato appeared in the Hokage's office. After private discussions with the Third, he left with an extremely grave expression.
"Hahaha... sealing techniques aren't as hard as I imagined!"
Yasushi triumphantly held up the small white mouse in his hand as if displaying some incredible trophy, showing off to Kushina.
The mouse trembled as it lay in Yasushi's palm, motionless, its body bound crisscross by pitch-black chakra chains.
Tadpole-like runes flickered faintly on the chains. Though somewhat insubstantial and unstable, they definitely resembled sealing technique formations.
Thanks to the Sharingan's cheating assistance, though Yasushi had started learning later, he'd still mastered basic sealing technique usage faster than the other two girls.
After many failed attempts, today he'd finally successfully deployed a basic sealing technique.
"Wow, amazing!"
Both little girls' mouths gaped wide, their bright eyes filled with surprise and envy.
They crowded close, nearly pressing their heads against the mouse, carefully examining the flowing runes, their small faces written with worship.
Emotional validation delivered in full.
"Hahaha..."
Yasushi grew even more pleased with himself, presenting the mouse like a treasure to Kushina with a beaming smile:
"Kushina-neesan, I want to learn the secret technique Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
He'd coveted this technique for ages.
Never mind anything else—just watching those energy chains dance behind one's back, floating around freely, binding whoever you wanted—how incredibly cool was that!
Whether it was strong mattered for a moment. Whether it was cool mattered for a lifetime!
Plus in two-dimensional settings, generally cool abilities weren't weak ones.
Maximum style points!
So from the moment he'd decided to study sealing techniques, Yasushi had been eyeing the "Adamantine Sealing Chains" secret technique.
Though lacking Uzumaki clan bloodline meant his chakra quantity and control ability weren't quite up to standard, none of that really mattered.
Yasushi didn't plan to rely on this technique for combat anyway. Main combat still depended on the Sharingan. Weaknesses were acceptable.
His eyes sparkled like stars, as if already seeing himself with golden glowing chains spreading behind him like a peacock's tail, an imposing sight—completely immersed in the cool future he'd imagined for himself.
But when Kushina looked down at the little mouse, she burst out laughing, her long red hair swaying gently with her shaking shoulders.
"Haha, Yasushi, can mice sealed by sealing techniques still crawl around everywhere?"
"Huh?" Yasushi quickly examined more carefully. Sure enough, though the sealing rune chains wound around the mouse's body, they seemed to have no restrictive effect whatsoever.
The mouse wasn't running around simply because it was timid and scared, not daring to move—not because his sealing technique had restrained it.
The smugness on Yasushi's face instantly froze. He blinked his Sharingan, leaning even closer, almost nose-to-nose with the mouse.
The mouse squeaked once, its innocent little black eyes reflecting Yasushi's suddenly deflating expression.
Kushina suppressed her laughter, eyes showing a hint of mischief. She reached out to grab the mouse's tail and gave it a gentle shake.
The chakra chains on the mouse's body fell away one after another, softly scattering and disintegrating into wisps of black chakra smoke that quickly dissipated in the air.
The mouse regained its "freedom," squirming restlessly in her palm.
"Ah! How can this be?"
Yasushi yelped and jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pointing at the dissipating chakra smoke, his face full of disbelief and shattered dreams.
The small face that moments ago had been triumphant now flushed bright red, his Sharingan appearing even more vividly crimson from emotional agitation.
All that earlier pride now transformed into mortification. He wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Hahaha..."
The two little girls were also amused by this unexpected turn. They hugged each other, rocking back and forth with laughter, nearly crying, needing to support each other to avoid collapsing on the ground.
Their clear, bell-like laughter echoed across the training ground, making Yasushi increasingly embarrassed.
Swish! A figure suddenly appeared before everyone. Just from the clothing, it was clearly an Uchiha clansman.
The embarrassed Yasushi lunged toward this lifeline like a drowning man.
"Hey, uncle, are you looking for me?"
"Yes, Yasushi. Tonight there's a clan meeting at the shrine. You need to attend as well."
"Huh?" Yasushi immediately froze, completely puzzled.
He pointed at his own nose, asking in surprise:
"I'm only six years old. Are you sure you want me attending a clan meeting?"
The visitor's gaze fell on Yasushi's crimson eyes, his look showing approval, his words full of matter-of-factness.
"Yasushi, don't underestimate yourself!"
"Though you're only six, you're already a one-tomoe Sharingan ninja."
"On that basis alone, you've already surpassed more than half the ordinary clansmen."
"You're now the clan's most outstanding genius child. It's time you participated in clan-related affairs."
"Don't worry too much though. We're just having you gradually start understanding the clan situation. You won't need to make any decisions."
"Specific matters will naturally be discussed by the clan leader, elders, and jonin. You just need to observe and learn."
"Oh, I see!"
Yasushi finally understood, realizing for the first time how the ninja world differed from his previous life.
Here everything prioritized strength. Age simply didn't matter.
Especially the Uchiha clan, fierce adherents of strength-above-all philosophy. One-tomoe Sharingan already qualified someone as a clan core member.
"Understood, uncle. I'll attend the meeting with my father."
Yasushi readily agreed.
Whatever happened, he'd just align with his father's position.
The ninja world was currently in peacetime. Itachi was still in his mother's belly. There wouldn't be any major incidents.
With such optimistic thinking, Yasushi didn't take this matter seriously at all, treating it as just a routine "clan activity."
But when he returned home that evening, he received unexpected news from his mother.
"Huh?"
"Dad went on a mission outside the village?"
"That's right." Yasushi's mother ruffled his hair with a smile. "Before, your father was just a genin, so his missions were relatively simple—mostly within the village and nearby towns."
"But now that your father has become a Three-Tomoe Sharingan expert, he can't just keep taking these simple missions."
"After completing this mission, your father can be successfully promoted to chunin. Mission rewards and income will both increase substantially. Then Mom will make your favorite tempura."
All the reasons sounded perfectly reasonable, nothing suspicious at all. Naturally Yasushi remained completely ignorant of what lay behind this.
"Alright then. Looks like I'll have to attend the clan meeting alone."
Yasushi shrugged and walked alone into the darkness.