Uchiha Fugaku immediately stood up the moment Uchiha Souji entered the room.
Laughing loudly, he walked right up to the boy and patted Souji's shoulder with great force, completely unaware of the storm forming on Souji's face.
"Well done! Well done!" Fugaku said proudly.
Souji's mouth twitched.
Something felt wrong—very wrong.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Master Fugaku… are you interfering with my plan?"
Fugaku froze, the smile fading as confusion filled his expression.
After a few seconds, he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Didn't you ask Mizuki to notify me that the Will of Fire newspaper office had to be blocked?"
Souji blinked.
Then blinked again.
"What?" he whispered. "You blocked the Will of Fire newspaper office?"
Fugaku nodded with full confidence, unaware that Souji's spirit was dying inside.
"Yes. Mizuki said you discovered that Root was stirring up trouble and wanted to use Root's actions to turn the situation around. He told me everything."
Souji felt his mind go numb.
When did I ever tell Mizuki that?!
When did I ever say to block my own newspaper office?!
Fugaku continued cheerfully—
a cheerfulness that made Souji's face grow uglier with every word.
"Mizuki said he left a deep Root imprint in the newspaper office to blame everything on Root later. That's why I praised you, Souji. Excellent strategy! Brilliant move!"
Souji nearly collapsed on the floor.
Everything became perfectly clear.
Mizuki must have discovered something—Root operatives interfering, Root spreading public speeches—and that idiot tried to "help" Souji by cleverly sabotaging Root.
But Mizuki was too inexperienced.
He didn't understand the danger.
He didn't understand how terrifying Root really was.
I treated him well, Souji thought bitterly.
I gave him gifts. I treated him like a friend. And this is how he repays me? By making my plan explode?!
Mizuki had tried to "return the favor" by going against one of the most dangerous forces in Konoha.
That wasn't gratitude.
That was suicide.
Souji clenched his fists until his nails bit into his palms.
"No… no, no!" he growled.
"I can't let that idiot die!"
He spun around and ran out, ignoring Fugaku completely.
He needed to find Mizuki.
He needed answers.
He needed to understand why that lunatic decided to "help" him by throwing himself into the mouth of a shark.
Souji wasn't even angry anymore.
He was terrified.
---
Meanwhile, far outside the Uchiha district…
Mizuki lay hidden in the thick grass beneath the trees, clutching a bleeding wound on his chest.
His breath was ragged.
His face pale.
And his thoughts were a confused, tangled mess.
"Why… why am I even doing this?" Mizuki muttered bitterly.
He didn't understand himself.
He was supposed to be ambitious, calculating, someone who would betray others for profit.
He was supposed to be the kind of person who used people, not someone who risked his life for them.
So why?
Why had he thrown away everything—for a boy he had only known for a few days?
It made no sense.
And yet…
Deep inside, he understood.
Uchiha Souji had treated him with sincerity.
Souji had given him things of real value.
Souji had spoken to him with trust.
Souji had called him a friend.
Those simple things were something Mizuki had never received in his whole life.
And it had shaken him.
Broken him, even.
---
The Night Before
Mizuki had gone to Uchiha Fugaku's home, claiming to bring a message from Souji.
He had explained a plan—to frame Root, to protect Souji, to push Souji's reputation higher.
Then he returned to the Will of Fire newspaper office.
There, he placed all secret scrolls Root had given him into the editor-in-chief's drawer…
And left a Root seal, incriminating Root in the upcoming events.
Then he returned home, slept the sleep of a man who had made a choice…
And before dawn, tried to flee Konoha.
But Root had been waiting.
A Root assassin came to kill him immediately.
Mizuki realized then—
Danzo's promises were lies.
Mizuki was never trusted.
Never valued.
Only a disposable pawn.
Only Souji had ever treated him like a real person.
So Mizuki escaped.
Barely.
Wounded, exhausted, and terrified.
Now he was only a short distance from the village barrier.
Just a little more, and he would be out.
He allowed himself to breathe—
---
"Yo. Pretty fast, aren't you?"
A mocking voice echoed from above.
Mizuki whipped his head up, kunai raised.
Standing on a branch high above was a tall ninja with bright orange-yellow hair, dressed in Root uniform.
He did not wear a mask.
That meant he was confident Mizuki would not survive long enough to speak of him.
"Lord Danzo planned to kill you long ago," the man said.
"But I must admit… being exposed by a mere Chūnin must feel awful."
The man tilted his head slightly, smiling without warmth.
Mizuki spat blood to the side and sneered.
"Heh. Isn't it normal? Anyone who plays with wild dogs gets bitten."
The Root ninja's mouth twitched.
He had no comeback.
Comparisons to animals were too accurate.
"…Although I'm not great at fighting," the man said, pulling out his blade,
"you are only a Chūnin. More than enough for me."
A terrifying killing intent filled the air, thick as smoke.
Mizuki felt the pressure.
His lungs tightened.
His wound throbbed.
But he didn't back down.
He had already chosen his path.
---
Identities Revealed
"By the way," the Root ninja said casually,
"My name is Kaze Yamanaka. What's yours?"
The smile that followed was colder than any winter wind.
"Even if no one collects bodies normally, we're still inside Konoha's territory.
I'll bury you properly."
He pointed his blade forward.
"You don't want your grave marker to be blank, do you?"
Mizuki tightened his grip on his kunai.
He inhaled deeply.
Then whispered, with pure defiance:
"How can wild dogs have such things?"
The forest fell silent.
And the battle was about to begin.
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