Shine lowered his eyelids, concealing all his true emotions, and bowed again. "Thank you for your trust, Hokage-sama! May I ask when I can depart?"
"No time like the present, you can go now!" Hiruzen said quickly, turning to take a Konoha Elite Jōnin badge from a drawer and handing it to Shine. "Take this. Once you reach the front lines, Fugaku will assign personnel to you. You must remember to both hold the defensive line and appease the Uchiha Clan Members. Let them know that Konoha will never forget their dedication."
"Yes! Shine will not fail his mission!" Shine took the badge with both hands and gripped it tightly in his palm, yet his fingertips felt no warmth at all.
He bowed once more, turned, and walked out of the office. His back was straight and firm, looking exactly like a hot-blooded Ninja who would do anything for the Village.
Watching Shine's departing back, the smile on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face did not fade for a long time.
He sat back in his seat and lit his tobacco pipe. Amidst the swirling smoke, his eyes were full of calculated certainty—with Shine as a 'pawn,' the chaos within the Uchiha would soon be settled, and the crisis on the Kirigakure Battlefield could be alleviated. Everything was moving in the direction he had envisioned.
He didn't notice at all that as soon as the'sincere' youth stepped out of the Hokage Building, a cold arc immediately curled at the corner of his mouth.
Shine raised his hand to look at the Elite Jōnin badge in his palm. He applied a slight pressure with his fingertips, the sharp edges of the badge digging painfully into his palm, yet it was far from the bone-chilling hatred he felt toward the Konoha High Command.
"Just like me?" Shine sneered softly, tucking the badge into his robes and walking toward the Village exit without stopping. "Yes, one day, they will all be just like me—seeing through your true faces, and then, completely overthrowing you."
The sunlight spilled over him, but it failed to dispel the chill surrounding his body.
Aka and En were already waiting outside the Village. Seeing Shine approach, both bowed in salute simultaneously.
Shine nodded, his gaze turning toward the Kirigakure Battlefield. The'sincerity' in his eyes had long been replaced by cold resolve—this 'performance' of rushing to the front lines was merely the first step in his plan, and the true storm had only just begun.
"Aka, you stay in the Family to be ready to relay my orders at any time. En, you come with me to the Land of Whirlpools first!" The moment he left the Hokage Building, the previously enthusiastic youth vanished, replaced by an expressionless face full of indifference.
Just as he stepped out of the vermilion gates of the Hokage Building, the perfectly crafted'sincerity' on Shine's face receded like a tide, leaving no trace behind.
The sunlight hit him at an angle, but it couldn't warm the chill in his eyes. The submissive posture he held while bowing earlier was gone, replaced by a nearly biting indifference. The youth's back was ramrod straight, and his aura suddenly tightened, like a blade snapping into its sheath—its edge hidden yet still radiating a lethal coldness.
He stopped walking, not looking back at the building that symbolized the core of Konoha's power. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the Elite Jōnin badge in his robes; it felt cold and hard, just like his current state of mind.
Slight footsteps came from behind as Aka and En took their positions on either side with practiced coordination. Their dark combat gear formed a somber contrast with the stone pavement of the street. Their Three-Tomoe Sharingan quietly lit up, alertly scanning the surroundings—patrolling Konoha Ninja, passing civilians, and hidden spies at street corners were all silently brought under their surveillance.
"Aka." Shine's voice was low and concise, devoid of any superfluous emotion. It was worlds apart from the enthusiasm he showed in the office just now, as if he were a different person.
He turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife as it swept over Aka's face. "You stay at the Clan Compound to oversee the center. Wait for my transmissions at all times and be responsible for relaying all orders. Ensure that the movements of the Radical Faction and the summoned Ninjas are not leaked."
Aka immediately dropped to one knee, head slightly bowed, his tone respectful and firm: "Yes! This subordinate understands! I will not fail your trust, my lord!"
He didn't ask any unnecessary questions; years of following Shine had long since accustomed him to the leader's decisiveness—the leader's instructions were to be executed, not questioned. The sunlight fell on his tense shoulders, outlining a silhouette of loyalty.
Shine nodded slightly and turned his gaze to En beside him. His tone remained cold, yet it carried an indisputable resolve: "En, you come with me. We're going to the Land of Whirlpools first."
He paused and added, "Xiu needs backup on that side, and the seven summoned Ninjas still need polishing. More importantly, we need to bypass the Kirigakure Battlefield via the Land of Whirlpools to avoid being tailed by Konoha's spies."
En likewise dropped to one knee and accepted the command: "Yes! This subordinate will follow you unto death, my lord!"
His voice was deeper than Aka's, and his eyes flickered with an eager light—following Shine through life and death was his honor as a guard.
Shine gestured for the two to rise. His gaze swept toward the Uchiha Clan Compound in the distance; a flicker of complex emotion crossed his eyes before being covered by a deeper indifference.
Every'sincere' word spoken in the office earlier was a meticulously rehearsed performance. Hiruzen Sarutobi's trust and praise were nothing more than stepping stones in his plan.
What he wanted was never the title of a 'pillar' of Konoha, but to subvert this hypocritical order and let the Uchiha truly stand at the pinnacle of the Ninja World.
The number of pedestrians on the street gradually increased. Occasionally, Ninjas would cast curious glances. Seeing the Elite Jōnin badge in Shine's robes, they all showed expressions of awe, yet none dared to approach and strike up a conversation.
Shine didn't care about these looks. He turned and walked toward the Village exit, his pace hurried yet steady. His dark hem fluttered in the wind, as if narrating the coming storm.
En followed closely behind. The two figures soon blended into the crowd on the street, heading toward the East Gate of Konoha Village.
The Hokage Building behind them grew further and further away. In Shine's eyes, that building symbolizing power and calculation was nothing more than a cage about to collapse.
He gripped the badge in his robes tightly, his fingertips turning white from the force—this 'glory' bestowed by Hiruzen Sarutobi would eventually become the blade that pierced Konoha's heart.
Stepping out of the East Gate, the suburban wind blew against them with the fragrance of grass and trees, yet it failed to dispel the chill around Shine.
He stopped, looked back at the silhouette of Konoha Village, and a cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.
The mask had been removed, the disguise broken. From this moment on, he was no longer Konoha's'sincere youth,' but a hunter lurking in the darkness, waiting for his chance.
"Let's go," Shine said softly, turning to walk toward the Land of Whirlpools.
En followed silently. The two figures gradually shrank in the wilderness, becoming two steadfast black dots.
The road ahead was long and fraught with danger. Konoha's spies, Kirigakure's Kekkei Genkai Ninja, and the deep-seated threats of the Ninja World were all waiting for them.
But Shine was fearless—a prairie fire had already been ignited in his heart. This flame would eventually burn away all obstacles and illuminate the path to the Uchiha's rebirth...
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808