Konoha's Tatsuya

The next day, Uchiha Yashiro, flanked by Uchiha Hiroaki and Uchiha Yasumasa, strode into the Captain's office of the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters.

Behind the desk, Fugaku Uchiha looked up, his gaze turning slightly cold as he watched the three men enter.

Under Fugaku's chilly stare, Hiroaki and Yasumasa shifted uncomfortably, looking somewhat embarrassed. Yashiro, however, remained completely unfazed.

"Captain," Yashiro began, settling into the chair opposite Fugaku with a broad smile plastered on his face. "A couple of days ago, the Stone City outpost near the northern border was attacked by unknown assailants. None of the clan shinobi stationed there survived, and a significant amount of clan assets were stolen. I plan to take Hiroaki and Yasumasa out there to investigate. We need to uncover the truth of the matter and recover our losses."

Fugaku frowned slightly. "I will assign Misuke and a team to investigate this," he stated flatly. "A minor matter like this doesn't require your personal attention."

Despite the decisive refusal, Yashiro's demeanor didn't falter. He maintained his smile, replying smoothly, "This situation is rather complex. Sending Misuke might not be appropriate. It's better for an old timer like me to handle it. Besides," he added, a subtle edge to his voice, "if something unexpected were to happen along the way, the clan wouldn't suffer a critical blow to its strength."

Fugaku's eyes narrowed, his gaze locking onto Yashiro with burning intensity.

Yashiro met his stare without flinching. The two men locked eyes, and an oppressive silence fell over the room.

So, it's come to this! Fugaku sighed inwardly.

Since taking over as Clan Head, he had constantly strived to balance the various factions within the Uchiha. He had even played the role of a hardliner himself to win over the vast majority of the clansmen. But what Yashiro and his group had done two years ago had pushed far beyond the limits of his tolerance.

Yet, Fugaku had never been able to bring himself to deal with them decisively. No matter the punishment, the Uchiha clan's overall strength would suffer. And the village leadership would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to interfere and further weaken the clan.

The standoff stretched for another moment, the tension thickening, until a knock sounded at the door. Uchiha Misuke pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Captain, intelligence just came back from the Land of Fields."

Spotting Yashiro, Hiroaki, and Yasumasa in the room, a flicker of surprise—or perhaps calculation—crossed Misuke's eyes. She offered Fugaku a respectful bow before stepping forward and presenting an intelligence scroll.

The reactions of the four men already in the room to Misuke's arrival varied distinctly. Fugaku remained impassive, his face a mask. Hiroaki and Yasumasa looked distinctly uncomfortable. After being put in their place by her multiple times, they had long since lost any desire to compete with Uchiha Misuke. A fleeting, murderous glint sparked in Uchiha Yashiro's eyes before vanishing. The rift between him and Fugaku had begun the moment Misuke joined the Military Police Force.

Initially, Yashiro had welcomed and supported Misuke's entry into the Police Force. After all, in his eyes, she had always been one of his trusted subordinates—one of his own. But reality dealt Yashiro a stunning blow. Shortly after joining, Misuke began to distinguish herself rapidly. Not only had she recently been appointed as a Squad Leader in the Second Combat Unit, but she had also cultivated a close relationship with Captain Fugaku, gradually drawing many of the younger generation's radicals into her sphere of influence. Her actions clearly signaled an intent to establish her own rival faction. When Yashiro realized this and tried to have her transferred, Fugaku had flatly refused. Before long, Misuke had slipped completely out of his control. The betrayal was so sudden and complete that Yashiro had no time to react. Now, with Misuke's ascent within the Police Force, the hardline faction led by Yashiro found itself significantly suppressed. This was precisely why the three of them were so desperate to locate the Mangekyō Uchiha reportedly in the Land of Fields.

Fugaku accepted the scroll from Misuke and scanned its contents swiftly. His expression remained unchanged as he rolled it closed. Looking up, he gave Misuke a slight wave of his hand. Understanding the dismissal, she bowed again and departed.

Once more, only the four men remained. Fugaku spoke slowly, his voice even. "You have one month. One month from now, regardless of the outcome, you will return."

At these words, expressions of astonished delight bloomed on the faces of Hiroaki and Yasumasa. Surprise and suspicion flickered in Yashiro's eyes. His gaze unconsciously darted to the intelligence scroll lying on Fugaku's desk. Fugaku clearly wasn't going to agree just moments ago. Why the sudden, drastic change? What exactly was written in that scroll? Could this be some kind of trap?

Thousands of thoughts raced through Yashiro's mind, but he calmly rose to his feet. "Rest assured, Captain," he said, his voice steady. "We will complete the mission."

With that, Uchiha Yashiro led Hiroaki and Yasumasa out of the office. The moment they stepped outside, the forced smile vanished from Yashiro's face, replaced by a dark, somber expression. Behind him, the excited grins on Hiroaki and Yasumasa's faces instantly faded, and they fell silent.

Inside the Captain's office, Fugaku Uchiha sat alone, his expression complex and unreadable.

That afternoon, a merchant caravan bearing the Uchiha clan crest departed from Konoha village. In the shinobi world, it was common for ninja villages and clans, large or small, to operate their own commercial enterprises. After all, supporting personnel costs money. The Uchiha clan, as one of Konoha's premier families, had extensive business interests throughout the Land of Fire, making such caravans a frequent sight. Hidden within this particular caravan were Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Hiroaki, Uchiha Yasumasa, and several other members of the Uchiha's radical faction.

Swish~

In the Hokage's Office, a figure flickered into existence before the Third Hokage's desk. It was an ANBU operative wearing a snake-patterned mask.

"Lord Hokage," the Snake-masked ANBU reported, kneeling respectfully. "Uchiha Yashiro of the Uchiha clan, along with several other clansmen, has discreetly left the village, traveling with an Uchiha merchant caravan."

"Oh?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze grew distant, his expression grave. "It seems they're preparing to make contact with the Mangekyō Sharingan user over in the Land of Fields, are they?"

"Lord Hokage, shall we dispatch a surveillance team to follow them?" the ANBU inquired.

Hiruzen waved his hand dismissively. "No need. They're extremely sensitive right now; let's not provoke them."

"Yes, sir."

The Snake-masked ANBU acknowledged the order and vanished. Hiruzen sat alone, tendrils of smoke curling up from the pipe clenched in his mouth, faintly revealing the killing intent and conflict warring on his face.

Deep within the Root Headquarters.

Swish, swish, swish~

With a series of whooshes, more than twenty Root operatives materialized, assembling with practiced speed. They dropped immediately to one knee. Standing silently before them was Danzo Shimura.

"Lord Danzo, everyone has assembled," Ryoma Aburame reported from the ranks.

"Go," Danzo commanded, giving a single, sharp wave of his hand. In an instant, he and the assembled Root operatives vanished from the spot.