Departure

After the induction meeting ended, the newly recruited Military Police Force officers happily went home with the ninjutsu scrolls handed out by the vice captain.

When Uchiha Toko returned to his office, he found Fugaku sitting in his office chair with a dark expression.

"Douhuan..."

"Elder Fugaku, I'll bring back more money this time." Uchiha Toko immediately guessed that Fugaku had come to discuss money. After all, the 6,000-ryo travel allowance he had promised was no small sum. Combined with their salaries, the money taken from the Yamanaka Clan would not last much longer, so he spoke first.

"Which clan will it be this time? The Utatane Clan? Or the Mitokado Clan?" Uchiha Fugaku asked curiously.

"A shinobi clan? How much money could a shinobi clan possibly have?" Uchiha Toko smiled. "Think bigger, Elder Fugaku. In this Ninja World, who are the richest people?"

Uchiha Fugaku's pupils contracted. He had not expected Uchiha Toko's audacity to reach such a level. This was practically a challenge to the existing rules of the Ninja World. Compared to what Toko intended to do, the Uchiha Clan staging an armed rebellion within the village would seem like child's play.

Looking at Uchiha Toko's smile, Uchiha Fugaku wanted to stop him. But when he thought of everything Toko had done since taking power, and the increasingly clear future his Mangekyo showed him—a future where the Uchiha Clan possessed glory far surpassing that of their ancestors—Uchiha Fugaku suppressed the thought and merely reminded him, "Be careful."

"I will. Then, Elder Fugaku, while I'm away, I'll have to trouble you to look after the Military Police Force." Uchiha Toko said.

"I understand." Uchiha Fugaku nodded and rose to leave Uchiha Toko's office.

"Oh, Elder Fugaku, have someone send ten million ryo to me later. Cash. I'll need it for the mission." Uchiha Toko said.

"Ten million? That much? What are you planning to do?" Uchiha Fugaku was somewhat surprised. What mission required ten million ryo?

"It has nothing to do with the mission itself. This mission isn't important." Uchiha Toko said. "What matters is making the shinobi participating in it feel the Uchiha Clan's goodwill."

"Fine. I'll have someone deliver it shortly." Uchiha Fugaku nodded, then turned and left the office.

After Uchiha Toko sat in his office for a while, Fugaku sent someone over with the ten million ryo. Once he received the money, Uchiha Toko sealed it inside a Sealing Scroll, then tidied up and prepared to go home for the day.

Yet at the entrance to the Military Police Force, Uchiha Toko encountered someone unexpected. Uchiha Shisui stood before the main gate, apparently waiting for him.

"Want to talk?" Uchiha Toko raised an eyebrow and extended an invitation to the genius who had once been considered his equal within the clan.

Uchiha Shisui nodded and followed Uchiha Toko.

Under the setting sun, the two walked together toward the Clan Territory. Neither spoke first, simply strolling at an unhurried pace.

Children returning home after Ninja Academy let out ran past them in waves, laughing and playing. The scene moved Shisui somewhat, and he was the first to break the silence.

"Douhuan, what exactly is your goal?" Uchiha Shisui asked with some difficulty.

"Didn't I tell you my goal long ago?" Uchiha Toko said as he bought two skewers of dango from a roadside stall. He handed one to Shisui, then began eating the other himself.

"You only said that to throw my mind into turmoil back then, didn't you?" Shisui said. "Everything you've done has clearly been aimed at bringing the clan and the village closer together, allowing them to coexist peacefully."

"Is that so? Maybe everything I said back then was true." Uchiha Toko replied ambiguously.

"Douhuan, at a time like this, don't lie to me anymore." Shisui said. "You were right back then. I was too arrogant. Kotoamatsukami's power is too dangerous in my hands. One mistake could condemn both the clan and the village beyond redemption."

Uchiha Toko looked at Shisui and could not help sighing inwardly. His clan cousin really was adorably foolish.

"By the way, why were you at the Military Police Force today? You've always held a position there, but ever since you joined the Anbu, I remember you rarely coming around." Uchiha Toko said.

"Lord Hokage asked me to return and keep a close watch on unstable elements within the clan," Uchiha Shisui said.

Hearing this, Uchiha Toko laughed. "So you finally remembered the spy mission the clan assigned to you? And these unstable elements—do they mean me?"

"No." Shisui shook his head. "Lord Hokage believes that you, Douhuan, are a shinobi who carries the Will of Fire."

Uchiha Toko held back his laughter and said, "Is that so? In any case, I should thank you today. If you hadn't stepped forward on your own, I probably would have had a hard time wrapping things up."

"It was what I should have done. After all, you did it so the clan and village could coexist in harmony," Shisui said sincerely.

"Anyway, since you're back, work hard in the Military Police Force." Uchiha Toko patted Shisui on the shoulder encouragingly.

The two parted ways at an intersection. After Uchiha Toko returned home, he took out a scroll in the Study. It contained the addresses of Land of Fire nobles and wealthy merchants with relatively close ties to the Shimura Clan, information extracted by the Interrogation Division over the past few days.

After selecting and marking several locations that their mission would pass through, Uchiha Toko put the scroll away and began checking the ninja tools he would need for the journey.

One night passed. Early the next morning, Uchiha Toko arrived at the entrance to the Clan Territory and found Uchiha Inaho and Uchiha Saito already waiting for him.

After the three met up, they headed toward the village gate.

By the time Uchiha Toko and the other two arrived, the other members of the mission had already assembled at the village gate.

Though there were not many people, they had still divided into several small groups.

Two civilians without shinobi clan backgrounds huddled together. Two shinobi from the Utatane Clan and Mitokado Clan stood together. Meanwhile, Gekko Hayate, a shinobi from a small clan, chatted with the Inuzuka Clan shinobi alongside his lover Uzuki Yugao while petting a huge pitch-black dog.

As for the two Hyuga clansmen who had been requisitioned for the mission, they stood off by themselves in solitary nobility.

The captain of this mission, Kakashi, squatted beneath the eaves of a shop at the village gate that had not yet opened, flipping through Icha Icha Paradise by himself.