Ambush

In an office in the Hokage Building, an elderly man stood before the window with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance.

Age spots covered the old man's face, and he was not particularly tall.

Nor did any powerful aura emanate from him. He looked like an ordinary elderly man.

Yet his intimidating eyes, which no one dared meet directly, revealed that he was anything but ordinary.

He was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

An Anbu Ninja wearing a dog mask knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he entered the office.

"What is it?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

"Last night, Keisuke Sarutobi, Hiroshi Sarutobi, Kazunori Sarutobi, and Shinichi Sarutobi provoked Yuki Hatake, Takashi Hatake, and Shinichi Hatake, resulting in a fight."

"The Military Police Force has issued its ruling. Keisuke Sarutobi, Hiroshi Sarutobi, Kazunori Sarutobi, and Shinichi Sarutobi will be detained for ten days."

The dog-masked Anbu Ninja reported respectfully.

At the report, a cold glint flashed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes as he stood with his back to the dog-masked Anbu Ninja.

Even if the four had been at fault, they were still members of Hiruzen Sarutobi's own clan.

The Military Police Force had punished the four without showing the slightest leniency. They were clearly trying to embarrass him, the Hokage.

The coldness on his face vanished in an instant. By the time he turned around, his usual "kindness" was all that remained.

He said,

"Since they made mistakes, they should naturally be punished. The Military Police Force handled this matter very well. This is exactly the kind of Military Police Force the village needs."

"Pass on a message to the four of them. Tell them to reflect on their mistakes properly. They must not use their status as members of the Sarutobi Clan to act recklessly and bring shame upon the Sarutobi Clan."

"Yes."

The dog-masked Anbu Ninja looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with even greater reverence.

The Hokage was as fair and righteous as ever. Even when his own clansmen had committed wrongdoing, he treated them equally and did not use his position to excuse them.

If the village's other higher-ups could be as fair as the Hokage, there would not be so many disputes in the village.

After respectfully acknowledging the order, he withdrew from the office and carefully shut the door.

After he left, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat down at his desk, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Was it truly impartial enforcement, or were they targeting the Sarutobi Clan?"

Shimura Ryoma hurriedly left Konoha Village with two clansmen.

His purpose in leaving the village this time was to head for the base of the largest merchant caravan in the Land of Fire.

According to the information he had received, the largest merchant caravan in the Land of Fire would arrive at Konoha Village in a few days.

The village meeting had not yet been convened, and the Uchiha Clan had not yet been stripped of its duty to oversee the village entrances and exits.

If this merchant caravan came to Konoha, the Uchiha Clan would inevitably receive a share of its profits, and it would not be a small amount.

That was something he did not want to see, and something he coveted.

So, upon receiving the news, he immediately left Konoha Village with others, intending to delay the caravan's arrival in Konoha Village.

"Lord Ryoma, I heard the owner of this merchant caravan has a close relationship with the Uchiha Clan. Could he ignore our persuasion and still insist on coming to Konoha Village?"

One of the two accompanying clansmen, a young man, asked.

The youth was seventeen or eighteen, with short hair, brown pupils, and a faintly arrogant expression.

His name was Ichiro Shimura, a rather famous genius among the younger generation of the Shimura Clan.

It was only because Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi were too renowned that his reputation as a genius had failed to spread throughout the village.

He was quite resentful of this and had always wanted to find an opportunity to fight Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, though he had never gotten his wish.

"He will know how to assess the situation."

Shimura Ryoma said with a light smile.

Anyone capable of building a merchant caravan into the largest in the Land of Fire had to be a smart person.

The Uchiha Clan's influence was now gone, and its duty of overseeing the village entrances and exits was about to be stripped away.

He believed the other party would make the right choice.

As for the merchant caravan owner's friendship with the Uchiha Clan, Ryoma believed it existed only because the Uchiha Clan controlled the village entrances and exits, so the owner had deliberately sought to befriend and flatter them.

Now that the Uchiha Clan had fallen from power, the man would surely cast them aside without hesitation.

"Will he really listen? What if he refuses to comply?"

Ichiro Shimura asked with a frown.

"Then we can only play the part of bandits."

A cold glint appeared in Shimura Ryoma's eyes.

He believed the merchant caravan owner would heed the warning and delay his trip to Konoha Village.

But if the man refused to listen, then they could only play the part of bandits, raid the merchant caravan, and force him to comply.

"Play the part of bandits?"

Ichiro Shimura was startled. He looked at Shimura Ryoma in surprise and said worriedly,

"If we are discovered while pretending to be bandits, the village will punish us severely. Even Lord Danzo will not be able to protect us."

"As long as we are not discovered."

The other accompanying Shimura clansman was a man in his thirties named Sousuke Shimura.

Unlike Ichiro Shimura, who had been shocked upon hearing about playing bandits, Sousuke's expression remained calm. Clearly, he was no stranger to such things.

"That's right. As long as we are not discovered."

Shimura Ryoma's gaze was deep.

As long as they acted discreetly enough, even if the Uchiha Clan, who had ties to this merchant caravan, grew suspicious, they would have no way to do anything to the Shimura Clan.

Besides, there were many Wandering Ninjas in the Land of Fire. A merchant caravan being raided by bandits was perfectly normal.

Several hours later, the three appeared far from Konoha Village, rapidly leaping from tree to tree as they traveled.

Suddenly.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

A large number of kunai and shuriken shot toward them, attacking with a density like falling raindrops.

"Not good!"

The three men's expressions changed at the sight of the densely incoming projectiles.

However, all three were quite strong and immediately responded correctly.

As they swiftly dodged, they drew their kunai and knocked aside the projectiles they could not avoid.

—

Just as the projectile attack stopped, a masked man in black silently appeared behind Ichiro Shimura.

Holding a kunai, he swiftly stabbed toward Ichiro Shimura's heart from behind.

In an instant, Ichiro Shimura's hairs stood on end, and he almost instinctively dodged to the side.

By the narrowest margin, he avoided the kunai aimed at his heart.

But the moment he evaded the attack, another masked man in black leaped down from a tree at the spot where he had moved, slashing at him with a kunai.

Splat—

Unable to dodge in time, he was cut by the kunai, leaving a deep wound on his body.

While Ichiro Shimura was under siege, Shimura Ryoma and Sousuke Shimura were likewise attacked, each besieged by two masked men in black.

Like Ichiro Shimura, Sousuke Shimura was injured under the combined assault.

Only Shimura Ryoma, who possessed the strength of an Elite Jonin, managed to fend off the siege without being injured.

"Who are you people?"

Shimura Ryoma glared furiously at the two men attacking him and demanded.