Boomerang

In the Hokage Office, Uchiha Shūichi pushed open the door and saw the Third Hokage sitting in his chair.

"Lord Third, may I ask why you called me here? Is there something you need me to do?"

The Third Hokage smiled as he looked Uchiha Shūichi up and down.

"Shūichi, you've hardly taken any missions since becoming a Jonin, have you?"

"That's right. Ever since I became a Jonin, I haven't been able to find any subordinates, so taking missions has indeed been a bit of a hassle."

"Hardly" was putting it mildly. The Uchiha Clan had always been seen as a Lone Star of Doom, and few shinobi were willing to team up with them. That was also why there were so few independent shinobi among the Uchiha Clan, with most of them serving in the Military Police Force.

There was no helping it. The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan often required a teammate to die before it could unleash its power. That trait was deeply unnerving. In the past, the Uchiha Clan had even deliberately arranged certain things.

They didn't need to make any particularly obvious arrangements. Every year, plenty of shinobi graduated. All they had to do was pick two who seemed a little dim, with sincere, passionate, reckless personalities, and not much strength or potential, then pair them with an Uchiha elite. After letting them grow close for a while, they'd send them on a couple of high-difficulty missions...

After going through the process, the odds of an Uchiha awakening their Sharingan were around one or two in ten, while the odds of their teammates all dying were as high as six or seven in ten.

Shinobi weren't fools. Even if they didn't know the conditions for awakening the Sharingan, they could at least see how dangerous it was to be teammates with the Uchiha Clan. The more a shinobi knew, the warier they became of the Uchiha Clan.

So, once members of the Uchiha Clan became Jonin, hardly anyone was willing to team up with them.

Of course, this also had something to do with the guidance of Konoha's leadership. When Uchiha were Genin or Chunin, their teammates were liable to die. But once they became Jonin, they were extremely reliable teammates.

By the time they reached Jonin strength, they had generally already awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan. If they still hadn't awakened it by then, they probably never would.

Besides, the Uchiha Clan couldn't manipulate the assignment of Jonin-level missions. Even in Konoha, Jonin were part of the ruling class; they certainly couldn't be sacrificed lightly.

And at that point, the Uchiha Clan's formidable strength came into play. In fact, having an Uchiha Jonin as a teammate was safer.

The leadership certainly wouldn't advertise this, though. Most shinobi only saw the Uchiha as Lone Stars of Doom at the Genin and Chunin levels.

That was precisely why most members of the Uchiha Clan worked in the Military Police Force. The few who became independent shinobi often returned to the force after making Jonin.

Although Uchiha Shūichi hadn't returned to the Military Police Force, his Uchiha identity made it difficult for him to find Chunin or Special Jonin subordinates who could work well with him.

As for taking missions alone, that required special approval from Konoha's leadership. The shinobi profession was unusual, and shinobi rarely acted alone.

Often, a shinobi's teammates weren't just there to help complete missions; they also served as monitors. Even the Akatsuki Organization chose to operate in pairs. Unless a shinobi was exceptionally powerful and highly trusted, Konoha wouldn't let them go out alone.

In that situation, how could Uchiha Shūichi possibly accept missions? Even if one came his way, he'd have to wonder whether there was a trap waiting for him.

After all, Konoha's leadership had never hidden its hostility toward the Uchiha Clan. Even though he appeared to lean toward them, there was still a high chance they'd set him up.

The Third Hokage knew Shūichi's situation well, so he didn't dwell on it.

"Shūichi, I called you here because I have a mission I'd like to assign you. I really can't find another elite shinobi who can handle it!"

As the Third Hokage spoke, thoughts raced through Uchiha Shūichi's mind. He had a vague idea what this was about, so he lowered his head and remained silent.

Only Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged voice echoed through the Hokage Office.

"Important intelligence has surfaced in the Land of Rain. Take a look."

As he spoke, an intelligence scroll landed in front of Uchiha Shūichi. He felt speechless as he unrolled it. Sure enough, this was the mess he'd left behind.

The intelligence had been spread by Root Ninja, but the Five Great Shinobi Villages had all planted plenty of spies in one another's ranks. When the information circulated through the other four villages, some of it naturally made its way back to Konoha Village.

So even though Root hadn't spread the intelligence within its own village, the Third Hokage and Anbu had still obtained some information about the Land of Rain. Both the Rinnegan and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path gave Hiruzen Sarutobi cause for concern.

"Lord Third, is this intelligence reliable? A Rinnegan-wielding shinobi has appeared in the Land of Rain? And the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—I've never heard of anything like it."

"These things should be somewhat credible. At the very least, the Rinnegan is definitely real."

The Third Hokage replied, then his expression turned grave as he looked at Uchiha Shūichi.

"The other villages, especially Kumogakure, have already taken action. No matter what, we can't fall behind them."

"In recent years, the militaristic Land of Lightning has greatly strengthened Kumogakure. Given that village's warmongering nature, it's sure to become Konoha's greatest enemy in the future."

"So, if we can get the Rinnegan-wielding shinobi—or, better yet, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—that would be ideal. But the most important thing is to completely thwart Kumogakure's operation. We absolutely can't let them seize the treasures in the Land of Rain."

For the Third Hokage, who was currently striving to maintain stability, the Rinnegan and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path were certainly valuable. But first, their authenticity was uncertain. Second, Konoha might not be able to hold on to either of them.

Konoha had been declining for years, yet because it was situated in the wealthiest Land of Fire, it had drawn hostility from the other Four Great Shinobi Villages. The Third Hokage, growing increasingly corrupt with age, truly didn't dare spark another Ninja World War.

"Understood, Lord Hokage. But I'm afraid I can't complete this mission alone."

Although he'd dug this hole himself, Uchiha Shūichi had no intention of refusing. Of course, there was no way he'd be sent on a mission like this by himself.

Or rather, even if Uchiha Shūichi hadn't said anything, the Third Hokage would never have sent an Uchiha to complete a mission alone.

"Don't worry. I've picked reliable teammates for you this time. Come in, all of you."

The Third Hokage clapped his hands, and three shinobi immediately entered the room.