Hokage's Invitation

"The Hokage wants to see Youhu?"

Before Youhu could speak, Tiehuo, who was nominally Youhu's superior, frowned and said, "It's your Anbu trying to make arrests, isn't it? Are you trying to deliberately stir up conflict between the Uchiha and the Hokage?"

Facing Tiehuo's questioning, the Anbu Ninja was already unfazed. "I am merely notifying you. As for why the Hokage wants to see Uchiha Youhu, that is not for me to know."

"Uchiha Youhu, you had best not keep the Hokage waiting too long."

After leaving these words behind, the Anbu Ninja left the police station; he had no desire to linger in the Guard Division for long.

Although the Guard Division and the Anbu were both departments under the Hokage Building, compared to the Anbu, which was directly under the Hokage, the Guard Division was a department that belonged to the Uchiha.

Coupled with the increasingly tense atmosphere between the Guard Division and the Hokage Building, he was worried about being detained by the Uchiha Security Force.

After the Anbu Ninja left, Tiehuo said with a look of concern, "Youhu, the Third isn't looking for you because of what happened last night, is he?"

Youhu nodded. "It must be because of last night. There is an informant for the Third Hokage within the clan."

"Is it Uchiha Itachi, or Uchiha Shisui? I'm going to go settle the score with them right now. Those two ingrates—as Uchiha, they actually dare to betray their own kin."

Tiehuo cursed as he spat out the names of Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.

These two were actually spies planted by the Uchiha clan in the Anbu and Root, with the hope that they would bring back intelligence for the clan. However, for some reason, the two had gradually leaned toward the Third Hokage's faction and kept delaying the handover of any intelligence.

Youhu shook his head gently. "Tiehuo, there's no need to go looking for trouble with them."

"Being able to see Shisui and Itachi's true colors through this incident is already a win for the clan. It also proves that our rumors were highly effective, enough to make the Third Hokage step in personally to find me."

Youhu was not surprised that the Third knew he was the one spreading the rumors.

With traitors like Shisui and Itachi around, the Uchiha clan had never had any secrets. However, he hadn't expected the Hokage to want to see him so soon; this was only the second morning.

This behavior was undoubtedly a mockery of the Uchiha.

You set up a barrier to block our surveillance? Well, I'm telling you now: there is a traitor among you.

At the same time, this showed a complete disregard for the feelings of Shisui and Itachi. Wasn't this just putting them both on the spot? Once he went to see the Hokage, everyone in the clan would know they had betrayed their kin.

Clearing the distracting thoughts from his mind, Youhu said with a faint smile:

"Since the Third Hokage wants to see me, then let's meet. I also want to see the Third Hokage."

"Tiehuo, after I go to the Hokage Building, if I am imprisoned by the Third Hokage, do not come to save me. Continue to persist in our cause, inherit the legacy of Lord Izuna, and make the clan great again."

With that, Youhu left the Security Building, carrying his homemade iced black tea.

After Youhu left, Tiehuo's gaze became incredibly firm. He looked at Bayi and Danna, who were standing to the side, and said, "Did you hear that? We must inherit the legacy of Lord Izuna and Lord Youhu. We must never forget our cause."

Bayi and Danna didn't know why the atmosphere had suddenly become so tragic, but in order to match the mood, they shouted, "Captain Tiehuo, we will never forget our cause."

"Um... could we take a look at that parchment? We want to advance our Sharingan, too."

Tiehuo glared at the two of them, looking quite displeased as he said, "The parchment is a precious treasure left to the Uchiha by Izuna and Lord Youhu. You two haven't done anything for the clan, yet you want to get your hands on these things just like that?"

Bayi whispered, "Didn't Lord Youhu say we could look at it whenever we wanted?"

Tiehuo sighed softly and explained:

"Just because Lord Youhu told you that you could look at it whenever you wanted, you actually think you can? Let me ask you this: if other clan members join our faction in the future, should we just hand out good things to them whenever they ask?"

"Lord Youhu's goal is to become Hokage and conquer the entire Ninja World; he only needs to focus on improving his own strength."

"We, as his subordinates, must pay attention to these minor details. We need to help Lord Youhu build a complete logistics organization and become his support."

Having said this, Tiehuo's tone softened quite a bit, and he added quietly:

"If you really want to see it, it doesn't matter if I show it to you tonight, but don't expect others to receive the same treatment in the future."

"Yes, Captain Tiehuo."

Once Tiehuo agreed, Uchiha Bayi and Uchiha Danna were overjoyed. They were extremely curious about the contents of Izuna's Inheritance and were finally getting a chance to study it.

After pacifying his subordinates, Tiehuo looked toward the distant Hokage Building, a lingering sense of worry appearing on his face.

Lord Youhu had told him not to bring anyone to rescue him, but how could he possibly rest easy? If something were to happen to Lord Youhu, all hope for the clan's future would be completely lost.

He had to do something now.

Guided by an Anbu Ninja, Youhu arrived at the base of the Hokage Building.

As an Uchiha who had become a Genin immediately after transmigrating, Youhu hadn't actually been to the Hokage Building much, let alone had the opportunity to get close to the Third Hokage.

This would be his first time meeting the leader of the village.

Come to think of it, he used to be a fanatic fan of the Third Hokage; after all, being a hater is just another form of passion.

Walking down the hallway toward the office, Youhu began to ponder why the Third Hokage wanted to see him, and whether a battle might break out between them.

The matter of intentionally spreading rumors about the Hokage could be considered a big deal, or it could be considered trivial.

Broadly speaking, it was an attack on the Hokage's prestige and an attempt to shake the foundations of the village's rule. On a smaller scale, which high official in the village didn't have scandalous information floating around? A rumor is just a rumor.

As long as the person involved didn't fly into a rage out of shame, most people would just listen to it for a laugh.

No one would actually doubt the Hokage's sexual orientation.

Furthermore, even if the Hokage had a problematic sexual orientation, it would not hinder the fact that the Third Hokage was the Sun of Konoha, shining upon the entire ninja village; these were merely issues of personal conduct.

Summoning him like this, however, was what would arouse suspicion in those with ulterior motives.

Still, given his public strength as a Chunin, the Third Hokage shouldn't make things difficult for him, let alone ambush the Hokage Building with hundreds of Anbu executioners waiting for a signal to attack.

After all, who would ever imagine that a Chunin possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan?

Youhu even felt that he could try using the Mangekyo on the Third Hokage; it wasn't as if there were no precedents for controlling the Five Kage with illusion techniques in the ninja world.

Hadn't the neighboring Kirigakure been controlled by Obito for several years?

Aside from the outbreak of the Bloody Mist Village, no major problems had occurred. It had even solved Kirigakure's aging crisis, giving the new generation like Chojuro the opportunity to become Hokage guards.

Of course, as long as the Third Hokage didn't make the first move, he wouldn't actually use the Mangekyo.

After all, unlike Kirigakure, Konohagakure possessed two major Kekkei Genkai families, and the traces left by illusion techniques would be too severe. Moreover, the Third was not the kind of ninja one could easily manipulate.

Until he used the Reaper Death Seal, the Third Hokage remained the strongest in Konoha under normal conditions.

Walking up to the door of the Hokage Office, Youhu cleared his mind of distractions. As he knocked, he said in an uneasy tone, "Lord Hokage, I am Uchiha Youhu. Did you need something from me?"