She looked at the black figure outside the door.
"D-Director."
Samui's voice trembled. She felt terribly guilty, convinced Dan had discovered what she was up to.
Spies deserved to be beaten to death.
At that moment, she remembered what Dan had said to Uchiha Inohi, and the gruesome state of the spies who had died at his hands. Cold sweat trickled down her back.
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heart raced. She stared fixedly at the suffocating shadow outside the door, overcome with fear and anxiety.
"From the sound of your voice, you don't seem to be feeling well," Dan said again.
"Oh, I... I've been having trouble sleeping lately," Samui said, making an excuse as she quietly pushed open the window.
If she confirmed that her identity had been exposed, she would jump out the window without hesitation and flee Konoha that very night.
"Trouble sleeping?"
At that, Dan didn't say whether he believed her. He simply turned and left, soon vanishing down the hallway.
What should she do? Should she run?
Just as Samui bit her lip, unable to decide, footsteps sounded, and the shadow appeared in the hallway again, stopping outside her door.
"I brought you some soothing incense to help you sleep. I left it by your door."
"Thank you, Director..."
Samui watched the figure leave, still unsure what to make of it. Then she slowly went to the door, slid it open, and picked up the incense.
So... it was just a coincidence.
"Phew..."
Samui finally let out a long breath of relief and collapsed onto the bed. Without realizing it, she had soaked the back of her shirt with sweat.
From now on, she'd have to be twice as careful.
The night passed without incident.
Over the next two days, the Fitness Gym returned to its usual quiet. Not a single customer came by.
As the receptionist, Samui's life had become boring again.
Dan had left Choza Akimichi his business card that day, but it had sunk without a trace. There had been no response at all.
As a result, Samui's chance to gather intelligence on the Akimichi Clan had fallen through, just as expected.
It seemed...
The Uchiha really had a terrible reputation. People had reached the point of avoiding them at all costs.
Although Samui thought Dan was a decent person, as long as he bore the Uchiha name, he had no chance of making friends in the village.
Still...
Samui could occasionally sense unfamiliar, watchful eyes around the Fitness Gym.
Some belonged to the Police Force, others to the Anbu.
Beneath the calm, peaceful surface, undercurrents seemed to be stirring.
Early one morning.
Itachi arrived at the Hokage Building, ready to clock in.
He had joined the Anbu's Team Six.
Over the past few days, under the leadership of their captain, Kakashi, Itachi had been assigned to guard the Third Hokage.
Put simply, he stood watch outside the Hokage Office every day.
He was a security guard.
As a new recruit, he hadn't yet had the chance to go on a mission.
"Itachi, good morning."
A boy with short brown hair and an honest-looking face walked over, greeting Itachi with a cheerful smile.
He was Itachi's teammate, code-named "Tenzo." They said he had become a Chunin at six, just like their captain, Kakashi, and that he could use the First Hokage's Wood Style.
He was a once-in-a-thousand-years genius.
Itachi was considered a genius too, but compared to his dazzling captain and teammate, he was currently the least remarkable member of Team Six.
"Where's the captain? Hasn't he arrived yet?" Itachi nodded to Tenzo and asked.
"If he weren't late, he wouldn't be Kakashi," Tenzo replied, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and an exasperated look on his face.
A little while later.
"Oh, sorry about that. After leaving home this morning, I spent ages wandering at life's crossroads. I ended up being late before I knew it."
With a lazy drawl, Kakashi came around the corner. His silver hair and black face mask stood out as he ambled toward them.
Itachi and Tenzo exchanged a glance.
This was their captain: a man who was often late and liked to come up with all sorts of strange excuses.
"No more standing guard today. We've got a new assignment."
Kakashi patted both teammates on the shoulder, then gave them a mysterious look and beckoned them to follow him.
The three left the Hokage Building and headed southwest through the village.
Before long, they entered a tall building.
Clunk.
Kakashi pushed the door open.
The spacious room had several telescopes and monitoring screens. Beyond a row of one-way windows, several Anbu members were carrying out surveillance.
"Shift change," Kakashi called out.
"Nothing unusual." The Anbu members stood and handed over their duties to Kakashi before filing out.
Kakashi turned to look at Itachi. Before the latter could say anything, he offered an explanation.
"This place is used to monitor the Uchiha Clan. What do you think? Should you tell your clan about this?"
A blunt probe.
Itachi didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "What am I supposed to do here?"
"Easy. Just keep an eye on things with that device. It's not tiring at all."
Tenzo came over and pointed at the monitoring screens, then walked to a telescope and got to work without being told.
Wow.
Either standing guard or watching screens.
After all that, wasn't this still just a security guard's job?
Itachi fell silent.
This wasn't quite the blood-and-guts Anbu life he'd imagined.
Kakashi studied Itachi's expression. When the latter remained silent, he probed again.
"It must be hard, having to watch your own clan and family. Want me to take your shift?"
"It's fine."
Itachi shook his head as he walked over to the monitoring screens.
Inside the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Children played together in groups;
A new shop opened to a bustling crowd;
An old man basked in the sun on a rocking chair;
A young couple, deep in love, slipped into a grove...
The scenes on the monitor were ordinary and heartwarming.
The Uchiha Clan wasn't much different from the other residents of Konoha.
Certain people had deliberately painted them as monsters.
Just then.
Itachi spotted a familiar little figure on the monitor, heading out with a shoulder bag on his way to the Ninja Academy.
It was his younger brother, Sasuke.
Itachi couldn't help smiling.
But his smile quickly vanished, replaced by a look of surprise.
Because...
On the monitor, he saw his uncle's Fitness Gym—the Physical Transformation Department.
"That surveillance camera was just installed. You went to see your uncle two days ago. His name was... Uchiha Dan, right?"
Kakashi's lazy voice rang out.
Itachi's heart gave a jolt.
So he'd been watched the whole time?
"Yeah."
He nodded, keeping his expression neutral.
A little while later.
Itachi saw his uncle, Uchiha Dan, and his employee, Samui, appear in the alley, carrying a huge bucket of milk. They seemed to have just returned from outside.
Suddenly.
Dan stopped at the entrance and looked up, spotting the camera hidden in a tree at a glance.
He raised a hand and pointed at the camera, asking Samui something. She frowned and shook her head.
With the monitor between them, Itachi could see the scene but couldn't hear their conversation. Still, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
Sure enough.
Dan bent down, picked up a small stone, and flicked it with a finger, his expression blank.
Whoosh.
The pebble flew toward the camera, growing larger and larger on the monitor until it filled the entire screen.
The next moment.
With a hiss, the monitor went black.
Itachi: "..."
Kakashi was leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed, happily reading Icha Icha Paradise instead of working. Hearing the noise, he lowered the book and asked:
"Anything going on?"
Before you continue