"Where is Tsunade?"
More and more Jonin began searching for the legendary master of Medical Ninjutsu.
Ironically, the people who should have cared most about him—his own Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan—seemed utterly indifferent.
Neither the Hyuga Clan nor the Uchiha elders showed the slightest urgency over Rei, who had been poisoned.
Yet the people who had graduated from the Ninja Academy alongside him seemed more anxious than family.
Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi... These young-generation ninjas had studied and grown alongside Uchiha Rei at the Academy. Now, they were doing everything they could to find Tsunade.
At that very moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, sat unusually calm in his office, slowly unrolling a special scroll.
It was Uchiha Rei's intelligence file.
The scroll was packed with records of the boy's combat exercises and training. The conclusion was astounding: this seemingly ordinary Jonin was already far stronger than his peers. His Fire Release Jutsu was already formidable, while his Genjutsu and Taijutsu were both at Elite Jonin level. More astonishingly, his eyes were mismatched—his left eye had the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, while his right was a fully functional Byakugan.
"Two Kekkei Genkai under his control, with no weaknesses in Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, or Taijutsu..." Hiruzen murmured, his gaze growing distant. "A ninja like this... that's a true genius, the future of Konoha."
He read through the scroll, his expression conflicted. According to the intelligence, Uchiha Rei had surpassed Kurenai Yuhi in Genjutsu, outmatched Might Guy in Ninjutsu, and even exceeded Kakashi Hatake in chakra reserves. And his loyalty to Konoha surpassed even the wildest expectations.
That wasn't an offhand judgment. It was Hiruzen Sarutobi's conclusion after years of investigation.
Though Uchiha Rei was indifferent toward the Uchiha Clan and deliberately kept his distance from it in many matters, he had never once complained about Konoha. He had neither joined the Uchiha radicals nor bowed to the doves.
He had always stood with the village itself, quietly and steadily protecting Konoha.
"A ninja with no family ties to hold him back and no obvious weaknesses... perfect." Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes, as though he had already mapped out Rei's future.
"If he weren't of Uchiha blood, he would be one of the future heirs to the Hokage's inner circle. Even someone from the Hyuga Clan might still be acceptable..."
"Unfortunately... he just had to be an Uchiha."
In the Third Elder's memory, that name hadn't always shone so brightly. The first time he noticed the boy, it wasn't through a mission report, but because of his own son, Asuma. After a night of drinking, Asuma had muttered, "That guy's just too strong... I don't stand a chance against him."
At first, Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't paid much attention, assuming his son was simply frustrated about losing. But as time went on, Asuma began asking to learn various techniques for resisting Genjutsu, and even sought his advice on countering the Sharingan. This stirred his curiosity, so he ordered a discreet investigation into Uchiha Rei.
The deeper the investigation went, the more astonished he became.
Whether in his Ninja Academy graduation essay or his conduct on missions, Uchiha Rei had displayed admirable composure and loyalty.
His graduation essay was titled "The Fire of Konoha, Flourishing," and began:
"The fire of Konoha has been passed down from generation to generation. It is no divine gift, but a flame kindled with the lives of every ninja."
As Hiruzen Sarutobi read those words, it was as if he could see himself as a young man. Rei's love and faith in Konoha were unreserved, yet utterly genuine.
He had said earnestly, "He'll be Asuma's best friend."
Hiruzen Sarutobi set down the scroll and gazed calmly at the tree outside the window.
He had already contacted Tsunade. As Hokage and Tsunade's teacher, he had his own special means of communication. But he hadn't immediately asked her to return to the village.
"Only after the Uchiha Clan's rebellion has been completely quelled will Tsunade's return mean anything," he murmured, his voice so faint the wind outside seemed to carry it away.
Uchiha Rei still hadn't been cured of the poison. Tsunade was in a village several hundred miles away, yet he had deliberately kept her whereabouts secret.
Meanwhile, the young ninjas—
Might Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi were raising the alarm and doing everything they could for Uchiha Rei, vowing to find Princess Tsunade within half a month. Their bond and determination were the best embodiment of the Will of Fire.
What they didn't know was that Tsunade could have returned, but the Hokage had deliberately kept her far away.
"The future of Konoha will belong to them, in the end," Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured, a faint smile touching his lips, warm but weary. "Everything for Konoha, everything for the Will of Fire."
Yet beneath Konoha's shadows,
another conversation about the future was quietly unfolding in Root's underground chamber.
In the darkness, Shimura Danzō sat on a stone chair, his expression gloomy. One side of his face was still swollen and red.
It was a mark Uchiha Itachi had left behind.
"Damn that brat," he thought bitterly. "I should have dealt with him sooner. Now I've let the tiger return to the mountain, and he's become a threat."
"Reporting, sir." A Root Member knelt before him, voice steady. "We still have no reliable information on Uchiha Itachi. Anbu haven't found him, and the Hokage's intelligence team has no leads either."
Danzō sneered. "Of course not. He's too strong, too cautious. His existence has already shaken our control over the Uchiha Clan."
"Then increase surveillance," he ordered sternly. "We must capture him before the Hokage does."
"Yes, sir." The Root ninja withdrew.
Another ninja immediately stepped forward and reported in a low voice, "Sir, our control over the Uchiha Clan has developed a serious blind spot. Itachi's defection has put the family on alert, and several informants who were under our control have also gone missing."
Danzō raised an eyebrow. "Then we need new pawns."
"Yes, sir. There are two candidates at present."
"Go on."
"The first is Uchiha Rekka. He's an Elite Jonin in the Uchiha Clan, cautious by nature, and has had dealings with you before. We believe he won't refuse your offer, especially since we hold his sister's fate in our hands."
"Good." Danzō smiled faintly. "Continue."
"The second... is Uchiha Rei."
Danzō lifted his eyes slightly. "The poisoned brat?"
"Yes. Although he's been poisoned and his chakra is on the verge of collapse, his combat records show that his Fire Release and Genjutsu are exceptionally strong, on par with Kurenai Yuhi. And he has no obvious sense of belonging to the Uchiha Clan. He seems more like a supporter of the village."
"Isn't that exactly what we need?" Danzō slowly straightened in his seat. "Root needs a blade like that, free of emotional ties."
"But..." The ninja lowered his head slightly. "He was poisoned by Hanzō's Salamander Poison. Even if he takes Konoha's antidote, it will only delay the poison's effects. If we can't find Tsunade within half a month, he'll die."
"Hmph." Danzō sneered. "Hiruzen is too old, too kindhearted. Root, of course, has a real antidote."
He slowly rose, a chill glinting in his eyes. "Tell Uchiha Rekka that we can spare his sister's life, on the condition that he joins our side."
"At the same time, approach Uchiha Rei."
"Tell him that the only way we can save his life is for him to join Root. He has a future only if he puts it in our hands."
"Yes, sir." Several Root ninjas withdrew, disappearing into the darkness.
Danzō slowly sat back down, closed his eyes, and murmured, "Konoha doesn't need a future. It needs only obedience."
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