The Missing Sasuke

"Uzumaki Naruto, could you take me to find Sasuke?"

Uchiha Rei's tone was calm. "Maybe I can help him find his older brother."

Uzumaki Naruto froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he nodded. He was supposed to go to school that afternoon, but being with Uchiha Rei made him happier than going to class.

After all, at school, many teachers and students shunned him, treating him like an outsider, like a monster. Only a few students played with him.

He was already famous at school as the "King of Skipping Class." Now that he had a perfectly good reason, he could skip class with even less guilt.

Besides, Uchiha Sasuke hadn't come to school for the past few days either. Thinking of that, Naruto resolved to go with Uchiha Rei to find Sasuke.

"Oh, right. I haven't properly introduced myself yet." Uchiha Rei smiled faintly. "My name is Uchiha Rei."

"Uchiha...?" Naruto's heart jolted. He's from the same clan as Sasuke.

"Okay!" Naruto declared loudly. "From today on, we're friends!"

With that, he hopped down from his stool, beaming as he took Uchiha Rei by the hand and ran toward the door.

"Hey! You haven't paid!" Teuchi called after them.

"I'll cover Uzumaki Naruto's ramen."

Uchiha Rei spoke calmly as he took a few crisp banknotes from his ninja pouch and handed them to Teuchi's daughter.

"Thank you..." Ayame's cheeks turned pink as she accepted the money.

"Uchiha Rei, next time you come, I'll make your ramen myself!"

"Sounds good." Uchiha Rei waved with a smile, bidding them a warm farewell.

As he stepped outside, his gaze discreetly swept over Ayame. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were lively. She was undeniably a beautiful young woman.

Ichiraku Ramen was located right in the center of Konoha, while the Uchiha Clan residence stood at the very edge of the village. The Uchiha Clan Compound was vast, but the clan had long been shunned and marginalized by the village, forced to live in seclusion on Konoha's outskirts.

If Uchiha Rei traveled alone, he could reach the compound in just a few minutes, but with Uzumaki Naruto along, he had to walk at an easy pace.

Naruto held tightly to his hand, carefully, as though this precious warmth might vanish at any moment.

He was seven years old, and this was the first time anyone had been willing to walk along with him like this, holding his hand. He knew the old Third Hokage was kind to him, but the Third Hokage had too many duties. He only showed up in a hurry once a month to give Naruto his living expenses, pat his head, and then leave again.

On the street, villagers passing by saw Naruto. Some simply turned and went into shops, pretending they hadn't seen him. Others opened their mouths to curse him, but when they saw Uchiha Rei beside him, they immediately fell silent and swallowed their words.

The Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan were Konoha's two most powerful bloodline clans. For clans with real power, gaining or losing a Jonin wouldn't shake their foundations. Ordinary villagers, however, didn't dare offend them lightly.

Ordinary villagers didn't dare offend Uchiha Rei lightly, either. They knew that provoking a Jonin was no trivial matter. In Konoha, the hierarchy was as imposing as a mountain.

As they walked, Naruto was in especially high spirits. He noticed that the villagers who usually cursed him and avoided him had all "changed" today. Some hurried away; others turned silent and looked away.

He didn't understand why. Maybe today really was his lucky day.

But the farther they went, the quieter the streets became. The blocks where residents had once hung out their laundry and swept their courtyards were now deserted, as though they had turned into a ghost town overnight.

Dead leaves had gathered beneath the low eaves, and the windows were tightly shut. A quiet chill seeped from the shadows at the end of the street.

"Did everyone here... move away?" Uzumaki Naruto asked softly.

Uchiha Rei didn't answer. He only looked up at the figures stationed on rooftops in the distance, keeping watch with alert eyes. On this very street, he had already noticed two Uchiha Patrol Squads. The cold-eyed Uchiha shinobi had clearly been placed on the highest level of alert.

Things have gotten this tense already...? Uchiha Rei thought with a sigh. He didn't know that the village leadership had grown suddenly more wary of the Uchiha Clan because, a few days earlier, he had disguised himself as Uchiha Itachi and attacked Danzo. Uchiha Itachi had now been branded a rogue ninja, and as the Clan Head's son, his actions were seen by many as a deliberate signal that the Uchiha Clan planned to rebel.

Rumors were spreading through the village like wildfire.

"The Uchiha Clan is going to revolt."

"The Clan Head personally ordered Itachi to assassinate Danzo."

"War is about to break out..."

With storm clouds gathering, the Uchiha Clan Compound had been completely sealed off. No one outside the clan was allowed in. Even Uchiha Rei was stopped at the entrance.

"Rei." A gentle yet firm voice called out.

The person blocking his way was a familiar face, his peer, Uchiha Yue. Her long, ink-black hair fell loose over her shoulders, and she wore the Uchiha Clan's distinctive dark, form-fitting combat attire, which accentuated her shapely figure. She was strikingly beautiful and carried herself with poise. Yet Uchiha Rei had never felt the slightest interest in her, even though she was widely regarded as one of the clan's beauties.

"The clan has ordered the compound sealed off. No outsiders are allowed in." Uchiha Yue's expression was stern, but her tone was gentle. "That includes you."

In the clan's eyes, although Uchiha Rei bore the Uchiha name, he wasn't considered a "true member of the clan." Uzumaki Naruto, meanwhile, was an outsider among outsiders.

"I know I can't stop you," Uchiha Yue said quietly. "But if you insist on forcing your way in, we'll consider it a provocation. We have a full Uchiha squad stationed here... I hope you won't do anything foolish."

A trace of concern she couldn't quite hide showed in her eyes.

Uchiha Rei fell silent for a moment, then let a faint smile touch his lips.

I already came here last night. He had entered the compound the night before, when Sasuke was still with the clan. He didn't take the so-called "Uchiha squad" standing before him seriously at all.

"We're here to find Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto finally interjected, his childish voice carrying a note of urgency.

Uchiha Rei nodded. "That's right."

"Sasuke... isn't home." Uchiha Yue's expression darkened. "After Itachi was declared a rogue ninja, Sasuke left the compound early this morning. We think he wants to find his brother himself. If you see him, please bring him back."

That was all there was to it. Uchiha Rei didn't press her further. He gave Uchiha Yue a brief look and said, "Then we'll be going."

"Big clans are such a pain." Naruto grumbled, clearly unhappy with the strict hierarchy and lack of freedom.

Uchiha Yue watched Uchiha Rei walk away, her gaze lingering on his back. She silently bid him farewell in her heart.

"Naruto," Uchiha Rei asked once they had left the compound, "do you know where Sasuke usually goes?"

"That stuck-up guy never plays with anyone," Naruto said, scratching his head as he tried to remember. "But I do know a place he goes often. I've seen him there lots of times... It's just that whenever I say hello, he ignores me."

"Take me there," Uchiha Rei said. His voice was gentle, but his resolve left no room for argument.

"Sure! Let's hurry and find Sasuke so we can take him home!" Naruto said excitedly, pumping his fist, confidence shining in his eyes.

Uzumaki Naruto didn't notice the tiny bugs silently hovering in the air behind them, seemingly recording their every move...