Sasuke Retrieval Battle

On a street in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Two groups faced off at the mouth of the street.

On one side stood Root, clad in black, their eyes utterly devoid of emotion.

On the other stood the Uchiha Clan's Guard Team, wearing their clan crests, their gazes as defiant as flames.

They shared a common target.

Uchiha Sasuke, who was currently being shielded by Uchiha Rei.

Root spoke first, their tone utterly flat. "By order of Lord Danzo, we're taking Uchiha Sasuke into special custody."

Their words were like blades aimed straight at Sasuke. The Root ninja fixed their eyes on the young Uchiha like hawks.

Uchiha Sasuke instinctively hid behind Uchiha Rei, clutching the hem of his clothes with both hands.

The boy knew that the only person who could truly protect him right now was the big brother in front of him—the one who claimed to be "afraid" but had kicked the Root Captain flying.

"You want to take Uchiha Sasuke?" a cold voice rang out. "We Uchiha won't allow it."

Uchiha Fujin stepped forward slowly. Tall and one of the clan's strongest, he was also a key figure in the Uchiha Hawk Faction.

"Thank you for stopping Root's attack for us." He nodded to Uchiha Rei. "Now we're taking Sasuke back to see his father, Uchiha Fugaku."

Uchiha Rei asked calmly, "Where is the Clan Head? I'll take Sasuke to him."

"I'm sorry." Uchiha Fujin's expression changed, and his tone turned cold. "That's a secret of the Uchiha Clan. Outsiders have no right to know."

"You were just thanking me. Now I'm an outsider?" A faintly mocking smile tugged at Uchiha Rei's lips.

"You can't hand Sasuke over to him!" Fujin snapped. "Don't think beating one Root squad means you can throw your weight around in front of the Uchiha Clan."

He waved a hand. The Uchiha guards behind him drew their weapons, their blades flashing as they pointed them at Uchiha Rei.

At the same time, the Root ninja weren't about to back down. They silently stepped forward a few paces and drew their weapons, too. In an instant, the two sides were at daggers drawn—and both had turned their weapons on Uchiha Rei.

Uchiha Rei lowered his head and smiled, but there was no humor in his eyes.

He knew they were all after Itachi.

Earlier that day, he had secretly placed a Genjutsu Mark on Uchiha Itachi. Whenever he wanted, he could track Itachi's whereabouts.

Yet these two groups could only scheme around a child.

They were using Uchiha Sasuke as bait to draw out the older brother who had abandoned his clan.

"You're frightening," Uchiha Rei said quietly. "You talk about the 'clan' and 'Konoha,' but all you care about is what you can gain."

Sasuke looked up and hesitated. "If there's no other way, just hand me over to Uchiha Fujin... He'll take me to see Father."

Uchiha Fujin's eyes lit up, and the corner of his mouth curled. He stepped forward and reached out sharply to grab Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" Uchiha Rei started to shout, but the Root ninja struck at the same time. A flash of cold steel streaked past. Root wouldn't back down, either—they were trying to seize the boy.

"Wind Style: Wind Slash Bullet!"

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Ninjutsu collided. The explosive shock waves kicked up dust from the street as wind and fire intertwined, shattering the stone pillars along the roadside. The street instantly became a small battlefield, and the two sides plunged into a brief but fierce clash.

In the chaos, a shuriken sliced through the smoke and flew straight toward Sasuke's chest!

"Sasuke, watch out!" a member of the Uchiha Clan shouted.

But Sasuke was too young and too slow. In that split second, his body couldn't move out of the way at all.

Thwack!

Blood sprayed.

Time seemed to freeze, and everyone stopped moving.

"Did it... hit?"

The elites of Root and the Uchiha Clan stared in shock.

If Sasuke had really been injured, they'd be in more than just trouble for failing their mission. Uchiha Itachi's fury would be enough to level the entire street.

After all, not long ago, Uchiha Itachi had carved his way through Root Headquarters in a single night. Four elite ninja had been killed, and even Shimura Danzō had been badly injured, his face swollen like a pig's.

"Uchiha Rei!"

"You were standing right there! Why didn't you block that attack?"

Someone shouted at him, but Uchiha Rei didn't respond. He simply stood there in silence, as if he hadn't heard. Just as everyone's hearts began to sink, suddenly—

Bang!

Uchiha Sasuke, who had been hit by the hidden weapon, burst apart, turning into a shattered wooden post before vanishing into thin air.

"Substitution Technique?!"

Before the stunned crowd could react, Uchiha Rei, who had been standing beside Sasuke, also turned into a phantom and dispersed with the wind.

Only then did everyone realize they'd been talking to a bunch of afterimages inside a Genjutsu all along!

"When did that happen...? There wasn't even a trace of chakra."

"Were we talking to thin air the whole time?"

Anger and humiliation surged through them. The two sides were thoroughly riled up, and Ninjutsu flew everywhere.

The Uchiha and the Root squad finally came to blows.

Under Konoha's surface, the currents had long been running deep. This wasn't the first time the clan had clashed with the village's leaders. Though it hadn't yet escalated into an all-out confrontation, small-scale skirmishes had already begun to spread like sparks in a wildfire, threatening to consume all of Konoha.

Meanwhile, deep within the Uchiha Clan Compound, far from the conflict, Uchiha Rei quietly appeared in a secluded courtyard with the real Sasuke.

His expression composed, he led Sasuke along several stone corridors and finally reached an inner courtyard.

Under the moonlight, a woman stood quietly. Her long hair flowed like a waterfall, and her cool, beautiful features held a trace of weariness. She was Uchiha Yue.

Uchiha Rei's peer.

"Mission accomplished." Uchiha Rei smiled, unable to hide his relief. "It was trickier than I expected. I even turned down Danzo's orders for your sake."

"Y-you... what did you say?" Uchiha Yue froze, the tips of her ears warming as a blush quickly spread across her face.

She knew how much influence Danzo had.

He was one of Konoha's leaders, someone even the Clan Head treated with caution. And Uchiha Rei had chosen to make an enemy of someone like him because of her?

"Have you lost your mind...?" she murmured, unable to hide the tremor in her eyes.

"What are you thanking me for?" Uchiha Rei chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes. "I thought you'd say, 'You're always so unreliable,' then give me another scolding."

"I didn't..." Uchiha Yue's mouth twitched. Her annoyance was tinged with embarrassment. "You're always like this. You do so much, but you won't say a single sincere thing."

She gently bit her lip and looked up, her gaze both stubborn and tender. "Remember this: even if the whole village turns against you, I'll still be on your side."

Uchiha Rei paused, his gaze softening. Looking at her face, he thought of all they'd been through. In the end, the only thing he said was, "With you here, I can relax."

"Are you hurt?" Uchiha Yue asked softly. Her eyes were gentle, and her voice held a trace of concern she could barely hide.

"I'm not hurt. I was just poisoned a little. You know that."

"Don't push yourself next time," Uchiha Yue murmured. "It hurts me when you're in pain."

Her voice had nearly faded to a whisper by the end. She looked away, as if afraid he'd heard her—or perhaps hoping he had.

Uchiha Rei smiled without calling her out, and changed the subject. "Where's the Clan Head now?"

"He isn't home," Uchiha Yue replied, her expression turning serious as well.

"I knew it..." Uchiha Rei scoffed. "Uchiha Fujin really did lie to me. Some people in the Uchiha Clan are starting to stir."

"Lord Rei, what should we do next?" Uchiha Sasuke finally asked after staying silent for a long while.

His voice still carried a boyish innocence, but his eyes held a new resolve.

He had seen the danger just now, and he wouldn't forget it.

Uchiha Rei had already left a deep impression on him.

Uchiha Yue gently patted Sasuke's head. "There are still plenty of people in the clan who are loyal to the Clan Head. Sasuke, leave him to me. I'll keep him safe."

"Also..." Uchiha Rei looked at Uchiha Yue, his expression suddenly serious. "Have you seen Uchiha Izumi?"

As soon as he said this, Uchiha Yue's expression stiffened, and a trace of displeasure flashed in her eyes.

"Why are you bringing up that little girl all of a sudden...? I haven't seen her in a long time, either."

Her tone cooled. She lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together. Clearly, she didn't like that name.

But Uchiha Rei didn't notice the change in her mood. He simply said solemnly, "Izumi and Sasuke both have to be protected. They're the hope of the Uchiha's future."

He didn't linger. Turning around, he started to leave. Uchiha Yue instinctively reached out, then drew her hand back, able only to watch him walk farther and farther away.

The moonlight flowed like water. She stood quietly, her eyes never leaving him.

"Idiot..." she whispered. "You never spare me a second glance, yet when danger comes, you're always the first to step in front."

She gently pressed a hand to her chest and felt her heart race.

Somewhere along the way, she had already hidden those feelings in her heart.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Rei's Genjutsu clone quietly left the compound,

while his real self headed straight for another key figure in the Uchiha Clan: Uchiha Rekka.