Watch Your Position

Uchiha Ren and Uchiha Mikoto were neither of them love-struck fools.

After a bout of shameless cuddling on the sofa, all takeoff and no landing, Ren—feeling a little frightened by himself—slowly released the girl's slightly swollen cherry lips.

His palm lightly patted her peach-like backside twice.

Her thin loungewear could not conceal that soft, springy elasticity.

It felt incredible!

If he could get behind her while standing and thrust away, who knew how soul-melting it would be.

"Mikoto, it's getting late."

Mikoto's eyes shimmered with moisture. When he pulled away, the haze in her gaze receded, leaving only the blush that had yet to fade from her face.

She lightly panted as she adjusted her collar, then raised her eyes to meet Ren's calm gaze.

"The intelligence consolidation should be done sooner rather than later," Ren said softly as he sat up with Mikoto in his arms. "We should start making arrangements first thing tomorrow morning."

"Mm, I understand."

Mikoto answered softly. Like a virtuous young wife, she carefully straightened the collar her man had rumpled moments ago.

Alongside her gentle expression appeared the shrewd competence she usually displayed before others.

Her red lips moved, her tone steady and clear. "I informed Brother Fugaku this afternoon. Later, I'll have Hazuki contact Yashiro."

"By tomorrow before noon, we'll formally complete the handover and consolidation of the clan's intelligence network."

Ren nodded at that. "You also have Ayan's summoning contract. After tomorrow's meeting, speak with Ayan and see whether there are any overlaps in the intelligence networks."

He paused, lowering his voice slightly, his trust unmistakable.

"Also, I've arranged several tasks through Ayan. It's enough for only you to know about them."

Mikoto's lashes trembled as she blinked.

No further explanation was necessary. She understood in her heart—her little brother beneath her had probably done something bad again, something that could not be known to others.

Mikoto did not mind.

Whatever Ren had done, she believed he had considered things from her perspective or the clan's. All she needed to do was trust him.

"To keep Grandpa Huoke from coming after me, I should head back first."

Ren chuckled, planted a kiss on Mikoto's forehead, and then briskly got up to leave.

When they parted at the entryway, the reluctant Mikoto even ambushed him with a kiss.

Ren did not return home directly. Instead, he detoured to the residence of his grandfather, Uchiha Setsuna.

Sure enough, in the tea room he found the two elders, Setsuna and Huoke, seated across from each other and drinking.

Seeing his grandson arrive alone, Setsuna shot him a sideways glare of disappointment and let out an almost inaudible snort.

Clearly, he was quite dissatisfied that Ren had failed to "strike while the iron was hot."

The girl had already taken the initiative, so what was the man still dithering over?

Huoke, who had been absentmindedly sipping from his cup, was surprised to see Ren appear upright and impeccably dressed.

Then his tense shoulders relaxed, and the approval and satisfaction in his gaze toward Ren deepened further.

He knew when to advance and retreat, and he understood etiquette. He truly ought to be the Uchiha Clan's patriarch.

"Grandfather, Elder Huoke."

Ren greeted them with a composed expression, as though he had merely stopped by to pay his respects.

The three understood one another without speaking. They only briefly discussed trivial matters concerning the Eastern Front and the clan's consolidation, and the atmosphere was unusually peaceful.

Ren did not stay long. After a short while, he respectfully took his leave.

By the time he left Setsuna's residence, moonlight had already spread across the bluestone paths.

Without slowing his steps, Ren headed straight for the clan library deep within the clan grounds.

From the bloody conflicts of the Warring States era to the hidden history behind Konohagakure's founding.

From countless secrets scattered throughout the Shinobi World to every inheritance aside from those classified as forbidden techniques—since the Shinobi World had first recorded its history in writing, a thousand years of Uchiha history and the wisdom of its forebears had all gathered here.

At this moment, the brightly lit and heavily guarded library was not the desolate storeroom that would one day be wantonly emptied by Konohagakure's higher-ups in the name of "organizing and safeguarding" after the night of the clan massacre.

The current Uchiha Clan still stood proudly at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World, the foremost great clan with unfathomable foundations!

Just as Ren immersed himself in ancient texts beneath the library's lamplight, Shimura Danzō, after running about all day, entered the Hokage's office with an aura of hostility surrounding him.

The uncovered half of his face was so dark it seemed nearly frozen over, every wrinkle carved with suppressed fury.

The polite receptions and perfunctory refusals he had endured from the major clans during the day were like countless sharp thorns piercing his heart.

He was the one who commanded Konohagakure's shadow, Root!

He was the "Darkness of the Shinobi World," feared throughout the entire world!

If he were Hokage, how could he have suffered such humiliation?

"Hiruzen, you deserve to die!"

With a bang, Danzō slammed the door shut with such force that the Anbu ninja secretly guarding the window frowned.

In this village, the only person who dared act so recklessly before the Hokage was this powerful chief advisor.

Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head from the pile of documents behind his desk. Through the curling smoke, he looked at his old friend, already knowing that the recruitment effort had gone extremely poorly.

Reports from the Anbu and the various shinobi clans had been flying onto his desk like snowflakes.

"Hiruzen."

Danzō's voice seemed squeezed through clenched teeth, filled with barely restrained rage. "These shinobi clans that have no regard for village discipline... it is time they learned what Root is capable of!"

Seeing Shimura Danzō ready to crack down hard on internal matters, Sarutobi Hiruzen swallowed all the words of comfort he had prepared. His tightly furrowed brows could have crushed a fly.

He tapped his knuckles against his pipe stem, ash falling in soft flurries. His voice carried an unmistakable warning. "Danzō, watch your position. I do not want to hear such remarks that undermine the village's unity a second time."

Rather than restraining himself, Danzō let out a cold laugh from his throat and kicked the ball back to him.

"Hiruzen, the major shinobi clans refuse to cooperate and are unwilling to serve Konohagakure. Tell me—how should they be dealt with?"

"Without enough elite shinobi, thinking we can stop Kumogakure's army is nothing but a pipe dream."

He knew he was the Hokage's vanguard, playing the villain.

Once he had finished this act of hardline posturing, it would naturally be the Hokage's turn to step in and play the magnanimous, benevolent good cop who cared for the greater good.

This worn-out routine of playing off each other was something the "monkey" before him had mastered to perfection.

They both knew perfectly well the calculations and schemes behind it. And among Konohagakure's higher-ups and shinobi clans, who could not see through it all?

Thus, before gaining sufficient power and influence, Danzō knew that his position was exceedingly awkward.

All the authority he wielded rested on a single thought from the Third Hokage.

It is time to deepen my alliance with Orochimaru... The Wood Release experiments must succeed, no matter the cost!

Just as Danzō viciously swore this oath in his heart, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, just as expected.

"Tomorrow, I will personally visit each clan. Once the manpower is assembled, you will immediately depart for the northeastern front. There can be no delay!"