Emergency Mission

Fuyuki talked with Hiashi for nearly two hours. No one knew what they discussed, but Fuyuki left with a Silver Note bearing the Hyuga Clan crest. Hiashi left the Main Branch Courtyard with a wooden expression and went to the ancestral hall, where he stayed until well past midnight.

The positions of the ancestral tablets had changed, too. There was a space left at the very top for a new tablet. No one knew whose it was.

If reasoning worked, violence wouldn't exist in the world!

Fuyuki hadn't gone so far as to have a son beat his father. He'd simply called out the Loli Ancestor and reasoned with the old fossil.

After enduring the Ancestor's death glare, Hiashi finally understood why his son had looked so damn smug from the moment he was born, and why he'd never shown respect for anyone. As the Ancestor's beloved child, so beloved she'd even thrown open her coffin to rise for him, his son really did have every right to look that smug.

Anyway, he was a spoiled young master. Best not to mess with him. It was just money, even if it was enough to make you drop dead. Fine, take it, take it! Just hurry up and take back that divine ability! The Ancestor didn't like him, after all.

No third person would ever learn about their conversation that night. Fuyuki wouldn't blab; he knew about Black Zetsu. Hiashi was even less likely to talk. He was afraid the Ancestor would visit him in a dream and strangle him, an unfilial descendant!

The next morning, Fuyuki swaggered up and kicked open the door to the mission hall in the Hokage Office Building, startling the Chunin sorting documents inside and the Third's Shadow Clone.

The Third's Shadow Clone exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, "Shouldn't you be in class right now? Don't tell me you skipped class again?"

"What class? Someone broke into my house!"

Fuyuki looked indignant. "That damn Uchiha sneaked into the Hyuga Clan and stole my Summoning Scroll!"

The Third paused, then remembered that a Hyuga clansman had indeed come here before to post a mission asking Konoha Ninja to find a lost Summoning Scroll. The reward had been a whopping three million. Unfortunately, no one had found the scroll yet.

"An Uchiha stole your Summoning Scroll? Can you describe what it looks like? I can have some ninja look for it." The Third lowered the brim of his hat, hiding his eyes.

"No need to look. Uchiha Itachi took it. I confirmed it with my Summoned Beast yesterday." Fuyuki angrily slapped the Silver Note onto the desk. "I'm here today to raise the reward and have Konoha Ninja help me get my Summoning Scroll back!"

The Chunin clerk instinctively glanced at the note. Seeing the amount, he read it aloud: "Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand, a hundred thousand... Oh, brother, father, grandpa—good grief, two hundred million!"

Two hundred million for a Summoning Scroll?

Rich kids were not to be messed with. Terrifying.

The Third was stunned, too. What was Hiashi thinking, giving Fuyuki two hundred million to post a bounty here? "Fuyuki, are you serious? Your father's willing to give you two hundred million for a Summoning Scroll?"

This time, Natsumi took the initiative to explain. "Lord Hokage, you may not know this, but this Summoning Scroll is an ancient heirloom of our Hyuga Clan. In the past, no one ever passed the test, so no one could inherit the Elemental Dawn Summoning Land."

"This scroll is one of a kind. It's the only way to form a blood contract with the Elemental Clan of Elemental Dawn. Its two strongest members have Kage Level strength and are Summoned Beasts on par with the Three Great Sage Regions."

"Last time, clan rules prevented me from telling you the details of the information our Ancestor left behind. I'm sorry."

"This..."

Now it was the Third's turn to scratch his head. Uchiha Itachi had left after breakfast at the Dango Shop that morning. How was he supposed to know where Itachi had gone? He had his own plans to monitor an organization founded by a mysterious figure.

Well, even if they recovered the scroll, they certainly wouldn't return it to the Hyuga Clan right away. Konoha had to study it first. After all, these were two Summoned Beasts with Kage Level strength. Konoha couldn't pass up a chance to increase its military strength.

"Hmph, Hyuga."

Watching the live surveillance feed on his screen, Danzo gave a snort. "Someone, go intercept Uchiha Itachi at once. Make him hand over the Summoning Scroll."

The Third felt guilty toward the Uchiha Clan, so he hadn't sent Anbu to watch Uchiha Itachi leave.

Danzo, on the other hand, had a clear conscience. He'd sent no fewer than six Root Division Jonin to ambush Uchiha Itachi, the criminal who'd wiped out his clan!

"Lord Danzo, something's wrong! We've lost contact with Root Division!"

"What? Itachi actually dared to—!"

"He left a note, too. It says if you lay a hand on Sasuke, he'll come here and kill you."

"Hmph, Uchiha!!!"

Hokage Office Building, mission hall.

"Tsk, tsk."

The Third looked at the enormous two-hundred-million bounty posted in the most prominent spot on the mission board and marveled. A mission with a reward this high was probably a one-of-a-kind.

"Damn Uchiha Itachi, tsk."

Fuyuki still looked furious, as if he were truly outraged by the Uchiha's shameless behavior.

"Master, don't be angry."

Natsumi looked worried, afraid her master might make himself sick with anger.

Master and servant put on a convincing act. If Natsumi hadn't had such strong self-control, she'd have burst out laughing by now.

A Summoning Scroll personally written by her young master had been turned into a highly sought-after treasure through his clever maneuvering. It might even spark a struggle between hidden villages!

Don't underestimate the two experts with Kage Level strength. This wasn't a time when godlike beings fought each other, but the other villages would certainly send Anbu and Elite Jonin to try to find them.

And no one knew that all this competition was actually helping her young master grow stronger!

The more contractors there were, the stronger young Master Fuyuki became!

"Bang!"

Someone smashed through the door to the mission hall. This newcomer was even more brazen than Hyuga Fuyuki. Fuyuki had only kicked the door, but this guy had smashed it to pieces. Natsumi instinctively stepped in front of Fuyuki and immediately activated Rotation, blocking every splinter that flew toward them.

The Third stared in confusion. How had a perfectly good office gotten demolished?

Zang wasn't even in Konoha.

"Lord Hokage, urgent report! A large-scale uprising has broken out in the Land of Demons. A faction is targeting the Shrine Maiden!" The ninja scrambled over to the Third, not daring to stop for a moment. The Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons was equivalent to the daimyo of the Land of Fire. If they delayed responding to a request for help from the leader of another country, no one could bear the responsibility!

The Third looked up in speechless disbelief. The Uchiha Clan had been wiped out yesterday, the Hyuga Clan had come looking for trouble with Itachi today, and now there was a request for help from the leader of another country. Why was his workload so heavy? All he wanted was a smoke!

The Third's Shadow Clone grew more and more annoyed. Finally, he slapped his own forehead and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

There was a reason the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique had been classified as a forbidden technique. Every Shadow Clone had a personality of its own, and sometimes the clones even joined forces to pull off a revolution: Cang was dead, Huang would rise!

They'd beat the caster into a pulp and show him who was really in charge.

This Shadow Clone of the Third clearly belonged to the type that hated trouble. Faced with so many annoying problems, it immediately dumped everything back on the Third himself.

The Third, who'd only just fallen asleep, woke with a start and stared at the ceiling in speechless disbelief. "Kakashi, pick a few Jonin and head to the Land of Demons at once. Help the Shrine Maiden there crush the Yomi Sect, the ones behind the uprising."

"Yes, Lord Third."

Thanks to Ikaros for the hundred-point tip. Much appreciated!