Uchiha's Warning

Orochimaru had long anticipated Danzo's actions.

The only exception was Uchiha Ao, this Uchiha clansman who had suddenly sought him out.

He had not expected that this twelve-year-old boy would be even more determined to leave with him than Anko.

In fact.

When Orochimaru was planning his departure from the village, he had already hinted at his intentions to Anko.

But Anko had failed to realize what Orochimaru was thinking and had made a different choice.

Seeing this, Orochimaru gave up on the idea of taking Anko with him.

After all, this disciple was a student raised by the Ninja Academy, and the thoughts in her mind had long been saturated with the Will of Fire.

She clung stubbornly to the rigid regulations of Konoha, and in the end, they were not people meant to walk the same path.

Defection.

To students like them, poisoned by the Will of Fire, it was no different from the collapse of their faith.

Anko was unwilling to leave Konoha.

So Orochimaru simply abandoned her.

Orochimaru had only spent a little over a year training Anko.

There was not much emotional attachment.

Uchiha Ao suspected that the main reason Anko could still harbor such deep resentment toward Orochimaru more than a decade later was likely the Cursed Seal that had just been planted on her.

The soul fragment of Orochimaru contained within the Cursed Seal influenced her, causing her personal habits and will to subtly lean toward Orochimaru.

"At dawn, ten days from now, wait for me at the Valley of the End."

After leaving those words, Orochimaru let Uchiha Ao leave.

A month later.

When Ao returned to the Uchiha compound again.

The atmosphere of the entire clan had become increasingly oppressive; the clansmen all wore gloomy expressions, and their speech was filled with irritability.

Ao kept a very low profile, and when faced with several rounds of questioning, he only said that he had been training with Orochimaru.

Ao did not reveal his true purpose.

Just as he arrived at his doorstep, he encountered an unexpected person.

"Ao, you've returned? I heard... you were assigned to Lord Orochimaru's team? I recall that Lord Orochimaru hasn't taken on any new recruits for two years."

Uchiha Fugaku blocked his path, questioning him with a gaze full of scrutiny.

Behind him followed two Uchiha cadres with fierce expressions.

Ao had some impression of them; one was called Inabi, and the other was called Yakumi.

Both were elite pillars of the clan.

"Clan Leader, I was merely lucky enough to be noticed by Master Orochimaru."

Ao said respectfully, his eyes filled with reverence for the clan leader, acting no differently from a normal Uchiha clansman.

Uchiha Fugaku chuckled softly: "This is no luck. Others may not know, but I am well aware of Orochimaru's arrogance. Ordinary people cannot catch his eye. Ao! Regardless of the methods you used to be valued by Orochimaru, I hope you remember your identity—you are an Uchiha clansman."

"A blood connection that cannot be changed, even in death."

"Do not do anything that betrays the clan!"

After Uchiha Fugaku finished speaking these words, which were laden with heavy threats, Uchiha Yakumi behind him suddenly manifested a pair of Two-Tomoe Sharingan, staring at Uchiha Ao with murderous intent.

This was a naked threat!

"I understand, Clan Leader..."

"The honor of the Uchiha is greater than everything!"

Ao answered with his head bowed, quietly hiding the sharpness in his eyes.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at his respectful demeanor, nodded with satisfaction, and casually instructed: "If Orochimaru makes any unusual moves, report them to me immediately..."

As his voice trailed off.

"Father!"

A call came from afar.

Not far away, a young boy who looked like a little radish was walking toward them.

Fugaku patted Ao on the shoulder lightly, walked past him, and headed toward the boy.

Ao looked in the direction Fugaku was heading.

Itachi, is it?

He has only just started at the Ninja Academy!

"Behave yourself, Ao... many people in the clan don't have the privilege you have, being able to meet the Clan Leader directly!"

Uchiha Inabi kept a cold face, his long, horse-like visage revealing an air of haughty arrogance, while his narrow eyes were filled with a warning tone.

As soon as he finished speaking, he followed behind Fugaku and departed.

Ao watched their retreating figures, his gaze fixed on the boy surrounded by them in the distance, a mocking smirk curling the corners of his mouth.

Itachi... if I kill you now, will the Uchiha still be doomed to destruction?

Such a thought flashed through Ao's mind.

The moment a massive surge of killing intent welled up, he sensed the several guards following by Itachi's side...

Fugaku was truly cautious when it came to his son; no wonder Danzo, who had already torn off the mask with the Uchiha, could find no opportunity to lay a hand on Itachi Uchiha.

He left immediately.

It was better not to invite unnecessary trouble.

Once his strength improved, he would return to deal with the nuisance that was Itachi Uchiha...

"Brother... are you alright!? Did the clan head and the others give you a hard time just now?"

The voice of his younger brother, Uchiha Ran, reached his ears, pulling Ao's attention back.

He turned his head to look at his concerned brother, shook his head gently, and said, "I'm fine... Ran! You should apply for early graduation next year."

"Why? Brother, haven't you always said—to wait until the sixth year to take the graduation exam?"

Ran asked in surprise.

His older brother had always told them to stay in the Ninja Academy as long as possible to accumulate strength and experience, delaying the time they would become ninjas.

If it weren't for the fact that they could only stay until age twelve, he felt his brother would probably want to stay in school for a few more years.

He had absolutely no desire to become an official ninja.

At first, he didn't quite understand his brother's behavior, but after attending a memorial service held after the war ended, he finally understood his brother's painstaking efforts.

At that memorial service, the Fourth Hokage summarized the list of ninjas who had sacrificed their lives throughout the Third Shinobi World War.

The war, which had lasted for over a decade, had claimed the lives of over ten thousand ninjas, nearly exhausting at least two generations of ninjas from Konoha.

Nowadays, there were fewer than two thousand eligible ninjas in their twenties left in the village.

Among them, there were many geniuses who had become genin at just a few years old.

And among so many geniuses, only Kakashi had managed to survive.

The others had basically fallen on the battlefield.

"The village is unlikely to face any large-scale wars for the time being, and graduating early will allow you to adapt to the new ninja training system as soon as possible."

"The clan is about to undergo drastic changes, and life in the future will become increasingly difficult; only by becoming independent early can you grasp the power to protect yourself."

Ao reminded him.

He pondered for a moment, but ultimately decided not to mention his own plans to leave.

Upon returning home, Ao handed all one million ryo he had obtained from Orochimaru's laboratory to his mother.

"What is this?"

"Are you leaving?"

Holding the thick stack of money, nearly a million ryo, his mother asked, her expression changing slightly.

She had noticed something off about her son for a long time; he had seemed like a different person lately, but she knew the pressure he was under.

She hadn't made a fuss about it.

She assumed it was a change brought about by the maturity of his mindset after becoming a ninja.

Just like his father when he first went to the battlefield—after returning from the front lines, his entire personality had undergone a qualitative change.

Ao was slightly stunned, not expecting his mother to be the first to perceive his intentions.

He remained silent for a while.

His family would know sooner or later.

He would properly instruct his two younger siblings in the coming days, and telling his mother now wouldn't be a major issue.

Thinking of this, he nodded gently.

"Where are you going?"

His mother asked.

She did not stop her son, nor did she use the grand cause of the Uchiha to bind him to the clan.

She merely asked about his destination out of concern.

Ao shook his head.

"I am leaving with my teacher."

He replied.

"Lord Orochimaru is an outstanding ninja; following him... has more of a future than staying in the Uchiha."

Mother nodded in approval; although she was not a ninja, but merely a housewife, she had still sensed the recent state of the clan.

By comparison, Orochimaru was a person very much worth following.

"Do not speak of this to your younger brother and sister, to avoid any word leaking out."

Mother reminded him.

She then asked no more, went into the house to hide the money, and then headed to the kitchen to boil a bowl of noodles.

"Eat, then leave, and do not come back again. The clan is very chaotic lately; if you leave now, they won't have the time to pay attention to you."

Mother placed the noodles in front of Ao.

Inside the bowl were a grilled sausage, two eggs, and three pieces of greens.