To learn the latest developments, Kaede accompanied the elder of their branch to the clan meeting. Strictly speaking, the elder was his great-uncle.
At the meeting, he witnessed a scene that truly disappointed him in the Uchiha.
The hall was filled with the Uchiha Clan's upper ranks. Any one of them would have been considered a powerful ninja out in the world. But brains were a wonderful thing, and these people really didn't have any!
His great-uncle proposed supporting the White Fang, and the elders of the other branches reacted in all sorts of ways. Some opposed him just for the sake of opposing him. Some thought it had nothing to do with them. Some nodded in agreement. Others worried it would earn the village leadership's ire, since the leadership's decision to let the White Fang affair fester was already a clear signal.
In Kaede's view, that old man's argument was utter nonsense. Earn the village leadership's ire? From the Hokage and the council elders to the Jonin Commander, the ninja clans, and the villagers, who didn't hate the Uchiha? How much more could they hate them? Any more, and they'd draw their blades.
Why even consider that? What did any of that matter compared to a powerful shinobi like the White Fang?
In Kaede's view, the village leadership was probably letting the White Fang affair fester not to drive him to his death, but to diminish his standing in the village.
The Third Hokage was likely paving the way for Orochimaru, his preferred candidate for Fourth Hokage. The White Fang's reputation was too great. If they chose the Fourth Hokage in a few years, no one could measure up to him.
After all, the Sannin had become famous later than the White Fang.
This incident was the perfect opportunity to ruin the White Fang's reputation, ensuring the next Hokage would still come from the Hokage's own faction.
Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi probably thought the same way. They had simply underestimated how much this would hurt the White Fang.
At the clan meeting
Clan Head Fugaku hadn't said a word throughout the meeting. Kneeling at the head of the hall, he had cast a heavy gaze at Kaede a few times before closing his eyes and putting on an air of solemnity.
At last
"Then it's decided. The Uchiha will not get involved in the White Fang affair. You may all go." Fugaku rose calmly and left the meeting. Several elders glanced at Kaede's great-uncle, then departed with triumphant smiles.
"Kaede, let's go home." The elder seemed to be used to this. He smiled as he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Great-Uncle. I've caused you trouble."
Kaede bowed to the old man before him. Because of Kaede's suggestion, the elder had been mocked despite his advanced age.
"Little one, there's no need for that. I've long since gotten used to it. You're a fine young man. If you ever need anything, come to me."
He took Kaede away from the meeting and brought him home.
A month later, he received news that the White Fang had taken his own life. He doubted that anyone—not even the Third Hokage, much less the Uchiha Clan—had expected it.
Konoha had lost one of its top combatants, and the Shinobi World was once again thrown into turmoil. Kaede could feel that war was not far off. The White Fang affair had utterly disillusioned him with the Uchiha Clan. A family like this wouldn't be fixed without shedding some blood.
Those damn idiots needed someone ruthless like Obito to give them a hard lesson before they could see reality.
Another month later, he applied for early graduation and passed the assessment. Since he was the only one from his class to graduate, he could either join a team from the previous year that had lost a member or form a team with clan shinobi.
This was really a test arranged by the Third Hokage, but Kaede had too many secrets he couldn't let outsiders discover, so in the end, he chose to return to the clan.
"Kaede, I checked. There aren't any ninja—just ordinary people."
Tong's arrival and her clear voice interrupted Kaede's thoughts. He came out of his reverie.
"Then it's time for us to make our move."
They were on a mission to clear out bandits. It was only a simple C-Rank Mission, but they needed to confirm whether any ninja were involved. They did it partly out of habit and caution, and partly because if ninja were involved, the mission would be classified as a B-Rank Mission—one rank higher, with several times the reward.
At first, they'd been assigned to catch cats and plant vegetables in the village. Only after completing a large number of D-Rank missions had they been allowed to take C-Rank missions.
This was the third C-Rank Mission they'd taken that year. Their objective was to eliminate a band of bandits who had crossed into the Land of Fire Border. They had already preyed on many of the nearby villagers.
While they were scouting the enemy's movements that day, three small villages had already been attacked or extorted.
This was already a serious incident. The mission had been issued by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, a chubby, middle-aged man Kaede had met once.
"Finally, we can take it easy for a bit." Uchiha Hakuno got to his feet and stretched his stiff body. After lying there for half a day, he'd grown impatient long ago.
Taking on a bunch of ordinary people was as easy as playing a game of ninja.
Hakuno had been sent by the elder of their branch—Kaede's great-uncle. Before joining Kaede's team, Hakuno had been given a seal in his mind. If anyone tried to pry into Kaede's secrets, it would immediately destroy his body. With that safeguard, he was able to join the team.
Tong, on the other hand, was a partner Kaede could truly trust. Their relationship had become somewhat complicated by now.
"Hakuno, be careful. Even if they're ordinary people, there are a lot of them. Don't get hurt again." Tong smiled with narrowed eyes.
"I won't," Hakuno argued.
During their first C-Rank Mission, Hakuno had let his guard down and been slashed in the arm by a samurai pretending to be dead. Fortunately, Tong knew Medical Ninjutsu and treated him in time. Otherwise, he would've had to spend a few days laid up at Konoha Hospital.
It was humiliating.
"Enough. Tong, take the left. Hakuno, take the right. We'll surround them. Leave none alive." Kaede adjusted the Forehead Protector on his brow and gave the order.
He had killed before. His first kill had happened a long time ago, and death had been his companion for years now. Being a ninja truly was a profession steeped in killing.
He channeled Chakra into his legs. Lightning flashed through his body, then vanished without a trace. Lightning Armor was powerful, but unsuitable for use in front of others. This was a simplified version of the technique: Lightning Release Chakra flowed rapidly through his body, stimulating his cells and increasing his speed.
It was an application of the Body Flicker Technique.
He lightly touched the ground with his toes and shot forward, the wind roaring in his ears. He coated his ears with Chakra to filter out the noisy wind. As he sped along, his black hair streamed straight behind him.
Fortunately, he'd wrapped bandages around the hems of his clothes and trouser legs to reduce wind resistance. Reaching behind him, he drew the graduation gift his father, Mingye, had given him: a short sword forged from Chakra Metal, worth a third of Asuma's price.
Below the cliff, the bandits had just locked the woman they'd captured into a cave. Hearing the sound of a fierce storm tearing through the air, one of them looked up in confusion. A streak of blue lightning flashed past.
He tried to warn his companions, but couldn't open his mouth. His vision began to blur. Through the haze, he saw a headless corpse that looked very much like his own body standing in front of him.
His head was still in the air. There was barely any blood at the wound. The Chakra sword was wreathed in scorching lightning, and its swift strike had burned through all the tissue, sealing the wound in an instant.
His head slowly descended. His pupils began to lose focus, and his eyes widened in the end, as if wondering how he had died.
Kaede's sword was already striking at another bandit.
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