Challenge Issued

Arata's voice was not loud, nor did it carry the stubborn certainty of a hot-blooded youth; he simply spoke the words quietly and naturally.

Yet, this simple sentence left Yashiro Uchiha speechless for a long time.

"Arata of the Uchiha."

He had only intended to use the Nine-Tails incident to probe the boy's attitude toward the village, but he had never expected such an answer.

An answer that even Itachi had never given!

"Go back and get some rest. Report to the Konoha Military Police Force tomorrow."

After a moment, Yashiro finally uttered these words.

Waves of emotion surged within him, but his face remained impassive.

The Konoha Military Police Force was a security organization established by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, with all members drawn from the Uchiha clan. Entering it required not only formidable individual strength but, more importantly, absolute loyalty to the clan.

Allowing an eight-year-old who had just graduated to join was truly premature, and without precedent, it would be difficult to convince the others.

However, this also showed from another angle that Yashiro truly valued Arata and was grooming him as a future high-ranking member of the Uchiha.

But Arata had his own ideas before he even arrived.

"Uncle Yashiro, I want to join the Anbu."

This was the first time Arata Uchiha had directly rejected an arrangement made by a clan elder; he had always been quiet and obedient in the past.

"The Anbu?"

Upon hearing this answer, Yashiro Uchiha's voice rose sharply, and a strange light flickered in his pupils.

He truly had not expected that the little one who had just brought him comfort would now bring him such a shock.

The Anbu, also established during the era of the Second Hokage, was a special department directly under the Hokage, responsible for reconnaissance, assassination, and many other secret operations. Those who could enter either possessed special talents or were sufficiently powerful.

"Did Itachi say something to you?"

After suppressing the agitation in his heart, Yashiro Uchiha said coldly.

Currently, the only members of the clan in the Anbu were Shisui and Itachi, and the former had just returned in triumph from the confrontation with the Mist Ninja and had no opportunity to contact Arata.

As for the latter.

Thinking of that guy, an invisible fire burned in Yashiro's heart.

Having joined the Anbu for only a few months, he had already begun to act on his own, even missing clan meetings.

If it weren't for Clan Head Fugaku constantly shielding him, he would have wanted to recall him long ago.

Now that Arata was also interested in the Anbu, the most likely reason was that Itachi had secretly transmitted something to him.

"No."

"Uncle Yashiro once said that Itachi is no longer suited to stay in the Anbu."

"And I will be more suitable than him."

Arata Uchiha calmly met the elder's gaze.

He could sense the man's agitation and fully understood his feelings.

The Uchiha had fallen into their current predicament partly because the clan head was not decisive enough and lacked a firm hand, and partly because of the increasingly excessive maneuvers by the Konoha high command.

The Anbu, being directly under the Hokage, was the Hokage's private army.

Stating his intention to join so bluntly would inevitably lead to misunderstandings.

However, Arata did not care. If he could join, it meant he would grasp the opportunity to get close to Itachi, the two advisors, and even Shimura Danzō.

Shisui and Itachi both wanted to resolve the conflict from within the clan and change the will of their kin.

But he was starting from the village, intending to eradicate the source of the danger directly. Prioritizing the learning of the Nurarihyon's abilities was specifically for this move.

A faint killing intent spilled from the boy.

This killing intent made even Yashiro Uchiha, who had participated in the Third Great Ninja War, feel a slight palpitation.

At this moment, he finally understood the boy's intentions.

That phrase, "Arata of the Uchiha," was the best interpretation of this matter!

"The Anbu is not so easy to enter. Even if you do, don't treat those high-ranking officials as fools. They have managed to control Konoha until now; their hidden methods are countless."

"Minato Namikaze, Hatake Sakumo—who among them wasn't a powerhouse that suppressed an entire era? Yet, in the end, they didn't live as long as those four old fogies."

"Besides, the Anbu isn't always stationed in Konoha."

Yashiro Uchiha did not lay everything out, but these pieces of information were enough to make Arata vigilant. He had thought things were too simple.

Entering the Anbu theoretically brought him closer to the Konoha high command, but a single transfer order could send him to lurk among other forces, never to return!

If it truly came to that, he would be at his wit's end, with no way out.

Compared to his own little schemes, those old foxes surely saw things more clearly and further ahead.

However, although his plan was rejected, it did not make Arata too disappointed.

Since assassination was not feasible, then he would solve it head-on.

"Uncle Yashiro, everyone in the clan says I am the second coming of Itachi."

"I am not reconciled to this; I want to spar with him."

The youth gazed at the clan elder before him with burning eyes, his words firm and his underlying intent clear: no matter what, and by any means necessary, he would set this plan into motion.

This was the Plan B he had spent the entire afternoon contemplating.

He didn't need to think about the Mangekyō; he couldn't awaken it, nor did he wish to.

Therefore, trying to stand alone against Obito and Itachi on the night of the clan's annihilation would be nothing but a fantasy.

Thus, the only point of breakthrough was now.

While Itachi and Obito had yet to join forces, and while that white-eyed wolf had not yet awakened the Mangekyō, he would use this spar to cut him down!

If he did this, none of the subsequent events would ever come to pass.

Itachi's blood would surely awaken the hesitant and indecisive Clan Head Fugaku!

"You are not yet his match; such a spar is unnecessary."

Yashiro Uchiha refused decisively.

While Arata was indeed impressive now, capable of crushing his peers and even reportedly beating up the upperclassmen of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio today, it was still far from enough.

Itachi had been on the battlefield at four, graduated from the Ninja Academy at seven, passed the Chunin Exams at ten as the top candidate, and had experienced countless real-life battles since joining the Anbu.

Such a resume could not be compared to a genius who had just graduated from the academy.

Not even with the possession of two Kekkei Genkai!

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan held absolute suppression over a Single-Tomoe; this was a spar without suspense.

Furthermore, he feared that if Arata suffered a defeat, it would leave an insurmountable shackle upon his heart.

"Please, Uncle Yashiro."

"I do not want to live in the shadow of someone else's name."

Arata Uchiha bowed in request, his words earnest and sincere.

He knew clearly that if he were to deliver a challenge himself, that guy Itachi would never pay him any mind.

The only power he could leverage now was the dissatisfaction of the clan elders.

Dissatisfaction with Itachi, used to exert forced pressure!

"I will try."

In the end, gazing at the youth within his field of vision, Yashiro Uchiha's heart softened.

He had watched Arata grow up.

Arata's mastery of Fire Style ninjutsu and shurikenjutsu had been taught by him personally; such a bond between master and student was not weak.

Just as Fugaku would protect Itachi, at this moment, Yashiro only wanted to fulfill a wish for his disciple.

However, this time, Yashiro failed to see through Arata's true thoughts.

Arata had hidden them too deeply.

And he was already prepared for the consequences that might follow.