A matter that enraged the Uchiha and delighted Konoha had quietly begun to spread through the village.
The mighty Konoha Military Police Force had been attacked right at its front gate. Someone had been killed in front of everyone—a humiliation so great that the Uchiha had never suffered anything like it before.
Uchiha Fugaku listened quietly to his subordinate's report. When he heard that the attacker was one of the Uchiha, he showed no surprise. Calmly, he sent his subordinate away.
"Itachi, what do you think?"
Fugaku asked softly. Itachi's figure emerged from the shadows.
He had been standing nearby, listening to the Uchiha's report.
"Father, do you know who that person is?"
Itachi could tell that his father's attitude was unusual. Though Fugaku always seemed amiable, Itachi knew that his father's devotion to the clan was deeply ingrained in his bones.
He would never allow anyone to trample on the Uchiha's dignity.
"I do. And I'm also using him to create a smokescreen."
Fugaku smiled. He was pleased to have such a clever son.
Whether in training or strategy, Uchiha Itachi had a rare talent, one seldom seen in a hundred years.
"Are you planning to plant a spy in the village?"
Itachi guessed.
"That's one reason. The village is far too wary of the unity of the Uchiha Clan, so it would help if someone in the clan stood apart from the others. Since that's the case, I'll give them someone like that."
"Besides, I'm not the only one who calls the shots within the clan. Some people have been going too far lately, and they need to be put in their place. This person has to have ties to the village, while also being an outsider within the clan."
"Uchiha Shiraha? Anyone you'd use as a spy would have to be at least an elite Jonin... but Shiraha's only a Chunin?"
A glint flashed in Uchiha Itachi's eyes.
He had a deep impression of Shiraha.
When he first met Shiraha, Itachi hadn't thought there was anything special about his teammate.
He had the same arrogance as the other clan members, always acting as if everyone owed him money.
At first glance, Shiraha seemed to embody every trait shared by the Uchiha.
Aloofness and pride.
But as they spent more time together, some of Shiraha's subtle, eccentric habits gradually gave Itachi a new impression of him.
He was an unconventional person, devoted to training and unaffected by outside distractions.
Even if he had only an hour to rest, he would spend thirty minutes practicing swordsmanship.
The Uchiha's pride came from their ability to learn any Taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu after seeing it once with their Sharingan and make it their own. Such a photographic memory would be terrifying in anyone.
And with the Uchiha's natural talent, even the least accomplished among those who awakened the Sharingan could reach Chunin rank.
That was why no one with the Uchiha name had ever trained so diligently.
Shiraha was an exception.
Uchiha Fugaku listened, smiling without a word.
Itachi's response only strengthened his resolve.
The Uchiha had a promising future.
At the Uchiha Clan Compound, in a secluded residence,
Uchiha Madoka was eating snacks from a bag, with four or five tabby cats rubbing against his thick legs.
Madoka had dropped his disguise. His fat hung freely as he slumped in his seat.
He held a newly arrived intelligence report in one hand. Tossing a dried fish snack onto the floor, he praised them with a grin. "Well done!"
"That kid is surprisingly strong. There aren't many in the clan who could handle him now! Looks like relations with the village might improve a little."
Uchiha Madoka looked at the report in his hand, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile.
He had only meant to use the incident to intimidate clan members with ulterior motives. He hadn't expected anything this interesting to happen.
He had underestimated Shiraha.
"Go tell Cat Granny that something interesting has happened in the clan lately."
Uchiha Madoka gave the order. A small white cat with black spots understood at once and darted out of the room.
Cat Granny lived in the abandoned district. Though she didn't live with the Uchiha, she had long been a partner of the Uchiha Clan, managing the weapons shop and the Ninja Cat Clan on their behalf.
After the Uchiha were wiped out, most of the ninja cats disappeared.
In the end, only some remained with Cat Granny.
Uchiha Madoka was in charge of gathering intelligence for the clan and staying in touch with Cat Granny.
Many of the Uchiha in the clan were arrogant and proud, and they held positions of authority.
So not just anyone could look after ninja cats.
Cats had never treated people as their masters.
By comparing all kinds of intelligence, Uchiha Madoka knew just how great the gap between the clan and the village was.
Their top fighters were far too different in strength.
"Now that one of the Sannin has returned, too, those troublemakers need to be told to settle down."
Uchiha Madoka gazed at the scenery on the horizon, thinking through his next steps.
All he could do was minimize the clan's losses as much as possible.
After all, they shared the same blood.
After killing the man, Shiraha tossed his head by the village gate, then went straight home to sleep.
Many people recognized the head, and the news spread at once, bringing with it all sorts of speculation.
The next day, when rumors were flying everywhere, he had only just gotten out of bed.
After washing up, he took his time styling his hair to look like Gintoki's.
His sleepy expression did nothing to hide his stunning looks.
His hair curled slightly. Without a flat iron, getting it right was a bit of a hassle.
"Uchiha Shiraha?"
A Jonin suddenly appeared in Shiraha's home and asked as he watched him in front of the mirror.
Shiraha's expression remained calm. He smiled and said, "If you can't give me a reason to be happy, I'll make you my entertainment!"
A Jonin? One sword was all it would take.
He wore a smile, but his voice was as cold as ice.
A faint killing intent surfaced.
It gathered from the bloodlust clinging to Shiraha.
He had once thought such an intangible thing was just a myth. But after taking lives with his own hands, he found that anger naturally brought out a terrifying presence.
The more people he killed, the more frightening that presence became.
"The clan leader has left what he promised you outside the door. Take it yourself."
The Jonin's face paled. He recalled what Uchiha Fugaku had told him when giving him the task.
"Don't provoke him."
At first, seeing a boy of thirteen or fourteen, he had looked down on him.
But beneath the thick killing intent, he reconsidered what the clan leader had meant.
The instant he finished speaking, he vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
"The money's here!"
Shiraha went outside. Several boxes stood in the hallway.
Uchiha Fugaku had kept his promise.
Shiraha was about to plunge into the painful business of moving and counting money.
More than an hour later,
he finished with the miscellaneous tasks, picked up two large boxes, grabbed a piece of bread from the table, and headed out, biting into it as he went.
Feeling the occasional gaze from those around him, Shiraha gradually got used to the way girls lost themselves in his beauty.
With a string of troubles following him, Shiraha hurried to the clan's weapons shop.
The owner was the same familiar young man, Kin Uchiha.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three loud slams made the tabletop shake.
Kin Uchiha turned around, his face full of anger, and demanded, "What are you doing?"
"Make me a scabbard!"
Shiraha set the Kusanagi Sword on the table and spoke loudly.
"I won't do it!"
Kin Uchiha had his pride, too. A craftsman deserved to have his dignity.
"I've got enough money."
"It's not about the money. It's about your attitude!"
"What else is the problem?"
"I don't feel like it."
"Hm?"
Shiraha flicked his left hand, and the hilt of his wooden sword shot out from his waist.
It came to rest lightly against Kin Uchiha's neck.
It passed within a millimeter of his skin, brushing against a single hair.
"What about now? Any other problems?"
"I'll get started right away!"
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Kin Uchiha's forehead. That was only a wooden sword. If Shiraha had used the other sword at his waist...
Death had just passed by his side.
Having escaped with his life, he didn't dare say another word.
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