"Ma'am, two okonomiyaki!"
"Coming right up. Just a moment—"
Uchiha Uruchi wore an oil-stained apron, flipping the food across the hot griddle with her spatula.
The batter sizzled as shredded cabbage, shrimp, and tempura bits gradually crisped beneath a coating of sauce.
Her movements were as nimble as a dancer's, and a smile played on her lips the whole time.
The reason was simple: Uchiha Yatsuhashi, who usually left early and came home late,
hadn't gone to the lab tonight. Instead, he sat quietly on a little stool in the corner of the shop.
He was only organizing the small jars of sauce, but to his mother, this was already a rare moment of happiness.
"See? That's my son!"
During a lull while packing an order, she nodded toward a regular, the corners of her eyes crinkling with laughter.
"He stayed behind to keep me company today."
A regular at the shop teased, "Won't Teshoyaki be jealous?"
"He's busy at the shop all day, then comes home at night and falls straight into bed. He doesn't have time for this."
Uchiha Uruchi complained, but her eyes were full of laughter.
She packed the two okonomiyaki and handed them to the customer, then turned to the ingredients cabinet and took out an egg, gently tapping it against the rim of a bowl.
"Yatsuhashi, are you hungry? I'll make you one with an egg."
"Mom, I'm not hungry." Yatsuhashi looked up, pausing his hands as he sorted the sauce jars.
"Even if you're not hungry, you still have to eat. Look how skinny you are."
Uchiha Uruchi poured the batter onto the griddle without taking no for an answer, then added twice as much shrimp and minced meat.
"Lord Orochimaru really does make you stay up late all the time... Oh, right. How come you haven't mentioned Lord Orochimaru today?"
Uchiha Yatsuhashi's fingers tightened slightly.
He lowered his eyes and went on arranging the jars. "The experiments... have wrapped up for now. I'm not as busy."
"That's good." Uchiha Uruchi didn't notice the odd note in her son's voice. She focused on flipping the okonomiyaki.
The golden pancake traced a graceful arc through the air.
"Your father was saying that once things quiet down this month, the three of us should go stay at a hot spring inn for a couple of days.
You've never been comfortable bathing in public baths, so this time we'll book a room with a private bath..."
Uchiha Uruchi chatted on about everyday things,
her voice mingling with the sizzle of the griddle and the customers' laughter. It was like a warm cocoon, wrapping Yatsuhashi inside.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi listened quietly,
and the agitation in his heart over the lab being sealed and his inability to dilute the Hashirama Cells gradually settled.
But in its place came something heavier.
He knew this peaceful moment wouldn't last.
The village was still deliberately suppressing news of Orochimaru's defection, but sooner or later the truth would come out.
And as someone who had followed Orochimaru for years and participated in the experiments from beginning to end, Yatsuhashi was naturally in a precarious position.
Although Konoha had ended the Third Shinobi World War,
the village was still under wartime conditions. That meant its shinobi weren't going to be sitting idle.
Besides going to the mission assignment office to take jobs themselves,
they could also be assigned specific missions directly by the village.
After all, once Uchiha Yatsuhashi became a Genin, Orochimaru had personally recruited him as a lab assistant.
So Uchiha Yatsuhashi had never taken a single mission.
Now that Orochimaru's lab had been sealed, the village might assign him a mission soon.
And considering Danzo had brought people to question him today,
the interrogation he'd faced had been far too casual compared to everyone else's.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi suspected they might send him on a mission he wouldn't come back from.
That way, someone could eliminate him quietly, without anyone being the wiser.
What was more, he was still hiding a vial of First Hokage Cell Serum.
Without specialized equipment to dilute it, it had become a hot potato.
"Here, eat it while it's hot."
Uchiha Uruchi's voice pulled Uchiha Yatsuhashi back to reality.
"My okonomiyaki is the best in all of Konoha..."
As she spoke, Uchiha Uruchi set the freshly made okonomiyaki on the little table in front of him.
The thick pancake was smothered in sauce,
topped with bonito flakes and seaweed powder, with a soft-boiled egg trembling slightly in the middle.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi sighed inwardly. He could only hope it was all just his imagination.
He picked up his chopsticks and pierced the yolk.
Golden egg yolk flowed out, seeping into the cracks in the pancake.
One bite was enough for the savory-sweet sauce and crisp vegetables to burst across his tongue.
It was the same familiar taste, etched into his taste buds since childhood—the taste of "home."
Across from the okonomiyaki shop, beneath the shadow of the eaves,
a figure wearing a cat-faced mask had been standing there for three hours.
Uchiha Shisui leaned against the wall, his gaze passing over the sparse foot traffic and settling on the warmly lit shop.
He could see Uchiha Uruchi chatting with customers with a smile,
and he could see the young Genin named Uchiha Yatsuhashi,
sitting quietly in the corner, eating his mother's special okonomiyaki one bite at a time.
It was an ordinary scene from everyday life.
But Uchiha Shisui knew that in these turbulent times, such moments were precious.
The order he'd received today had been clear: monitor Uchiha Yatsuhashi and assess his connection to Orochimaru's defection.
"Uchiha Yatsuhashi..."
Uchiha Shisui murmured the name beneath his mask.
Born a commoner in the Uchiha Clan, with parents who ran an okonomiyaki shop.
A special Genin recommended by Orochimaru. His talent as a shinobi was poor, but his scientific ability had earned him a position as Orochimaru's lab assistant.
He had never once gone on an outside mission since becoming a Genin.
On the last night before Orochimaru defected, he had stayed in the lab until the early hours of the morning.
A spotless record, and yet suspicious.
Worse, an hour ago, word had come from the clan: the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, wanted to see Uchiha Yatsuhashi and had ordered Shisui to bring him over.
That made the mission much more complicated.
He was both an Anbu of Konoha, ordered to monitor a suspect, and a shinobi of the Uchiha, bound to obey the clan head.
Those two roles could usually be kept in balance, but in a sensitive moment like this, it was like walking a tightrope. One careless step, and he could fall.
Shisui let out a quiet breath.
He waited until Uchiha Yatsuhashi had nearly finished eating before taking off his mask and slipping it into his gear pouch.
"Ma'am."
Uchiha Uruchi looked up, her eyes lighting up when she saw who had arrived.
After all, he was one of the shining talents of their clan.
"Oh, Shisui!"
"The usual? One okonomiyaki?"
Shisui smiled warmly,
giving no hint that just minutes ago, he'd been watching the shop from the rooftops.
"No, I'm here to see Uchiha Yatsuhashi."
At that, Uchiha Yatsuhashi visibly tensed.
Their eyes met briefly.
"Of course. Please look after our Yatsuhashi..."
In Uchiha Uruchi's eyes, Uchiha Shisui was a genius of their clan.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi might only be a Genin for now,
but if he spent more time with Uchiha Shisui,
perhaps he could become like him,
and grow into an excellent shinobi.
Only after Uchiha Yatsuhashi followed Uchiha Shisui out of the shop
did Uchiha Shisui speak. "The clan head wants to see you. Now."
"See me?"
Uchiha Yatsuhashi was plainly surprised.
After all, he'd once tried to see Uchiha Fugaku, only to be turned away.
Why had things suddenly changed?
"Why?"
"It's clan business."
Uchiha Shisui spoke politely, but there was no mistaking that he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Konoha's night was quiet. Moonlight stretched their shadows long, then shortened them again.
Shisui walked ahead, with Yatsuhashi three steps behind,
a careful distance between them.
Neither spoke.
Only their footsteps sounded, one ahead of the other, steady and unhurried on the flagstones.
All the way there, Uchiha Yatsuhashi silently followed Uchiha Shisui.
He knew that the more he said, the more likely he was to slip up, so he waited for Uchiha Shisui to speak first.
It wasn't until they passed through a small grove that they reached the outskirts of the Uchiha Ancestral Land.
Only then did Uchiha Shisui come to an abrupt stop.
"Uchiha Yatsuhashi?!"
"Hm?"
Uchiha Shisui turned around.
Moonlight shone from behind him, leaving his face hidden in shadow.
But Uchiha Yatsuhashi could feel it.
The air grew heavier and a little colder. Even the insects around them suddenly fell silent.
Then he saw those eyes.
Three red tomoe slowly spun in the darkness.
No Hand Seals, no warning, not even a ripple of chakra.
In an instant, Uchiha Yatsuhashi felt his consciousness dragged into a blood-red world.
A genjutsu!
And an exceptionally powerful one, activated without a sound.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi hadn't even noticed when Uchiha Shisui had activated his Sharingan.
In the blood-red space, there were only him and Shisui.
No—not the real Shisui.
This was a consciousness construct created by the genjutsu, entirely under Shisui's control.
This Shisui wore no Forehead Protector or Anbu uniform,
only the simple clothes of the Uchiha Clan. But his eyes were especially striking.
"First question."
Uchiha Shisui's voice echoed through the blood-red space.
"Are you a spy Orochimaru planted in Konoha?"
Uchiha Yatsuhashi opened his mouth, about to deny it.
But his body had already answered on its own.
"N-no..."
The words came out of his mouth against his will.
It wasn't what he wanted to say. It came from his mind, from his subconscious.
The deepest truths in his memories had been forcibly extracted and translated into words.
That was the terrifying power of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.
"Second question: before Orochimaru left, did he give you any research materials or items that were supposed to be kept secret?
If he did, were you planning to leak them to anyone outside Konoha?"
"Yes... A scroll... But I wasn't planning to leak it..."
"What's in the scroll?"
"Cultured cells from the First..."
"First Hokage cells?"
"Where is the scroll now?"
"They were taken by Danzo..."
The blood-red space rippled faintly.
Uchiha Shisui fell silent for a few seconds, seeming to digest the information.
"One last question." The genjutsu Shisui's voice grew even colder.
"Do you have any intention of betraying Konoha? Have you even thought about it?"
This time, Yatsuhashi answered more quickly and firmly. "No."
He only wanted to keep himself and his parents from being caught up in the Uchiha Clan's night of extermination.
He truly had no intention of betraying Konoha.
"Even if the Uchiha Clan came into conflict with Konoha, would you stand with Konoha?"
"..."
Yatsuhashi fell silent.
It wasn't that he didn't want to answer. The answer to that question was simply unclear even in the depths of his mind.
The faces of his arrogant or indifferent Uchiha relatives surfaced in his thoughts.
His parents' smiling faces appeared, too.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi could forsake his clansmen, but he couldn't abandon his parents.
The blood-red space began to destabilize, ripples spreading along its edges.
Uchiha Shisui furrowed his brow.
He could feel the struggle in Yatsuhashi's mind, but it wasn't the clear-cut stance a traitor would have.
It was the wavering of an ordinary person caught between loyalty and blood ties.
That was enough.
The genjutsu ended.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi dropped to one knee and gasped for breath.
Cold sweat soaked his back in an instant.
Though the genjutsu had lasted only a few dozen seconds, it had taken a heavy toll on his mind.
Uchiha Shisui stood before him, looking as he usually did.
His Sharingan had returned to ordinary black eyes.
"Sorry." Uchiha Shisui reached out and helped him up.
"It's routine. The situation has been sensitive lately, so everyone connected to Orochimaru has to be investigated."
Uchiha Yatsuhashi used his support to steady himself, but his fingers still trembled slightly.
"...Are you done investigating me now?"
"My initial assessment is complete."
Shisui took a scroll from inside his clothes and handed it to him. "Here. Consider it compensation for what just happened."
"It contains some ninja tools I used to use."
Shisui pressed the scroll into his hand. "You might find them useful someday."
The scroll felt heavy in his hand. A sealing scroll was high-grade merchandise.
Even a rough estimate told Uchiha Yatsuhashi that the ninja tools inside were probably worth at least a million ryo.
"I'll write up everything that just happened in my report and submit it to Lord Hokage..."
Uchiha Yatsuhashi didn't say much more. After all, he was weak.
He was simply curious which Hokage Shisui meant: the Third Hokage or the newly appointed Fourth Hokage.
Uchiha Shisui turned and continued toward the Ancestral Grounds.
"When we see the clan head, just tell the truth. I'll be right behind you."
His tone grew noticeably heavier as he said the last sentence.
Watching him walk away, Uchiha Yatsuhashi's mind raced.
That was close!
Thank goodness he hadn't pressed Shisui about why Orochimaru had left him a sealing scroll containing First Hokage Cells.
But Uchiha Yatsuhashi had also learned quite a bit of useful information.
Shisui was Anbu and had to be loyal to the Hokage.
So he had questioned him with genjutsu as part of his duty.
And that last sentence was an indirect reminder to Uchiha Yatsuhashi.
Shisui would include their upcoming conversation in his report to Lord Hokage.
The Uchiwa Crest on the gate of the Uchiha Ancestral Land gleamed with a hard, metallic sheen in the moonlight.
Uchiha guards stood on either side of the gate.
When they saw Shisui and Yatsuhashi, they merely nodded in greeting and let them pass.
Uchiha Fugaku was kneeling in the main seat of the tearoom, making tea.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up. His gaze passed through the rising steam and settled on Yatsuhashi.
"Clan head." Uchiha Shisui bowed slightly. "I've brought him."
"Mm." Fugaku set down the teapot and gestured for Yatsuhashi to sit.
Uchiha Shisui stood behind him at a suitable distance—not too close, not too far.
"Have some tea." Fugaku pushed a cup toward him.
Yatsuhashi took it but didn't drink, merely holding it in both hands.
"I heard you came to see me before," Fugaku began, his voice steady and devoid of any discernible emotion.
"You wanted me to support Orochimaru as the Fourth Hokage?"
"...Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Orochimaru can change the Uchiha Clan's current circumstances."
Fugaku picked up his teacup and blew across the steam. "Oh? What circumstances?"
Uchiha Yatsuhashi raised his head and met the Uchiha clan head's gaze. "Being ostracized and suspected. You must understand that better than I do, clan head."
The tearoom fell silent for a few seconds.
Fugaku slowly took a sip of tea, then set down his cup with a soft clink.
"You've got some nerve," he said. "But you're wrong. The Uchiha don't need outsiders to change our circumstances."
"Although our clan has declined..."
Uchiha Fugaku's voice gradually rose, and a fervent light began to appear in his eyes.
"Ever since the Warring States era, the Uchiha have been the strongest clan in the Shinobi World.
"We built Konoha alongside the Senju and should have ruled this village together.
"But Senju Tobirama weakened us through schemes, and Hiruzen Sarutobi sidelined us with his hypocrisy.
"Now even a civilian with no background like Minato Namikaze can lord it over us—"
"Clan head."
Uchiha Shisui suddenly spoke from behind him, his voice calm but stern.
"What you're saying isn't right. And please show respect to the Fourth Hokage."
Uchiha Fugaku's words came to an abrupt halt.
He looked at Uchiha Shisui, his eyes darkening for a moment.
Hmph!
If I hadn't gotten fewer votes than him in yesterday's jōnin vote of confidence, it'd still be anyone's guess who the Hokage was!
But then he remembered that Uchiha Shisui had still cast his precious vote for him.
Uchiha Fugaku's expression quickly returned to normal.
He picked up his teacup again and changed the subject. "Before Orochimaru defected, did he leave you any research materials?"
Here it comes.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi's heart tightened.
"Yes," he answered honestly. "A cultivated sample of First Hokage Cells."
"First Hokage Cells?"
Uchiha Fugaku leaned forward, showing intense interest.
But before he could speak, Uchiha Yatsuhashi added, "Danzo already took it today."
"That's a shame..."
Uchiha Fugaku leaned back against the cushion in disappointment, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.
"First Hokage Cells... If the Uchiha could obtain that kind of power, why couldn't we restore the clan's former glory?"
Uchiha Yatsuhashi said nothing.
Though he had been prepared for this, he still felt enormous pressure at Uchiha Fugaku asking him these questions outright in front of Uchiha Shisui, an Anbu operative.
He was once again distinctly disappointed in this so-called clan head.
The tearoom fell silent again.
Only the faint bubbling of the teapot on the stove broke the quiet. Steam curled upward, forming a thin veil between them.
After a long while, Uchiha Fugaku spoke again.
"Yatsuhashi, though you come from a civilian family, Uchiha blood flows through your veins.
"Restoring the Uchiha Clan's former glory is the duty of every Uchiha..."
"Now that Orochimaru is gone, you have knowledge and understand research. The clan needs people like you."
Uchiha Fugaku continued, "Although you're only a Genin, if you're willing to serve the clan, I can arrange for you to join the Military Police Force."
It was an extremely tempting offer.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi's hand tightened around his teacup, little by little.
But when he felt Uchiha Shisui's gaze behind him, he hesitated only for a moment.
"The Military Police Force is part of Konoha, too. Wherever I am, I'm willing to do my part for Konoha..."
The water in the teapot had come to a full boil, bubbling loudly.
The smile on Uchiha Fugaku's face slowly faded.
He hadn't expected a specially appointed Genin recommended by Orochimaru to dare speak to him like this.
Then, a vast surge of chakra erupted from Uchiha Fugaku.
The chakra pressed down on Uchiha Yatsuhashi until he could barely breathe.
Fortunately, the very next moment,
a powerful aura rose behind him as well.
But before the two forces could meet, Uchiha Fugaku had already withdrawn the pressure.
It came quickly and vanished just as fast.
Even so, it left Uchiha Yatsuhashi deeply shaken.
That was the absolute suppression a jōnin could exert over a Genin.
The chakra alone had made him feel as if he were suffocating.
Fortunately, Uchiha Shisui had secretly warned him earlier.
And he had never had much affection for the Uchiha Clan to begin with.
That was why he'd refused Uchiha Fugaku.
And by refusing Uchiha Fugaku, he had shown Uchiha Shisui behind him—
and the Hokage—where his loyalties lay.
Uchiha Fugaku stared at Uchiha Yatsuhashi for a long time.
Then, as if shooing away an annoying fly, he waved his hand.
"You can leave."
Uchiha Yatsuhashi quickly rose, greatly relieved.
But just as he was about to turn and leave the tearoom,
Uchiha Fugaku's oppressive warning came from behind him.
"Every drop of Uchiha blood is precious.
"Don't forget your duty as members of the Uchiha Clan..."
Uchiha Shisui followed him. They didn't speak until they had left the clan grounds.
What Uchiha Yatsuhashi had done had shaken Shisui, too.
Even he, Uchiha Shisui,
as an Anbu operative loyal to the Hokage, still struggled and felt torn whenever the interests of his clan and the village quietly clashed.
Yet this Genin before him had made his choice more firmly than Shisui himself when the clan head offered him an olive branch.
They were both members of the Uchiha Clan, yet Yatsuhashi could break through the barriers of clan affiliation.
He wasn't loyal to a single clan. He was wholly loyal to Konoha...
Wasn't that the Will of Fire of the First—to "break down the barriers between clans and build a village together"?
As expected!
Ninja might be divided into jōnin and Genin, but there was no distinction when it came to the Will of Fire.
Uchiha Shisui took one last, long look at Uchiha Yatsuhashi's back.
Then he put his cat-faced mask back on and vanished into the deep night.
Before you continue