Transformation

In front of the Uchiha clan compound gates, a large group of Root ninja stood in a standoff against the Uchiha.

Danzo slowly emerged from the rear, squinting his eyes as he stared at Uchiha Fugaku, who stood at the very front. With a grim expression, he said, "You want to confront me face-to-face?"

Uchiha Fugaku frowned, surveying the surrounding Root ninja, and said in a deep voice, "Advisor Danzo, what is the meaning of this?"

Danzo looked at Lu Yan, who was standing beside Uchiha Fugaku, and let out a strange, raspy laugh. "Uchiha Obito went missing without cause during a mission. Upon returning to Konoha, he killed the ninja I sent to question him. His actions are suspicious. For the sake of Konoha Village, hand him over to our Root."

"Impossible."

Uchiha Fugaku refused point-blank, and the atmosphere at the scene instantly grew tense.

Lu Yan looked at Danzo's expression—the kind that could scare a child—and curled his lip in disdain. With a face like that, how do you expect to fight Sarutobi Hiruzen? You don't even look like a good guy.

Lu Yan stepped forward a few paces, looked Danzo straight in the eye, and smiled. "So it was you who sent those Anbu ninja. It's a pity that I merely asked if they were Anbu or sent by that old dog Danzo, and they tried to fight me to the death. As it turns out, they all died."

The atmosphere turned bizarre; even the usually arrogant Uchiha ninja stared at Lu Yan in stunned silence.

Danzo waved his hand, stopping the Root ninja who were about to strike, and looked at Lu Yan with the gaze one might reserve for a corpse. "Do you know what you are saying?"

Lu Yan didn't care about Danzo's glare in the slightest, curling his lip. "Advisor Danzo, you must truly be getting old. You're quite hard of hearing."

With the Third Ninja World War looming, Lu Yan had nothing to fear. The Konoha high command would never move against the Uchiha clan at such a time and weaken their own strength.

Danzo had come with such fanfare only to apply pressure; he would never actually make a move. He simply wanted to use this opportunity to knock the Uchiha clan down a peg, forcing them to contribute more during the upcoming war and thereby depleting their strength.

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been observing the situation at the Uchiha gates through a crystal ball, turned his head and smiled at Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. "The young are truly hot-blooded."

Mitokado Homura frowned, looking at Lu Yan in the crystal ball with a look of disgust. "Ever since Master Tobirama passed away, the Uchiha clan has been restless. Recently, their arrogance has only grown."

Utatane Koharu coughed a few times, wheezing as she spoke. "Hiruzen, it is time to suppress them. Otherwise, clans like the Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho will follow suit and become restless as well."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. Seeing Utatane Koharu's pale complexion, he asked with concern, "Koharu, the weather has been a bit chilly lately. You must take care of your old wounds."

"I will be careful."

Utatane Koharu coughed again, her expression thoughtful. "It's just that the current situation is not good. The Land of Water, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Lightning are all making frequent moves, and the Land of Wind is also becoming restless, constantly testing us. After we suppress them, we should still offer some appeasement and have the Uchiha clan send more men."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes were deep as he watched Lu Yan in the crystal ball. He murmured, "I don't think things will be that simple."

Back at the Uchiha gates, the atmosphere grew even quieter, like the stillness before a volcanic eruption—one that would be earth-shattering once it broke.

Lu Yan stood at the forefront, his expression calm as he watched Danzo and the Root ninja behind him.

"You won't hand him over?"

Danzo ignored the junior, Lu Yan, and turned his head to ask Uchiha Fugaku in a stern voice.

"Impossible to hand him over."

The pitch-black pupils in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes transformed into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, his tone unyielding.

The surrounding Uchiha ninja also activated their Sharingan one after another, glaring at the Root ninja.

Just as the tension reached its breaking point, Namikaze Minato and Kushina arrived, leading Kakashi and Rin. Minato stepped in front of Lu Yan, shielding him, and spoke respectfully to Danzo. "Advisor Danzo, Obito is my student. I guarantee he has no issues, and I will explain everything to the Hokage."

Danzo was also feeling a bit stuck; he hadn't expected things to be this thorny. He had intended to pressure the Uchiha into handing over Uchiha Obito and use the chance to knock the clan down a peg, but he hadn't expected Uchiha Fugaku to value Obito so highly, refusing to budge an inch.

He hadn't even finished with Uchiha Fugaku, and now Minato had arrived. Minato belonged to the Hokage's faction and had always been favored by Hiruzen, even being groomed as a successor...

At this thought, Danzo looked at Minato, a cold light flashing in his eyes. He snorted, "What are you using to guarantee this? Move aside."

Minato shook his head with a firm expression, his smile full of sunshine. "I stake my life on it. If Obito has any issues, I will leave him to the Hokage's judgment."

"Heh."

"Leave him to the Hokage's judgment?"

Danzo looked at Minato's brilliant smile, gave a mocking laugh, and turned away with a wave of his hand.

"Let's go."

Seeing the Root ninja retreat, Rin let out a long sigh of relief. She walked over to Lu Yan and gave him a hard stomp on the foot. "Stupid Obito, you didn't even tell us when you got back! Kakashi and I were worried to death."

"Heh."

Lu Yan gave a sheepish smile, glancing at Kakashi, who still wore that same deadpan look. He shook his head inwardly. What a tsundere.

Minato walked over and patted Lu Yan on the shoulder, smiling gently at his three students. "It's alright now. I will go speak to the Hokage about this matter."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded warmly at Lu Yan and led the Uchiha ninja back into the compound.

Lu Yan felt a complex mix of emotions. Looking at his clansmen, his teacher, and his companions, he felt the thick bonds of connection wrapping around him—and he found himself savoring them.

"Let's go. My treat for barbecue today."

With a bright, hearty smile, Lu Yan looked at his master, his master's wife, Rin, and Kakashi.

Late at night, Lu Yan lay on the rooftop, his hands behind his head, watching the full moon in the sky.

"Mom, Dad... I really can't go back, can I?"

Lu Yan's eyes blurred slightly as he murmured to himself.

"I had originally intended to shoulder it all alone; after all, there's no one who can beat me."

"Yet, so many people have stood before me—my teachers, my mentors, my friends, my companions, and even my clansmen."

Lu Yan pulled a bottle of wine gifted by Chen Yulou from the Kamui Dimension and took a deep, heavy swig, silently musing to himself.

"Dad, Mom, I will live on well."

"I will live on well as Uchiha Obito."