Be More Careful Next Life! (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The Uchiha were on the move!

After waiting for three full days, just when everyone assumed the incident had reached its conclusion, the Uchiha Clan's massive procession suddenly departed from their compound.

To be honest.

Uchiha Fugaku had initially rejected this decision by Uchiha Jin.

After all, even political idiots like him and Elder Setsuna understood the current atmosphere in the village; shouldn't they be spending this time making better preparations?

If they could just drag the "Jade Shatter" ambush plan past this tense period, it wouldn't be impossible to reconsider it later...

However.

Uchiha Jin's response was simple: he just wanted to treat his clansmen to a barbecue.

After all, as the chief judge of this tournament, Uchiha Jin had helplessly collected thirty million in hosting fees; if he were to pocket the grand prize money as well, he would feel a twinge of conscience, even if it were well-deserved.

Uh... that made sense!

If it weren't for the fact that Uchiha Jin's strength had surged so greatly that he might suffer a ten-hit combo of "Groin Kicks" without even activating his Mangekyo, Uchiha Fugaku would have made him feel the wrath of the clan head.

But even after Uchiha Fugaku took a step back, he was still denied the chance to go along...

At the time, Uchiha Jin had looked at him as if he were an idiot, silently describing the scene of a clan head leading the Uchiha to slaughter their way through Konoha.

Hmm!

At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna had both gone home to sulk, but before leaving, they arranged for the remaining elders to ruthlessly whip the chunin and genin into shape.

With the love of the clan head and the great elder, you bastards better start grinding!

And so!

The Uchiha Clan's procession marched grandly out of their compound, followed by a deeply troubled Uchiha Shisui.

Such a massive operation was naturally discovered by the Root members stationed near the Uchiha compound, and the news was quickly relayed outward.

When the Uchiha army appeared in all its glory on the Northwest Pedestrian Street, the news spread instantly to every corner of Konoha.

However...

"What on earth is this guy trying to do?"

Upon receiving the report from the front, Danzo, inside the Root base, was practically overjoyed.

After all, Uchiha Jin, who had always cowered within the Uchiha compound, had finally left his turtle shell; this was a golden opportunity to get rid of this "thorn in his side"!

Danzo had absolutely no qualms in his heart; as long as he could kill Uchiha Jin on the spot, there were plenty of ways to clean up the aftermath.

At worst...

Hmm...

He could just throw a Root member under the bus as a scapegoat; this wasn't the first time he, the Darkness of the Ninja World, had done such a thing.

As for whether the Uchiha would launch a full-scale rebellion afterward, Danzo cared even less about that!

It would be even better if the Uchiha Clan dared to revolt; when he, the "Darkness of the Ninja World," led his forces to suppress the rebellion and wiped out this evil clan in one fell swoop, would the day he became Hokage really be far off?

Sarutobi Hiruzen, you mere mortal... I told you that you would regret this!

Meanwhile, far away in the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen was also quite surprised. Based on his political understanding of the Uchiha Clan.

After causing such a massive stir, they should be keeping a low profile and waiting for the spotlight to fade; how could they suddenly pull a stunt like this?

Could it be that they had become arrogant and lost their senses?

Hmm!

Recalling the Uchiha Clan's terrible temperament, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that this was not entirely impossible.

But if that were truly the case, such Uchiha were not to be feared.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had already made all the necessary arrangements; if anyone truly dared to storm the Hokage Building, he, the "Strongest Hokage," had full confidence in resolving everything.

Of course!

According to the reports from the Anbu, the Uchiha Clan's route did not seem to be heading toward the Hokage Building. Why did this direction feel so familiar?

Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his weathered, lined face, and a strange, familiar feeling welled up in his heart.

If the Uchiha's target wasn't the Hokage Building, then where could it be?

This direction?

Could it be the main headquarters of Danzo's Root...

"No way. The true headquarters of Root has always been incredibly secretive; even I only managed to track it down through several spies..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned odd, but after a glance at the map, his tone became somewhat uncertain.

"It can't be true, can it!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly felt a bit panicked, though not truly panicked.

In any case, all necessary preparations had been made, and according to the Anbu reports, most of the Uchiha ninjas had remained in the compound, and those two old geezers, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna, hadn't appeared either.

Hmm... let's wait and see.

It wasn't directed at him anyway. Even if a conflict truly erupted between Shimura Danzo and the Uchiha, he could simply treat it as a way to weigh the Uchiha's mettle while incidentally seeing what trump cards Danzo had been hiding all these years.

Hmm... Danzo had been acting a bit too boisterous lately!

"Whether it be the Uchiha Clan or Shimura Danzo..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned quietly against the window, gazing proudly at the orange-hued sky, a smile of absolute confidence playing on his lips.

"What a beautiful day!"

The Uchiha army, bearing the Flame Fan emblem, marched imposingly down the wide pedestrian street under the leadership of Uchiha Jin.

In the past, there would have been no shortage of gatekeepers or street-corner guards stepping forward to interrogate them. After all, while Konoha was nominally just a village, it was effectively a military-controlled war machine.

Normally, let alone a grand procession of over a hundred people, even a gathering of more than ten ninja on the road would be subject to rigorous questioning.

Although most of these basic sentries were merely genin, no one dared to cause trouble within Konoha, and out of respect for the village, no one dared to defy them.

But today...

Forget about questioning; not a single person even dared to take a second look.

They watched in silence as Uchiha Jin led his men away, secretly praying not to draw the attention of the Uchiha.

Step forward to interrogate them?

Only someone with a hole in their head would do that. These basic guards were essentially "supplements" to the Police Force; theoretically, the men before them were their "superiors," though they had never needed to communicate before.

To go up and ask for trouble now? That would be like Li Gui running into Li Kui—a narrow encounter with an enemy!

Even the passersby on the street avoided the group of Uchiha, instinctively clearing a wide path for them.

But it was clear this "harmonious" atmosphere wouldn't last long...

At the end of the pedestrian street, a dozen tall figures draped in black robes stood guard, as if they had been waiting for a long time.

"Anbu?"

Uchiha Jin walked forward nonchalantly, instantly recognizing that these individuals were all wearing ninja combat uniforms with silver chest plates, their faces concealed by animal-style masks.

"The Uchiha Clan is to withdraw to their compound. Uchiha Jin, you are to remain and accompany us to the Anbu headquarters!"

The man in the cat mask, who appeared to be the Anbu captain, spoke with cold indifference. His voice sounded mechanical, devoid of any emotion, and the sense of entitlement in his tone made Uchiha Jin frown deeply.

"You clearly don't understand who you're talking to. Try to be more careful in your next life!"

A mocking smile appeared on Uchiha Jin's face, and he suddenly roared at the Uchiha members behind him.

"Hostile spies have disguised themselves as Anbu and infiltrated the village! All units, attention!"

Under the horrified gaze of Uchiha Shisui, who was trailing behind the main force in desolation, Uchiha Jin waved his hand and issued the order without a moment's hesitation.

"Kill them all!"