Uchiha Itachi led Uchiha Yu into a room.
It was quiet inside, and they were the only ones there.
Two figures flashed past the door. No doubt, they were standing guard.
Uchiha Yu caught a hint of tension in the air.
He had a feeling this mission wouldn't be simple.
"Is something going to happen again?"
Uchiha Itachi said gravely, "The day after tomorrow, Father will officially become Hokage. Many important figures from other villages have also been invited to the inauguration ceremony."
The appointment of a new Kage was an extremely important event for the entire Ninja World.
That was why Uchiha Fugaku had scheduled his inauguration ceremony for a month later.
It was also a way of showing the Ninja World that Uchiha Fugaku was the rightful Hokage.
He hadn't seized power in a crisis or usurped the position.
He was a true Hokage!
Not only that, but they had already begun planning where to place Uchiha Fugaku's portrait on Kage Rock.
It was fair to say that Uchiha Fugaku was determined to claim the Hokage position!
He was willing to endure endless assassination attempts and opposition to get it!
"Sarutobi Asuma has taken the remnants of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans to Sunagakure."
Uchiha Itachi looked at Uchiha Yu and said, "They may be plotting something that could harm Father in the future."
Uchiha Yu nodded.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was Sarutobi Asuma's father. Asuma probably wouldn't just accept what had happened.
One day, he'd still been the son of a respected Hokage. The next, his father had been killed.
And the Hokage position had been taken from him.
Who could put up with that?
"So Sarutobi Asuma might be planning to cause trouble at the inauguration ceremony?" Uchiha Yu blinked.
People from all the major ninja villages would be there. With so many people gathered, the situation would be chaotic. If they really wanted to cause trouble, they could certainly find an opportunity.
"Exactly. That's why we need someone to go to Sunagakure and investigate." Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath. "Normally, we'd send a Jonin from our squad, but they're all well-known ninja. That would alert Asuma, so it's better if you go."
Uchiha Yu: "???"
How would I not alert him?
"You want me to go to Sunagakure and investigate Sarutobi Asuma's movements?" Uchiha Yu asked.
"Exactly. This is a mission across national borders. If it fails, it could have serious consequences. With the Uchiha Clan about to take power, it might even trigger the Fourth Ninja World War!"
In many people's eyes, the Uchiha Clan was warlike and cruel.
So when word spread that Uchiha Fugaku would become Hokage, many ninja villages felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.
If Konoha made even one misstep now, they might give their enemies an opening to wipe them out and eliminate any future threat!
This was both a historic moment and an extremely important one.
"Uchiha Yu, I need you to deliver an invitation to Sunagakure and investigate Sarutobi Asuma's movements, as well as whether they're plotting anything. I'm sure this will be a piece of cake for you."
Uchiha Itachi smiled faintly. "After all, someone who can kidnap himself can handle a task like this without any trouble."
Uchiha Yu rolled his eyes at Uchiha Itachi.
Damn, so he hadn't managed to keep that a secret after all.
Well, it had only been an idea he'd come up with on a whim, and it was full of holes.
But this mission was different. They were sending a seven-year-old who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy to deliver a letter.
Sunagakure probably wouldn't suspect a thing.
"However, we can't send our most elite Uchiha to protect you. We can only assign five Chunin. Fortunately, the Hyuga Clan has already expressed its desire to be on good terms with us. This time, Hyuga Tokuma, a special Jonin from the Hyuga Clan, will lead the team. That should be enough to keep you safe."
Uchiha Itachi wasn't too worried about Uchiha Yu's safety.
Those people were only there to act as his guards on the surface.
In truth, Uchiha Yu would probably be the one protecting them.
After all, how could an ordinary ninja stand a chance against someone who could heal without hand seals, possessed a Sage Body, and had mastered the Mangekyo?
Uchiha Yu's age was a powerful disguise in itself.
"Fine, but what's the reward for this mission?"
Uchiha Yu rubbed his hands together, looking excited.
No matter what kind of mission it was, money mattered most to Uchiha Yu.
After all, money was what he needed to get stronger.
He already had the Five Basic Nature Transformations, but he'd also acquired the costly Money Release Chakra Mode.
He was still short on cash!
Six hundred thousand ryo seemed like a lot, but it could only sustain Money Release Chakra Mode for an hour.
In a particularly intense battle, that wouldn't be nearly enough!
Besides, he had other expenses.
The pay was a small matter.
"I'll pay you two hundred thousand ryo, the standard rate for an A-rank mission."
Uchiha Itachi smiled faintly, as if trying to stop Uchiha Yu from asking for more. "I know you don't think much of that amount, but you're only seven years old. If we gave you too much, we'd face a lot of pressure."
"After all, the Uchiha have only just taken control."
Uchiha Yu sighed helplessly. "All right, I guess that'll have to do."
Suddenly, Uchiha Yu seemed to think of something and looked up sharply.
"Does everyone who takes part in the mission get paid?"
Faced with the unexpected question, Uchiha Itachi froze for a moment. He suppressed a growing sense of dread and nodded.
"Great! The Ninja Academy is on break anyway, so I'll take Uchiha Sasuke along too!"
Uchiha Itachi's face turned green.
Damn, he really had no shame.
"And Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Ino, and Tenten!" Uchiha Yu rattled off the names like he was reading from a list.
Uchiha Itachi: "...No. You can bring two more people at most!"
Taking so many children who hadn't graduated from the Ninja Academy was a huge risk to begin with.
If anything went wrong, it would be a disaster.
Still, bringing a few kids along to make an appearance might ease some of Sunagakure's suspicions.
Two more would be acceptable.
"Tch, stingy." Uchiha Yu rolled his eyes at Uchiha Itachi. "Fine, then I'll take Sasuke and Naruto. We'll leave tomorrow."
The round trip from Konoha to Sunagakure would take a week.
Investigating and handling business along the way would take even longer.
The sooner they left, the better.
"Fine. I'll go make the arrangements."
Uchiha Itachi stood and left the room.
Uchiha Yu sat in his chair, thinking through how to complete the mission, and opened the system panel.
Suddenly, he noticed a small red dot on the Kusanagi Sword icon.
Uchiha Yu's heart skipped a beat. He immediately tapped the Kusanagi Sword icon.
"Ding! Congratulations, host! You've activated the Weapon Enhancement System!"
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