Troublesome Clansmen

"Uchiha Shisui? I recall that child is only seven, having graduated just two years ago. To think he has already grown to this extent—is there any choice but to send him?"

Tobacco smoke curled upward, barely stifling the vigilance rising from the depths of his heart. It was wartime; this was no time to be wary of the Uchiha clan.

"Issue an order immediately: Uchiha Shisui is to depart for the Land of Bears to provide support. What is Uchiha Hanazuki doing right now?"

An elite Anbu operative appeared, bowing low. Beneath the mask, his expression was slightly awkward as he spoke in a low voice.

"Reporting to you, Lord Hokage, Uchiha Hanazuki is... he is..."

"What is it, exactly?"

"Aside from the necessary training within the training grounds, he basically never steps outside his room. Other than the occasional outing with Lord Orochimaru, he has made no other moves."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded gently, his face impassive, the trace of suspicion in his heart quietly dissipating.

With Orochimaru supervising him, that child should be fine. The Rock Hidden ninjas were already being kept in check by Minato, but what was this inexplicable heart palpitation?

After a moment of hesitation, the Third Hokage wrote furiously, then handed a personal letter to the Anbu squad leader before him.

"Deliver this letter to Nara Shikaku. Once he reads it, he will naturally understand. Above all, be cautious; ensure no one discovers this, do you understand?"

The Anbu captain acknowledged the order and withdrew. Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes slightly and let out a faint sigh.

Only after Sarutobi Hiruzen left the study did a small snake, lurking atop the pavilion, emerge from the shadows. Its scales, which had blended perfectly with the environment, returned to their original color.

The story branches here.

At Konoha's Training Ground 3, two figures stood in confrontation. In the blink of an eye, blades clashed, and the figures scattered.

The long-haired girl panted, her face etched with shock, while the black-robed boy remained motionless, as if the phantom images from a moment ago had nothing to do with him.

"Konoha Style: Willow? To think you are also proficient in Konoha Style swordsmanship. Is there truly no weakness in your ninjutsu?"

Yugao Uzuki was immensely surprised. The feel of blade against blade was unexpected; in her estimation, the boy before her should have been a master of the Body Flicker Technique.

"Konoha Style? I learned this move from Maruboshi Kosuke. Was it helpful to you?"

Uchiha Hanazuki smiled without elaborating, sheathing his Kusanagi Sword, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

The hilt and scabbard were pure white, and the blade was exceptionally sturdy; it would remain unaffected even if it collided with a small Tailed Beast Bomb. He had tested all of this himself.

[Character Check-in: Yugao Uzuki]

[Ability Acquired: Konoha Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon]

[Random draw in progress... Check-in successful, obtained Konoha Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon today!]

It's merely a series of slashes from multiple angles using shadow clones. It's decent for an average ninja, but its lack of lethality is its weakness. A ninja's defense is simply too fragile.

Thinking this, Hanazuki looked up and smiled.

"By the way, Yugao, you're a close-combat ninja, right? Come to think of it, I recently developed a defensive ninjutsu called Blut Vene. Would you like to try it?"

"Eh? Is that really okay? Something so precious, given to someone like me?"

Hanazuki waved his hand with a smile and took a pale blue syringe from his ninja tool pouch. Inside the solution, which resembled chakra, a seductive luster shimmered.

"It's no problem. I want to hear others' opinions, too. Don't worry about safety; the premise of developing Blut Vene was to significantly increase defensive capabilities while remaining harmless to the human body."

The cold liquid was precisely injected into her veins. After waiting for a while, Yugao tried pricking her skin with a weapon, and pale blue patterns traced along fixed lines.

"This is truly too precious. I don't know how to thank you, Hanazuki. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Don't worry about it so much. Just remember to tell me your thoughts on it after you return from the battlefield."

"No, how could I accept such a valuable secret technique for nothing? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Seeing Yugao Uzuki's earnest expression, Hanazuki tilted his head in thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.

"Come to think of it, there is one thing, though I have a feeling you might find it embarrassing."

"It's fine! I'm very happy to be of help to Hanazuki!"

Even at her young age, a hint of charm flowed naturally from her. Yugao was all smiles, though soon after, clouds of red appeared on her face.

"Ha... Hanazuki, is this the help you need?"

"What's wrong? Are your legs a bit numb?"

Under the shade of the trees at Training Ground 3, Hanazuki lay on the ground, adjusting his angle slightly as his purple hair brushed softly against her.

The sky was a deep blue, clouds drifting lazily. The soft lap pillow and the sensation against the back of his head made Hanazuki feel quite at ease, his thoughts drifting along with the breeze.

What kind of move will Orochimaru make? Will he choose to leave Konoha entirely, giving up the struggle for Hokage against Minato, or will he insist on becoming Hokage at any cost? What will he choose?

Then again, Obito has likely fallen into Madara's hands, Kakashi has become the Sharingan hero, and Uchiha Shisui has been transferred to the Mist Hidden front.

As his thoughts wandered, the aura he unconsciously emitted made Yugao's imagination run wild.

"No, it's just... I feel like we've never had a chance to be alone like this before, so... so, how do you see me, Hanazuki?"

"How do I see you? Your legs are long, you're gentle with others, and I feel like you'll be a good woman."

As soon as these words left his lips, Yugao's eyes filled with pleasant surprise, and she stammered a follow-up question.

"Re... really? Then, then are we..."

"Ah, ah, ah, the troublesome ones are chasing after me. If they ask about me, just say I'm not here."

The figure vanished, and though Yugao was summoning her courage, the words about to spill from her lips were stifled back by force.

A moment later, several members of the Konoha Military Police Force hurried over. They scanned their surroundings before fixing their gaze on Yugao, their tones hostile.

"Where is Uchiha Hanazuki?"

"Do you have some business with him?"

Noticing that the men were members of the Uchiha clan, Yugao Uzuki countered with a question, only to be met with a cold snort.

"That is none of your concern. This is an Uchiha clan matter. When you see him, tell him that the Military Police Force has business with him—important business. Tell him to report to the force immediately."

Seeing no sign of Uchiha Hanazuki in the vicinity, the men finally gave up. Only after they had walked far away did Hanazuki return to the training ground.

"Hanazuki, just now..."

"I know. The Uchiha clan came looking for me? What troublesome fellows. No matter how I try to hide, I can't seem to escape them."

The Uchiha clan—a problem he had long chosen to ignore—was now looming before him as the war neared its end.

The Konoha F4 had always maintained their exclusion of the Uchiha clan, and getting dragged into such exhausting, nerve-wracking affairs held no benefit for Hanazuki whatsoever.

However, he was quite interested in saying "no" to the successor of that wicked Old Senju White-Hair's Will of Fire.

Meanwhile, deep beneath the Graveyard of Mountains.

Waking from his unconscious state, Obito looked around in a daze as the frail, elderly figure who had been resting with his eyes closed slowly opened them.

"Are you awake?"