A Counter-Move

Ding!

A shuriken shattered the roof tiles.

The small Eavesdropping Talisman hidden beneath was instantly exposed.

The dark shadow on the roof visibly faltered.

He had not expected Shin-getsu to be capable of discovering an Eavesdropping Talisman.

Even less had he expected the boy to attack the surveillance point first, rather than attacking him directly.

It was in this split second of hesitation that Shin-getsu finished his hand seals.

Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

Although his movements were still somewhat stiff, his chakra flow was incredibly stable.

This was the most fundamental, and most iconic, ninjutsu of the Uchiha clan.

"Fire Style."

"Fireball Jutsu!"

BOOM!

Scorching flames erupted from Shin-getsu's mouth.

A massive fireball illuminated the backyard, blasting directly toward the dark shadow on the roof.

The shadow immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.

But the moment he moved, his expression changed.

Because the fireball's true target was not where he had been standing.

It was the roof beam.

BANG!

The beam was shattered by the flames.

The third steel wire, rigged in advance, snapped instantly.

The severed wire triggered the collapse of a wooden frame on the other side of the yard.

Clatter!

Iron plates, bells, and kunai hanging from the frame fell all at once, creating a deafening racket.

With this, the entire inner circle of the clan grounds was alerted.

"There's movement!"

"It's coming from Shin-getsu's place!"

"Hurry!"

The voices of the Police Force patrol echoed from the distance.

The dark shadow's eyes shifted completely.

He finally realized that he hadn't come here to test this brat.

He had been lured into a trap by him.

From the moment he approached this house, the boy had never intended to capture him head-on.

He intended to make a scene.

Once the Uchiha patrol arrived, even if he managed to escape, he would leave behind far too many traces.

Without a moment's hesitation, the shadow turned to flee.

But how could Shin-getsu let him leave so easily?

He raised his hand and flicked his wrist, sending a kunai whistling through the air.

There was no Explosive Tag on the kunai.

There was no poison, either.

It looked completely harmless.

The shadow casually swiped his blade to parry.

Clang!

The kunai was knocked aside.

But the next instant, the shadow's arm went slightly numb.

He glanced down and realized that the hilt of the kunai had been wrapped in an incredibly fine packet of medicinal powder.

After being shattered by the blade, the powder had drifted through the air and settled onto his wrist.

It wasn't lethal.

It wasn't even a potent poison.

But it would leave behind a distinct scent.

This was a medicinal powder used within the Uchiha clan to track ninja hounds.

Tekka had given it to him.

Originally, it was meant for him to learn the tracking methods of the Police Force.

He hadn't expected it to come in handy so soon.

The dark shadow's heart sank.

This brat!

He's too devious!

He dared not linger and fled using the Body Flicker Technique.

Shin-getsu did not pursue.

With his current strength, chasing after him would be suicide.

He stood in the backyard, his face slightly pale.

That Great Fireball Technique from just a moment ago had drained a significant amount of his chakra.

After all, his body had yet to fully recover.

However, the results were excellent.

Soon, several figures landed in the courtyard.

Leading them was none other than Uchiha Tekka.

"Shin-getsu!"

"What happened?"

Shin-getsu deactivated his Sharingan and pointed toward the roof.

"Someone infiltrated."

Tekka's expression turned instantly grim.

"Did you see clearly who it was?"

Shin-getsu shook his head.

"No."

"But I left a scent marker."

Tekka's eyes lit up.

"Which kind?"

"The Tracking Powder you gave me."

Tekka was stunned for a moment, then bared his teeth in a chilling grin.

"Good lad."

"Sharp enough."

He turned immediately and spoke to the members of the Police Force behind him: "Notify the Inuzuka clan—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

No.

The Inuzuka were not Uchiha.

Now that the matter involved Root, it could not be easily leaked.

Tekka immediately changed his order.

"Call Inabi over."

"He knows tracking techniques."

"Also, seal off the west side of the clan grounds."

"Don't let that guy get away too easily."

"Yes!"

The Police Force members scattered at once.

Tekka looked at Shin-getsu, his eyes filled with a mix of shock and rage.

"You just moved in, and they already dare to come?"

Shin-getsu said calmly, "It means someone is getting desperate."

Tekka certainly knew who this "someone" was.

He gritted his teeth and said, "That old bastard Danzo!"

Shin-getsu did not respond.

It was too early to be certain.

But everyone knew the truth in their hearts.

Aside from Root, who else would come to test him so quickly?

And who else would be interested in his blood samples?

Before long, Uchiha Inabi arrived.

He crouched on the ground, examining the traces of medicinal powder Shin-getsu had left behind, then inspected the roof tiles and footprints.

A moment later, he said in a low voice, "The opponent is very professional."

"They deliberately avoided most of the traces."

"But the Tracking Powder took effect."

"The direction is northwest of the clan grounds."

Tekka sneered.

"Northwest?"

"That area is near the village's old drainage system."

"They certainly know how to pick a route."

He turned to look at Shin-getsu.

"Stay here and don't move."

"I'll take some men to pursue them."

Shin-getsu shook his head.

"Don't pursue too deep."

Tekka frowned.

Shin-getsu continued, "Since they dared to come, they must have prepared an escape route."

"If you pursue too deep, you might get bitten back."

"You only need to track them until they leave the Uchiha clan grounds, then leave behind evidence. That is enough."

Tekka's gaze darkened.

He immediately understood what Shin-getsu meant.

Catching the intruder might not be possible.

But as long as they could prove that someone had infiltrated the Uchiha clan grounds again, it would be sufficient.

Especially now that the Hokage Building had just agreed to an investigation.

For Root to come and probe immediately after—

This was handing a new piece of leverage directly into the hands of the Uchiha.

Tekka took a deep breath.

"You're right."

"Inabi, take two squads."

"Do not go deep, just follow the trail."

"Mark the route."

Inabi nodded.

"Understood."

Several members of the Police Force departed quickly.

Tekka remained where he was, looking at the messy backyard, then looked back at Shin-getsu.

"Did you guess they would come?"

Shin-getsu walked to the well and picked up a piece of wire that had been half-scorched.

"It wasn't a guess."

"It was a necessity to be prepared."

"After last night, I don't believe the place where I live is absolutely safe."

Tekka fell silent.

A nine-year-old child, whose first act upon moving into a new house was not to rest, but to set traps in the backyard.

It sounded absurd.

Yet, it was precisely these traps that had saved him for the second time.

Tekka suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

This is a child of the Uchiha.

He should have been protected within the clan.

Yet, he was forced to act like a veteran ninja on the battlefield, setting up defenses even for the place where he slept.

Tekka clenched his fists.

"I will report this to the Clan Head."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Check the third roof tile while you're at it."

"There are remnants of an Eavesdropping Talisman there."

Tekka looked up immediately.

"An Eavesdropping Talisman?"

He leaped onto the roof and quickly found the tile Shin-getsu had shattered along with the scraps of the talisman.

The moment he saw the fragments, Tekka's face turned completely black.

"Good."

"Very good."

"They just agreed to an investigation, yet they send someone to eavesdrop again that very night."

"Do they really take us Uchiha for blind fools?"

Shin-getsu stood in the courtyard, his gaze calm.

At that moment, the system prompt chimed.

[Host has seen through the Root's probe and successfully left a counter-tracking clue.]
[Root's original surveillance plan has been obstructed.]
[Uchiha Police Force has gained a new breakthrough for their investigation.]
[Karma Points gained: 1000.]
[Current Karma Points: 1300.]

Shin-getsu's heart stirred.

One thousand points.

Not bad.

Although he was still far from the Three-Tomoe, this was a great start.

More importantly, he hadn't just played defense this time.

He had turned the tables and forced the Root to leave a trail.

As long as Tekka and Inabi traced the route, even if they couldn't reach the Root base, they could prove that someone was using secret village passages to infiltrate Uchiha territory.

In this way, the pressure on the Hokage Building would only increase.

Shin-getsu looked up into the depths of the night.

"Danzo."

"The more anxious you become, the more flaws you will reveal."

"This time, you were the one who reached out first."

"Then don't blame me for following that hand to pull your Root out, one by one."