.. Leaked

Northwest of the Uchiha Clan Compound.

The entrance to the secret tunnel had already been completely sealed off by the Police Force.

More than a dozen Uchiha ninja were dispersed around the perimeter, their cordon extended wide.

Beneath the wall, the disguised stone slab remained in the state it was found in last night, pried open.

The entrance's edge showed no signs of damage.

Footprints on the ground, tile dust, and residual seals were all cordoned off with fine thread by the Uchiha Police Force.

Anyone wishing to approach had to be registered.

This time, the Uchiha had not given anyone the opportunity to tamper with anything.

Before long, a squad of Anbu appeared on the outskirts of the clan compound.

The one leading them wore a white animal mask, his posture upright, his aura contained.

Uchiha Tekka stood within the blockade line and, upon seeing them, spoke coldly:

"Halt."

The Anbu captain stopped.

The few Anbu behind him also stopped.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Tekka looked at them, his tone utterly devoid of politeness.

"As per the agreement between the Hokage and the Clan Head, the investigation of the secret tunnel will be conducted jointly by the Uchiha Police Force and the Hokage's direct Anbu."

"However, before entering the scene, everyone must register their identification number, carried ninja tools, and the number of sealing scrolls."

One of the Anbu frowned.

"We are the Hokage's direct Anbu."

Tekka sneered.

"I know."

"The person who infiltrated Shin-getsu's residence last night also looked very much like an Anbu."

As soon as these words were spoken, the aura of several Anbu shifted slightly.

The leading Anbu captain raised a hand, stopping those behind him.

He looked at Tekka, his voice calm.

"We will cooperate."

Only then did Tekka step aside slightly.

"Register."

Uchiha Inabi, standing nearby, immediately stepped forward and spread out a scroll.

The Anbu members registered in turn.

Mask number.

Carried ninja tools.

Number of sealing scrolls.

Special sealing tools.

Everything was recorded.

As the Anbu captain registered, Tekka's gaze remained fixed on him.

"What is your name?"

The Anbu captain said indifferently, "Anbu do not reveal their true names."

Tekka sneered.

"True names are not required, but a number must be provided."

"Or is it that the Hokage's direct Anbu, like Root, leaves no identity behind when they act?"

The Anbu captain was silent for a moment.

"Number, Inu."

Tekka wrote on the scroll.

"Inu?"

"Alright."

After speaking, he looked up at the other man.

"Once inside the scene, without the permission of the Uchiha Police Force, you are not to individually touch any sealing nodes, stone slabs, walls, or residual ninja tools."

"If a dangerous trap is discovered, it must be confirmed by both parties simultaneously before it can be dealt with."

"Anyone who privately damages the scene will be considered to be destroying evidence."

The Anbu Captain nodded.

"Understood."

He agreed readily.

This made Tekka slightly surprised.

But he didn't let his guard down.

The Hokage's direct Anbu might not be enemies.

But who knew if there were infiltrators from Root among them?

The Uchiha clan no longer dared to trust any village organization lightly.

Both sides entered the cordoned-off scene.

Fugaku was already standing by the entrance to the secret tunnel.

Beside him were Uchiha Yashiro and two clan members skilled in sealing jutsu.

Upon seeing the Anbu arrive, Fugaku merely nodded.

"Let's begin."

The Anbu Captain glanced at the entrance.

"First, check for explosive traps."

Fugaku said, "Understood."

Each side sent out a sealing ninja.

The Uchiha side was Uchiha Inabi.

The Anbu side had a tall, thin masked ninja.

Both squatted down simultaneously, examining the residual runes around the entrance.

A moment later, Inabi spoke.

"There are no Explosive Tag residues at the entrance."

"But three Sealing Nodes have been deliberately destroyed."

The Anbu sealing ninja also nodded.

"Confirmed."

"The Sealing Nodes were damaged no more than twelve hours ago."

Tekka sneered.

"Just after the infiltrators escaped last night."

The Anbu sealing ninja didn't reply.

He continued his examination.

Soon, he discovered a small patch of black powder on the inner side of the entrance.

As he reached out to touch it, Tekka's eyes turned cold.

"Stop."

The Anbu sealing ninja froze.

Tekka walked forward.

"Record it first."

The Anbu sealing ninja frowned.

"This might be residue from a burnt seal; we need to collect a sample."

Tekka said coldly, "I didn't say you couldn't take a sample."

"I said record it first."

"Location, color, smell, surrounding chakra reaction – record everything, then both sides take samples simultaneously."

The Anbu sealing ninja looked at the Anbu Captain.

The Anbu Captain nodded.

"Do as he says."

Tekka stared at him, his heart easing slightly.

At least this Anbu Captain was cooperating for now.

After the recording was complete, both sides took samples.

The Uchiha side placed the powder into a transparent sealing bag.

The Anbu side also took a portion.

Next, the group officially entered the secret tunnel.

The inside of the secret tunnel was narrow and damp.

There were obvious signs of artificial modification on the walls.

Though it appeared as a discarded rift on the outside, the interior was not crude.

The height of the passage was only enough for an adult to stoop through.

The ground was covered with a thin layer of gravel to conceal footsteps and traces of passage.

At intervals, there were faint traces of sealing technique residue on the walls.

Most of these techniques had been destroyed.

But they were destroyed too hastily, leaving many traces behind.

Inabi examined it for a moment, his expression growing colder.

"This is not an abandoned passage."

"At least in the last three months, someone has maintained it regularly."

The Anbu Sealing Ninja remained silent for a moment, then said, "There are indeed signs of recent maintenance."

Tekka immediately took out his pen to record.

"Anbu confirmation: The secret tunnel has been maintained recently."

The Anbu Sealing Ninja glanced at him but did not refute.

The group continued to advance.

After walking about twenty meters, the passage split into two forks.

One led deeper underground.

The other slanted towards the village.

Fugaku stood at the fork, his gaze solemn.

"Which way should we check first?"

The Anbu captain said, "According to safety principles, we should check the shorter route first."

Inabi squatted down to examine the ground and suddenly said, "The infiltrator took the right path."

Tekka immediately asked, "Are you sure?"

Inabi nodded.

"The tracking powder residue is still here."

"Although it was washed away by water, there's still some in the cracks of the stones."

Fugaku looked at the Anbu captain.

"Then let's check the right path first."

The Anbu captain did not object.

The group entered the right-hand passage.

The further they went, the drier the air became.

This indicated that the exit was not far from the surface.

Soon, they arrived at a sealed stone door.

The stone door was sealed from the inside.

There were fresh signs of damage on it.

After examining it, Inabi said in a low voice, "Someone passed through here last night."

"And then sealed the exit with a sealing technique."

Tekka sneered.

"They escaped quite quickly."

The Anbu Sealing Ninja stepped forward to examine the stone door.

After a moment, his voice was low.

"This seal... is an old-style sealing technique from the Anbu."

A cold glint flashed in Tekka's eyes.

"Say that again."

The Anbu Sealing Ninja fell silent.

The Anbu captain glanced at him.

He could only continue, "It is indeed an old-style sealing technique that was used within the Anbu system."

"However, this technique was widely circulated in the early years, so it's not impossible that it leaked."

Tekka sneered.

"Leaked again?"

"How is it that everything that comes to the Uchiha ends up leaking?"

"Information leaks."

"Jutsu leaks."

"Secret tunnel leaks."

"Next time, will the Hokage Building leak too?"

The Anbu captain said in a deep voice, "Uchiha Tekka, we are investigating now, not arguing."

Tekka's gaze was icy.

"Of course I know we're investigating."

"That's why I'm recording every word."

He lowered his head and wrote on the scroll: Old-style Anbu sealing technique found on the stone gate at the right exit, confirmed by Anbu personnel.

After finishing, Tekka deliberately looked up and asked:

"That's right, isn't it?"