Northwest of the Uchiha Clan Grounds.
The area around the Secret Tunnel entrance had been completely sealed off by the Police Force.
More than a dozen Uchiha shinobi were stationed around it, keeping watch over a wide perimeter.
The disguised stone slab at the base of the wall remained as it had been after someone pried it open the night before.
The entrance itself had not been damaged.
The footprints, dust from the tiles, and Sealing Technique Residue on the ground had all been cordoned off by the Uchiha Police Force with thin string.
Anyone who wanted to approach had to register first.
This time, the Uchiha had left no chance for anyone to tamper with the scene.
Before long, a squad of Anbu appeared at the edge of the Clan Grounds.
Their leader wore a white animal mask. He stood tall, his presence restrained.
Uchiha Tekka stood inside the cordon. When he saw them, he spoke coldly:
"Stop there."
The Anbu Captain halted.
The Anbu behind him stopped as well.
The atmosphere grew tense in an instant.
Tekka looked at them, his tone utterly unsparing.
"According to the agreement between Lord Hokage and our clan leader, the Secret Tunnel investigation is to be conducted jointly by the Uchiha Police Force and the Hokage's Anbu."
"But before entering the site, everyone must register their identification number, weapons, and number of sealing scrolls."
One of the Anbu frowned.
"We are the Hokage's Anbu."
Tekka sneered.
"I know."
"The person who broke into Shin-getsu's residence last night looked a lot like an Anbu, too."
At his words, several Anbu shifted uneasily.
The Anbu Captain raised a hand, stopping those behind him.
He looked at Tekka and spoke calmly.
"We'll cooperate."
Only then did Tekka step aside.
"Register."
Uchiha Inabi immediately stepped forward and unrolled a scroll.
The Anbu members registered one by one.
Mask numbers.
Weapons carried.
Number of sealing scrolls.
Special sealing tools.
Everything was recorded.
As the Anbu Captain registered, Tekka kept his eyes fixed on him.
"What's your name?"
"The Anbu don't give their real names," the Anbu Captain replied flatly.
Tekka sneered.
"You don't have to give your real name, but you can at least give us your number."
"Or does the Hokage's Anbu, like Root, work without leaving any record of who they are?"
The Anbu Captain was silent for a moment.
"Number: Dog."
Tekka wrote it on the scroll.
"Dog?"
"Fine."
Then he looked up at the other man.
"Once we enter the site, no one may touch any Sealing Node, stone slab, wall, or ninja tool residue without the Uchiha Police Force's approval."
"If we find a dangerous trap, both sides must confirm it together before handling it."
"If anyone damages the scene on their own, we'll treat it as destruction of evidence."
The Anbu Captain nodded.
"Agreed."
He accepted the terms without hesitation.
Tekka was slightly surprised.
But he didn't let his guard down.
The Hokage's Anbu might not be their enemy.
But who knew whether Root had infiltrated their ranks?
The Uchiha no longer dared to trust any village institution too easily.
The two sides entered the cordoned-off site.
Fugaku was already standing beside the Secret Tunnel entrance.
Uchiha Yashiro and two clan shinobi skilled in Sealing Jutsu stood beside him.
When the Anbu arrived, Fugaku merely nodded.
"Let's begin."
The Anbu Captain glanced at the entrance.
"First, we should check for explosive traps."
"Agreed," Fugaku said.
Each side sent a sealing ninja.
Uchiha Inabi represented the Uchiha.
The Anbu sent a tall, thin masked shinobi.
Both crouched down at the same time and examined the traces of runes around the entrance.
After a moment, Inabi spoke.
"There's no trace of an Explosive Tag at the entrance."
"But three Sealing Nodes have been deliberately damaged."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja nodded as well.
"Confirmed."
"The Sealing Nodes were damaged within the past twelve hours."
Tekka sneered.
"Just after the intruder escaped last night."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja didn't answer.
He simply continued his inspection.
Soon, he found a small patch of black powder on the inside of the entrance.
He was about to reach for it when Tekka's gaze turned cold.
"Stop."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja froze.
Tekka stepped forward.
"Record it first."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja frowned.
"This may be residue from burned sealing materials. We need to collect a sample."
"I didn't say you couldn't take a sample," Tekka said coldly.
"I said to record it first."
"Record the location, color, smell, and chakra response in the surrounding area. Then both sides can take samples at the same time."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja looked to the Anbu Captain.
The Anbu Captain nodded.
"Do as he says."
Tekka watched him, feeling slightly reassured.
At least the Anbu Captain was cooperating for now.
After they finished recording everything, both sides took samples.
The Uchiha sealed their sample in a transparent sealing bag.
The Anbu took one as well.
Then the group formally entered the Secret Tunnel.
The passage was narrow and damp.
Clear signs of artificial work marked the walls.
Although the entrance had been disguised to look like a natural fissure, the inside was far from crude.
The passage was only high enough for an adult to pass through while bent over.
A thin layer of gravel covered the floor to muffle footsteps and conceal tracks.
At regular intervals, faint traces of Sealing Jutsu remained on the walls.
Most of the techniques had been destroyed.
But they had been damaged in such haste that plenty of traces remained.
After examining the passage for a while, Inabi's expression grew increasingly grim.
"This isn't an abandoned tunnel."
"Someone has been maintaining it regularly, at least for the past three months."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja was silent for a moment, then added, "There are indeed signs of recent maintenance."
Tekka immediately began taking notes.
"Anbu confirms: the Secret Tunnel has been maintained recently."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja glanced at him but didn't object.
The group continued forward.
After about twenty meters, the passage split into two branches.
One led deeper underground.
The other sloped toward the village.
Fugaku stood at the fork, his gaze grave.
"Which side should we check first?"
"According to safety protocol, we should check the shorter route first," the Anbu Captain replied.
Inabi crouched to examine the ground, then suddenly said, "The intruder went right."
Tekka immediately asked, "Are you sure?"
Inabi nodded.
"There's still some Tracking Powder left."
"Water washed most of it away, but some remains in the cracks between the stones."
Fugaku looked at the Anbu Captain.
"Then we'll check the right side first."
The Anbu Captain didn't object.
The group entered the right-hand passage.
The farther they went, the drier the air became.
That meant the exit wasn't far from the surface.
Soon, they reached a sealed stone door.
It had been sealed from the inside.
Fresh marks of damage showed across its surface.
After examining it, Inabi said gravely, "Someone passed through here last night."
"Then they used Sealing Jutsu to seal the exit."
Tekka sneered.
"They made a quick escape."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja stepped forward to inspect the stone door.
After a moment, he spoke in a low voice.
"This seal... is an old Anbu lockdown technique."
Tekka's eyes blazed with cold light.
"Say that again."
The Anbu Sealing Ninja fell silent.
The Anbu Captain glanced at him.
He could only continue, "It is indeed an old lockdown technique once used by the Anbu."
"But the technique was widely circulated years ago. It may have been leaked."
Tekka sneered.
"Leaked again?"
"How come everything that gets to the Uchiha ends up leaking?"
"Information leaks."
"Technique leaks."
"Secret Tunnel leaks."
"Next, will the Hokage Building leak too?"
The Anbu Captain said in a low voice, "Uchiha Tekka, this is an investigation, not an argument."
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: An old Anbu sealing technique was found on the stone door at the right-hand exit. Anbu personnel confirmed it.
After finishing, Tekka made a point of looking up and asking:
"Is that right?"
Before you continue