The Source of the Rumor

"Go back."

"Don't rush to practice the full Lightning Style: Earth Flash technique from the scroll yet."

"For the next few days, just focus on stabilizing your lightning-attribute chakra."

"If you insist on acting recklessly, I will tell the Hokage to revoke your ninjutsu permit."

Shin-getsu said indifferently, "Tattling?"

Kakashi was righteous and confident.

"An adult making reasonable use of their authority."

Shin-getsu: "..."

The two left the third Training Ground.

Just as they reached the street corner, Shin-getsu's footsteps suddenly faltered.

Kakashi stopped as well.

"You noticed?"

Shin-getsu whispered, "Someone is following us."

Kakashi said lazily, "They've been there the whole time."

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"It's not the Anbu, nor is it the Uchiha."

Kakashi's expression shifted slightly.

Shin-getsu didn't look back, simply continuing to walk forward.

"Behind us to the right, next to the dango stall."

"A middle-aged man in grey."

"He has calluses on his hands, but he isn't an ordinary civilian."

"He's been appearing since we were at the entrance of the archives."

Kakashi's expression remained lethargic.

But his eyes had turned cold.

Of course, he had noticed that person too.

He just hadn't expected Shin-getsu to notice as well.

One had to realize, the other party was disguised very well.

His chakra was suppressed to a very low level, and his movements lacked any obvious ninja characteristics.

That Shin-getsu could notice him wasn't just due to the Sharingan.

It was also due to his habits of observation.

Kakashi asked, "How did you determine that?"

Shin-getsu said, "He bought two skewers of dango, but didn't eat them."

"His fingers have been resting on the middle of the bamboo sticks, making it easy to throw them like senbon."

"Also, when he looks at me, his gaze avoids my eyes."

"Ordinary villagers usually look at the eyes when they see an Uchiha."

"Only a ninja would deliberately avoid them."

Kakashi was silent for a second.

"Are you really only nine years old?"

Shin-getsu said calmly, "According to the census, I am."

Kakashi felt a bit of a headache.

That answer sounded even less like a nine-year-old.

He whispered, "Don't make a move."

Shin-getsu said, "I don't intend to."

"Then what do you plan to do?"

Shin-getsu said indifferently, "Let him know that I've discovered him."

Before Kakashi could react, Shin-getsu suddenly turned his head to look at the middle-aged man in grey.

His Two-Tomoe Sharingan activated in an instant.

His scarlet gaze cut through the crowd, landing precisely on the man.

The middle-aged man in grey's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Just for a moment.

But it was enough.

Shin-getsu immediately withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.

Kakashi's eyes flickered slightly.

"You did that on purpose?"

Shin-getsu replied, "If he is a member of Root, he will report back that I discovered him."

Kakashi asked, "What good does that do you?"

Shin-getsu said calmly, "It makes Danzo more anxious."

Kakashi's footsteps faltered.

He finally couldn't help but look at Shin-getsu.

"Do you know what you are doing?"

Shin-getsu nodded.

"I do."

Kakashi's voice dropped a notch.

"Cornering Danzo is not a good thing."

Shin-getsu looked ahead.

"If I don't corner him, will he stop coming after me?"

Kakashi fell silent.

Shin-getsu continued:

"From the moment he first sent someone to capture me, there has been no room for reconciliation between us."

"The only difference is whether I wait passively for his next strike, or force him to reveal more openings when he attacks."

Kakashi frowned.

"You are too young."

Shin-getsu said indifferently:

"The enemy won't spare me just because I'm young."

This sentence made Kakashi fall silent once again.

He had no way to refute it.

Because this is the ninja world.

Age has never been a get-out-of-jail-free card.

In fact, more often than not, children are easier to sacrifice than adults.

Kakashi thought of himself.

He thought of Obito and Rin.

They were also just children when they went to the battlefield back then.

But the war did not stop just because they were young.

When they reached the outskirts of the Uchiha compound, Kakashi stopped.

"I can only take you this far."

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"Thank you for today."

Kakashi waved his hand.

"No need."

"I was ordered to observe you."

Shin-getsu said, "And you taught me the basics of Lightning Release along the way."

Kakashi said lazily, "Consider it a bonus."

With that, he turned to leave.

But after two steps, he stopped again.

"Shin-getsu."

Shin-getsu looked up.

Kakashi did not turn around, only saying:

"Don't trust every voice within the Uchiha clan too much."

"Don't trust the Hokage Building too much, either."

"And definitely don't trust Root."

Shin-getsu's eyes flickered.

"Then who should I believe?"

Kakashi remained silent for a moment.

"Believe in what you judge for yourself."

With that, he vanished with a Body Flicker.

Shin-getsu stood where he was, gazing in the direction where Kakashi had disappeared.

That was an interesting piece of advice.

Do not stand entirely with the Hokage.

Do not stand entirely with the Uchiha.

And certainly do not stand with Root.

Kakashi's current state seemed far more complex than he had imagined.

That made sense, too.

After experiencing so much, how could Kakashi still be nothing more than a tool that only followed orders?

Shin-getsu withdrew his gaze and walked into the Uchiha compound.

As soon as he entered, Tekka approached him.

"You're back?"

Shin-getsu nodded.

Tekka glanced at the scroll in his hand.

"What did you choose?"

"Lightning Style: Earth Flash."

Tekka's eyes lit up.

"Not bad."

"We have plenty of Fire Style in the clan; Lightning Style is perfect for covering your weaknesses."

He lowered his voice after speaking:

"The matter you asked me to look into—there's a lead."

Shin-getsu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"The source of the rumors?"

Tekka nodded.

"On the surface, it's just a few young clansmen spreading them."

"But it first started from the mouth of a man named Uchiha Shinsuke."

Shin-getsu asked, "What kind of person is he?"

Tekka's expression turned grim.

"A peripheral member of the Police Force."

"His strength is average, a Two-Tomoe."

"He doesn't usually stand out much."

"But lately, he's been getting very close to some of the radicals."

Shin-getsu continued, "Has he had any suspicious contact?"

Tekka said in a low voice:

"He has."

"The day before the secret passage was discovered, he left the compound for half an hour."

"He claimed he was going to buy medicine."

"But we checked the pharmacy, and he never went there."

The corners of Shin-getsu's mouth curled up slightly.

"The fish has surfaced."

Tekka asked, "Shall we grab him now?"

Shin-getsu shook his head.

"It's not time yet."

Tekka frowned.

"Still waiting?"

Shin-getsu replied, "There's no point in catching a messenger."

"I want to know who is behind him."

Tekka lowered his voice, "Root?"

Shin-getsu said indifferently, "It could also be Root making contact through an intermediary."

"If we grab him directly, he'll just claim he only heard it from someone else. At most, he'll be punished according to clan rules."

"Root won't be hurt in the slightest."

Tekka gritted his teeth.

"Then what should we do?"

Shin-getsu looked toward the Naka Shrine in the distance.

"When is the next clan meeting?"

Tekka replied, "Tonight."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Then it will be tonight."

Tekka's eyes narrowed.

"You're going to move against him at the clan meeting?"

Shin-getsu said slowly:

"Not move against him."

"I'm going to make him jump out on his own."

Tekka looked at Shin-getsu, suddenly struck by a familiar feeling.

Every time this kid spoke in such a calm tone, it meant someone was about to have a stroke of bad luck.

Shin-getsu continued:

"At the meeting, someone will definitely propose that I step forward."

"There might even be those who pressure the Clan Head to be more radical."

"When that happens, don't stop them."

Tekka frowned.

"And what about you?"

A cold glint appeared in Shin-getsu's eyes.

"I will tell them."

"What the Uchiha truly needs is not a banner pushed by anger to its death."

"But the evidence and the power to plunge a blade into the enemy's heart."

Tekka was silent for a moment, then grinned.

"Fine."

"Tonight, I'll watch your performance."

Shin-getsu did not smile.

Because he knew that tonight's clan meeting was critical.

Danzo wanted to use public opinion to push him onto the pyre.

So, he would lead that fire back to the hand that Root had extended into the heart of the Uchiha.

He looked down at the Lightning Release Scroll in his hand.

Causality Points, resources, public opinion, strength.

All the threads were converging.

And all he had to do was drag out the puppeteer before those threads could knot into a dead end.

Night.

Naka Shrine.

It was about to get lively again.