Task Fragment

By the time the clan meeting dispersed, the night was already deep.

The torches outside Naka Shrine were extinguished one by one, and the members of the Uchiha Clan departed with their lingering anger, yet they did not scatter in a rush as they usually did.

Because tonight, they had witnessed something with their own eyes.

There really was a ghost within the clan.

And this ghost was not hidden among the upper echelons of Konoha, but had infiltrated the Uchiha themselves.

This was even more chilling than the secret tunnel.

Shin-getsu stood on the shrine steps, watching the last group of clansmen leave.

He did not pursue who was gossiping about him, nor did he listen to the increasingly loud voices demanding that "Shin-getsu should step forward."

Half of the goal for tonight's clan meeting had been achieved.

Shinsuke had been exposed.

But this was not enough.

A pawn pushed onto the stage did not mean the person playing the game behind the scenes would reveal themselves.

The truly critical task was to follow this thread and dig out who was reaching their hand into the Uchiha Clan.

Fugaku stood by his side, his expression heavier than usual.

"You did well."

Shin-getsu did not turn back.

"It isn't over yet."

Fugaku glanced at him.

"You know there is someone behind Shinsuke?"

Shin-getsu nodded.

"There must be."

"His reaction today didn't look like a spur-of-the-moment decision."

"It looked more like he had rehearsed his lines many times, only to have his rhythm disrupted on the spot."

Fugaku was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"What do you want to do?"

Shin-getsu said, "Interrogate Shinsuke first."

"But we cannot ask him directly who is behind him."

"If we do, he will refuse to speak, or someone will have already taught him how to respond."

Fugaku's eyes flickered.

"What do you mean?"

Shin-getsu turned around to face Fugaku.

"Investigate everyone he has been in contact with over the past week."

"Who he ate with, patrolled with, went on missions with, when he left his post at night, who he saw, what he said, and where he went."

"As long as he didn't come to this conclusion on his own, he must have left traces behind."

Fugaku nodded.

"I have already sent Tekka to do that."

Shin-getsu said, "That is not enough."

"Shinsuke is only a peripheral node."

"If the person behind the scenes is cautious enough, they would never contact him directly."

"It is more likely that they passed messages through a third or fourth-layer intermediary."

Fugaku looked at him.

"Then where do you want to continue the investigation?"

Shin-getsu did not answer immediately.

He looked up toward the street outside the shrine.

The night wind blew, and the shadows of the trees swayed.

"Start by investigating that Communication Talisman."

"Since the people from Root dared to bring such a thing into the clan meeting, it means they originally thought it wouldn't be exposed."

"The origin, materials, and jutsu traces of this object will all leave clues."

Fugaku's gaze darkened.

"You mean we can start with the talisman?"

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Correct."

"Especially when checking the seal's brushwork."

"Different ninjas have different sealing habits; even if the paper talismans look identical, the way the chakra ink stabilizes will reveal certain information."

"If Shinsuke didn't receive it personally from a contact, but picked it up in advance, then the person responsible for the handover will have flaws."

Fugaku listened, a glimmer of genuine gravity flashing in his eyes.

This child's train of thought was no longer at the level of an ordinary ninja.

He wasn't rushing to make arrests.

Instead, he was seeking a chain of evidence first.

This was exactly what the Uchiha lacked most right now.

"Very well."

Fugaku nodded.

"I will have Inabi and Yashiro continue the investigation."

Shin-getsu added one more thing.

"Also, those within the clan who have had frequent contact with Shinsuke over the last few days must be isolated and observed separately."

"The closer they are to him, the easier it is for them to be used as the next messenger."

Fugaku's gaze turned colder.

"You suspect there is a second mole?"

Shin-getsu did not deny it.

"Root does not operate by burying only one point."

"If Shinsuke has been exposed, they are likely already preparing a backup contact."

"Otherwise, the trap set for tonight's clan meeting wouldn't have been so well-orchestrated."

Fugaku looked at him deeply.

"Go back and rest."

"I will handle the rest."

Shin-getsu shook his head.

"I cannot rest yet."

Fugaku frowned.

"Your injuries haven't healed."

Shin-getsu said calmly, "That is why I don't intend to go investigate anyone."

"I am going to practice Lightning Release."

Fugaku was taken aback.

Shin-getsu raised his eyes.

"After dragging Shinsuke out tonight, Root will definitely be more cautious."

"They won't pull back immediately; they will only be more eager to confirm just how dangerous I am."

"Therefore, I must become more dangerous as quickly as possible."

Fugaku fell silent.

He wanted to say that this was not something a nine-year-old child should be saying.

But after tonight, he no longer viewed Shin-getsu simply as a child.

This Uchiha orphan had already demonstrated sufficiently clear judgment and a terrifying rate of growth.

In the end, Fugaku only said one thing.

"Don't push yourself until you break."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"I won't."

With that, he turned and left the Shrine.

Fugaku watched his retreating figure, remaining silent for a long time.

It wasn't until Tekka walked quickly from the back of the Shrine that he spoke.

"Clan Leader."

"Shinsuke has been taken into custody."

"I didn't dare let him have any contact with others; he is currently locked in the Police Force basement."

Fugaku nodded.

"Did he speak?"

Tekka sneered.

"No."

"He's quite stubborn."

"But judging by his expression, he's already starting to get scared."

Fugaku asked, "Did he try to contact anyone?"

Tekka said in a low voice, "Yes."

"Not long after we locked him up, he tried to bite through a thin talisman with his tongue."

"We stopped him."

Fugaku's eyes suddenly sharpened.

"What talisman?"

Tekka's expression turned grim.

"A very thin communication talisman."

"The outer layer was disguised as paper stuffed in the mouth."

"As soon as he bit it, it would have activated automatically."

Fugaku's gaze turned cold.

"It's not a one-way message, it's an emergency contact."

Tekka nodded.

"Right."

"This shows it's not the first time he's done something like this."

"And he might have other things hidden in his mouth."

Fugaku said coldly, "Search him thoroughly first, and don't let him die."

Tekka grinned.

"Don't worry."

"I won't let him shut up easily."

Uchiha Clan Compound, backyard Training Ground.

Shin-getsu stood in the center of the clearing, his right hand held flat.

Above his palm, a small ball of blue-white arcs was gently flickering.

Sizzle.

The lightning was not large, but it was much more stable.

He had come straight here after returning from the clan meeting.

He hadn't wasted any time.

The scroll for Lightning Style: Earth Flash lay beside him.

He had also repeatedly recalled the basic lightning control points Kakashi had taught him during the day.

The most important thing about Lightning Style wasn't speed, but stability.

The more agitated the chakra, the easier it was to harm oneself.

And what Shin-getsu needed most now was to suppress this "agitation."

A small cluster of arcs moved slowly in his palm.

He could feel the Lightning Chakra adapting to his meridians bit by bit.

Even though he hadn't officially released the Earth Flash jutsu, just this basic control had already benefited him greatly.

Just then, a faint sound of footsteps came from behind him.

Shin-getsu didn't turn around.

"Senior Tekka?"

"Mhm."

Tekka walked into the courtyard, carrying a small lamp.

"The Clan Head asked me to tell you about Shinsuke's situation."

Shin-getsu extinguished the lightning in his palm and turned around.

"Is there something wrong with him?"

Tekka nodded.

"There's a big problem."

"That kid has an emergency Communication Talisman on him, and it's not the first time."

"And we found two things at his residence."

"One is an old-style Root sealing needle."

"The other is a mission fragment without a signature."

Shin-getsu's eyes flickered.

"What did the mission fragment say?"

Tekka handed him a sealed piece of paper.

Only half of the content remained on the paper.

"Objective: Continuously create internal dissatisfaction within the clan, with a focus on guiding Shin-getsu..."

The rest of the words were illegible, ruined by water.

But the first half alone was enough.

Shin-getsu stared at the line of text, his gaze turning cold.

"As expected."