Stability Above All Else

Too much merit overshadows the master? Sarutobi Hiruzen, known as the Hero of the Shinobi, could tolerate Danzo turning the Root into his own private army right under his nose.

Why, then, could he not tolerate Hatake Sakumo, a man of high moral standards who performed his missions with such diligence?

Ultimately, it was because Hatake Sakumo disrupted the stability!

A stability that belonged to Konoha's Will of Fire.

That is, Hatake Sakumo chose to abandon his mission for the sake of his comrades.

This violated the fundamental rules of the shinobi world, where the village, the client, and the mission took precedence.

If everyone were to abandon their missions to save their comrades, what would become of Konoha's future missions?

Those good-for-nothing gluttons at the Land of Fire's Daimyo Palace cared only about results.

If Hatake Sakumo's choice to abandon his mission for his comrades were deemed correct by the villagers of Konoha, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Finally, amidst the enthusiastic farewells of the students at the Ninja Academy, Sarutobi Hiruzen departed.

He left behind only Iruka, who wore a constant, kindly smile, and Mizuki, whose eyes flickered with hidden thoughts.

Iruka led the students back to the classroom with great enthusiasm.

Although he was a bit sycophantic toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, it was only natural.

After all, this was his ultimate superior; what was wrong with a little flattery?

Iruka genuinely loved these children and cherished his job as a teacher at the Ninja Academy.

Uchiha Yan was patrolling the village with Izumi, and with his keen hearing, he naturally caught what the villagers were discussing lately.

"Have you heard? Konoha is going to hold a joint Chunin Exams with other villages soon."

"Really? I wonder if the competition will be fierce this time."

"What are you afraid of? Konoha is the head of the five great shinobi villages. As genin of Konoha, we are naturally the strongest among the four great villages."

Hearing their bizarre logic, the corners of Uchiha Yan's mouth twitched.

What does Konoha's strength have to do with their own talent as shinobi?

However, could this so-called joint Chunin Exams be a scheme orchestrated by Sunagakure?

Thinking of this, Uchiha Yan deliberately stopped and walked over to a nearby dango shop to buy a few skewers.

Izumi followed him closely, lost in her own thoughts.

Uchiha Yan stopped abruptly and said to the vendor, "Give me a few skewers of dango."

At that moment, Uchiha Izumi, who had been walking with her head down, bumped straight into Uchiha Yan's back.

She let out an "ah," and because her nose had taken a hard hit, tears welled up in her eyes instantly.

Uchiha Yan, having just paid, turned around to see this scene.

He asked with a puzzled look, "What's wrong, Izumi?"

Izumi's eyes were red, and she said aggrievedly, "I bumped my nose on you."

Only then did Uchiha Yan understand what had happened. He handed her two skewers of dango and reached out to wipe away her tears, saying, "Alright, don't cry."

After a moment, as the pain began to subside, Izumi started eating the dango. As the sweet flavor hit her tongue, her eyes narrowed, and she seemed to be in a good mood.

Uchiha Yan took the opportunity to pat her head.

Hmm, it feels nice.

However, he had not forgotten his primary objective.

He found a table and sat down with Izumi, continuing to listen to the two villagers' inside information.

Izumi, bored by the patrol, was more than happy to take a break.

While Izumi was busy polishing off her dango, the two villagers began talking again.

"But, come to think of it, this should be the first joint Chunin Exams, right? Who exactly proposed it?"

"My grandmother's neighbor's grandson's friend's father's older brother's Ninja Academy classmate works in the Anbu."

"Forget about your connections, just tell me!"

The man glanced around, and seeing that everyone was busy eating and paying no attention, he leaned in and whispered, "It was initiated by Sunagakure a while ago, and the exam site is set in Konoha."

Upon hearing this news, Uchiha Yan felt a slight urge to laugh.

Is this the butterfly effect I triggered?

But that's fine; after all, better them than me.

At this moment, Izumi had also finished off most of the dango.

Seeing only one skewer left, she gritted her teeth and held it out toward Uchiha Yan's lips.

Watching Izumi's reluctant expression, Uchiha Yan couldn't help but reach out and pinch her smooth, tender cheek.

Under her somewhat disgruntled gaze, he said calmly, "You eat it."

After Izumi finished the last skewer with great satisfaction, an Uchiha clansman came jogging over.

"Lord Yan, the Clan Head has some matters to discuss. You and Uchiha Izumi don't need to patrol today."

Hearing the clansman's words, he nodded and said, "No problem."

He habitually ruffled Izumi's hair and said, "Let's go."

Izumi squinted her eyes and nodded like a little kitten.

Uchiha Fugaku's home.

It seemed a bit desolate since Itachi went missing.

Uchiha Mikoto was currently guiding Sasuke in his training.

Uchiha Yan stood at the entrance and knocked on the door.

Soon, a servant opened the courtyard gate.

The Uchiha Clan Head's residence was quite imposing.

This mansion was situated in the heart of the Uchiha residential district.

What met Uchiha Yan's eyes was a typical Japanese dry landscape garden.

The ground was paved with gravel, dotted with a few mossy, strange rocks.

The main structure was a detached wooden Japanese-style house, surrounded by winding wooden corridors.

At regular intervals, the fan crest was carved into the pillars.

In a corner of the courtyard, a green bamboo tube struck a stone with a "clack," the crisp sound echoing through the silent yard.

The servant led Uchiha Yan to the room.

"Lord Yan, Lord Fugaku is waiting for you inside."

Uchiha Yan nodded, took off his ninja boots, and stepped into the main room.

Uchiha Fugaku, who was sitting on the floor, revealed a kind smile upon seeing Uchiha Yan.

He said warmly, "Yan, come, sit down."

The table was covered in dense stacks of documents.

Uchiha Yan observed them and realized they were documents regarding the joint Chunin Exams of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.

After he sat down, Uchiha Fugaku said, "Yan, these are the documents for the joint Chunin Exams between the Five Great Shinobi Nations and other villages next month. Take a look."

Uchiha Yan took them, flipped through them, and looked at him, asking, "Is the Uchiha clan responsible for the security work this time?"

Hearing Uchiha Yan's question, Uchiha Fugaku replied, "Of course not. The Anbu is still primarily responsible; we Uchiha are only responsible for coordination on the sidelines."

Uchiha Yan nodded, then began to calculate.

At this time, Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uchiha Yan and said, "Yan, actually, there is one more thing I called you here for."

Uchiha Yan looked up at him, and although he already had the answer in his heart, he feigned confusion and asked, "What is it, Clan Head Fugaku?"

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath, as if this matter was difficult for him to bring up.

He forced himself to speak, "It's to help me search for traces of Itachi."