Sasuke snapped the notebook shut and took a deep breath.
He did not linger in Otogakure. Grabbing the notebook and several other scrolls that might have value, he turned and walked out of the underground laboratory reeking of blood.
Outside, the rain had already stopped. The cold wind blew against his face, cooling his fevered mind a little.
Konoha. The newly established Imperial Governor's Office.
Inside the massive building that had been requisitioned for temporary use, everyone coming and going was an Uchiha Shadow Guard in a black uniform. Each of them carried a thick killing intent. This place had replaced the former Hokage Building, becoming the true center of power for all of Konoha and even most of the ninja world.
In the great hall at the deepest part of the Governor's Office, Yuan leaned sideways against the broad main seat. One hand propped up his chin, while the other tossed and played with a red chakra crystal he had gotten from who knew where. There was no one else in the hall. It was so quiet that the wind outside could be heard.
The door was shoved open roughly.
Sasuke walked in wearing a set of washed-clean gray cloth clothes. The scratches on his face had not fully healed, but his entire aura had already undergone an earthshaking change.
If the old Sasuke had been a blade fresh from the forge, sharp and fully exposed but easy to snap, then the current him was a poisoned edge hidden in the dark, ready to draw blood at any moment.
He walked to the center of the hall, flicked his hand, and threw the heavy research notebook directly onto the steps at Yuan's feet.
"They're all dead. The stuff is here." Sasuke's tone was cold and hard.
Yuan did not