Meeting Yashiro Uchiha

A few days later.

"Tell me, who are you people?

What was your purpose in luring me here?"

Deliberately drawn away from camp by White Zetsu, Yashiro Uchiha, who had left alone, barked a fierce reprimand.

Yet the one being scolded was not White Zetsu. That fellow had run off as soon as he lured his target out.

The one Yashiro Uchiha was reprimanding was a trusted subordinate of Sada Hidemasa, who had been waiting nearby but was instantly subdued by him.

"...May I ask if you are Lord Yashiro Uchiha?"

Looking at the kunai held against his neck, the captive asked in a trembling, frightened voice.

"Hm? Who are you, and what is your connection to the person who lured me here?"

Yashiro Uchiha was slightly puzzled for a second before coldly pressing him again.

However, he did not deny it, and the kunai at the captive's neck shifted slightly away. That was practically an admission.

The captive before him was far too weak to pose any threat. He was most likely a messenger or courier, and Yashiro had no disdain for killing him.

"My lord, could you show me your Sharingan?

I must first confirm that you are truly an Uchiha before I can state my purpose.

Because the message I carry can only be spoken to a member of the Uchiha Clan."

With the chill at his neck easing somewhat, the trusted subordinate regained a bit of courage. Rather than directly revealing his purpose, he followed Sada Hidemasa's instructions and first confirmed the other party's identity.

It also demonstrated the courage and nerve expected of a trusted subordinate entrusted with such a dangerous secret mission.

"Hm???"

Yashiro Uchiha was even more puzzled.

But considering the man's pitiful strength and the fact that his purpose concerned the clan,

after giving it some thought, he activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan for the man to see.

And that was precisely why Yashiro Uchiha was one of the rare members of the clan willing to think.

Had it been another Uchiha standing here, they would most likely have cast a Sharingan genjutsu to make him spill everything, or simply beaten him first and questioned him afterward.

However, if another Uchiha had truly been here, they would not have encountered Sada Hidemasa's trusted subordinate.

After all, Feng had deliberately chosen to communicate with Yashiro Uchiha because he knew what kind of person he was.

Of course, Yashiro's considerable standing and influence within the clan were also part of why Feng had chosen him.

Besides him, Feng had another candidate: Tekka Uchiha, who was not as good at thinking as Yashiro Uchiha.

Yet Tekka, known outside the clan as "Silent Cold-Blooded," was actually the most warmhearted person in the clan.

As an Uchiha himself, Feng would have had no problem seeking him out as well.

As for the other Uchiha besides those two, they were either too arrogant, too self-absorbed, too foolish, or too stupid.

Feng had little interest in dealing with them, much less communicating with them.

Returning to the matter at hand, Sada Hidemasa's trusted subordinate had seen little of the world before this. He did not actually recognize the Sharingan, much less know that it possessed three tomoe.

However, before setting out, Sada Hidemasa had told him about the Sharingan's characteristics.

As for Sada Hidemasa's knowledge of the Sharingan, Feng had naturally been the one to tell him.

Thus, the moment Yashiro Uchiha activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, the subordinate confirmed his identity.

"Lord Yashiro, please wait a moment. I'll signal my lord to come over at once."

As he spoke, the subordinate took out a whistle and blew a low but long, far-carrying note.

Watching him send the signal, Yashiro Uchiha showed no change in expression, but secretly crossed his hands and formed a hand seal.

Before long, Sada Hidemasa, who had been hiding nearby, quickly arrived before Yashiro Uchiha.

Yashiro glanced up at him and confirmed that he did not know the man.

"Greetings, Lord Yashiro Uchiha. I apologize for meeting you in this manner.

My identity is not convenient to reveal at present, and I do not know much about the current situation either.

But there is a letter for you. I believe that after reading it, Lord Yashiro, you will understand the general situation."

Sada Hidemasa spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

After speaking, he took out the letter Feng had prepared from his clothes and handed it over.

Already somewhat angered, Yashiro Uchiha snatched the letter up furiously.

He had already decided that if its contents did not satisfy him, the two men before him would not leave alive.

Damn it, again and again.

Though he was known for careful thought and calm analysis, he was also a thoroughgoing Uchiha of the Hawk Faction.

Did they really think he had no temper?

Yet after opening the envelope, Yashiro Uchiha's expression changed again and again.

Shock—anger—intense killing intent—surprise!

Finally, wearing an incredulous expression, he slowly used a Fire Release technique to burn the letter completely clean.

"I've read the letter. You two may leave!"

Yashiro Uchiha looked up at Sada Hidemasa and his subordinate. Killing intent flashed through his eyes, but he immediately said indifferently.

The letter involved major clan matters, and he had considered silencing the two men to preserve secrecy.

But the letter had also said that the messenger was Feng's trusted confidant.

So, giving Feng some face, he abandoned the idea of acting.

"Yes, Lord Yashiro. Then we shall take our leave."

Sada Hidemasa immediately bade farewell upon hearing this.

Though the killing intent in Yashiro Uchiha's eyes had flashed by in an instant, he had seen it.

Moreover, his lord had told him before he left that once the letter was delivered, the matter would no longer concern him.

So leaving quickly was the wisest choice.

Three days later, Upper Leaf City in the north of the Tea Country.

Within the city lord's manor, the acting city lord, General Shibata Keiichi, was sparring with Uchiha Feng and receiving Feng's instruction.

He and Furukawa Kengo had been the first to pledge loyalty to Feng after Sada Hidemasa, so they held no small place in Feng's heart.

When Feng had first taken control of the Tea Country, he had stationed the two men in Upper Leaf City and Lower Leaf City, the only two cities in the Tea Country besides the capital, in order to tighten his control over the country.

As a result, neither of them had been present during the later Impure World Reincarnation of Kuniyoshi, the Iron Country samurai, or during the current Impure World Reincarnation of Might Duy and the special training that followed.

They had only received the relevant training manuals.

Now that Feng happened to have business here, he took this opportunity to strengthen Shibata Keiichi's theoretical knowledge and improve his strength.

"General!" the two of them called out.

A guard hurried in, interrupting Shibata Keiichi and Feng.

"What is it?"

Shibata Keiichi, who was enjoying the thrill of his rapidly increasing strength, frowned and looked at the newcomer with some displeasure.

As for Feng, he nonchalantly walked to the side, took a drink of water, and used the chance to rest.

Though it looked as if teaching Shibata Keiichi had not cost him much effort, ten of his Shadow Clones were actually training in the more private inner courtyard of the city lord's manor.

"General, someone concealing his identity has arrived outside.

He said, 'I am the man who will become the One Piece King.'

That was precisely the code phrase you instructed us to report if anyone came to the city lord's manor and said it recently."

The guard quickly explained.

Before Shibata Keiichi could respond, Feng spoke first:

"Keiichi, bring him to the inner courtyard. Do not let anyone disturb us."

After saying that, he rose first and headed toward the inner courtyard.

"I am the man who will become the One Piece King" was a line from the anime One Piece, while this was the world of Naruto.

Therefore, the only person who could say such words was Feng, a transmigrator.

And in the secret letter he had sent to Yashiro Uchiha, Feng had used that sentence as their agreed code phrase.

It not only satisfied a small bit of his personal amusement, but also made the code difficult for others to understand.

"Yes, my lord."

Shibata Keiichi felt somewhat disappointed and helpless, but he still obediently went to invite the man in.

He knew that once the person his lord had been waiting for arrived, his lord would probably be leaving soon.

And his days of special training and rapidly improving his strength would also come to an end.