Return

When Bai Ye came out of the ANBU building, Iron called out to him.

"White Phoenix."

Iron leaned against the corridor wall, holding a document stamped with Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal seal. Bai Ye took it and read it carefully.

Mission objective: Escort an envoy from the Land of Fire's daimyo residence to the Land of Iron for diplomatic work.

Mission rank: A-rank.

Mission duration: Half a year.

Personnel: Jonin squad.

Note: Select elites from each ANBU squad.

"Half a year?" Bai Ye looked at Iron.

"Half a year!"

"The route starts from Konoha, crosses the heartland of the Land of Fire, passes along the border of the Land of Grass, and enters the Land of Iron. The whole trip is roughly 1,200 kilometers. It'll take one month each way, with four months spent in the Land of Iron as the envoy's personal guard. The mission itself isn't complicated, but it takes a long time. The Third Hokage specifically named you for it."

"When do we leave?"

"The day after tomorrow."

Bai Ye folded the document and tucked it into his clothes. Iron pushed himself away from the wall and patted Bai Ye on the shoulder.

"Half a year. By the time you return, you should be jonin level, right?"

After leaving the gray building, Bai Ye wandered aimlessly through Konoha's streets, his head lowered as he thought about the mission. He knew the Third Hokage was pushing him away from the village. He had seen the news of his teacher's mission failure in the ANBU intelligence reports. He had been surprised when he first saw it—this should have been his teacher's first failed mission. But when he saw that his teacher had been injured, he had even wanted to teleport over immediately to help him. Once his teacher returned, the failed mission would surely stir up a huge uproar. Bai Ye had been in ANBU for some time now, and he would be caught in the storm as well. That was why the Third Hokage had arranged for him to leave and avoid the limelight for a while. But once he left, his teacher would have even fewer people to help him...

When Bai Ye came back to himself, he realized that the Chunin Exams were about to begin. There were many more outsiders from other villages on the streets, dressed in all kinds of combat uniforms. This was the first joint Chunin Exam after the war. Every village had sent examinees and leading jonin, so Hiruzen Sarutobi had made it a grand affair, intending to show them how quickly Konoha had recovered after the war.

The lights were on in the Hatake Clan courtyard. Bai Ye sat in the corridor for a while before Kakashi heard him and came running out, his silver-gray hair a mess.

"Brother, have you eaten?"

"I have."

"You're lying. You never look at me when you say you've eaten."

Bai Ye did not argue. He entered the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and leaned against the stove as he drank it slowly. Kakashi followed him and stood in the kitchen doorway, still gripping a shuriken in his hand.

"Brother, are you going on a mission?"

"Yeah. The day after tomorrow."

"How long?"

"Half a year."

Kakashi spun the shuriken around his fingers. It fell to the floor. He bent down to pick it up, and its point suddenly sliced a tear into his pant leg.

Sakumo and the others returned to Konoha after the Chunin Exams ended. Three days later, Hiruzen Sarutobi met with him in his office at the Hokage Building.

When Sakumo entered, Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting behind his desk, smoking. The ashtray on the desk was piled with gray-white ash, showing that he had smoked many cigarettes in a short time. Several newly delivered documents were scattered nearby, with Sakumo's mission report on top.

"Sit."

Hiruzen Sarutobi read the mission report once more, then set it back on the desk.

"I've read the report. Although this mission was not completed, at least all of you made it back," Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely. "Don't dwell on it. Focus on recovering from your injuries for now. I'll personally write the report for the daimyo and explain the matter to him."

Sakumo nodded and rose from his chair. "Thank you, Third Hokage. If there's nothing else, I'll head back first."

At the same time, in the basement of the Root hideout, the kerosene lamp cast flickering dark-yellow patches of light across the walls. Viper stood before Danzo, having just finished reporting the entire course of the mission.

"...So Hatake Sakumo ultimately chose to support Yakushi Tenzan, resulting in the mission's failure."

Danzo leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, his right hand resting on the hilt of his ninja sword as his fingertips tapped lightly against it.

Viper stood motionless. After a while, Danzo opened his eyes, picked up a list from the table, and began making notes on it.

"Go find Koharu Utatane. Her son still has several unsettled accounts in the postwar reconstruction projects. Have someone organize those accounts and send them to her for review. You don't need to say anything. She'll know what to do."

"As for Homura Mitokado, he has recently been discussing a land exchange with the Hyuga, but the Hyuga have not agreed. Tell Homura Mitokado that the Nara Clan has a plot of land in roughly similar condition. If he remains silent during the meeting, I'll help make that happen for him."

"As for Uchiha Masaki, he can do the math himself. Just give him a reminder. He'll wait until the situation becomes clear before deciding which side to stand on."

Danzo rose to his feet. Moonlight leaked through the cracks in the ventilation shaft, casting his shadow onto the wall. A ferocious smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Hmph, so what if the daimyo favors Hatake Sakumo? I'll make him die in disgrace!"

That night, at the clan head's residence in the Uchiha Clan Grounds, candlelight made Uchiha Masaki's study alternately bright and dim.

Uchiha Masaki sat before a Go board, pinching a stone between his fingers as it hovered above the board without falling. The game had already reached the middle stage. Black and white stones were interlocked like teeth, with neither side holding a clear advantage.

Fugaku sat opposite him, dressed in dark clan robes, his expression calm.

"Father, someone from Root came today."

Masaki's fingers twitched. "What did they come for?"

"To deliver a message. They said Hatake Sakumo's mission had failed, that someone on the advisory council would pursue the matter, and that the Uchiha Clan would do best to remain silent at a time like this."

Uchiha Masaki shifted his gaze from Fugaku's face to the interwoven stones on the board. He reached out and placed his stone, making the situation on the board subtle and complex.

"What do you think?"

"Danzo harbors great ambitions. His target should be the Hokage's position. Hatake Sakumo's foundation is too shallow. I estimate that in the village now... no one supports him anymore."

"So?" Uchiha Masaki stared sharply at Fugaku.

"So the Uchiha Clan needs to consider one thing carefully: whether to support Hatake Sakumo!"

Uchiha Masaki stood and walked to the window. Moonlight streamed in through it.

"The Uchiha Clan will not make a statement regarding Hatake Sakumo."

Fugaku lowered his head without responding.

"I know you are close with Bai Ye." Uchiha Masaki turned to look at him. "But you are the young clan head of the Uchiha Clan. From now on, every decision you make must be worthy of your clansmen."

Fugaku raised his head and looked into his father's eyes. There was no blame or admonition in them, only helplessness.