Because of Ling

A single Fire Release had wiped out an entire Stone Ninja Squadron?

When no one else spoke, Nara Shikaku recalled an earlier mission report. "Uchiha Ling has all five chakra natures and specializes in Fire Release Ninjutsu. Looks like the Uchiha Clan has another ninjutsu prodigy."

He remembered Torifu Akimichi telling the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans to keep silent about Kagami Uchiha's death and stay out of it entirely.

Nara Shikaku did not know the truth, but he had followed those instructions to the letter.

He wanted nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan. At Jonin Commander meetings, whether the matter was good or bad, he steered clear of anything involving them.

Hearing the news about Uchiha Ling left Danzo's assistant, Shimura Zha, thinking of Shimura Du's sacrifice. It sat badly with him.

Shimura Zha had the Shimura Clan's distinctive eyes: tiny pupils surrounded by large expanses of white.

When enraged, a ferocious beast's pupils contracted, exposing the whites of its eyes. A human brain saw all that white and instinctively registered danger, hostility, and unstable emotions, triggering tension and unease.

Even when Shimura Zha looked at someone normally, he seemed to be glaring. His cool gaze carried an air of distance and severity.

He had been watching out for Mitaraishi Anko all this time. Now Uchiha Ling had appeared too.

Shimura Du was the nephew of Shimura Zha and Shimura Ganfū, and Shimura Zha's favorite junior.

Unfortunately, Shimura Du had died at the hands of the Explosion Corps.

He frowned and began to consider what kind of "good" mission to choose for Anko Squad. A very special one. Clan leader Danzo did Lord Hokage's dirty work, and he did clan leader Danzo's.

He did not need orders from Danzo. A few maneuvers of his own would be enough to send a