The night before the Uchiha Clan was set to launch its coup.
The main force of the Uchiha Police Force had all gathered at police headquarters to stand by, leaving only ordinary clan members at home within the clan district.
"What? Mikoto has gone missing?" Fugaku Uchiha sat upright in the seat of honor, listening to the report from the police officer below. His brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
To prepare for tomorrow's coup, the Uchiha Clan had indeed reduced their usual defenses and patrol frequency within Konoha. But for someone to infiltrate Konoha and silently abduct the Uchiha clan head's wife was still far too unbelievable.
The police officer continued, "Madam was likely abducted this afternoon while she was out buying ingredients for tomorrow. We checked the markets she frequented, but found no signs of a struggle. Some vendors even saw Madam shopping normally."
The more Fugaku heard, the more something felt wrong.
Although Mikoto had stepped back from active duty and become a full-time housewife, she had once been a jonin. For someone to abduct her without any resistance, either they were far stronger than her, or she had been completely off guard at the time.
And either possibility pointed to a direction he did not wish to face: it had been done by someone within Konoha.
This was the critical eve of the coup. Mikoto was not even a primary combatant, so abducting her held no tactical meaning for disrupting the Uchiha Clan's overall plan.
Was it a warning? But according to Itachi's feedback, Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude toward the Uchiha Clan should still have been focused on conciliation. He had no intention of launching an all-out war.
Fugaku suppressed the unease in his heart. The arrow was already on the bowstring; there was no choice but to