A Visit to Konoha!

As soon as he decided, Riu set off with Yūhi Uzuki. Using Kamui, they arrived in Konoha in the blink of an eye.

Of course, their identities were sensitive, so they could not appear openly. Both had come wearing masks.

The familiar Hokage Rock, the familiar buildings, the bustling crowds... Returning to her old home, Yūhi Uzuki could not help feeling conflicted.

After all, this was the hometown where she had grown up. Though she had drawn a line between herself and the village because of Riu, her younger sister, Uzuki Yugao, was still here.

Riu knew that, which was why he had brought Xiyang to Konoha.

After buying some dango at a dango shop, Riu asked Xiyang, "Do you want to see your sister?"

Yūhi Uzuki froze and looked at Riu. "Can I?"

"Of course. You gave up the village for me. How could I make you give up your sister too?" Riu said with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Yu," Yūhi Uzuki said, deeply moved.

Uzuki Yugao, nine years old, was attending the Hidden Leaf Ninja Academy. It was currently dismissal time.

Riu and Yūhi Uzuki watched from the shadows, only to witness a truly heartbreaking scene!

At the school gates, Uzuki Yugao was surrounded by a group of male students.

The boy at the front tossed a pebble in his hand and looked at Uzuki Yugao. "It's this girl. Her sister is a rogue ninja, a murderer who killed her comrades! She's the little sister of a traitor!"

Hearing that, the young Yugao lowered her head.

"Killed... comrades?" Yūhi Uzuki could not help looking at Riu.

"Oh, those two subordinates you had in ANBU. White Zetsu told me afterward. Not long after we left, Root's people arrived there, killed them, and pinned the blame on you," Riu said truthfully.

"Root... Danzo!!" Yūhi Uzuki gritted her teeth.

"That's how those people have always operated. They call it being for the village, and speak of necessary sacrifices..." Riu said coldly.

"I seriously don't understand why the school hasn't expelled someone like her. The little sister of a traitor will definitely become a traitor too. I don't want her killing me during a mission someday!" The boy threw the pebble in his hand at Uzuki Yugao.

Uzuki Yugao did not dodge. The stone left a bruise on her forehead.

"Get out of the Ninja School, little sister of a traitor!" The other children chimed in, throwing pebbles at Uzuki Yugao.

"Bastards!" Yūhi Uzuki clenched her fists and was about to rush over to protect her bullied sister.

But Riu pressed a hand to her shoulder, signaling for her to wait.

"Stop it!!"

A young boy rushed over and began fighting with those boys.

"Gekko Hayate, why are you sticking your nose into this? Are you trying to protect a traitor's little sister?"

"It's not Yugao's fault! What right do you have to take it out on her?!" Gekko Hayate defended Uzuki Yugao, but he was quickly knocked down by the other children working together.

"This is not a place for you to fight! Stop immediately!" Only after the commotion grew too loud did the Ninja School teachers come out to stop them.

The children who had started the fight left unhappily. Before leaving, they cast disdainful looks at Uzuki Yugao and spat on the ground.

Yet the Ninja School teachers showed no intention of disciplining them. Even the way they looked at Uzuki Yugao carried something strange.

On the way back, Uzuki Yugao wiped away tears sorrowfully. "I don't believe my sister betrayed the village. I don't believe my sister betrayed her comrades! She must have had her reasons!"

Gekko Hayate handed her a handkerchief and said gently, "Yugao, don't listen to their nonsense. No matter what happens, I'll protect you..."

Oh, who would have thought that sickly Gekko Hayate had been such a smooth talker with girls since childhood? No wonder Yugao became so devoted to him after growing up...

Yūhi Uzuki's expression was full of anguish.

"Don't worry, Xiyang. Your sister is family to me too. In the near future, I'll give her a place to belong. I promise you..." Riu reassured her.

Yūhi Uzuki nodded. She had no reason to refuse... In an environment like Konoha, there truly was no place left for Uzuki Yugao.

Watching Yugao's plight, Riu could not help thinking of Naruto as a child...

Naruto had grown up to become the hero who saved Konoha, earning the recognition of the village's ninja and civilians. But had it really been Naruto's Ninja Way that moved everyone?

No. In the end, it was because Naruto had a powerful background! His predecessors had long laid the groundwork for his growth, and Naruto himself had lived up to it. That was why he got such a happy good ending!

And what did Yugao have? Only Gekko Hayate, and he was a short-lived fellow at that...

"Let's go somewhere else," Riu said to Xiyang.

"Mm." Xiyang nodded obediently.

Riu brought her to the outskirts of Konoha, where the Uchiha Clan lived.

"When did the Uchiha Clan move to such a remote place?" Xiyang asked in surprise.

"Zetsu told me. It happened within the past half month or so..." Riu said.

Yūhi Uzuki understood as soon as she thought about it. "It seems word has spread about the Third Hokage being seriously injured by you. The village's suspicion toward the Uchiha has become even worse..."

Riu nodded. "That's right. Especially Danzo. This is the result of him fanning the flames..."

Xiyang looked at Riu. "The Uchiha are your clansmen. Aren't you going to stop it?"

Riu merely smiled noncommittally and did not answer.

Inside Konoha's ANBU surveillance room.

An ANBU member was monitoring activity in the Uchiha residential district.

"Hmm?" Two highly suspicious-looking people suddenly appeared before one of the surveillance cameras.

The ANBU immediately adjusted the camera angle, aimed it at Riu, and zoomed in...

But then Riu suddenly turned his face toward the camera, and the Sharingan beneath his mask flashed.

The ANBU member's eyes widened as he fell into a daze, then collapsed to the floor with a thud.

Buzz, buzz! The screen flickered several times before the image vanished.

"It's my shift now. Go eat."

At that moment, a ninja wearing a black face mask, a black eye patch, and sporting silver hair walked in. His gaze was lazy, but when he saw the scene in the surveillance room, his half-lidded eyes snapped open. He stepped forward and inspected it carefully.

"There are no signs of intrusion, yet he was caught in a genjutsu. Was the monitor the medium? To do something like this, could it be..." He quickly ran outside.

"Captain Kakashi!"

"Notify Squad Six and follow me. Something has happened near the Uchiha!"

"What happened?"

"Someone formidable may have entered the village!"

At the entrance to the Uchiha residential district.

"What is it?" Xiyang asked.

"Nothing. Just a fly." Riu withdrew his gaze and entered the Uchiha district with Xiyang.

It was not even that late, yet the streets were completely empty. Even the shops had closed.

Yūhi Uzuki looked around in confusion. "There isn't a single person. At this hour, that shouldn't be the case."

"They're probably holding a gathering near Naka Shrine," Riu said knowingly. "Come on... Let's go listen in."

In the woods near Naka Shrine, Riu took out a crystal ball.

Do you remember that ball the Third Hokage used for peeping in the early part of the original story? Using crystal as a medium, it allowed one to observe scenes within the village. The crystal ball could be used to locate people anytime, anywhere, but only if one knew the target's Chakra nature or was close to the target's location. Once those conditions were met, it could be used for surveillance without the target noticing. Hiruzen had used this technique to maintain order within the village.

The method for using this technique was also recorded in the scroll Madara had left behind.

Why had Madara used such a ninjutsu while he was alive? It probably had something to do with Hashirama, whom he muttered about even in his dreams... But that was not a topic Riu cared about.

Ninja Art: Telescope Technique!

Whoosh! As Riu performed the technique, an image of Naka Shrine appeared within the crystal ball.

Before the stone tablet passed down through generations of the Uchiha Clan, clan leader Uchiha Fugaku stood with his arms folded, deep in thought with his eyes closed. Before him, the crowd was fired up.

"Captain, let's do it! The Third Hokage is seriously injured, and the Fourth Hokage has gone to the Land of Iron for the Five Kage Summit. This is the perfect time to strike!!"

"That's right, we've had enough of this treatment!!"

"Let them see the pride of the Uchiha Clan!!"

Riu placed the crystal ball on the grass and sat down with Yūhi Uzuki. Then he took out the dango he had bought on the street and handed one skewer to Xiyang. As they ate, they watched the live scene inside Naka Shrine.

At the same time... the ANBU led by Kakashi were also rushing toward this place.