Recruiting Kakashi

Tenzo had yet to react while he was still in midair when he felt as though he were flying through the sky. The next instant, he met a pair of Sharingan with intricate hexagonal patterns, and his consciousness sank into darkness.

Takuya dispelled the Susanoo, its massive hand dissolving into specks of light.

Tenzo, caught in the genjutsu, lost his restraints and dropped to the ground with a thud. The giant tree sprouting from his shoulder cracked apart without Chakra to sustain it.

Takuya glanced at him twice. He understood why Yamato had attacked him, then turned and walked over to Kakashi.

Kakashi sat motionless against the base of the wall, his eyes vacant, like a man who had lost all conviction and become utterly lost.

Takuya looked at him with interest. Seeing that Kakashi showed no reaction to his arrival, he said casually, "Kakashi, how about making a deal? Once I become the Fifth Hokage, I can clear your father's name and restore his reputation."

At Takuya's words, the light in Kakashi's dim eyes gradually returned. When he heard that his father's reputation could be restored, he did not even wait to hear the terms before blurting out eagerly, "Deal!"

Takuya smiled faintly, unconcerned that Kakashi had interrupted him, and continued, "In return, you will join my personal ANBU and work for me.

"Since you agree, I'll give you a mission right now."

Might Guy watched Kakashi spring to his feet. It was as if his spirit had instantly returned, leaving Guy momentarily stunned.

"What do you want me to do?"

Kakashi asked.

"First, take some men and arrest the personal ANBU loyal to the Third Hokage. Kill anyone who resists. Seal the Chakra of those you capture and throw them into prison."

Takuya smiled. "You were part of the Third Hokage's personal ANBU, so this should not be difficult for you, right?"

Kakashi fell silent for a moment. He opened his mouth. "What will you do to them?"

Takuya considered it. "That depends on how they behave. Those who obey can be released after being held for a while."

Kakashi looked at the smiling Uchiha Fugaku, and a chill rose in his heart.

Uchiha Fugaku had not said what would happen to those who refused to obey, but Kakashi knew perfectly well. They would die.

On one side were comrades he had worked alongside day and night; on the other was his father. Kakashi knew what he had to choose. He raised his head, determination flashing through his eyes. "I'll do it."

Takuya turned to the Uchiha clansmen nearby, who had nearly finished cleaning up. "Inabi, take some men and follow Kakashi. Follow his orders. Just leave two men with me."

Uchiha Inabi nodded, called out to the others, left behind two clansmen, and led the rest after Kakashi.

Might Guy was rather bewildered. How had he been ignored from start to finish?

He watched Uchiha Fugaku sit down in a chair, then saw Kakashi turn and leave. He hurried after Kakashi and whispered beside him, "Kakashi, are you really going to listen to him and arrest our companions?"

Kakashi scooped up the unconscious Tenzo from the ground, glanced at Might Guy, and said, "Guy, don't you understand? Uchiha Fugaku is going to become the Fifth Hokage."

Might Guy scratched his head, feeling an itch in his brain. He could not figure out how Uchiha Fugaku was suddenly going to become the Fifth Hokage.

Kakashi sighed. He no longer felt like talking to Guy, so he hoisted Tenzo over his shoulder and walked ahead.

In truth, Kakashi did not care whether Uchiha Fugaku became Hokage or not. What he cared about was that, once Fugaku became Hokage, he could restore his father's reputation.

Uchiha Compound.

Night had already fallen. The streets were brightly lit on both sides, vendors pushed carts and called out their wares, and people came and went. It looked just like a miniature Konoha.

Everything here was as usual, unaffected by the events elsewhere.

In truth, Takuya and the others had not informed the ordinary civilians of the Uchiha Compound about this operation. Even the Chunin knew nothing about it. After all, only Jonin clansmen who possessed the Three-Tomoe were qualified to take part.

Sasuke raced over from the distance. Only after stepping into the compound and seeing that nothing had changed did he let out a sigh of relief. Recalling the complicated look Iruka Umino had given him at dismissal after returning to the Ninja Academy, he had felt somewhat worried.

He guessed that the signal flares might have something to do with his father, but he did not know what three red signal flares meant. So he did not dwell on it and rushed home, intending to ask his mother where his father had gone.

"Oh, little Sasuke is back?"

"Young Master Sasuke, what did you learn at school today?"

"Hello, Young Master Sasuke."

As he passed through the streets, people greeted him all along the way.

Faced with the enthusiastic elderly men and women of the clan, Sasuke could not very well ignore them coldly. Somewhat embarrassed, he nodded reservedly and hurriedly answered them a couple of times.

At last, he arrived before a large residence.

He pushed open the familiar door and saw that the lights were on inside. He ran into the courtyard and called out before even entering the house, "Mother, I'm home!"

Once inside, he saw steaming dishes laid out on the table, with his mother seated in front of them.

"Welcome home."

Uchiha Mikoto forced out a smile.

Sasuke looked around, tossed down his schoolbag, and ran into the inner room. As expected, his father was nowhere to be seen. His brother had been coming home late lately, so Sasuke did not think much of that.

"Mother, what did Father go out to do?" Sasuke sat beside Mikoto and asked curiously.

Outside, he was the cool and aloof Sasuke. At home, he became clingy.

A trace of worry flashed through Mikoto's eyes. She rubbed Sasuke's head, for she too did not know where her husband Fugaku had gone.

That afternoon, she had left the compound to buy a few things in town. It had taken a little longer than expected, and when she returned home, the house was empty. There had not been a single person inside.

She had been a Jonin before marriage. Noticing that all the Jonin in the compound had disappeared, she had grown worried.

She knew about the clan gathering at Naka Shrine that night. Before falling asleep the previous night, Fugaku had talked to her about it, looking deeply troubled.

Thinking of that, she had stopped by Naka Shrine, only to find it empty as well.

Not long after returning home in a state of unease, she saw three red signal flares rise into the sky.

The sight of them made her even more unsettled.

But there was nothing she could do, so she silently cleaned the house and prepared dinner, waiting for her husband and children to return.

It was dark now. Sasuke was home, but there was still no sign of her husband or Itachi.

Mikoto looked at the dishes on the table. If they waited any longer, the food would go cold.

With that thought, Mikoto got up and took out some exquisite bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard, intending to eat with Sasuke first. Then she heard Sasuke say behind her, "Mother, I saw Father running past with lots of clansmen at school. Do you know what they were going to do?"

Crash!

Sasuke turned back in astonishment and saw shattered bowls and plates all over the floor.

"Mother?"

Sasuke did not understand what had happened.

Mikoto came back to her senses and hurriedly crouched down to gather the fragments. Her long, glossy black hair spilled down around her, while her fitted dress clung to her peach-like figure, outlining perfect curves.