Mutual Scheming

Uchiha Yufeng flicked three Shuriken from his pocket. The three Kunai were precisely knocked away by the Shuriken and embedded themselves in the wall nearby.

Then Uchiha Yufeng's gaze sharpened.

With one arm around each girl's waist, he pulled Yuhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao back and leapt away.

"Thud!"

Two hands shot out of the ground where the three of them had been standing moments ago.

Had they been even a step slower, the girls would have been grabbed by the legs and placed at a disadvantage.

Yuhi Shinku stopped forming the hand seals he had prepared for the three of them. A flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes, along with considerable approval for Uchiha Yufeng's response.

He immediately crossed his hands in a seal and switched to another ninjutsu.

His figure turned into a breeze and vanished from where he stood.

In an instant, the ninja who had just emerged from the ground stared blankly ahead, clearly trapped in an illusion.

Uchiha Yufeng did not hesitate. Releasing the two girls, he swiftly flung out a Kunai with an Explosive Tag attached to it.

The ninja caught in the illusion was immediately engulfed by firelight, blown into a bloody mess and killed on the spot.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Taking advantage of the explosion, four figures sprang out from four directions in the shadows, Kunai in hand as they lunged at Uchiha Yufeng and the others.

Uchiha Yufeng watched the four coldly, standing firmly in place without making a single move.

"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"

Yuhi Shinku's voice rang out at just the right moment.

A large tree rapidly rose beneath each of the four men. Its roots spread outward and bound them tightly like ropes.

The four abruptly halted in mid-charge.

Yuhi Shinku slowly revealed himself, then walked up to them and stabbed each one through the heart with his sword.

The ninjas' faces were twisted in agony. It appeared they had not broken free from the Genjutsu even at the moment of death.

Yuhi Shinku raised a hand and formed a seal, causing the vines from before to vanish instantly.

Uchiha Yufeng walked over, inspected the bodies, and casually tore the Sunagakure Headbands from their foreheads.

"Teacher, there are no survivors. They're all dead."

Once he was certain it was safe, Yuhi Shinku quickly took out his little notebook and silently recorded the details.

"Yufeng, your reaction just now was good."

After finishing his notes, Yuhi Shinku gave Uchiha Yufeng an approving look.

Yuhi Kurenai, beside them, had just snapped out of her dazed state. Her gaze was complicated, carrying both reflection and frustration...

Uzuki Yugao, meanwhile, looked at Uchiha Yufeng's back. Her grip tightened around the Kusanagi Sword in her hand, and her determination to spar with him grew even stronger.

"It seems we can't spend the night here. Pack up! We'll travel through the night and return to Konoha!"

Yuhi Shinku swept his gaze across the three of them.

"Take what happened today as a warning. The Ninja World is not peaceful right now. No matter what you do after leaving the village in the future, you must never let down your guard."

Seeing the serious look on his daughter's face, Yuhi Shinku relaxed slightly.

This was a good chance to teach his daughter a lesson.

Otherwise, how would she realize the gap between herself and Uchiha Yufeng? It would motivate her to train harder afterward.

"By the way, those people just now were quite capable in battle, and their coordination was exceptionally seamless. They were clearly a squad of at least Chunin level. If they had been the target of our mission this time, it would have been at least a B-rank Mission. By that measure, you've experienced a B-rank Mission today."

Yuhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao both nodded heavily.

They had clearly recognized their own shortcomings and the terror of a B-rank Mission.

After saying this, Yuhi Shinku made some simple preparations.

Then he led the three of them onward toward Konoha.

Given today's unexpected incident, returning to Konoha as quickly as possible was the right course...

Time passed by second after second.

After racing through most of the night, Team 1 finally returned to Konoha.

Yuhi Shinku went to submit the commission and report to the Hokage's Office, while the others were dismissed to return home and rest.

They agreed to meet at the usual place in three days.

As soon as Uchiha Yufeng arrived home, a familiar figure appeared at his door.

"Sister Mikoto, why are you here?"

The visitor was Uchiha Fugaku's wife, Uchiha Mikoto.

"I heard you went out of the village on a mission and just returned today, so I came to see you!"

Uchiha Mikoto wore a smile and carried something in her hands.

"I brought you some food you like!"

Uchiha Yufeng smiled, accepted the gifts, and walked ahead to lead Mikoto inside.

"Sister Mikoto, please come in!"

The two crossed the small courtyard and entered the living room.

After setting down the food, Uchiha Yufeng went to the kitchen, heated a bottle of milk, and brought it over along with some pastries and biscuits.

"Sister Mikoto, there isn't anything else at home. Please forgive the poor hospitality."

Looking at the steaming milk, Uchiha Mikoto accepted it and placed it in front of herself.

"Yufeng, this is more than enough. It was thoughtful of you."

Uchiha Yufeng then sat across from Uchiha Mikoto.

As he looked at her, Uchiha Yufeng felt that she seemed even more charming than before.

"How have things been recently?"

"Mm, everything is fine!"

Uchiha Yufeng picked up a biscuit, put it in his mouth, and answered with a smile.

Seeing how relaxed and unconstrained Uchiha Yufeng was, Uchiha Mikoto's eyes unexpectedly held a trace of envy.

"Yufeng, I actually came today to pass along something."

"Something? Does the Clan Head have instructions?"

Uchiha Yufeng looked at Mikoto in surprise.

"Yes. Fugaku said that you took first place in the Ninja Academy's practical Ranking Match, and that both you and Shisui are the pride of the Uchiha Clan. So, for the upcoming Chunin Exams, he wants you to participate."

Fugaku wants me to take the Chunin Exams?

"You train diligently, and your strength has probably long surpassed that of a Chunin. The only reason you are still a Genin is that you lack confidence!"

Uchiha Yufeng smiled when he heard that.

Good grief, to make me participate, he's saying I've surpassed a Chunin?

Has the strength I've displayed become that impressive already?

Seeing the change in Uchiha Yufeng's expression, Uchiha Mikoto paused just as she was about to drink her milk.

"If I feel that I don't have the ability to participate in the Chunin Exams, would the Clan Head blame me...?"

Uchiha Mikoto shook her head.

"Taking the exam is voluntary to begin with. Why would he blame you?"

Uchiha Yufeng did not believe a single word of that.

Uchiha Yufeng ate his biscuit and fell silent for a moment.

"However..."

Uchiha Yufeng raised his head and stared at Uchiha Mikoto's fair face.

"Shisui has already awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. According to the elders, his strength is already close to Jonin level."

"As Shisui's older brother, you can't fall behind either, can you?"

After saying that, Uchiha Mikoto inexplicably sighed inwardly.

Those were all words Uchiha Fugaku had told her to say the night before.

He had also said that this child cared deeply about his younger brother, and that using Shisui to provoke him would be most effective.

She had thought that after thoroughly preparing herself this morning, she would be able to persuade Uchiha Yufeng to take the exam.

But when she truly saw Uchiha Yufeng, when she looked at the person so close before her and spoke those words, even she felt hypocritical.

What is wrong with me? Have I become someone like Fugaku, someone whose eyes see only the clan's future, a cold-blooded person willing to sacrifice clan members for a possibility?

"Sister Mikoto, I only graduated from the Ninja Academy a few days ago. I originally thought my strength was sufficient.

"But after leaving the village today, I realized how weak I am. Whether in combat experience or reaction speed, I am still far behind. If I really participated in the Chunin Exams, I probably wouldn't advance..."

Uchiha Yufeng revealed a helpless smile.

"Still, since Sister Mikoto came personally to speak with me about this, I'll give it a try when the time comes."

Uchiha Mikoto lowered her head, concealing emotions such as guilt in her eyes, and said nothing more.

Uchiha Yufeng took in every change in Uchiha Mikoto's expression, and the corner of his mouth curled up.

A barely noticeable smile appeared on his face.

Sometimes, the distance between people came little by little from another person's guilt.

Slowly boiling a frog is the deadliest method!

Fugaku, you're scheming against me, so why can't I scheme against you a little?

Besides, Sister Mikoto is still quite alluring! Following Uchiha Fugaku only to end up having her clan wiped out by her own son and dying at her son's hands would be such a waste.

"Sister Mikoto, if we weren't members of the Uchiha Clan and were merely ordinary civilians, would there be less scheming between us? Would our lives be more harmonious?"

Hearing this, Uchiha Mikoto abruptly raised her head, a complicated look flashing through her eyes.

"Yufeng, ah, could it be that you..."

Before she could finish, a ninja wearing a fox mask arrived at Uchiha Yufeng's home.

"Uchiha Yufeng, Lord Hokage summons you."