A User Manual for Your Older Brother

Somewhere outside Konoha, Retsuo's actions were transmitted to Obito's side almost in real time.

That was the terrifying part about White Zetsu—the Shinobi World's foremost ability to infiltrate and gather intelligence, far more advanced than Earth Release: Earth-Corpse Transmigration; and the bug-like Mayfly Technique, which was practically long-distance teleportation.

Then Obito flew into a rage!

"That Earth Pig! He sure knows how to cause trouble for me!"

Zetsu, curled up inside a pitcher plant, was in no hurry. He drawled, "Yes, indeed. You still haven't completed a single one of the leader's assignments."

Obito angrily clenched his fist. "What a joke! What right does he have to order me, Uchiha Madara? Does he really think I'm his subordinate?"

Zetsu continued to snicker darkly. "What about the assignment Uchiha Retsuo gave you?"

"Hmph—"

Obito gave a cold snort. Such words were beneath him to refute.

Watching him gradually vanish into warped space, Zetsu revealed a meaningful smile. "Things are getting more and more interesting..."

Meanwhile, after training until midnight, Retsuo's legs had gone numb from sitting cross-legged. My older brother really can't be relied on! Was he overthinking things? Although he had awakened the Sharingan, this was only a minor matter and hardly enough for Obito to keep tabs on him. So no one had been watching him?

Or had the excuse he made up been too far-fetched, making Obito disbelieve him? As someone proficient in Fuinjutsu, there was nothing wrong with Minato sealing an eye.

Just as he was wavering between hope and worry, a figure suddenly sprang toward him, wearing silver-white leather armor and a painted mask.

Retsuo thrust his hips forward and launched himself into the air!

A string of shuriken shot toward him like a torrential downpour!

Retsuo drew Sōbō Tōga. Its icy blade light was like pale smoke beneath the moon, and with a series of clangs, it sent countless sparks flying as he knocked the shuriken away one by one.

Immediately afterward, he borrowed momentum from a tree branch and drifted lightly up to the treetop, landing firmly.

It was Root? Retsuo was stunned. How could a Root Ninja have no malicious intent at all? Even if the alarm function of his barrier was mostly useless, that was because it had become insensitive from being triggered so frequently.

How had someone gotten right up to him without it reacting? Was this person a secret weapon specially trained by Root?

Just as Retsuo was growing suspicious and uncertain, his opponent made another move. With a flick of his hand, he shot out seven or eight kunai.

This choice was extremely unreasonable!

First of all, this was not the time to throw ninja tools. If he wanted to attack, he should use a ninjutsu.

Furthermore, kunai were large and heavy, while shuriken were small and light. At this distance, using the Stellar Hand Technique to throw ninja tools obviously called for shuriken. Why throw kunai? Unless they were Flying Thunder God kun—

Retsuo suddenly understood something and immediately shouted, "Who gave you the courage to throw kunai at an Uchiha?"

As he shouted, he also drew three kunai and threw them with a special technique. A series of clangs rang out in the air as every kunai was knocked off course, sent flying straight upward instead. When they fell back down, Retsuo caught them one by one.

After showing off that technique, Retsuo looked down again, only to find that the person had already left.

Emmmm... As expected of my older brother.

This place was not far from the Uchiha Clan's new settlement. After Retsuo's shout, a squad of Uchiha soon rushed over from outside the woods. Every one of them was on guard, and some had even formed a combat formation as they advanced cautiously.

When they saw that the person standing on the treetop was Retsuo, they were immediately rendered speechless. The leader was Inabi of the Konoha Military Police Force, who shouted, "Retsuo, what kind of trouble have you caused this time?"

"Uncle Inabi, take a look." As he spoke, Retsuo pointed at the ground below, and Uchiha Inabi's expression instantly became extremely ugly.

This was no prank or manufactured trouble. It had been a brief but completely genuine battle!

"What kind of person was it?"

"A Root Ninja ambushed me."

"Hmph!" Uchiha Inabi was furious. The ninja tools and footprints looked exactly like Root's work!

The next day, Uchiha Fugaku led the clan members to the Hokage Building amid their outrage. This matter had touched his deepest taboo.

Strictly speaking, that patch of woods was also property of the Uchiha Clan. The newly designated settlement could be called "isolated from the outside world." It was separated from the other Ninja Clans and the village by the woods, and the site of the incident had already intruded into Uchiha territory.

This was utterly outrageous! How dare Root launch an ambush inside the Uchiha Clan's settlement?

Inside the building, Sarutobi Hiruzen was anxious and exhausted.

The reason he was anxious was that he had received definite news the previous night. This time, the situation was exceptionally serious—even Shisui had been left speechless.

Once again, a fierce argument erupted among the four leaders.

Rarely, Danzo was on the defensive. Not only was he on the defensive, but he even seemed somewhat hesitant. Sarutobi Hiruzen had years of experience arguing; it was obvious at a glance that Danzo lacked confidence!

In other words, this really had happened...

"Shimura Danzō!"

The Third Hokage's furious roar drifted out through the windows of the Hokage Building in the middle of the night, startling a flock of nocturnal birds.

The reason he was exhausted was that he had not slept properly even once during this period. Every one or two days, some major piece of news would break. And every single one of them was related to Uchiha Retsuo!

Sometimes, he even hoped that Uchiha Retsuo would hurry up and disappear from before his eyes so he could live a few more years!

By now, he would have preferred to hear that Retsuo had painted Hokage Rock again. Sometimes, he even felt the painting had turned out rather well...

I heard this boy has a good relationship with Orochimaru. Could Orochimaru have deliberately sent him to torment me?

However, the Uchiha had already arrived, brimming with hostility. At a time like this, the four of them had to put aside their argument and stand united against an outside enemy.

As for their strategy? Of course, they would deny everything to the bitter end! This was far worse than installing surveillance cameras. No matter how disgusting cameras were, this was attempted murder.

While Sarutobi Hiruzen was mentally preparing himself, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu had already entered the fray personally, battling Uchiha Fugaku with words until the argument reached its climax.

"Elders, there's only one thing I, Fugaku, want to know. What exactly is Shimura Danzō trying to do? Wipe out our Uchiha Clan? He brazenly committed violence in our territory. Root must hand over the culprit!"

"I already told you, there is no culprit! You must have made a mistake!"

Utatane Koharu was biting down hard and refusing to yield. She was certain the Uchiha had no evidence. Just as information came first in a war between ninja, it was the same in this argument. And they were the side that possessed the other party's information.

Our advantage is huge!

Mitokado Homura immediately took over. "That's right. Uchiha Retsuo, do you really think that if a Root Anbu member had wanted to assassinate you, you would have survived? Someone must have disguised himself as a Root Anbu member and created this incident to provoke civil unrest within our Konohagakure."

At that moment, Shimura Danzō came in through the side door, leaning on his cane. "No. It wasn't someone disguised as a Root Anbu Ninja."

Danzō's fierce eyes swept over Fugaku. Fugaku immediately looked away, as though the eyes he possessed were not the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Danzō sneered and turned his gaze toward Uchiha Retsuo, then frowned. This child behaved more like a clan leader. He glared back without the slightest fear.

Hah. Pointless courage.

Danzō frowned, and the temperature in the entire room seemed to drop with him. "Uchiha Retsuo, why are you framing Root Anbu and slandering the village?"