FUMA CLAN COMPOUND
The tea room was very dark and quiet. Outside, people were walking on the streets, but inside, it felt like a total secret hiding spot.
Arata sat at the table, tapping his teacup. He was thinking so hard about the morning meeting that he did not see how still Hikaru had become. Hikaru was sitting very straight, his eyes sharp, but Arata did not notice at all.
"Fugaku had everything in his hands—" Arata said, shaking his head. "He did an amazing job this morning. He protected the Uchiha clan and made the other clans look bad."
Arata took a breath and looked at his tea.
"Fugaku showed so much loyalty to Namikaze Minato. The Hokage trusted him completely. Minato trusted him so much that at the end of the meeting, he ordered the whole Council to leave the room. The elders had to go outside like naughty kids. Minato only stayed behind to talk to Fugaku, Inoichi, and Hiashi."
Hikaru did not say anything. He just sat there in the dark room.
Arata sighed out loud. "Fugaku had the chance to be the Hokage's right-hand man. It was right there in his palm. The Uchiha were so close to being the most important clan next to the Hokage."
Arata looked up at Hikaru. "But it all went to vain. Everything is ruined now because of the disaster at the market."
The room became very quiet.
"Fugaku's great plan this morning was built on sand—" Arata explained. "He planned for the Council and the Hokage, but he did not know what was happening at his own home. Uchiha Mikoto was directly acting in the market chaos today, and that changed everything."
Arata's hands tightened. "The Council was humiliated by Minato this morning when he kicked them out. They are very angry. They must be looking for any excuse to frame the Uchiha and get their power back."
Arata leaned over the table. He spoke in a very quiet, harsh whisper.
"The moment the report hits the Hokage's desk saying that 'the Uchiha Clan head's wife is tied to the civilian disaster,' everyone will panic. The elders won't see it as a small accident. They will tell the whole village that the Uchiha are trying to start a war against Konoha."
Arata paused so Hikaru could feel how bad the situation was.
"The Hokage will have no choice—" Arata whispered.
"Minato wants to be nice, but he has to protect the village. To make the Council happy and keep the peace, he will sign the emergency order. Between today and tomorrow, the Uchiha Clan compound will be put under absolute, total lockdown. No one in, no one out."
Arata tapped the table with his finger. "The Uchiha Police won't be allowed on the streets anymore. They will be locked inside their own area, and the ANBU will watch them. They will be totally cut off from the village."
Arata stopped talking. He thought Hikaru would be scared by this terrible news.
But Hikaru did not look scared at all.
Instead, Hikaru started to smile. His smile grew bigger and bigger. It was the smile of a man who knew this would happen all along.
"HEH... HEHEHAHAHA..."
A low, dark laugh came from deep inside Hikaru's chest. He started to chuckle smoothly, the sound echoing quietly against the walls. It was a very happy but scary sound. He was laughing because the village was doing exactly what he wanted them to do weeks ago.
A lockdown.
It was so beautifully easy to guess. Everything was going perfectly according to his own plan.
Arata stared at him, feeling very confused and a little scared. He thought Hikaru would panic about the lockdown. He did not expect him to laugh like this.
Arata frowned, gripping his teacup tighter. "Just tell me... Uchiha Fugaku is your clan head. Why are you laughing at him?"
Hikaru's laughter stopped, replacing itself with a cold, mocking smirk.
"Clan head, huh?" Hikaru said, his voice dripping with pure disdain. "That's a real big word for someone cheap like him. I never considered him as a clan head in the first place."
Before Arata could even process those harsh words, Hikaru leaned back slightly, waving his hand carelessly.
"Just continue. Tell me, in the upcoming four to five days, will the Uchiha members gather in the Naka Shrine or not?"
Beneath the table, Hikaru's fingers subtly tightened into a fist. 'Four days...' he thought darkly, a quiet grimness crossing his mind. 'Four days is the max I can survive, I guess. Everything has to happen before my time runs out.'
Arata swallowed hard, his voice shaking a little bit as he looked at Hikaru's dangerous expression. He leaned in close for his final words. "Fugaku will call a mandatory, emergency gathering for every single Uchiha. Tonight. Inside the Naka Shrine. If your plans need all the Uchiha in one place... the Hokage is about to deliver them to you on a silver platter."
Hikaru touched the edge of his teacup, his eyes shining dangerously in the dark room.
"On a silver platter—" Hikaru said softly, repeating the words because he liked how they sounded. His voice was very smooth and calm. "How wonderfully kind of the Yondaime."
Slowly, the dangerous smirk on Hikaru's face faded into a cold, flat expression. He pushed his chair back and stood up, towering over the low table.
His shadow completely covered Arata, cutting off the last bit of light in the dim room.
"All right!" Hikaru said quietly, his voice completely calm but deeply terrifying. "Now, it's time to deal with you..."
Arata's eyes widened in sudden shock, his body freezing as—
KONOHA LIBRARY
The grand halls of the Konoha Public Library were cast in heavy shadows, even though it was the middle of the bright afternoon outside. High up, the warm sun was shining brilliantly over the village, but inside the building, the towering wooden shelves blocked out most of the daylight. The rows stretched up toward the ceiling, packed tightly with thousands of old, dusty books, ancient historical scrolls, and heavy research documents.
The air inside smelled strongly of aged paper, leather bindings, and undisturbed dust.
Usually, this official building right across from the children's park was a quiet place for study, but this afternoon, the silence was heavy, thick with absolute terror.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
The heavy, rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed faintly outside the massive main doors, cutting through the warm afternoon air.
Along with the footsteps came the sharp, unmistakable clinking sound of metal—the distinct rattling of ninja gear, weapons, and porcelain masks shifting against armor.
Suddenly, a loud, booming voice cut through the dark rows of the building, echoing off the stone walls from the entrance hall.
"HATAKE KAKASHI! I REPEAT, HATAKE KAKASHI! IN THE NAME OF SANDAIME HOKAGE-SAMA, YOU ARE OFFICIALLY SUMMONED! FACE THE AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY!"
Deep within the furthest, darkest aisle of the library, pressed tightly against a massive wooden shelf, a tiny four-year-old kid was sobbing softly. His small shoulders shook with every quiet gasp for air, tears wetting his cheeks.
Right next to him, Kakashi was crouching low in the shadows. His face was tense, his silver hair messy, and he was urgently holding a single finger over his own black face-mask, gesturing fiercely to the child to shut his mouth.
SHH!
Inside his head, Kakashi's mind was racing in complete panic. 'Damn it!' he thought, his chest tightening.
'Is this really true? Me, Minato-sensei, Orochimaru-sama, along with four others... are we really all being investigated for the Hi no Kuni incident? How did things turn into such a mess?'
Holding his breath, Kakashi carefully leaned forward and peeped through a tiny gap between two thick history books on the shelf.
His sharp eye scanned the main hallway. Standing under the bright afternoon sun filtering through the high windows were elite ninjas wearing pale, expressionless porcelain masks. They didn't wear the standard flak jackets of the regular forces.
'Damn it, Root ANBU...' Kakashi cursed silently, a cold sweat running down his neck. 'Danzo's dogs sniff out everything.'
He looked down at the sobbing child huddled against the wood. The boy was clutching a tiny slug with a beautiful little pearl necklace wrapped around its soft body.
The little creature stayed perfectly still, sensing the massive danger. Looking at the helpless little boy, Kakashi's heart felt incredibly heavy with worry.
'I can't drag this innocent kid into a political mess like this. If they catch him with me, the Foundation will take him away forever.'
Deciding to act, Kakashi shifted his weight, about to take a careful footstep forward to peep further outside and find an escape route.
But the moment he moved, the little boy panicked. In the shadows, the kid's mind flooded with pure fear. 'Oh no... Kaka-ni is gonna leave me! He's going to abandon me all alone in the dark!'
Instinctively, the child lunged forward and grabbed Kakashi's leg tightly with both of his small, chubby hands, burying his tear-stained face into the fabric of Kakashi's pants.
Kakashi stopped instantly. He looked back, seeing the kid gripping him like a lifeline. Softening his posture, Kakashi bent down, bringing himself face-to-face with the little boy in the narrow, dusty aisle.
"Listen, Shinnachiku..." Kakashi whispered urgently, his voice low but firm. "These people are looking for me, not you. I don't want to drag you into this dangerous mess. You are a smart kid."
Shinnachiku sniffled loudly, nodding his head up and down as tears spilled from his large green eyes. "Yes... I already know that I'm smart, dattebaro!"
Despite the terrifying situation, Kakashi let out a tiny, breathless laugh at the kid's stubborn confidence. But he quickly forced his face to become serious again, concentrating entirely on the danger outside. He looked straight into the boy's eyes.
"Do you want to go with me to the prison?" Kakashi asked bluntly.
Shinnachiku vigorously shook his head 'NO', using the long red sleeve of his shirt to roughly rub his running nose.
Kakashi continued, his voice tight. "Do you want to stay with me?"
Shinnachiku nodded his head rapidly, 'YES'
He didn't want to let go.
'This dumb brat!' Kakashi thought, frustration and sorrow washing over him. He knew he had to be cruel to save the kid's life. If he didn't push him away now, the Root ANBU would capture them both.
"Listen! I am with them, and I will make you get caught!" Kakashi snapped harshly, his tone suddenly turning ice-cold and mean.
Shinnachiku flinched, his eyes widening in shock.
"You are just a kid, that's why I am giving you a single chance!" Kakashi growled, his eye glaring down sharply. "Run as fast as you can!"
"No!" Shinnachiku cried out, his tiny fingers tightening their grip on Kakashi's hands, trying desperately to hold onto his big friend.
Without hesitation, Kakashi slapped the kid's small hands back, forcing him to let go. The sharp sound of the slap echoed quietly in the aisle. Before Shinnachiku could react, Kakashi turned on his heel and bolted out of the dark row of bookshelves, moving like a flash of silver lightning.
"NOOOOOO!" Shinnachiku screamed out into the dark library, his heart completely breaking as he watched the older ninja run away.
Survival didn't matter to him; he just didn't want to be left behind.
Out in the main hallway, the sharp cry echoed loudly through the stone building. One of the masked Root ANBU stopped instantly, tilting his head toward the deep rows of bookshelves.
"Hey... that's a child's scream..." the operative whispered coldly to his partner, his hand shifting on his sword.
As Kakashi sprinted away through the rows of books, his teeth clenched tightly behind his mask, his heart aching with guilt as he heard the guard notice the boy. 'Damn it! They heard him! I never wanted it to end this soon... Run, Shinnachiku! Run for your life! Don't look back!'
Realizing he had to create an immediate opening for Shinnachiku to escape out the back, Kakashi scrambled into view. Bursting out into the open, main hallway of the library, Kakashi deliberately knocked over a massive stack of heavy scrolls to make as much noise as possible, pulling every single eye directly onto himself.
He looked right at the masked ninjas waiting at the entrance and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"HEY! ROOT! OVER THIS SIDE!"
Down in the dark, dusty aisle, Shinnachiku collapsed onto the floor, burying his face in his small arms. The heavy footsteps of the Root ANBU were fading away, chasing after the his beloved Kaka-ni, but the little boy couldn't move.
Big, heavy tears streamed down his face, soaking into his red sleeves as he sobbed uncontrollably.
"Kaka-ni..." he whimpered into the empty space, his chest heaving with every painful gasp.
From inside his tight grip, the tiny slug shifted gently. Her small tentacles twitched with deep worry as she looked up at the crying child.
"Don't cry, Shin-chan," Katsuyu whispered, her soft, soothing voice echoing right in his ear. "Please don't cry..."
"I... I want to go to Kaa-san..." Shinnachiku wept loudly, rubbing his tear-stained face against his sleeve, his voice shaking with pure heartbreak.
"I wanna go to kaa-san, dattebaro..."
The little slug felt a deep wave of sympathy for her tiny summoner. She nudged her soft body against his small fingers, trying her best to comfort him in the lonely shadows.
"We will go, Shin-chan. We will go to her. " Katsuyu promised gently, her voice full of determination. "But we have to get out of here as soon as we can. It is too dangerous for you to stay in this library."
Shinnachiku sniffled loudly, his small shoulders shaking as he looked around the dark, looming bookshelves. Without Kakashi there, the giant room felt incredibly big and scary. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, trying to be brave just like his Kakashi told him to be.
"O-Okay..." he whispered, his voice cracking.
"Follow me, Shin-chan. Keep low and stay in the shadows..." Katsuyu guided softly, sliding forward a tiny bit to point toward the narrow space underneath the lowest shelves.
"There is a small utility door near the back rows. We can slip out through there without the scary ninjas seeing us. Come on, let's go."
Nodding his head slowly, Shinnachiku crawled on his hands and knees, keeping his body pressed flat against the floor just like the little slug instructed, moving step-by-step out of the dark library.
Pressing his small body against the dusty floorboards, Shinnachiku carefully squeezed through the tight space beneath the back shelves, following the gentle guidance of the tiny slug.
He pushed open the small, heavy utility door at the rear of the building and finally came out into the open air.
Instantly, the bright afternoon sun hit his tear-stained face, making him blink against the sudden warmth. Just across the street, the loud, cheerful noises of children playing, laughing, and shouting echoed from the park.
The happy sounds felt so far away from the terrifying darkness he had just escaped.
Standing in the alleyway behind the library, Shinnachiku reached down and picked up the tiny slug with the pearl necklace using both of his small hands, gently placing her onto his left shoulder.
Suddenly, the fabric of his oversized t-shirt wiggled. Another identical, tiny slug popped her head out from under his collar, sliding up to sit right on his opposite shoulder!
This new little creature didn't wear any necklace; she was just a normal, sweet little slug clone.
Shinnachiku blinked at her, his green eyes widening slightly before a soft, apologetic look crossed his face. "Woops... it must be suffocating right, dattebaro?" he whispered softly, adjusting his collar to make sure both of the little slugs were completely comfortable sitting on his shoulders.
Wiping the last of his tears away, he looked from his left shoulder to his right shoulder, feeling a tiny bit safer with his little friends close by. "Tell me, Suyu-chans..." he murmured, his voice still small and shaky from all the crying. "Where do we have to go?"
The little slug on his left shoulder, wearing the pearl necklace, looked toward the nearby greenery. "Let's go inside the park, Shin-chan." she suggested softly.
The other little slug clone on his right shoulder nodded her tiny head in agreement, her soft voice chiming in right after. "And infuse some of your chakra. I'm sure someone will find you."
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—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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