Uchiha Yuan walked along a broad, neatly paved avenue of blue stone. From time to time, he could clearly sense gazes falling on him from all directions.
On both sides of the road stood sprawling, luxurious estates. This was the central area of the Uchiha clan compound—the residential district of the main family.
Ahead, four members of the Uchiha Police Force approached him head-on.
The four carried themselves with open arrogance, their bearing fierce and domineering, moving like prowling beasts.
When they noticed Uchiha Yuan, four sharp gazes instantly locked onto him.
Their steps halted in unison.
They recognized him.
In the next moment, an overwhelming killing intent surged out from their bodies like a tidal wave, pressing straight toward Yuan.
Yet Uchiha Yuan seemed utterly unaffected. His expression remained calm, his pace unchanged as he continued forward.
The distance between them closed.
Soon enough, the two sides brushed past each other.
Yuan was still just a teenager. Compared to the four tall, fully grown members of the Police Force, his figure looked distinctly slender.
But at the instant they passed one another, it felt—as if for a split second—that Yuan's presence towered over theirs instead.
Then they parted ways.
After walking a short distance, the four Police Force members suddenly stopped.
Their faces were pale with shock, cold sweat having appeared on their brows without them even realizing it. After a moment of silence, they turned around and stared at Yuan's retreating figure.
"Terrifying…"
"So this is the presence of the Ferocious Tiger? Just like the intelligence reports said."
At the instant they crossed paths, they had all seen it—or rather, felt it.
It was as if a colossal, mountain-like beast had opened its eyes, and that single glance alone had shattered their killing intent completely.
Uchiha Yuan paid no attention at all to the encounter.
With the Police Force's return, details of his battlefield achievements were quickly spreading among more and more of its members.
Some were shocked. Some were impressed. And naturally, some refused to accept it.
As a result, over the past few days, whenever Yuan appeared within the clan compound, he was met with one scrutinizing gaze after another.
He stopped in front of a grand estate and reported his name to the servant at the gate.
It was the fifth day since the celebration ended. The night before, a member of the Police Force had come to his home to inform him that the clan head wished to see him today.
"Please follow me, sir."
The servant clearly had prior instructions. After confirming Yuan's identity, he led the way inside.
The courtyard was tranquil—running water murmured softly, stone bridges arched over narrow streams, and clusters of emerald bamboo swayed gently in the breeze.
Itachi stood beside a pond, holding Sasuke in his arms. In the water below, a school of brightly colored koi swam lazily.
Sasuke clutched a few pellets of fish food in his small hand, tossing them into the pond one by one. Each time, several koi—nearly a meter long—would rush over to snatch the food, making him giggle with delight.
Suddenly, with a splash, a koi entirely golden in color leapt out of the water and snapped up the food straight from Sasuke's hand.
The fish crashed back into the pond, sending water splashing everywhere.
Itachi tapped the ground lightly with his foot and leapt up with Sasuke in his arms, easily avoiding the spray.
"Such beautiful movement."
The moment Itachi landed lightly on his feet, Sasuke let out a happy cry.
At that moment, a voice suddenly reached Itachi's ears.
He turned his head—and saw Uchiha Yuan standing in a corridor that connected to the courtyard, looking in his direction.
A flicker of surprise crossed Itachi's face. Clearly, he hadn't expected to see Yuan here.
Still, his good upbringing showed. He inclined his head slightly in greeting.
Yuan withdrew his gaze and continued onward with the servant.
Itachi watched as Yuan was led into a room—the place where his father usually received guests.
Was Father the one who summoned him?
A thoughtful look appeared on Itachi's face.
Reception Hall
After the servant excused himself, silence fell over the room.
Uchiha Yuan sat cross-legged across from Uchiha Fugaku. The two faced each other, their gazes locked, neither speaking.
Fugaku studied Yuan carefully, various pieces of intelligence about him surfacing in his mind.
The report detailed Yuan's performance on the battlefield, along with the Police Force leadership's assessment of his strength.
The conclusion was clear—Uchiha Yuan had already reached the level of an elite shinobi.
Moreover, the intelligence noted Yuan's frequent contact with Orochimaru, as well as Orochimaru's evident interest in him. The higher-ups believed that Yuan's formidable strength likely stemmed from Orochimaru's guidance.
"Yuan," Fugaku finally said after a long silence,
"the first time I met you was on the night the Nine-Tails went berserk. You left an extremely deep impression on me back then."
A sharp glint flashed across Yuan's face.
"I still remember that ANBU squad from that day. Their behavior toward our Uchiha clan was utterly disrespectful. If there's a next time, I won't let it pass."
Fugaku's eyes shifted slightly. He spoke in a low voice,
"Yuan, ANBU are directly under the Hokage. They represent the Hokage's will. You must remember—do not provoke them without cause."
Yuan lowered his gaze and replied solemnly,
"Clan Head, rest assured. I'm not someone who stirs up trouble without reason."
Fugaku looked at him steadily. In the end, he let out a quiet, helpless sigh.
The attitude Yuan displayed was much like that of most of the clan's younger generation—especially considering the intelligence noting that he had once clashed with the village's senior official, Shimura Ichizō.
It was clear to Fugaku that the youth before him possessed an unyielding, iron-hard temperament.
A trace of admiration appeared in Fugaku's eyes as he smiled.
"Yuan, I've already heard about your performance on the battlefield.
"You did very well. Because of you, the clan's name has once again shaken the shinobi world."
A proud smile surfaced on Yuan's face.
Fugaku continued,
"Yuan, I've heard that because of your outstanding performance, the Third Hokage intended to recruit you into ANBU—but that you refused."
Yuan answered casually,
"That's correct."
Fugaku frowned, his expression darkening.
ANBU, as the Hokage's direct force, was the village's most core military power. Its members were elites chosen from both the great clans and civilian shinobi alike.
Yet from the moment ANBU was established, it had served as a counterbalance to the Uchiha Police Force. As such, the Uchiha clan had long been excluded from it.
In recent years, Fugaku had desperately wanted an Uchiha to enter ANBU—both to gain access to the village's secrets and to increase the clan's influence within Konoha.
But up until now, only Shisui had successfully been recruited.
When Fugaku learned that Uchiha Yuan had rejected the Third Hokage's invitation, he could no longer maintain his composure.
Rage surged through his heart.
Bang!
In a rare lapse of composure, he slammed his fist down, shattering the desk.
In a dark, silent laboratory…
Orochimaru stood beside an experimental table, the dim light casting eerie shadows—
Some people die… but they don't die completely.
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