"Do you really intend to trust Uchiha Ran, Lord Danzō?"
"Uchiha?" Danzō let out a cold laugh. "Hah. Not even a dog would believe in them."
He glanced at Crow, the Root operative who had asked the question, and curled his lips in disdain.
Uchiha Ran's behavior had indeed appeared normal. He was cooperative, willing to pass along information, and on the surface looked like the kind of Uchiha even the Second Hokage might have praised.
But who was he?
He was Shimura Danzō—the darkness of the shinobi world itself. The man who had taken the Second Hokage's distrust of the Uchiha and carried it forward to its absolute extreme. In his eyes, every Uchiha would one day be judged.
"Crow," Danzō said calmly, "I do not trust any Uchiha. However, for now, Uchiha Ran still has value. He can provide intelligence from within the Uchiha clan. When he delivers information, you will personally verify it."
"Yes, Lord Danzō."
Shimura Danzō—self-proclaimed true successor of Senju Tobirama—believed firmly that the Uchiha were born with evil in their blood. Even an Uchiha who appeared completely harmless, like Ran, was no exception.
As Konoha's Hokage advisor, all he needed to do was quietly assign Ran a series of increasingly difficult missions. Make him feel the hardship of growth. Then, at the right moment, offer greater rewards.
Of course, every reward came with a price.
Fate had already set that price.
Once Uchiha Ran truly leaned toward him—toward Shimura Danzō—he would inevitably awaken the darkness in his heart and become nothing more than another obedient dog.
…
"Danzō… the seed has already been planted. You've fallen into Floating Life, Dreamlike Illusion—a genjutsu far more domineering than even Kyōka Suigetsu. I'm really looking forward to your clumsy performance from here on out…"
…
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At Kurenai Yuhi's invitation, Ran spent two of those days with her—sometimes eating together, sometimes going on short outings. The days were light, relaxed, and pleasantly uneventful.
On the fourth day, Team Eight was summoned to the Hokage's office.
An A-rank mission was assigned to them.
Ninja from the Land of Lightning had begun making suspicious movements along the border, sending multiple operatives into the Land of Rice Fields. At present, Minato Namikaze had already led a jōnin squad into the area to investigate.
Originally, additional jōnin teams were supposed to reinforce Minato. However, the Sand Village from the Land of Wind had recently been making large-scale movements along their border as well, apparently searching for something. Several jōnin squads had been redirected there, leaving Konoha short-handed.
"Don't worry, Kurenai," the Third Hokage said. "Minato is the main force this time. Your team's role is primarily reconnaissance."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Land of Rice Fields lay between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. For a small nation, that alone was a tragedy—caught between two great powers.
Whenever conflict arose between those powers, the small country suffered first.
And this time, the Land of Lightning had come with a clear objective.
The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki of the Hidden Waterfall Village was about to be replaced.
This operation was led by the Third Raikage's son—A. Alongside him were Killer B, the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki; Darui's predecessor, the powerful Atsui-style specialist; Toroi, wielder of the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai; and Ōsui, master of the Black Lightning Storm Release.
The Cloud Village had mobilized multiple elite shinobi for a single purpose: to seize the Seven-Tails in one decisive move.
If the Land of Lightning succeeded, possessing three tailed beasts, they would gain the power to challenge the strongest nation in the shinobi world—the Land of Fire—and seize Konoha's vast, fertile lands.
"So the one leading Konoha this time is the Yellow Flash?" a tall, muscular, dark-skinned blond man asked.
"Yes, Lord A," replied Tsuchida. "It's indeed Minato Namikaze. The Third Hokage specifically warned us to be wary of him—his speed is extraordinary."
"I know," A snorted. "Speed, huh? Don't worry. I won't lose."
Though A was the face of the operation, the true strategist was Tsuchida.
After all, the Third Raikage trusted Tsuchida's judgment far more than A's reliance on brute force and speed.
The plan was simple.
A and Killer B would act openly, pretending to gather intelligence on Konoha within the Land of Rice Fields. Meanwhile, the two Kekkei Genkai users would split off, secretly moving toward the Hidden Waterfall Village.
Once Minato was shaken off, all forces would regroup and advance on the Seven-Tails' hidden stronghold.
…
After receiving the Hokage's orders, Kurenai Yuhi's team immediately altered their route, moving to rendezvous with Minato's command unit.
Before departure, Kurenai explained the urgency to Ran and the other two team members. This was an emergency operation—speed was essential, and rest would be minimal.
Although they were still within the borders of the Land of Fire, the dense forests and treacherous mountain terrain demanded constant vigilance. At times like this, no one knew where enemy traps might be waiting.
It didn't take long before Kurenai and Uchiha Ran arrived before Minato Namikaze.
Seeing Kurenai among the reinforcements, Minato felt a surge of relief. His squad lacked a veteran genjutsu specialist—her presence filled a critical gap.
With Kurenai's support, dealing with the Cloud Village would be far less troublesome.
Moreover, her genin team was a valuable addition. Long-range surveillance and patrols were tasks best suited for them.
"Kurenai-senpai," Minato said warmly, "the Hokage sending you as reinforcement is a huge help."
The two immediately began discussing the situation, while Nara Shikaku was instructed to assign tasks to the genin.
"An Uchiha, an Inuzuka, and a civilian-born shinobi," Minato thought as he glanced at the three following Shikaku. That's a surprisingly well-rounded lineup.
Still, more pressing matters remained.
Just the day before, Minato had already confronted A and Killer B. Now he needed to probe further—figure out why the Cloud Village had mobilized in the first place.
Don't tell me they're still coveting the Nine-Tails inside Kushina…
Without delay, Minato and Kurenai finalized a comprehensive action plan.
Genin teams would patrol and gather intelligence. Jōnin squads would dismantle newly established Cloud outposts. Finally, the elite forces would confront the Cloud jōnin directly and demand an explanation for their border activities.
"Ran, Tsubaki, and Shinno, correct?" Shikaku said. "You arrived at the perfect time. We're critically short on manpower. You'll split up and investigate the new Cloud Village footholds. Report back immediately once you confirm their locations. I'll have the jōnin handle eliminating them."
"We cannot allow the Land of Lightning to establish a firm presence in the Land of Rice Fields."
He paused, then added, "That said, don't rush off just yet. The Cloud Village won't act recklessly for now. Once Minato and Kurenai have fully coordinated, we'll regroup."
"Yes, Shikaku-sama."
The storm was coming—and for Uchiha Ran, the quiet days were already at an end.