After school, Naruto came to the Uchiha clan at Sasuke's invitation.
The Uchiha Clan was also known as the Uchiha District. Its status in Konoha was similar to a "village within the village." Originally, it was only slightly separated from the village's core area, but after the night of the Nine-Tails incident, the Uchiha clan was relocated to the far corner of the village.
Although the district occupied a much larger area, it was far from the bustling center, which made many Uchihas deeply dissatisfied. Living in a big place was nice, but living in the middle of nowhere was another story.
After passing through the gate that separated the village from the clan, Naruto officially entered the Uchiha district. Under Sasuke's enthusiastic introduction, Naruto looked around curiously at everything.
"Naruto, that's Uncle Teyaki's house," Sasuke said. "He has a really violent temper, but he's very gentle with kids."
"That's Sister Izumi's house. She's always with Brother Itachi, which means my brother never has time to accompany me."
"That used to be a canteen. They say it was run by an old lady. Her grandson died in the last war, and not long after that, she passed away alone at home. My father and the others went to collect the body."
"And over there—that's Brother Shisui's house. He's treated like a brother by Itachi, but he's very mysterious."
Listening to Sasuke's introduction, images flashed through Naruto's mind. He gained a clearer understanding of the Uchiha clan—and this was exactly why he had agreed to Sasuke's invitation.
Only by personally stepping into the heart of the Uchiha clan could he plan his next move.
Soon, Naruto noticed a tall building opposite the Uchiha district and asked curiously, "Sasuke, what's that building? Is it some kind of Uchiha landmark?"
Sasuke followed Naruto's gaze and shook his head. "I don't know. It's been there since I was born."
Naruto let out a quiet "oh" and shifted his attention elsewhere. If even Sasuke didn't know its purpose, then it was probably an Anbu monitoring post.
The Uchiha clan—plotting a coup—was actually living under constant Anbu surveillance, while the clan leaders still stood on the side of the Hokage Building.
In this situation, the Uchiha clan itself was a cold joke.
While memorizing the layout of the district, Naruto followed Sasuke toward the clan head's mansion, quietly looking forward to meeting Sasuke's family.
...
Inside an Anbu monitoring room overlooking the Uchiha district.
The person responsible for surveillance was none other than Uchiha Itachi.
When he spotted Sasuke and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Naruto, appearing together on the screen, Itachi's brows furrowed and his expression darkened.
Naruto actually agreed to Sasuke's invitation? Didn't Shisui inform the Third Hokage in advance?
Although both Itachi and Shisui were Uchiha members of Anbu, their loyalties differed—Itachi answered to Danzo, while Shisui was loyal to the Third Hokage.
Just as Itachi was about to act, a Root ninja responsible for monitoring him also noticed the footage.
The Root ninja said coldly, "Itachi, do you want to delete this footage? The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki entering Uchiha territory—what exactly are you Uchiha planning? Rebellion?"
Itachi turned sharply and replied, "Whether the Uchiha are rebelling or not is for the Third Hokage to decide. Root has no authority here. Continue monitoring."
The Root ninja didn't dare say anything excessive. He snorted coldly.
"I'll report this to the leader. He'll make the correct judgment. You'd better keep your word—and don't act rashly."
...
Inside the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, listening to Shisui's report on the Uchiha clan.
Hearing that the clan's attitude toward the village had grown increasingly aggressive, the Third Hokage sighed softly. He no longer knew how to handle a police force that was too powerful to discard.
Reducing funding risked backlash. Sending Anbu risked escalating conflict. Either way, it was a headache big enough to cut a man's cock off—politically speaking.
After the Kumogakure (Yunyin) Incident, the Hyūga clan had gone completely neutral, refusing to involve themselves in village affairs beyond paid missions.
Smaller clans followed suit, watching from the sidelines with cautious expressions.
Fortunately, there were still sensible ninjas like Itachi and Shisui within the Uchiha—willing to act as double agents and prevent the situation from completely exploding.
"Third Hokage-sama," Shisui said, "this is the current situation of the Uchiha clan. The clan members want more rights."
After finishing his report and seeing no immediate hostility, Shisui relaxed slightly, then added, "There's one more thing I need to explain."
"What is it?" the Third Hokage asked.
At that moment, the Anbu responsible for monitoring Naruto pushed open the door.
"Third Hokage-sama, the Jinchūriki entered Uchiha territory without authorization. We were unsure how to proceed, so I came to ask for instructions."
As soon as he spoke, the Anbu noticed Shisui standing nearby and froze awkwardly under the mask.
The Third Hokage frowned and looked at Shisui.
"Shisui, don't overthink it. You can continue."
Shisui said awkwardly, "Third Hokage-sama… this is the matter."
The Third Hokage was stunned but remained vigilant. He trusted Shisui, a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, and believed he carried the Will of Fire—but betrayal had taught him never to trust blindly.
Shisui explained, "Sasuke mentioned yesterday that he wanted to invite Naruto to his home. I didn't expect Naruto to accept so quickly. This is purely between two children and has nothing to do with the clan."
Many of the Third Hokage's doubts were dispelled. The chance of the Uchiha harming Naruto was small—but caution was still necessary.
After a moment of thought, the Third Hokage ordered, "Have Anbu and the Shadow Guards assemble and move toward the Uchiha district."
"Third Hokage-sama…" Shisui hesitated, regretting that he had reported too late.
The Third Hokage patted Shisui on the shoulder.
"I trust you and the Uchiha. But Naruto has been assassinated before. I won't risk a repeat."
"If you're uneasy, come with me. We'll treat it as a friendly visit."
Shisui fell silent and followed behind. He didn't want a real clash between the village and the Uchiha clan—and right now, following was the only option.
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