This was destined to be a restless night. Whether it was the Third Hokage hurrying toward the embassy where the Kirigakure delegation was staying, or later Uchiha Fugaku leading a group of clan jōnin there… their movements did not go unnoticed.
And then—
News spread across Konoha like the midwinter wind.
Fortunately, the Third acted quickly, issuing a string of control orders. Though the village wasn't placed on wartime alert, the memory of war still lingered fresh in everyone's minds. The previous clamor in the night sky quickly faded, and the streets emptied—no evening strollers in sight. Only shinobi silhouettes darted across rooftops.
Before long, reports flowed back to the temporary command post set up inside the embassy.
Aburame Kenshira had found traces left by Mizushiro inside Uchiha Tsuruha's home. Saru and Kenshira had already begun tracking those faint signs—heading east. That single direction caused the entire command post to tense.
East meant the coastline, and the Kirigakure ships were docked at Shiraishi Port on the eastern shore.
Whichever way you looked at it… the Kiri-nin didn't seem innocent.
But the Third remained steady, unmoved by the report. He once again restrained the restless Uchiha jōnin, insisting they continue observing. By dawn, more intel arrived: Mizushiro's trail suddenly bent sharply north—almost a clean ninety-degree turn.
The mood in the command post shifted instantly.
Heading north…
Many Konoha shinobi exchanged uneasy looks, each remembering a particularly unpleasant episode. Namikaze Minato, who had only recently arrived at the embassy, frowned deeply at the news.
"Is the mastermind… the Kumo-nin?"
"Very possible!"
"Those savages are infamous for their dirty tactics. They already went after the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki once. Now targeting the Sharingan isn't exactly surprising…"
"So the Kiri are taking the blame for Kumo?"
"Not necessarily—Kirigakure may not be innocent either. Could be they're colluding with Kumo…"
The Konoha shinobi murmured among themselves.
In a corner of the hall, the Kiri-nin also wore complicated expressions.
Konoha made no attempt to hide this latest intel; they allowed Kyoichi and the others to hear everything.
As expected—
"Kumo-nin!!"
Elder Anjō of the Koeda Clan clenched his jaw, fury twisting his face.
"Mizushiro… a spy for the Kumo?"
Momochi Zabuza looked stunned.
The rest were equally incensed.
---
Meanwhile, far northeast in the forests of the Land of Fire, deep inside an underground hideout, Uchiha Hatoha was still doing rehabilitation training. But unlike before—when even standing had been a struggle—now he was only a short distance away from fully regaining agility.
In truth, he could already leave the underground base.
The reason he remained boiled down to two things:
First, he feared that old man who called himself Uchiha Madara. If he truly tried leaving, that man might target him—and Hatoha had absolutely no idea how deep the man's power ran. His instincts screamed that if a fight broke out, he would be the one to die.
Second, he still hadn't figured out what excuse to use once he returned to the village. He couldn't possibly tell them he'd been saved by an old man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, who then invited him to "change the world together." Only lunatics would believe that.
So aside from rehab, he spent all his time racking his brain for a flawless story—one with no holes, no consequences, and one that could pass Konoha's and the Uchiha clan's investigations.
At that moment—
"Hatoha! Bad news, something happened!"
A White Zetsu with a peach-like face burst out from the wall—Afu's counterpart, Asu—shouting urgently.
"Asu, what happened?"
Hatoha frowned at the White Zetsu standing before him.
"Your little brother—something happened to him. He was taken by the Kiri-nin."
"…What?"
For a moment, Hatoha didn't react.
But the next second, the meaning crashed into him, and his face twisted.
"Asu! Are you sure my brother was taken by the Kiri-nin? Don't joke with me—Tsuruha is still in the Academy, he would never leave Konoha. How could the Kiri possibly get their hands on him?!"
"The Kirigakure sent a delegation to Konoha to negotiate, right? One of their ninja took that kid named Uchiha Tsuruha. But that Kiri-nin didn't seem to be working with the others—he grabbed your brother and ran. The rest of the Kiri-nin got detained by Konoha… The whole thing is weird."
Asu scratched his peach-like face in confusion.
"…Tell me where Tsuruha is!!!"
Hatoha grabbed Asu's shoulders with a vise-like grip.
He wasn't surprised Asu knew about Tsuruha. A while back during their conversations, he had mentioned his little brother, and later even asked Asu to check in on him. This wasn't the first time Asu brought news.
But previously, the reports had all been mundane.
This time—
It was terrifying.
"I'm not sure of his exact location, but I can take you. I left clones following them. Put me on, and we can get there as fast as possible."
"Fine."
Hatoha agreed instantly.
He still distrusted that old man claiming to be Madara—and was cautious of Asu—but he didn't believe they had anything to do with Tsuruha's disappearance. His life had been saved by the old man and Asu; his low-value life held nothing worth coveting.
His Sharingan?
Maybe—but his twin-tomoe Sharingan was nothing compared to that old man's genuine three-tomoe Sharingan.
Under normal circumstances, he would stay wary.
But now—
With his brother in danger… his own life meant nothing.
If sacrificing himself could save Tsuruha, he would not hesitate for even a heartbeat.