Uchiha Kaede recalled the plot; Uchiha Itachi would exterminate the clan about a year after Shisui's death.
One day, Uchiha Kaede went to the Village market as usual to purchase daily necessities.
The market was bustling with people, lively and busy. While villagers were occupied with buying and selling, the underlying laughter seemed to harbor a subtle sense of alienation toward the Uchiha Clan.
Uchiha Kaede moved through the crowd, trying to remain inconspicuous, and calmly selected the items he needed.
When he stopped at a stall to examine some Ninja tools, the vendor, a middle-aged villager, glanced up at Uchiha Kaede. A flicker of unease, barely perceptible, crossed his eyes before he lowered his head to continue organizing his stall, muttering, "Hmph, Uchiha people. Buying so many Ninja tools. Who knows what mischief they're planning now."
Uchiha Kaede frowned. He knew that a long-standing rift existed between the Uchiha Clan and the other villagers of Konoha Village.
Perhaps it was due to the ongoing machinations of the Third Hokage and others, or perhaps it was because most of the Uchiha Clan were generally arrogant and conceited, leading to a fixed negative image in the villagers' minds.
However, it was hard to feel any goodwill toward these ignorant villagers of Konoha Village. They seemed to have been brainwashed by the Will of Fire. Considering their behavior toward Naruto in the original work, it was a miracle that the boy hadn't turned evil.
He didn't respond to the vendor's muttering; he simply finished selecting the Ninja tools, paid, and prepared to leave.
But just as he turned around, he accidentally bumped into a young Konoha Village villager.
The young man was about to get angry, but when he saw the Uchiha Clan crest on Uchiha Kaede's clothes, he swallowed his words.
Uchiha Kaede quickly apologized, saying, "My apologies, I wasn't paying attention."
"Hmph, the Uchiha Clan acts superior all the time, really thinking they're something special. Now they even dare to run rampant in the market?"
The young villager didn't reply directly, but waited until Uchiha Kaede had left before speaking mockingly. The surrounding villagers also nodded in agreement and began whispering, their words filled with doubt and slander directed at the Uchiha Clan.
Uchiha Kaede took a deep breath, finding it truly repulsive. What exactly was so worthwhile about this Village that Shisui and that 'Great Filial Son' felt the need to protect it, even at the cost of the entire Uchiha Clan's lives?
A few days later, Uchiha Kaede received a mission notification. This mission required him to join several other Konoha Village Ninja to investigate unusual Chakra fluctuations in the outer forest.
Uchiha Kaede arrived at the meeting point and found that the team consisted of two Genin and one Chunin besides himself.
The Chunin saw Uchiha Kaede, frowned slightly, and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. He said, "You must be Uchiha Kaede? Hmph, Uchiha people are only fit for reconnaissance missions like this now. Just don't hold us back."
Uchiha Kaede remained calm internally and replied respectfully, "Chunin-sama, please rest assured, I will do my best to complete the mission."
After entering the forest, the team began to disperse and investigate along the predetermined routes.
Uchiha Kaede activated his Sharingan, which was currently concealed in its Three-Tomoe form. Relying on its superior vision and acute Chakra perception, he proceeded cautiously through the forest, constantly monitoring his surroundings while also ensuring he hid his true strength so his teammates wouldn't discover that his Sharingan had evolved to the Three-Tomoe state.
During the investigation, Uchiha Kaede found some subtle clues. It seemed a mysterious force had been active in this forest, leaving behind unusual Chakra traces.
Just as he was about to examine the area closely, he suddenly heard a shout of alarm not far away.
His heart tightened, and he immediately rushed toward the source of the sound. He saw one of his Genin teammates trapped in a giant vine snare. The vines seemed sentient, continuously wrapping around him, leaving him immobile.
Uchiha Kaede quickly stepped forward to help, drawing a Shuriken and attempting to cut the vines. However, the vines were unusually tough, and ordinary Shuriken attacks had little effect on them.
The other Genin teammate also rushed over, saw the situation, and anxiously exclaimed, "What the hell is this? Why is it so powerful!"
Uchiha Kaede frowned. He knew that if they didn't rescue the trapped teammate quickly, they might face greater danger. Therefore, he decided to try using a Fire Release Ninjutsu.
He quickly formed hand signs and lightly shouted, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" A ball of flame erupted from his mouth and surged toward the vines.
The flames instantly consumed parts of the vines, causing them to loosen slightly.
The trapped Genin seized the opportunity to break free from some restraints and shouted, "Well done, Uchiha Kaede! Do it again!"
At that moment, the Chunin standing nearby directly released a Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere. This technique amplified the fire, causing the flames that were burning the vines to surge directly toward the trapped Genin.
"Ah!" The Genin immediately screamed in agony, and a look of panic appeared on the Chunin's face.
Uchiha Kaede frowned. He had only intervened because he didn't want the mission to fail or to invite more trouble due to a teammate's injury or death; it wasn't because he had a good relationship with these Konoha Village Ninja.
But he hadn't expected the Chunin to be so foolish as to directly attack the burning vines with a Wind Release technique. Uchiha Kaede had no choice but to use another technique, Water Release: Great Stream, to extinguish the fire. Coincidentally, the vines were also burned away.
The rescued teammate was covered in burns. He dared not resent the Chunin, but instead directed a venomous glare at Kaede.
After this small incident, the group became more cautious and continued to investigate the unusual Chakra fluctuations deeper in the forest.
Uchiha Kaede pondered what secrets the forest might hold while investigating. In the end, he only found clues suggesting it might be the work of Ninja from an outside Village.
When they finally returned to Konoha Village, that teammate asked the Chunin to file a formal complaint, but Uchiha Kaede ignored him.
This mission made Uchiha Kaede realize even more deeply that his relationships with his Konoha teammates were merely superficial harmony based on mission requirements; the rifts and conflicts between them remained profound.
"What? You're saying someone reported an Uchiha Ninja for harming a teammate?" At that moment, inside the Hokage Office, the Third Hokage looked at the Chunin reporting to him.
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Uchiha Kaede of the Uchiha Clan arbitrarily used Fire Release Ninjutsu on a trapped comrade during the mission, nearly costing our comrade his life. I request that Hokage-sama punish him!" The one filing the complaint was the leading Chunin. Uchiha Kaede hadn't expected this guy to go straight to the Hokage.
"Urata! I understand what you're saying. I will give your squadmate an explanation. Now, you may go." The Third Hokage said kindly.
"Yes, thank you, Hokage-sama." Urata looked excited, surprised that Hokage-sama remembered the name of a mere Chunin like him.