As the night steadily deepened, the warm, amber lights of Konoha Village flickered on one by one, illuminating the winding streets and quiet alleys. The smooth stone paths running throughout the sprawling Uchiha clan compound still held the comfortable, lingering warmth of the afternoon sun, and the gentle evening breeze occasionally swept up a few scattered, pale pink cherry blossom petals, carrying them through the cool air.
Uchiha Hiro stepped softly through the silvery moonlight, walking quickly and purposefully through the deeply familiar streets of his home. The chaotic echoes of his fellow clansmen's panicked shouts from earlier still rang clearly in his mind, but at this exact moment, his absolute greatest concern was the small, fragile figure waiting for him back at the house.
Now fully possessing the complete, integrated memories and emotions of the body's previous occupant, he genuinely felt a profound, undeniable affection for Shisui, his newly acquired younger brother.
When he finally reached his destination and pushed open the modest wooden gate of his small, private courtyard, the warm, inviting yellow light from inside the house spilled out through the slight cracks in the front door, beautifully illuminating the worn stone steps leading up to the entrance.
He reached out and tapped gently, rhythmically on the wooden door panel. Almost immediately, a distinctly hurried, frantic set of small footsteps sounded from inside the house. Then, with a loud, drawn-out creak, the wooden door was hurriedly pulled open, and a small, delicate face—childish yet currently filled to the brim with intense, palpable worry—anxiously peeked out into the night.
It was his younger brother, Uchiha Shisui.
Young Shisui's dark eyes were still noticeably rimmed with raw, irritated red, and his long, dark eyelashes visibly seemed to hold the wet, heavy traces of recently shed, undried tears.
When the boy's eyes focused and he clearly saw Uchiha Hiro standing tall and relatively unharmed at the door, he completely froze in place for a long, silent moment. Then, a brilliant, overwhelming light of pleasant surprise erupted brightly in his dark eyes; his little mouth puckered uncontrollably, and fresh, hot tears immediately began to rapidly fall down his cheeks once again.
"Brother! You're really back!"
He lunged forward recklessly into Uchiha Hiro's welcoming arms, his small, thin arms tightly and desperately hugging his older brother's waist as he aggressively rubbed his tear-stained face against his chest. His muffled, breathless crying was completely filled with a profound sense of past grievance and the heavy, lingering fear of loss.
"I didn't see you anywhere in the house just now... I was so scared, I thought you were gone forever..."
Uchiha Hiro felt a profound, swelling warmth bloom deep within his own heart. He gently reached out and softly, methodically stroked Shisui's dark hair, physically feeling the comforting softness of the strands beneath his calloused fingers. He consciously softened his usually guarded voice, ensuring his tone was completely full of genuine, brotherly tenderness.
"Silly boy, why are you crying so hard? Didn't your brother come back to you perfectly fine?"
He gently placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and pulled Shisui back slightly, allowing the child to get a clear, unobstructed look at his face and body.
"See for yourself. The severe wounds that were all over my body are almost completely healed now. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me at all. I promise, I won't ever let you worry about me like this ever again."
Shisui slowly raised his wet, tear-stained little face and tentatively reached out a trembling hand to cautiously touch the specific places on Uchiha Hiro's arm where thick, bloody bandages had once been heavily wrapped. Upon physically feeling that the skin there was miraculously smooth and completely even, with absolutely no trace of any underlying wound or scar tissue remaining, the child finally broke into a wide, genuine smile through his falling tears.
He hastily wiped the wet tears from his face with the rough back of his hand, his small nose still twitching slightly from his crying fit, but he smiled radiantly, exactly like a happy child who had just received his absolute favorite candy.
"That's so great... It's really, really good that you're okay, brother..."
Uchiha Hiro gently took Shisui's small hand in his own and slowly walked him into the house. The interior furnishings were quite simple but incredibly cozy, and a single, steaming bowl of completely untouched white rice porridge sat waiting patiently on the low table, clearly and thoughtfully left there specifically for him by the young Shisui.
He gently pulled Shisui down to sit comfortably beside him at the table, picked up the resting wooden chopsticks, and said with a warm, reassuring smile.
"It just so happens that I am actually quite hungry. Come sit and eat a bit with me."
Shisui nodded his head vigorously in agreement and hurriedly picked up his own small, empty bowl, carefully filling it with the warm porridge. He took very small, polite sips, occasionally looking up over the rim of his bowl at Uchiha Hiro with dark eyes completely full of absolute trust and deep reliance.
While quietly eating the warm porridge, Uchiha Hiro softly and carefully asked Shisui about his exact experiences over the past few chaotic days. Upon learning that Shisui had been closely guarded and well-cared for by the loyal clan elders immediately following Hiro's severe injury, and that the boy hadn't been overly frightened or threatened during the ensuing chaos, Hiro finally felt his tense muscles completely relax, putting his mind entirely at ease.
Just as the two brothers were chatting warmly and Uchiha Hiro was patiently, seriously instructing Shisui to absolutely never go out alone into the village in the future without an escort, a sudden, aggressive clamor of heavy, booted footsteps came rapidly approaching from right outside their private courtyard. This noise was quickly accompanied by the loud, angry, scolding voices of their fellow clansmen, instantly shattering the peaceful silence of the night.
Uchiha Hiro's dark brow furrowed instantly in deep annoyance and sudden suspicion. He calmly put down his wooden chopsticks, his previously soft gaze immediately becoming razor-sharp and highly alert.
At this late, quiet hour of the night, why exactly was it so incredibly noisy and chaotic out at the outer perimeter of the clan compound?
He reached out and patted Shisui's small shoulder in a firm, reassuring manner. "Stay right here in the house and absolutely do not go outside. I am going to go out and take a look at what is happening."
Shisui immediately grabbed tightly onto his brother's sleeve, his face paling with some obvious, renewed fear. "Brother, did something bad happen outside again?"
"Don't be afraid, Shisui. I am right here."
Uchiha Hiro gently but firmly pried Shisui's trembling hand away from his clothing, right at the exact moment a deeply cold, grating, and unfortunately familiar voice loudly pierced through the night air from just outside their courtyard walls. That specific voice carried an unquestionable, arrogant authority, yet it was heavily laced with a distinct, undeniable hint of sinister gloom.
"I am the Hokage's official Assistant, operating here tonight under the direct, explicit orders of the Third Hokage himself. Who among you lowly Uchiha clan members actually dares to violently stop me from executing my lawful duties?"
Uchiha Hiro's heart immediately sank like a heavy stone. Danzo Shimura! Why in the world would that paranoid old snake suddenly come personally to the Uchiha clan compound in the dead of night?
He did not rush out into the open immediately, but instead carefully and silently peeked out through the slight crack in his front door. Standing arrogantly at the main entrance to the clan compound, there was a group of a dozen or so elite men entirely dressed in pitch-black clothing and wearing blank, porcelain animal masks. The older man standing confidently at the lead wore dark, heavy robes; his exposed right eye and half-face were heavily covered in deep, ugly wrinkles, and his single, visible gaze was just as cold, calculating, and utterly venomous as a striking snake. It was, indeed, the infamous Danzo Shimura.
Standing rigidly behind him, the silent Root ninjas were heavily armed and practically radiating aggressive intent, while several official, uniformed guards of the Uchiha clan compound stood firmly before them, blocking their path. The guards' faces were visibly flushed bright red with extreme, boiling anger, yet due to political protocol, they dared not speak out too harshly.
"Lord Danzo, violently barging your way into our sovereign Uchiha clan compound so late at night like this—you absolutely must give us a valid, legal explanation for this intrusion!"
One of the lead guards ground out through tightly gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists so intensely tight that his knuckles had turned completely, bone-white.
Danzo gave a short, incredibly cold, mocking laugh, his single eye slowly sweeping over the rapidly gathering crowd of surrounding Uchiha clansmen, his tone absolutely filled with naked, dripping contempt.
"A legal explanation? I strongly suspect that someone operating within your Uchiha clan is actively guilty of high treason against the village for deliberately and maliciously allowing the One-Tails Jinchuriki to escape our grasp. I have come here tonight specifically to take that traitorous suspect back to the Root headquarters for a thorough, advanced interrogation. That is all the explanation you are getting!"
"Treason? Who are you accusing?"
The surrounding crowd of angry Uchiha clansmen instantly erupted into a massive, furious uproar, loudly shouting angry questions and curses one after another.
Danzo's cold gaze moved slowly and deliberately over the angry crowd, finally landing precisely in the exact direction of Uchiha Hiro's small house, his grating voice suddenly rising sharply over the din. "Uchiha Hiro!"
"Absolute bullshit!"
Several young Uchiha clansmen immediately shouted back angrily.
These specific individuals were all proud members of the younger generation within the Uchiha clan who usually respected Uchiha Hiro very deeply for his strength and character. How could they possibly stand by and allow a decaying old fossil like Danzo to blatantly slander Brother Hiro right here in their own home?
The other present Uchiha clansmen also actively glared hot daggers at Danzo. They generally knew exactly what the political situation was and were fully, painfully aware that this bitter old fossil was just here tonight to intentionally cause severe trouble and provoke them.
Looking at the highly agitated, practically boiling Uchiha clan members surrounding him, Danzo actually began to break into a cold, nervous sweat under his heavy robes.
Although he technically held the high rank of Hokage Assistant and these Uchiha strictly should not ever dare to make a physical move against him, if a massive, violent fight truly broke out right here and now, his small squad of a dozen or so Root operatives truly wouldn't be anywhere near enough to successfully handle this many enraged Uchiha clansmen.
Just then, the angry crowd silently parted down the middle to make a clear path, and a highly dignified, severe middle-aged man wearing traditional, high-quality Uchiha clan robes calmly walked out to the front. It was the current head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Tenjima.
He walked smoothly right up to Danzo, his facial expression completely calm and unreadable, but his dark eyes clearly carrying a distinct trace of deep, imperceptible anger.
"Lord Danzo, actively visiting our private grounds so late at night and making such incredibly severe, damaging claims—I truly wonder if you happen to possess any actual, concrete evidence to back them up? Uchiha Hiro is a recognized, genius ninja of our proud Uchiha clan and has consistently contributed much to the village. To blatantly say he actively committed high treason without proof is far too arbitrary and dangerous an accusation."
Danzo merely glanced sideways at Uchiha Tenjima, his grating tone remaining entirely cold and unyielding.
Now that the official Patriarch Tenjima had personally arrived on the scene to maintain order, Danzo was practically no longer afraid of being suddenly beaten to death by these hot-headed Uchiha clansmen.
"Concrete evidence? Once I successfully take him back down to Root headquarters for my special interrogation methods, the required evidence will naturally and inevitably be found. Patriarch Tenjima, you had absolutely better not actively obstruct me in the lawful execution of my official duties. Otherwise, you will be officially making a very dangerous enemy out of the highest-ranking Konoha officials."
Uchiha Tenjima's face instantly turned incredibly ugly and dark. He intimately knew Danzo's true, twisted character; the man had always been excessively overbearing, power-hungry, and had held a deep, irrational grudge against the entire Uchiha clan for decades. Now, intentionally finding such a flimsy excuse to specifically target Uchiha Hiro was clearly done with dark, ulterior motives in mind.
But Danzo was, unfortunately, after all, the official Hokage Assistant and single-handedly held the absolute power of the secretive Root organization. If they truly, violently had a massive falling out right here, it would be of absolutely no political or physical benefit to the Uchiha clan in the long run.
He forcibly suppressed the boiling anger deep in his heart and spoke carefully with a painfully forced, tight smile.
"Lord Danzo, even if a formal interrogation is deemed absolutely necessary by the Hokage, it should legally and rightfully be handled by the Konoha Military Police Force, rather than your secretive Root organization blatantly overstepping its legal bounds. Furthermore, Uchiha Hiro just went through an incredibly brutal battle a few days ago and was severely, critically injured. He is currently bedridden and recuperating, and truly, medically should not be moved at all."
"Critically injured, you say?"
A distinct trace of dark, mocking amusement flashed brightly in Danzo's single eye, immediately followed by a cold, dismissive snort.
"Whether he is truly, severely injured or merely faking it will become completely clear once he is safely brought back to my Root headquarters. Patriarch Tenjima, if you stubbornly continue to obstruct me tonight, do not blame me for being exceptionally impolite with my methods."
The two opposing sides immediately fell into a tense, highly dangerous stalemate. The angry Uchiha clansmen heavily surrounded the small group, each individual glaring with intense, barely contained fury, yet primarily because of Danzo's high political status and the silent, lethal deterrence of the elite Root ninjas, they absolutely could not step forward to attack.
Meanwhile, the heavily armed Root ninjas brought by Danzo watched the surrounding crowd incredibly alertly, their hands resting on their weapons, fully ready to act lethally at any given moment.
Being intensely stared down by a massive group of highly trained guys possessing the infamous 'red-eye disease', the psychological pressure was truly, explosively high.
However, absolutely no one present noticed that, completely under the chaotic cover of the angry crowd's noise, three specific Root ninjas wearing identical porcelain fox masks had quietly and seamlessly left the main group. They were currently creeping silently and lethally toward Uchiha Hiro's house, moving strictly along the darkest, most hidden alleys of the Uchiha clan compound.
The explicit, secret order they had previously received from Danzo was to expertly take absolute advantage of the loud, public chaos at the gate to successfully infiltrate Uchiha Hiro's private residence and directly, forcefully take him away while he was supposedly still heavily, cripplingly injured.
Danzo had coldly calculated that Uchiha Hiro's severe injuries had absolutely not yet healed and that he would be completely, physically unable to resist capture. As long as they successfully brought the target down into the dark depths of Root, even if Uchiha Tenjima was intensely dissatisfied and angry, there would be absolutely nothing he could legally or physically do about it after the fact.
At this very moment, Uchiha Hiro was still standing completely still in his private courtyard. Listening intently to the loud, escalating dispute occurring outside the walls, he already perfectly, entirely understood Danzo's dark, twisted intentions.
He turned smoothly back into the house and immediately saw young Shisui huddling tightly in the dark corner of the room, shaking in sheer terror. He hurried over quickly, knelt down gracefully, and gently took Shisui's trembling hand in his own.
"Shisui, please don't be afraid. Your brother will be absolutely fine. No matter what loud noises or terrible things happen outside this door later, you must stay perfectly still in this house. Do absolutely not go outside for any reason, do you understand me?"
Shisui nodded his head vigorously, fresh tears immediately starting to well up thickly in his dark eyes once again.
"Brother, are those bad men coming here to catch you and take you away?"
"No, Shisui, they won't take me anywhere."
Uchiha Hiro smiled warmly and confidently, reaching out to gently wipe the fresh tears from the corners of Shisui's wet eyes.
"Your brother is completely better now; I can easily protect myself, and I can absolutely protect you. Stay right here and be a good boy. Your brother is just going to step out and carefully handle some minor business, and I will be back inside very, very soon."
Just as the final word left his lips, the sturdy wooden gate of the outer courtyard was suddenly and violently kicked completely open with a massive, loud 'bang'. Three elite Root ninjas wearing blank, porcelain fox masks rushed aggressively into the small space, the razor-sharp kunai gripped tightly in their hands glinting with a cold, deadly light as they headed straight, mercilessly for Uchiha Hiro.
"Uchiha Hiro, you are coming with us immediately!"
The leading Root ninja's voice was terribly hoarse and his tone was absolutely cold and unfeeling, clearly not taking this supposedly 'unrecovered', crippled Uchiha clansman seriously as a legitimate threat.
Uchiha Hiro's own dark gaze instantly turned absolutely, terrifyingly cold. He firmly shielded the terrified Shisui behind his broad back and slowly, deliberately stood up to his full height.
There was absolutely no trace of aggressive chakra leaking wildly from his physical body, yet deep within the dark, endless depths of his black pupils, a distinctly dangerous, glowing hint of pure crimson quietly and lethally surfaced.
Three Special Jonin level assassins.
It was truly just the perfect time to accurately and lethally test the new limits of his recently upgraded body.