The current Uchiha clan—
aside from ordinary hired servants, the newborn children, and the underage Sasuke—
every single remaining member was a ninja.
In fact, even eight-year-old Sasuke was already highly perceptive.
So this undercurrent… they could all sense it.
As they walked through the Uchiha compound, strange gazes were occasionally cast their way.
Were they envy? Jealousy? Or greed?
No one could say for sure.
But Uchiha Kuro remained unmoved, continuing steadfastly with his "Konoha High-Quality Female Selection Plan."
It got to the point where even Yugao—who was technically a spy—could smell the presence of other spies among the "candidates."
She couldn't help but say,
"Uchiha Kuro, with the Uchiha making such a big move… is it really okay?"
"Aren't you worried that female spies from other villages might sneak in?"
"We should be careful of spies…"
As she spoke, Yugao's cheeks flushed slightly.
Because fundamentally—
she herself was also one of those "spies."
"Of course there's no need," Uchiha Kuro laughed. "You're overthinking it. Our Uchiha family is warm and harmonious—how could there be spies?"
"Even spies are just carrying out missions. How much does an S-rank mission even pay?"
"Which village could offer their spies more than what the Uchiha is paying?"
Uchiha Kuro scoffed.
Spies?
Even the wealthiest village, Konoha—how much could they really pay?
Yugao opened her mouth, but for a moment, she couldn't find a rebuttal.
Though the villages constantly indoctrinated ninja with ideals like "love for the village," "friendship," and "loyalty"—
at the end of the day, ninja took missions for one reason:
To survive.
To get paid.
When the Third Hokage had assigned her this mission, he had already offered a very generous reward.
Just a bit of "sacrifice" from a female ninja—
in exchange for S-rank-level compensation, a high-tier B-rank jutsu, and a promised promotion afterward…
But compared to what the Uchiha offered—
it wasn't even worth mentioning!
Back then, she had even been hastily promoted to Tokubetsu Jōnin, largely because the Third Hokage intended to use her to extract value from the Uchiha.
And yet—
even as a Tokubetsu Jōnin, with her youth and talent factored in—
the Uchiha compensated her as if she were a full Jōnin.
Ten S-rank missions' worth of pay.
A choice of high-level A-rank jutsu.
Continuous nutritional support during pregnancy.
Full servant service throughout the year…
Aside from not being able to grant promotions—
the Uchiha's offer was nearly ten times that of the Third Hokage!
"So who would bother becoming a spy?" Uchiha Kuro laughed, pulling Yugao into his arms.
Even Yugao herself—
when she spoke earlier, she had subconsciously spoken as a wife of the Uchiha clan.
Not as a disguise.
But as instinct.
"Besides, even if there are spies, it doesn't matter."
Uchiha Kuro lowered his voice near her ear.
"As long as a woman can give the Uchiha more descendants, she's a good woman."
"As long as it doesn't harm the foundation of the Uchiha clan, a few small issues aren't worth worrying about."
"Even if she really is a spy… I would still treat her as my wife."
Hearing this, Yugao's body softened.
For some reason, she felt a sense of relief in her heart.
Their figures gradually overlapped…
…
Uchiha Kuro simply didn't believe the Uchiha had any real "female spy problem."
Even if someone was a spy—
what could they gain by betraying the Uchiha?
Right now, the Uchiha had few members, but an absurd amount of resources per person.
Even the direct heirs of major clans might not enjoy such待遇.
So why betray them?
For your original clan?
But you came here to have children.
Soon, you would have children of your own—blood-related, tied to you.
And if you loved your clan so much—
wouldn't you love your own children too?
It was a paradox.
If you betrayed for money—
the Uchiha paid more.
If you betrayed for emotional reasons—
the Uchiha gave you children.
No matter what—
in the end, you would only contribute to the growth of the Uchiha!
In fact, Uchiha Kuro almost wished more spies would come.
Just look at Yugao—
her child's talent far exceeded the others!
Spies often hid their true strength, meaning their real abilities were much higher than they showed.
Wasn't this a huge win?
Of course, the leaders of the major villages—including the Third Hokage—hadn't realized this yet.
They believed they were offering generous pay to their spies, expecting great returns.
They hadn't considered that—
the Uchiha paid even more.
…
Land of Fire.
In a dim corridor—
"Uchiha Kuro… you've really caused quite a stir."
Itachi Uchiha let out a soft sigh, his eyes filled with complexity.
He was actually quite familiar with Uchiha Kuro.
That seemingly ordinary Chūnin had once enthusiastically spoken to him about many things—
the meaning of the clan,
how politicians couldn't be trusted,
how things weren't always as they seemed,
how beneath what one believed to be truth lay deeper reasons,
how acting on impulse would only lead to regret…
Back then, Itachi had thought Uchiha Kuro was simply brainwashed by the clan, trying to turn him into someone who only cared about the Uchiha and not Konoha.
He had dismissed him outright.
But now—
combined with his own experiences—
Itachi began to understand what Uchiha Kuro had meant.
Of course, he didn't believe Uchiha Kuro had seen through everything back then.
He assumed Uchiha Kuro had simply been worried he was being manipulated by the Third Hokage.
After all, his spy assignment hadn't been particularly secret.
Still—
Itachi felt a trace of regret.
But regret was meaningless now.
He neither intended nor had the ability to change what had already happened.
"Even so… I can still do something."
"Consider it repayment for taking care of Sasuke."
Itachi sighed softly.
With the Uchiha's wealth now exposed and drawing attention, it was inevitable that greedy eyes would turn toward them—
and that might endanger Sasuke.
So now—
he would break those reaching hands.
As a warning.
Itachi walked forward.
Alone—
yet carrying an edge sharp enough to cut through everything.
Not long ago, when he had been partnered with Orochimaru—
Orochimaru had suddenly attacked him.
Naturally—
Orochimaru had been defeated.
"Now, I don't even need to worry about avoiding teammates anymore…"
"Much more convenient for acting alone…"