In the following days, Uchiha Gen lived comfortably under the Fujita family's hospitality.
Fujita Saiyo provided him with fine food, drink, and shelter; his standard of living was far better than back in the Uchiha compound.
He even refused certain luxuries, like being attended to by maids.
Gen had no interest in unnecessary contact with outsiders. The more people who saw his face, the more he would have to erase when the time came to leave and return to Konoha.
As for what might happen to the Fujita family after Saiyo and his trusted men were eventually gone, Gen didn't care in the slightest.
Whether they rose or fell depended entirely on the next head's ability. Their survival or decline had nothing to do with him.
His days fell into a routine; one third spent training, one third in leisure, one third resting.
At night, he would sometimes slip away to quietly harvest souls and lifespans.
The life was peaceful, almost decadent.
To Gen's quiet approval, Fujita Saiyo handled everything with caution. Half a year passed without attracting the notice of any major powers. Of course, there had been the occasional mishap, preys who resisted unexpectedly with strange jutsu, but the Fujita family suppressed all such problems swiftly.
Their thugs included not only brawny fighters but trained ninja and samurai as well.
When Gen judged the timing right, he wrote a letter to Konoha through the Uchiha clan's covert trade channels within Whirlpool City.
The Uchiha, wealthy as they were, had business ties across the elemental nations. Not everywhere, but enough to ensure discreet communication in key cities.
Three days later, Uchiha Fugaku broke the seal of that letter and his expression darkened. Shock and fury warred across his face. He immediately summoned the elders.
After a heated council, the clan's decision aligned exactly with what Gen had anticipated, the captured Uchiha held by Hidden Mist for experimentation had to be rescued, and he who is already positioned close by, was the one to do it.
The Uchiha of Konoha served primarily in the Police Force. They couldn't leave the village at will.
Officially, they might appeal to the Hokage's office for authorization, but involving Konoha's leadership in this disgraceful matter would only humiliate the clan.
Fugaku's reply was clear; Gen was to handle the rescue.
Afterward, the freed clansmen were to return through Uchiha-controlled channels, not Konoha's. Near the village's border, Fugaku would arrange for trusted operatives to escort them home. Then, by quietly silencing certain witnesses and filing only the necessary reports with Konoha's higher-ups, the clan could limit exposure and protect their honor.
Gen's response was simple; he would follow the clan head's plan.
Once all preparations were set, he led his small party out of Whirlpool City and moved on the target.
The day was bright, the sky a flawless blue.
Gen advanced toward the hidden research base where the two captured Uchiha were imprisoned.
His true body fought against puppeted shinobi controlled through his spirit transformation technique.
Kunai and shuriken glittered through the air, explosive tags roared, and flames, torrents of water, gales of wind, and avalanches of stone tore the forest apart.
By the time the clash ended, the terrain looked as though a true battle had taken place.
Gen calmly recalled his spirit projections, then left convincing fatal wounds on the bodies littering the field, slashed by kunai, stabbed through with swords, or scorched by elemental ninjutsu.
Notably, none of the corpses bore Mist forehead protectors or standard uniforms. To have them die here, in a neutral abandoned base, was meant to muddy the trail, not reveal it.
Once satisfied there were no flaws, Gen stepped into the research facility.
Though long abandoned, the building had been dressed up by human puppets into something resembling a functioning lab. It didn't need to be perfect. Soon, it would be destroyed.
Two modified puppets rushed him.
Gen cut them down in a blur, and before long reached the chamber where two Uchiha, Yuichi and Mori, were shackled.
He exhaled, coating his Kusanagi blade with wind chakra, and struck.
Clang, clang…
The iron bars shattered into pieces, crashing to the floor with a deafening ring.
The noise jolted Yuichi and Mori from their dazed rest. They blinked, saw the door break apart, and then the unmistakable glow of scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan in the gloom.
For a heartbeat they froze, then recognition struck. Their eyes filled with tears of relief.
This nightmare was finally ending.
"Yuichi. Mori." Gen's voice was calm. "It's me... Uchiha Gen."
Both immediately activated their own Sharingan.
"I'm Yuichi."
"I'm Mori."
"Brother Gen, it's us!" Their voices cracked, trembling with emotion.
Gen strode forward, glanced over them, and let out a sigh of relief. "Good. You're still alive. When I received word, I feared I might be too late."
With quick, efficient strikes, he severed the chains binding Yuichi, then Mori. Both collapsed weakly to the ground.
"Are you injured?" Gen asked, his tone sharp with concern.
Yuichi shook his head. "No, Brother Gen. Just… we've been trapped too long. Our bodies are stiff."
"Same here," Mori added hoarsely.
"Good. That's good." Gen nodded. "We can't stay here. I'll take you out immediately."
He bit his thumb, flashed through seals, and slammed his hand against the floor. Black sigils spread outward in a circle.
Summoning Technique!
With a burst of smoke, a massive white python—half a meter thick and over ten meters long—uncoiled into the chamber.
"Carry them," Gen commanded.
The python lowered itself before the two Uchiha.
"You can't walk yet," Gen told them. "Cling tightly."
"Thank you, Brother Gen," they said together, scrambling onto the serpent's cold, smooth body.
The python slithered toward the exit with measured speed, while Gen lingered behind.
From his pouch, he pulled a stack of explosive tags and began affixing them throughout the corridors.
Minutes later, he reached the base's entrance, placed the final tag, and flicked a chakra-charged kunai. The tags ignited in a chain reaction and a roaring column of fire consumed the entrance.
BOOM!
Outside, Yuichi and Mori waited amid the scorched battlefield. Gen gathered their enemies' corpses into a heap, pressed detonating tags to them, and stepped back.
Another thunderous explosion tore through the clearing. Flesh and bone were reduced to cinders. No investigator would glean anything useful from what remained.
"Let's return to Whirlpool City and rest tonight," Gen said. "Tomorrow we'll travel back to Konoha through the clan's channels."
Yuichi and Mori bowed their heads. "Thank you, Brother Gen."
"We're family," Gen answered simply. "There's no need for thanks."
At his word, the white python began gliding smoothly forward, careful not to throw its riders.
Gen followed close behind, his eyes ever-watchful, ready to strike at the first hint of danger.