Not long after Uchiha Jin and Uchiha Shisui left, four cloaked ANBU figures appeared at the ruined training ground.
They stopped in unison.
"…Hiss—what terrifying Fire Release."
The ground was no longer ground. Stone and soil had melted into blackened glass and sluggish magma veins. The entire field looked like the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.
They had seen fire scorch earth.
They had seen flames ignite forests.
But to melt rock into flowing lava—
This was the first time.
"This level of Fire Release…" one ANBU muttered uncertainly. "Could it be him?"
"Who?" another asked.
"Who else? On the Kirigakure front lines, there was only one Uchiha whose Fire Release reached this level. The one the Mist called the 'Red Sun'—Uchiha Jin."
Silence fell.
At this timing.
With tensions between the village and the Uchiha already stretched thin.
If this display truly came from Jin, then what was the Uchiha clan signaling?
A warning?
A threat?
Or a declaration?
As ANBU, they were among the first to sense shifts in Konoha's internal balance. They knew full well that the current situation could not be handled like an ordinary disciplinary matter.
The squad leader finally spoke.
"Report to Lord Hokage immediately. Further action awaits his decision."
He turned and departed without hesitation.
ANBU were the sharpest blades in the Hokage's hand.
And a good blade did not require thoughts of its own.
It only needed to execute.
Uchiha Compound
Back within the Uchiha district, Jin and Shisui walked calmly along the main road as if nothing had happened.
The rumors spreading throughout Konoha had already reached the clan.
Compared to usual days, far more Uchiha were gathered outside. Nearly every face was clouded, expressions dark and restrained. The air itself felt heavy.
"Big Brother Jin, we…" Shisui began, hesitating.
"We'll talk inside," Jin said curtly, quickening his pace.
Soon they arrived at Jin's home.
Though his parents had passed away years ago, they had left him a modest two-story house with its own courtyard—and a decent inheritance. With clan stipends and support from relatives, Jin had never lacked food or clothing growing up.
That was the advantage of having a clan.
Once inside, Shisui spoke immediately.
"The clan's reaction to the rumors is stronger than I expected. It seems our plan can move forward ahead of schedule."
In truth, nearly half of the rumors circulating in Konoha had been quietly released by Shisui himself.
Seeing the effect, even he felt a trace of excitement.
Jin's eyes glinted.
"The stronger their reaction, the more it proves they still care about the village."
He paused.
"But it's not enough."
"Most of them are still holding back. These rumors haven't pushed them to their limit yet."
"We need to add more fuel to the fire."
The Uchiha were proud by nature. Even when slandered, many would rather endure it in cold silence than argue with civilians. Ironically, that restraint slowed the escalation of public hostility.
If only they lost their temper publicly—
If arguments broke out in the streets—
The backlash against the Uchiha would intensify dramatically.
Shisui frowned slightly.
"The genjutsu I cast on the Iwagakure spy and the Root shinobi wasn't flawless. It can deceive for a time, but not forever. The Third Hokage will realize something's wrong soon."
The diversion had been Jin's idea.
The Iwagakure spy was no secret; both ANBU and the Uchiha Military Police had been monitoring him for a long time. However, matters involving foreign spies were outside the Police Force's authority, and ANBU had deliberately kept the spy alive to feed false intelligence back to Iwagakure.
By having Shisui manipulate both the spy and the Root operative with genjutsu, Jin temporarily redirected suspicion toward Iwagakure.
But interrogation would not stop.
Sooner or later, the Interrogation Division—especially the shinobi of the Yamanaka clan—would probe their memories directly.
When that happened, Shisui's interference would be exposed.
Tonight.
Tomorrow.
At the latest—the day after.
Time was short.
Jin smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. If I'm not mistaken, the ANBU monitoring the Uchiha district will double before nightfall."
"When that news spreads, even the most restrained among us will feel anger."
Shisui blinked.
"The training ground… So that's why you deliberately avoided the clan's usual practice field today."
Jin nodded.
"The traces I left are impossible not to associate with me. Given Hiruzen's cautious nature, he'll assume this was the Uchiha expressing dissatisfaction."
"They'll respond with heightened surveillance."
"And even if they discover tonight that the rumors originated from us—it won't matter."
"The more cautious they become, the more it will anger the clan."
"The angrier the clan grows, the more defensive the village will become."
"Layer upon layer."
"In a few days, the Uchiha's fury will reach its peak."
"And that," Jin said calmly, "will be when we move."
Shisui exhaled slowly, both relieved and impressed. Jin had already calculated several moves ahead.
But Jin's gaze shifted slightly.
"Still…"
"Prejudice in people's hearts is like a mountain."
"How deeply rooted the village's bias against us truly is—I cannot say with certainty."
He looked at Shisui.
"Prepare yourself. Make a trip to the Fire Capital."
"To the daimyō."
"We need one more trump card."
Shisui frowned faintly but did not question the order.
"What should I do?"
Jin leaned closer and explained in a low voice.
As Shisui listened, his eyes widened gradually.
By the end—
His respect for Jin had only deepened.
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