Chapter 337: Three Intruders Spotted
"We must sneak in and take a look," Senju Tobirama murmured, his crimson eyes narrowing as he surveyed the perimeter.
Beside him, Sarutobi Hiruzen drew in a long, ragged breath and gave a stiff nod. The three men exchanged a fleeting glance, a silent consensus passing between them in the shadows.
Before a single muscle could twitch to execute their infiltration, a silhouette materialized at the compound gates.
Hiruzen froze. It was as if a lightning release technique had struck him directly in the chest, locking his joints in place. Even the perpetually stoic Tobirama stiffened, his composure fracturing. Beside them, Senju Hashirama blinked, his dark eyes stretching wide.
"Tsu... Tsunade?"
There was no mistaking that blonde hair. The woman strolling out of the heavily fortified Uchiha Clan Territory with the casual ease of someone walking through their own backyard was none other than Tsunade. She was the linchpin. The singular, vital piece in their grand strategy to set things right and dismantle the Uchiha regime.
Yet, as she approached the outer perimeter, the two Uchiha guards stationed at the gates did not draw their weapons. Instead, they straightened their postures and bowed deeply, their deference unmistakable. Tsunade merely offered a lazy wave of her hand, stifled a massive yawn, and sauntered past the gates without a care in the world.
The sight stripped every coherent thought from Hiruzen's mind, leaving behind a ringing void.
What in the world was happening?
Why was Tsunade casually exiting the enemy stronghold? Worse, the interaction painted a picture of absolute harmony between her and the supposedly tyrannical Uchiha.
'Impossible...'Hiruzen thought, his weathered hands trembling.'This is absolutely impossible! Tsunade... how could she...'A cold dread coiled in his stomach, blooming into a terrifying realization. Had she already defected? Had she sided with Uchiha Akira? If the granddaughter of the First Hokage had willingly aligned herself with the Uchiha, their entire crusade to'set things right' was nothing more than a pathetic farce.
"Teacher... First-sama..." Hiruzen rasped, his voice hollow and thick with despair. "Now... what should we do?"
He stood utterly defeated. The very foundation of their rebellion had crumbled to dust before they had even taken their first step, shattered by a reality he could not comprehend.
Hashirama reached up, scratching the back of his head with a look of pure, unadulterated bewilderment.
"Well, Tsunade seems... to be doing quite well for herself, doesn't she?" he mused, a slow grin forming. "And she doesn't appear to be gambling right now, which is definitely a good thing..."
"Big Brother!" Tobirama snapped, his voice a blade of ice cutting through the night air. He glared at Hashirama, his expression screaming the obvious: Was this really the time for such foolish optimism?
Tobirama turned his piercing gaze back to the empty street where Tsunade had vanished. His brilliant mind churned through the variables. She walked out of the enemy camp. The guards bowed. She was relaxed, lethargic even. The implications were staggering. This was no hostage situation, nor was it a fragile alliance. The deference shown to her suggested she was treated as one of their own.
Hiruzen's worst fear, no matter how absurd it sounded, was likely the exact truth.
Uchiha Akira. That arrogant brat had not merely usurped the political power of Konoha. He had somehow managed to completely win over the First Hokage's only living granddaughter.
"You ask what we should do?" Tobirama said, his tone dropping to a dangerous, icy register. "Instead of cowering in the shadows and making wild guesses, we will go directly to the source. We will ask the brat himself." He adjusted his armor. "We are going straight to his estate."
Hiruzen flinched, his eyes widening in alarm. "Teacher, this... this is far too risky! Uchiha Akira's mansion is undoubtedly the most heavily guarded fortress in all of Konoha!"
Tobirama let out a sharp, derisive snort. Pure contempt flashed in his crimson eyes. "Mere Uchiha. You think their pathetic security measures mean anything to me? Follow my lead."
Before Hiruzen could utter another word of protest, Tobirama's hands blurred through a rapid sequence of hand signs. A thick cloud of white smoke erupted around him. As the vapor cleared, the Second Hokage was gone. In his place stood a stern-faced, middle-aged man clad in the high-collared uniform of the Uchiha Military Police Force.
Hashirama and Hiruzen exchanged a quick look. The strategy was clear. Without hesitation, their hands moved in unison.
Bang! Bang!
Two more plumes of white smoke plumed into the night air. When it dissipated, two additional Uchiha police officers stood beside Tobirama, their disguises flawless.
Moving with the silent grace of veteran shinobi, the trio dropped from their high vantage point. They handled the blind spots of the outermost sentries and slipped past the hidden perimeter posts with practiced ease, blending perfectly into the outer ring of the Uchiha Clan Territory.
What they saw next nearly broke their concentration.
The narrow, isolated streets of the old Uchiha compound were gone. The main avenues had been widened significantly, paved with smooth stone, and lined with a dizzying array of storefronts. Izakayas, yakiniku restaurants, ninja tool shops, and clothing boutiques stood shoulder to shoulder. Lanterns strung overhead bathed the bustling crowds in a warm, golden glow. The sheer volume of civilian and shinobi traffic was staggering. The road ahead merged flawlessly into a newly developed commercial district, pulsing with life and commerce.
To think the traditionally insular and arrogant Uchiha had applied such sweeping, successful reforms was a bitter pill to swallow.
Tobirama did not let the sights distract him. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, quickly locking onto a prime target.
A lone Uchiha had just stumbled out of a brightly lit izakaya, the character for 'Flame' painted boldly on its wooden signboard. The man possessed the chakra signature of a standard Chunin, but his current state was far from battle-ready. His face was flushed crimson with alcohol, his steps heavy and erratic as he hummed an off-key folk tune, swaying dangerously as he headed deeper into the residential sector.
"He is the one," Tobirama whispered, his voice barely carrying over the ambient noise.
The three disguised figures detached themselves from the crowd, trailing the drunken shinobi like shadows. As the drunkard rounded a quiet, dimly lit corner, Tobirama struck. A subtle pulse of chakra flared from his eyes, casting a high-level genjutsu directly into the man's vulnerable mind.
The Uchiha's off-key humming died instantly in his throat. His swaying posture locked into rigid stillness.
"Take us to Uchiha Akira's mansion," Tobirama commanded, his tone laced with hypnotic authority.
The compromised Chunin gave a stiff, mechanical nod. He pivoted on his heel and marched deeper into the heart of the compound, his previous intoxication completely overridden by the mental command. The three Hokage followed at a measured, unhurried pace, letting their unwitting guide clear the path.
Minutes bled by as the noise of the commercial district faded into the background. The guide finally halted.
Before them loomed a sprawling, magnificent estate. They had reached the deepest sector of the Uchiha residential area. The atmosphere here was entirely different—stripped of the chaotic bustle of the outer streets, it was wrapped in a deep, heavy serenity. High walls and elegant traditional architecture marked the seat of the clan's absolute power.
Tobirama raised a hand, forming a single seal to release the technique.
The controlled Uchiha's spine instantly went limp. The glassy emptiness in his dark eyes shattered, rapidly replaced by a foggy confusion. He swayed violently, shaking his head as a loud, pungent burp escaped his lips.
"Huh? What the..." he slurred, blinking at the massive gates. "How did I end up all the way at the Clan Head-sama's mansion...?"
Scratching his messy hair, the man muttered a string of drunken curses under his breath. He turned around and began staggering back the way he came, completely oblivious to the three legendary shinobi standing mere feet away in the shadows.
Tobirama, Hashirama, and Hiruzen melted into the deep darkness of an alleyway directly across the street, their breaths shallow as they observed the imposing structure.
Beyond those high walls, within the tranquil courtyard of the estate, a completely different scene was unfolding.
Uchiha Akira sat beside a polished stone table, the picture of aristocratic leisure. He held a delicate porcelain teacup, taking slow, measured sips. The rich, earthy aroma of freshly brewed tea drifted lazily through the cool night air.
Beside him was Kurenai Yuhi. She leaned her head against his shoulder with the complete trust of a docile kitten, a soft, contented blush dusting her striking features. Together, they watched the brilliant silver disc of the full moon hanging high in the cloudless sky. The atmosphere around them was intimate, warm, and utterly peaceful.
Then, the tranquil illusion shattered.
Akira's hand, halfway to his lips, stopped dead. The teacup hovered in mid-air. His dark eyes shifted, locking onto a very specific patch of shadows beyond his compound walls.
Sensing the sudden shift in his demeanor, Kurenai lifted her head. She followed his piercing gaze toward the gates, her crimson eyes scanning the darkness, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"Akira?" she murmured, her voice laced with mild concern. "What is it?"
Akira lowered the cup, setting it onto the stone table with a soft, deliberate clink. He reached over, his hand gently patting Kurenai's shoulder in a reassuring gesture.
"Kurenai," he said, his tone smooth and perfectly calm. "Wait for me here for a moment."
Trusting him implicitly, she gave a small, obedient nod. Akira rose from his seat. He took a second to smooth the creases of his dark robes, his expression hardening into a mask of cold authority, and began walking toward the main gates.
"Hokage-sama!"
As Akira approached the entrance, the two elite Uchiha guards stationed at the heavy wooden doors snapped to attention, bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
Akira did not break his stride. He offered a dismissive wave of his hand, silently ordering them to drop the formalities. He stepped out of the estate and onto the quiet street. His boots clicked rhythmically against the stone pavement. He did not hesitate. He did not search. His path was a perfectly straight line, leading directly toward the pitch-black alleyway across the street.
In the shadows, the air grew suffocatingly tight.
He was coming. He was walking straight toward them.
A cold, paralyzing dread seized Hiruzen's chest, squeezing his heart until he could barely draw breath. The realization hit him with the force of a physical blow.
"We've been discovered!"
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