Chapter 4: Foundation

After the birth of the first heiress Maiko "Lion heart", there were questions about whether a female might be the right gender to rule. However, they decided it was unimportant to bother about such things, as it was a time of peace.

So, after some years, the heiress, who was 18 at the time, took control of the clan. She quickly reformed the clan and its outdated traditions, albeit against the wishes of the elders. For example, she initiated covert trade with the outside world and established a form of constitutional monarchy.

Fortunately, the majority of the clan rallied behind the heiress, as it was supposed to be a new chapter for everyone and a pursuit of growth.

However, after some reforms in education, the economy, and the political landscape, and enforced training conscription, she introduced a decree controversial to the clan's principles.

She decreed that spies be sent to monitor the state of the world. She stated it was for security reasons, to be prepared for whatever the future might hold.

Surprisingly, the elders supported the decree, to the surprise of the protesting kinsmen. After the ordeal, the decree became a foundational principle of the clan, leading to the establishment of the CSA.

Central Shinobi Agency.

As Izaku read through the pages, he couldn't help but wonder why such rules were introduced in the first place. Setting aside the obvious reasons, it was clear that the majority of the population at that time were against interaction with outsiders.

So, any influence on his great-great-grandmother would not have compelled her to implement such policies. Additionally, while the introduction of the conscription law might have been revolutionary, the ruling system was far too foreign to this world, even more so than the conscription law itself.

The first ruler might have been a genius, but this level of change was too significant to come from a single on its own.

"Wait, maybe...?" Izaku muttered, but he quickly discarded the idea. The chances of that being the truth were too low.

As he continued reading through the changes, he came across the name of the agency. Seeing it, Izaku felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Even though it was written in Japanese, it felt unsettlingly familiar.

As she laid the foundations she sought to establish, she initiated the training program by first educating the adults, who would, in turn, teach the young future of the clan.

With the first step accomplished, she meticulously handpicked individuals to train as spies. Initially, she selected the Ex-Uchiha members as reliable agents due to their Dojutsu, stealth abilities, and Genjutsu expertise.

In contrast, the Ex-Senju members, more oriented towards main battle strategies, specialized in their Ninjutsu arsenal, sensing abilities, and sturdy physical frames. Thus, it was decided they would better serve as guards and sentinels of the compound.

After extensive preparation, the information-gathering operations through spies within the trading network and sleeper agents in the Daimyo's courts began, deploying all their agents.

Including the Heiress, Maiko Utsukuro herself.

However, within the first year, alarming news reached the compound. Five months earlier, intelligence had reported the establishment of the great Shinobi villages.

More crucially, the alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha clans spread like wildfire around the compound.

This predicament called the Heiress back to the compound. After all, it was Maiko Utsukuro herself who had sent the news, as part of her infiltration in the newly united Fire Nation's court.

The clan members thought it might be wise to reunite with their lost relatives once and for all.

However, Maiko wanted nothing of their nonsense. She stated that sooner or later, the power amassed through these new military organizations might cause them to clash.

What sealed the deal with her kinsmen was her quote: "Power begets greed, and from greed springs war. Envision the magnitude of this conflict when not only allied clans clash, but also trained civilians are drawn into the fray."

To further appease her clansmen, she declared that if no wars erupted between the villages within five years, she would agree to a general migration to Konoha, the home of their blood relatives.

Not even one year later, however, the co-founder of Konohagakure no Sato, Madara Uchiha, not only refused a trade deal and an alliance but also issued a threat through the Iwagakure no Sato envoy, Onoki, who was rumored to be the next Kage.

All of this reinforced the belief that isolation through information warfare was the best course to protect and uphold their principles.

"What a mess..." muttered Izaku. He wondered how they had managed to keep everything under wraps. Surely, some information was missing from this chapter. No matter how hard one might try to hide from the influence of shinobi, sooner or later, individuals like Danzo or Orochimaru would inevitably discover them.

Moreover, the only way to hide such information would be by implementing a Danzo-like curse, forcing the agents to remain silent if captured.

Despite this, Izaku found the situation incredible. He might be in a different dimension or even in the same world as the manga, just that the Utsukuro had never revealed themselves.

This raised the question: Did the Utsukuro really exist, or was it just another dimension?

"If they did exist, what happened to them?" pondered Izaku, feeling an unsettling sensation he couldn't quite identify.

His thoughts and reading were interrupted by the librarian, who stood in front of the engrossed Izaku, waiting for him to notice her until she had enough.

"Hello, hello!?" The sudden interruption snapped Izaku out of his focus, prompting him to look at the person in front of him.

"Hello again, sorry, what's the matter?" asked Izaku.

"It's time to close; it's already late at night," Yui said, as she fixated her gaze on the boy, who glanced at the window and confirmed it was indeed late.

"Sorry, I didn't realize that. Thank you for reminding me," he said as he stood up, about to return the book.

"You don't have to return it; just take it. It's been a while since someone was interested in nerdy stuff. It would be more beneficial for me than to let it accumulate dust here."

Izaku paused midway up the ladder, turning his gaze to her, and nodded.

"Thank you very much for your kindness. Good night, Miss Yui." Bowing, Izaku made his way out.

On his way home, he couldn't stop thinking about what he had read earlier. The history of his clan didn't make sense. While he understood their principles, it was still dangerous to remain so isolated.

Yes, they could be subjected to forced conscription in case of a war under the Shinobi village rule, but at least they wouldn't risk abduction upon discovery.

After all, they were nobodies; their disappearance wouldn't matter much, if at all.

As he continued walking, he thought about what his parents might have prepared for his birthday this time. Izaku wasn't particularly fond of birthdays, seeing them as somewhat pointless but enjoyable nonetheless.

So instead of stopping the celebrations entirely, he had told his parents to skip the "surprise" element and just prepare a straightforward celebration.

Plus, he would have to socialize with the other kids. Now regarded as more "mature," they regarded him apt deal with them appropriately as the heir of the clan.

While walking, mere meters from home, he suddenly sensed someone walking beside him, causing him to jump aside.

"A sensor, eh? Finally noticed me at last, airhead indeed," said the individual, who had curly black hair and ragged clothes resembling those of the guards in the compound, missing only the chest protective armor, forearm protection, and the mask.

What unsettled Izaku more was the man's cold and statuesque expression.

"Who are you?" asked Izaku fearfully. He didn't know if the individual was an enemy or an ally. Sneaking up on an ally wasn't the best way to foster trust.

"You don't know me?" the man said, raising an eyebrow. He sighed. "Of course you don't. No one must have told you about me."

He looked up again, a small smile stretching across his face. "I am your supposedly dead brother. I am Izuku Utsukuro. Nice to finally meet you."

'хули/What the fuck?'