Chapter 232: Double Agent

Uchiha Clan Grounds.

"Teacher Yoru, I've scored first place again."

A young Sasuke excitedly held a paper, chattering away with a flush on his face that seemed to scream, 'Praise me now.'

Just returning, Uchiha Yoru saw the excited Sasuke and immediately smiled, carefully reviewing the paper in his hand and nodding in satisfaction.

"Not bad, Sasuke, but this only mistake you made shouldn't have happened."

Uchiha Yoru said with a smile, and Uchiha Sasuke showed a hint of embarrassment. His only mistake was due to carelessness.

"Teacher Yoru, I won't make any mistakes next time."

"Sasuke!"

Just then, a calm voice sounded, and Sasuke's expression stiffened. His brother, Uchiha Itachi, had returned unexpectedly.

In these three years, even Sasuke felt the clan's atmosphere, especially after his brother Itachi joined the Anbu, creating whispers and rumors in the clan.

Some said Uchiha Itachi was a traitor, betraying the Uchiha's beliefs. Others said it was for self-preservation, opinions varied.

Watching Itachi, who had just returned from an Anbu mission, Uchiha Yoru smiled, "Itachi, how are you finding the Anbu missions? Why not come back to the Police Force?"

Each meeting between the two was like this. Uchiha Itachi remained silent, while Yoru would invite him to join the Police Force.

Watching the silent Itachi, Uchiha Yoru smiled, handed the paper back to Sasuke, and ruffled his hair.

"Little Sasuke, go back with Itachi for now."

Although Sasuke disliked having his hair ruffled, in such an awkward situation, he showed gratitude and quickly turned to run towards his brother.

"Sasuke."

Watching Sasuke follow Itachi, Uchiha Yoru also turned to enter his house.

"Creak~"

As the door closed, a pair of eyes appeared in the shadow of the door gap, revealing Itachi's cold gaze.

Uchiha Yoru, slightly headache-ridden, rubbed his forehead, "Itachi, you always look so cold, it's not a good look. Plus, hiding in the shadows can easily scare people."

Uchiha Yoru joked casually, but Itachi remained silent, reporting, "Teacher Yoru, there's been frequent movement in the village's Anbu, even the Root is preparing, and the elite ninja of the Sarutobi clan are quietly returning to the village."

Hearing Uchiha Itachi's report, Uchiha Yoru chuckled, "Itachi, you should take better care of yourself. Without certainty, the Third Hokage wouldn't dare start a war."

"Teacher Yoru!"

Uchiha Itachi frowned anxiously at Uchiha Yoru's confidence and finally said in a deep voice, "There is intelligence confirming that the civil war in the Mist Village has reached a critical moment. Once it ends, the attention of the ninja world will turn to Konoha, so the Third Hokage wants to act before that happens."

Upon hearing this intelligence, Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes and said, "No wonder the Third Hokage is in such a hurry, even summoning Jiraiya and Tsunade back. It turns out it's because the civil war in the Mist Village is about to end."

Among the five great ninja villages, the situation in the Mist Village is the most tense, with the civil war having gone on for several years, and other countries secretly supporting the rebels.

But once the Mist Village war ends, it means that Konoha will become the next target, as currently, only Konoha is likely to erupt in a civil war in the ninja world.

After so many years, it's lucky that a Mist ninja hasn't been completely destroyed. Anyway, the current Mist Village has already been greatly weakened, ranking at the bottom among the five great countries' ninja villages, and it won't have the power to wage war for the next ten years.

"Itachi, take care of yourself."

As Uchiha Yoru's voice echoed, the figure in the shadow corner turned into a puff of white smoke.

Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes at this scene. It seems that the Third Hokage is ready to make a move. Although he doesn't know the specifics, he knows that given the old man's conservative attitude, any action will be swift and decisive.

Walking into the house and looking at the Uchiha clan's land, which is more prosperous than three years ago, Uchiha Yoru showed a satisfied smile.

"Brother Yoru."

The figure of Shisui appeared respectfully on the balcony outside. Uchiha Yoru didn't turn around but looked down at the entire clan area indifferently.

Shisui then reported in a solemn voice, "Brother Yoru, there's movement among the village elders, but the specific intelligence is unclear. It seems the Third Hokage is preparing something."

Hearing this, Uchiha Yoru remained calm, without a ripple in his expression. "The Third has aged. Since he has summoned Tsunade and Jiraiya back, he must be confident."

At this point, Uchiha Yoru turned to Shisui with a smile, "Perhaps having the confidence to summon the three Sannin, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, he believes that a pair of Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan poses too great a threat."

Hearing this, Shisui smiled and nodded, "I understand, Brother Yoru."

As they raised their heads, the Mangekyo Sharingan also appeared in the eyes of Uchiha Shisui. The two exchanged smiles.

If one pair of kaleidoscope Sharingan is not enough, what about two pairs? And if there's a second pair, could there be a third?

…

Land of Whirlpools.

Under the moonlight, a venomous snake slowly crawled out of a room, followed by the snake opening its mouth and a figure slowly descending.

"Drip-drop!"

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed in the room. The leader of the Mist Village rebel army, Terumi Mei, had just walked out of the bathroom, wearing a loose robe that revealed her tired face.

"It seems that the situation in Konoha is more urgent than I thought."

Three years later, Terumi Mei had become more mature, especially in politics. She was no longer the novice she once was. The wisdom in her one visible eye was evident.

Uchiha Yoru, seeing this scene, smiled and spread his hands, saying, "Perhaps we can talk, or even cooperate."

"Now that Mist Village has been infighting for so long, the major nations have noticed. Mist Village is now at the end of its tether. Continuing this internal strife might even risk losing the position of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. So, either we negotiate and end this internal conflict, or it ends."

Hearing Uchiha Yoru's analysis, a dangerous smile appeared on Terumi Mei's face. She played with her fingers and said, "Under my command, all the bloodline ninja of Mist Village have gathered. With all our strength, we might have a chance to take down Mist Village in one battle."

"In Mist Village, I have the advantage. As for you, it seems Konoha has recalled Jiraiya and Tsunade. The Uchiha clan does not have the upper hand."

As a leader, Terumi Mei was not one to be easily baited.

Seeing this, Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded, saying, "That's why I think the two of us could cooperate."

"For example, I could help you take down Mist Village."

Uchiha Yoru spoke with sincerity and a smile, and upon hearing this, Terumi Mei smiled, walking forward and playfully touching the man's chin, reading, "Your ambition is too great. Why not establish a rebel army like me, and then we can join forces."

"Heh, Konoha was established by the Uchiha. Do you think the Uchiha need to become so-called rebels?" Uchiha Yoru said with a meaningful smile.

"Mist Village has already gathered many elites. The counterattack of the Fourth Mizukage has already begun. It's time for your long battle to come to an end. After all, other major nations only want to weaken Mist Village, not completely bring you down."

"After all, a completely collapsed Mist Village will lead to a reshuffling of powers, and even become the fuse for a great ninja war. So, it's time for the internal conflict in Mist Village to cool down, or perhaps ending it would be a good plan."

As Uchiha Yoru analyzed the current situation, Terumi Mei came quietly beside him, playfully tapping her fingers on his skin.

"We are all bloodline ninjas here, and your Sharingan is also a bloodline, and what you are doing is so dangerous. Should we have a child in advance, in case the Uchiha clan disappears from Konoha one day?"

Terumi Mei, with her soulful eye, stared intently at him, making Uchiha Yoru shake his head helplessly, "You are thinking too much, what we are talking about now is our cooperation."

"Exactly, a child is also the foundation of cooperation. After all, without a foundation, how can I trust you?"

Looking at Terumi Mei in front of him, especially after she became more mature and bold, Uchiha Yoru shook his head helplessly, "I suspect you are coveting my bloodline."

Faced with this topic, Terumi Mei not only did not hide it but nodded openly and laughed, "Correct, your bloodline, and mine, whoever inherits it will be the best."

"How about it, you and I work together, first take the Mist ninja and then Konoha, joining hands to become the strongest in the ninja world."

Terumi Mei, with ambitious eyes, knew the ambition of the man in front of her, so she naturally wanted to tie herself to the same boat early, and most importantly, they were both bloodline ninja.

At this moment, Uchiha Yoru felt like he was lifting a rock only to drop it on his own feet, full of speechlessness, as Terumi Mei always brought up bloodlines.

"Mei, if you go on like this, you're playing with fire."

Sensing something, Uchiha Yoru frowned, while Terumi Mei's eyes showed a mocking smile.

"Okay, since you want to talk about cooperation, let's have a good talk."

Saying this, Terumi Mei stared directly into Uchiha Yoru's eyes and said straightforwardly, "I am in the Mist, you are in Konoha. I am not Tsunade; if you turn your back on me, who will I turn to?"

"So, what I need is sincerity. You show your sincerity, and I will show mine."

In this way, the two negotiated closer cooperation in the house.

…

Konoha.

In the meeting room of the Hokage office building, the Konoha F4 gathered. During this meeting, even the usually calm Koharu Utatane frowned and said in a serious tone, "Hiruzen, how do you plan to proceed this time?"

"Remember, Jiraiya and Tsunade's return has already raised alarms. What exactly is your plan, Hiruzen?"

Homura Mitokado also showed a grave expression, "Indeed, Hiruzen, if we openly confront now, Konoha will be plunged into war, and even if we win, it will be a pyrrhic victory."

Faced with these two cautious individuals, Shimura Danzo was more sinister, sneering, "Sarutobi, just give the order. Once we activate the barrier, the Anbu and Root can work together. With Tsunade and Jiraiya's help, we can annihilate the Uchiha clan."

"Shut up!"

Hiruzen, who had been listening calmly, was enraged by Danzo's extreme suggestion, glaring at him furiously.

"Danzo! This mess is your doing. Without you, the Uchiha clan wouldn't be in this situation. Always talking about extermination, go ahead, lead the Root and do it yourself."

Danzo was visibly frustrated, thinking to himself that if the Root actually had the power to replace the Hokage, they would have done so already.

"Damn it!" Muttering under his breath, Hiruzen took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice towards the door, "Come in."

The door creaked open, and an Anbu member wearing a mask, identified as Uchiha Itachi, entered and knelt on one knee under the watchful eyes of the Konoha F4.

"Itachi, report on the current situation of the Uchiha clan and the police force's capabilities."

Itachi, revealing his identity, removed his mask to display his Sharingan eyes and calmly began his detailed report.

"Recently, the police force is restless, believing a new Hokage should be elected. Many ninjas are criticizing the Third Hokage's policies..."

"Almost all Uchiha clan members are now blindly loyal to their clan leader, Uchiha Yoru, ready to go to war at his command."

"Currently, the Uchiha clan's upper and middle ninjas, along with the registered police force, are... The Aburame and Hyuga branch families have already sided with the police force. Moreover, the Inuzuka clan is displeased with the Root taking their ninjas, and they too have joined the police force."

After Itachi's report, Hiruzen glared at Danzo, as if to blame him for the situation.

Danzo, feeling wronged, thought to himself that while he did take some of the Inuzuka's ninjas, the Sarutobi clan also benefited, yet he alone was blamed.

Itachi's life, akin to a double agent, seemed fated. But unlike before, Hiruzen thought he had brainwashed Itachi with the Will of Fire, unaware that Itachi was also a spy placed by the Uchiha clan. It was a case of overconfidence on Hiruzen's part.

Meanwhile, in a tavern in the village, a bearded and frustrated Asuma was filled with anger.

~~~

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