Double Agent

Not long after the Peace Talks between the Fire Country and the Thunder Country concluded, the Iwagakure Village followed suit and launched intense and significant peace negotiations with Konoha.

The reason was clear. Iwagakure's senior leaders, led by Onoki, understood that it was unwise to fight Konoha, a strong force, alone.

If he chose to fight Konoha by himself at this moment, he would only benefit Kumogakure, which was eagerly watching from the sidelines.

With the smooth progression of the peace talks, Konoha finally welcomed the long-lost dawn of peace.

People sighed in relief, thinking they could now live peacefully. However, at this time, subtle changes began to quietly emerge within Konoha Village.

On the surface, it seemed calm, but in truth, there was turmoil and hidden currents.

The Konoha ninjas, who were supposed to unite against the outside world, were now divided due to various interests.

For a time, the atmosphere in Konoha was tense, as if an invisible web was covering the entire village.

At the Yuhi household, today had a special air. Father and daughter, Shinku and Kurenai of the Yuhi family, along with Shintaro, were reunited in a rare moment.

Shinku smiled with hopeful eyes and eagerly asked, "I heard from Kurenai that you plan to get married?"

This question made Kurenai blush. She lowered her head slightly, her heart filled with happiness and shyness.

Shintaro nodded firmly and replied, "Yes, Uncle Shinku."

He then took a deep breath, recalling the past, and said, "In fact, before I went to the front lines, I had already promised Kurenai that after the war, we would hold hands and get married."

However, reality was rarely satisfying. He frowned slightly and continued, "But the current situation is unpredictable. I'm afraid our wedding may need to be postponed for a while. It might be delayed for some time, but please believe me, I will never let you or Kurenai down, Uncle Shinku. No matter what difficulties we face, I will work hard to overcome them and fulfill our shared wish."

Shinku looked at him in silence, sensing the sincerity and determination in this young man's heart. He patted Shintaro on the shoulder, expressing his understanding and support.

Kurenai lifted her head, her eyes filled with confidence in the future and deep affection for Shintaro.

Shinku turned to her and said gently, "Kurenai, let me cook tonight. But it seems we don't have any ingredients at home, so you'll need to go out and buy some."

Kurenai nodded slightly in agreement and then turned and walked out of the house toward the market.

After watching her leave, Shinku turned his gaze back inside the room, focusing on Shintaro sitting across from him.

His expression became serious: "I've noticed the recent disputes and conflicts between the Uchiha Clan and the village leaders. To be honest, I don't have a clear stance on this issue. To me, neither the Uchiha Clan nor the leaders are more important than the children of Konoha Village."

At this point, Shinku paused, looking at Shintaro more intently, and continued, "So, I just hope you don't involve Kurenai in this storm. She is an innocent and kind-hearted girl. We should bear the pressure and danger brought about by this conflict."

Hearing this, Shintaro replied without hesitation, "Don't worry, Uncle Shinku. No matter what changes or challenges we face in the future, I will do my best to protect Kurenai and never let her get hurt."

Hearing Shintaro's earnest promise, the burden on Shinku's heart finally lifted, and a trace of relief appeared on his face. "Good... Let's keep this between us; there's no need to tell Kurenai the full story. After all, the less she knows, the better. The ideal situation is for her to live peacefully and happily."

Shintaro understood Shinku's kind intentions and immediately nodded to show his understanding. He knew the deeper meaning behind this decision, which was not only a protection for Kurenai but also a helpless compromise with the current situation.

No matter what happened, as long as it ensured Kurenai's safety, everything was an acceptable price.

❀❀❀

The Uchiha Clan's settlement was tightly guarded and had a solemn atmosphere.

In the spacious and serious room of the patriarch's house, Fugaku sat quietly at his desk, his eyes closed, as if he had entered a state of contemplation.

Time passed minute by minute, and finally, he slowly opened his eyes, a hint of fatigue in them. But at the same time, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile.

The smile contained endless relief and hope, as if he saw a bright future beckoning him.

Fugaku whispered to himself, "The future has changed... The Uchiha Clan should rejoice..."

These words echoed in his heart like thunder, stirring waves.

At this moment, Fugaku's heart felt like a turbulent wave, filled with intertwining emotions.

He was filled with excitement and hope for the future of the Uchiha Clan. This once-noble clan had gone through countless ups and downs, but now it seemed to be on the cusp of a new turning point.

Thinking of this, Fugaku's mood became even more intense. He knew that he bore a heavy responsibility to lead the Uchiha Clan to prosperity.

The changes happening before him convinced him that this goal would eventually be achieved. In the days to come, Fugaku would do his utmost to meet the expectations of his clan and strive to revive the Uchiha Clan.

At this moment, footsteps could be heard from outside the door. His expression became stern, and he quickly erased the relaxed and cheerful smile from his face.

"Father."

As the voice sounded, a figure entered the room. The person who came was none other than his eldest son, Itachi.

Itachi was very different from before. Not only had he grown much taller, but he also exuded a mature and steady temperament.

Fugaku had always been very proud of his exceptional son, but there was one thing that made him uncertain: deep down in Itachi's heart, did he truly place the clan in an important position?

"Itachi, you're here, come and sit." Fugaku waved to his son with a smile and asked with concern, "Why did you suddenly think of visiting me today? Is there something troubling you or something that happened?"

He knew very well that communication between him and his son had always been closed, so when he saw Itachi rarely come to visit, he suspected there was another reason.

"Hokage-sama asked me to join the ANBU."

Itachi's tone was calm, but this short sentence was like a boulder thrown into a lake, causing a thousand ripples, and Fugaku was too shocked to speak.

"What?" Fugaku's eyes widened, staring at Itachi in disbelief, as if he had just heard the most absurd thing in the world.

He was stunned for a moment before coming to his senses and asking in a slightly trembling voice, "What did you say... is that true?"

Itachi nodded silently, the braid behind him swaying slightly with the movement. His eyes were firm and deep, as if ready to face anything.

Fugaku's shock was not without reason. As a special force directly under the Hokage, ANBU members were required to possess the highest strength and absolute loyalty.

Joining ANBU not only meant earning the Hokage's recognition and trust but also shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting the village and carrying out secret missions.

Previously, even the very strong Shintaro and the exceptionally talented Shisui had never joined ANBU.

Now, young Itachi had been selected—how could Fugaku not be shocked?

However, though he was proud of Itachi, Fugaku couldn't help but feel a tinge of doubt in his heart.

This was a sensitive time; all parties were ready to take action, and the situation was becoming complicated.

Now, with Itachi joining ANBU, would he be drawn into an even deeper vortex? What challenges and trials would he face? All kinds of thoughts swirled in his mind, and Fugaku asked again, "Why did the Hokage suddenly ask you to join ANBU?"

What was unexpected was that Itachi had no intention of hiding it and said in a surprised tone, "Hokage-sama believes that the Uchiha Clan has now become a great hidden danger for Konoha Village, so he ordered me to join ANBU and take on the task of monitoring the Uchiha Clan."

Upon hearing this, Fugaku's expression suddenly became extremely grim, and he asked in disbelief, "What does this mean? Does it imply that we, father and son, are destined to kill each other?"

Then, he turned his gaze to Itachi and asked, "Itachi, what do you think about this?"

Itachi calmly replied, "I only want to protect the peace and tranquility of Konoha Village, and at the same time, I want to protect Sasuke."

"A ninja is someone who supports peace from the shadows. They are destined to endure obscurity and darkness. Joining ANBU is not just the Hokage's will, but also my personal choice."

"I don't want Sasuke to grow up in a turbulent world."

The bond between Itachi and Sasuke was as deep as brotherhood; how could Fugaku, as a father, not understand it?

Fugaku closed his eyes tightly and let out a deep breath. Though Itachi wasn't fully committed to the clan, fortunately, he hadn't completely sided with the Konoha leaders either.

"I understand, Itachi. You have been very independent since you were a child. Just follow what you want and do what you believe is right." Fugaku said in a heavy and sincere tone.

Upon hearing his father's words, Itachi could only feel a hint of emotion in his eyes: "I understand."

❀❀❀

"He actually came up with the idea of using Uchiha to monitor Uchiha. Sarutobi, that old fox, is very clever!"

Danzo had long been secluded in the Root organization's base, buried deep underground like a labyrinth.

Now, he was finally free.

As Danzo flipped through the information sent by the Root Organization's informants, he could only sigh at Hiruzen's foresight.

He stood up slowly, stretching his body, which had grown somewhat stiff from sitting still for so long, and then walked out from the gloomy underground Root network.

As soon as he stepped into the sunlight from the outside world, Danzo instinctively frowned, muttering to himself, "Sunlight... I haven't seen something like this in a long time."

The sun bathed his body, bringing back a long-lost warmth, but at the same time making Danzo feel a bit uncomfortable. He squinted slightly, surveying everything around him, as if he was rediscovering the world.

He walked toward the Hokage building with long strides. Without hesitation, he extended his hand to open the door and marched straight into the Hokage's office.

At that moment, Hiruzen was focused on handling a mountain of official duties.

Suddenly, someone entered without warning, and he couldn't help but lift his head to see who it was, casting a cold gaze toward the door.

When he clearly saw that it was Danzo, his face grew serious, and he sternly said, "Danzo, I remember your punishment hasn't ended, right? At least until I give notice, you have no right to step in without permission!"

Faced with Hiruzen's questioning, Danzo merely sneered coldly, with sarcasm clearly evident in his words: "Huh, why are you so hypocritical? You deliberately suppressed me just because you wanted to establish authority in front of Uchiha Shisui. Now that the goal has been achieved, why keep up the pretense?"

Hearing this, Hiruzen didn't take it too seriously. He knew it was pointless to argue with Danzo.

So, he changed the subject and asked straightforwardly, "Then why are you here today? I still have many important official matters to attend to here, and I really don't have time to chat with you."

However, Danzo seemed to have already understood what Hiruzen was thinking. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a sly smile: "Haha, stop pretending. Didn't you allow Uchiha Itachi to join ANBU because you're planning to take action against the Uchiha Clan? Are you ready to act? In my opinion, you should have taken action a long time ago."

After saying that, there was another sneer.

After a moment of silence, Hiruzen slowly said, "I only sent Itachi to quietly observe whether the Uchiha Clan displayed any abnormal behavior. I have not ordered any action against them."

"Yes, you're absolutely right! You're such a highly respected Hokage. How could you attack a clan in the village so easily?"

Danzo replied nonchalantly, with an impatient look on his face, but then he changed the topic, "But, I'm afraid it'll be difficult for Uchiha Itachi to handle this task on his own."

"Oh? In your opinion, what should we do?" Hiruzen set down the pipe in his hand and looked at Danzo with interest.

A trace of cunning appeared in Danzo's eyes, and he confidently replied, "I believe we still need to use the power of Uchiha Shisui. Although he has killed many elite members of the Root, it is undeniable that he holds deep feelings in his heart. He has always prioritized the interests of the Hidden Leaf Village."

After saying that, Danzo smiled proudly.

Hiruzen picked up his pipe again and silently took a puff. As the smoke filled his eyes, his gaze became deep and complex, as if he were pondering Danzo's suggestion.