Chapter 54 Aftermath and Beginning
In the office, Hiruzen picked up the report presented by the ANBU and began to read it carefully.
In terms of the level of destruction, because the main battles were primarily concentrated in the northeast and southeast areas of the village, as well as in the Death Forest zone, the actual damage to the village's buildings was quite limited, and rebuilding wouldn't be too difficult. With Konoha's reserves in stock, it was entirely possible to restore operations in a short amount of time, avoiding major problems.
However, the real issue lay in the fact that, during this recent turmoil, Konoha had lost nearly a hundred ninja. Among them, about ten high-ranking ninja had sacrificed themselves in battle, with the Hyuga clan contributing half of these losses.
Additionally, if you included several high-ranking members of the Uchiha clan and a branch of the Hyuga clan who defected and left the village, it was enough to seriously cripple Konoha's strength.
The combat capabilities of over a dozen high-ranking ninja, when deployed on the battlefield, could easily support a small-scale ninja battle. Ignoring these significant losses, the departure of Uchiha and Hyuga clan ninja, both with special bloodline limits, was the truly challenging aspect.
Announcing this matter would have a severely negative impact on Konoha's reputation, especially during this sensitive period of war. It would undoubtedly cause panic among internal personnel and allow the enemy to gloat and mock without restraint.
Just at that moment, the office door opened, and two advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, entered first, followed by the head of the Root, Danzo Shimura.
Seeing this, the ANBU ninja who had been waiting in the room proactively used the Body Flicker Technique to leave, creating space for the village's high-ranking officials.
The three of them entered the office, stood there in silence, and eventually, Koharu Utatane broke the stifling silence and asked Hiruzen, "How do you intend to handle this matter?"
"I plan to downplay the impact of this defection," Hiruzen sighed and met Koharu's gaze.
"Are you considering imposing a gag order?" Koharu asked.
"I intend to pursue the main culprits for defection charges and downplay the presence of the others," Hiruzen paused for a moment and continued, "At the time of the incident, the attention of the village's ninja was drawn to the Nine-Tails, so they aren't well-informed about the situation with the Uchiha and Hyuga. Even if some suspect, it's only a small fraction of the ninja. I've already had them keep it a secret."
Homura and Koharu exchanged glances and nodded. It was indeed a method.
By providing information about the two main culprits, Chiba Shiroshi and Uchiha Rui, they could downplay the presence of the other accomplices. In these times of war, having these accomplices continue to 'sacrifice' themselves as Konoha ninja on the front lines could explain their disappearance from the village.
However, they were aware that this wasn't a long-term solution, and any future revelations would need to be addressed later.
As for the events of that night when the Hyuga clan's territory erupted in flames, they could be explained as a result of encountering a formidable enemy attack. After a fierce battle by Hyuga clan ninja, the enemy was eventually defeated, but it came at the cost of sacrificing some Hyuga ninja.
Now, the most important thing was to maintain the morale of Konoha's ninja and minimize the damage to the village's reputation. As for the two main culprits, Chiba Shiroshi and Uchiha Rui, they were too conspicuous to be downplayed. Besides, such a significant event required a reasonable explanation. Pinning the blame on them and rallying Konoha's ninja against them was also a good way to shift focus.
"Danzo, what are your thoughts?" Hiruzen looked at Danzo, seeking his opinion.
That night, Danzo's devoted performance had reassured him. During Konoha's critical moment, Danzo had stood up without hesitation to fight the enemy alongside the village's comrades, fulfilling the responsibilities and duties of a Konoha ninja.
"There's news that Uchiha Zane of the Uchiha clan has retired," Danzo mentioned something unrelated to the current topic.
"A dangerous name, surviving from the Warring States era to the present... He's certainly long-lived," Koharu's face displayed a wary expression.
Uchiha Zane was one of the few ninjas who had survived from the Warring States era to the current day.
"When Hiruzen took over as Hokage, that old man was actively purging internal voices within the Uchiha. Shortly after that Kagami Uchiha, he inexplicably died on a mission... It can't help but make people suspect some unpleasant things," Homura sighed.
It was also after that incident that they completely lost surveillance over the Uchiha clan.
Without Uchiha Kagami providing them with information, the Uchiha clan became uncontrollable and turned into a forbidden zone that they couldn't easily interfere with.
"Speculating without evidence is pointless. Kagami died on a mission, which is a normal occurrence for ninja," Hiruzen didn't want to engage in unfounded speculation, as they had no evidence to prove that Uchiha Kagami had died at the hands of his own clan.
"However, the fact that he chose to retire at this moment is quite coincidental... So, who's in charge of the Uchiha now?" Koharu asked.
"Fugaku Uchiha," Danzo replied.
The answer provided by Danzo didn't surprise Hiruzen and the others. With Uchiha Rui having defected, the Uchiha clan had lost one of its rising talents. Among the younger generation of the Uchiha, only Uchiha Fugaku remained capable of taking on a significant role.
"Keep an eye on him, but as long as it's not that old man Zane continuing to pull the strings from behind the scenes, there shouldn't be a problem with his leadership," Hiruzen advised.
At that moment, Homura handed a form to Hiruzen, placing it on his desk.
"What's this?"
"The branch pharmacy of the Purple Orchid Company suffered some collateral damage during the recent turmoil. Some medicines were damaged. Though they haven't requested compensation yet, I think it's best to resolve this quickly. We can't afford to damage the village's reputation at this time," Homura explained.
"I'll send someone to negotiate, offering compensation ten percent above the selling price," Hiruzen decided. This was a mistake on Konoha's part, and the Purple Orchid Company was the biggest innocent party. Konoha had to take responsibility for it. Even though the Land of Demons was a neutral nation and quite far from the Land of Fire, they couldn't afford to sour relations.
Koharu nodded, agreeing with the decision.
In times like these, it was beneficial to gain an ally. Furthermore, the Purple Orchid Company had already promised to provide Konoha with medical supplies during the war, saving Konoha a lot of effort.
Upon closer consideration, the Company's assistance was indeed a godsend. This neutral ally that could alleviate some of their medical pressure had greatly endeared themselves to Konoha.
After Homura , Koharu, and Danzo left, Hiruzen picked up a pipe from his desk and took a deep drag, coughing slightly.
Cough, cough.
He took out a thin dossier from his drawer. At the top was a name: Chiba Shiroshi. Below were several photographs, including group photos of Team Sakumo, as well as various stages of Shiroshi's life, from his school days to his time as a Genin and a teenager. There were also numerous evaluations from teachers:
Diligent and studious, a kind and hardworking student. Often seen reading books in the library, borrowing books every week. Very interested in medical ninjutsu. Can be cultivated based on his interests. (Chunin Toguro Taiga)
Average talent in medical ninjutsu, neither high expectations nor disappointments in terms of medical abilities. Although he has a sufficient knowledge base, he lacks flexibility to become a top medical ninja. However, with effort, he can become an outstanding medical ninja below the elite tier. (ANBU Medical Jonin)
Understands the role of a medical ninja during missions, never acts recklessly, remains calm and composed, and is aware of his strengths and weaknesses. Takes responsibility for his teammates' lives... Can be described as cautious but, as a result, he qualifies as a medical core member of the team. Permission granted to continue serving in the team. (Jonin Sakumo Hatake)
Possesses astonishing knowledge and occasionally provides unexpected suggestions. Excellent teaching ability, well-liked by students. (Tsunade)
An outstanding Chunin inheriting the Will of Fire, bridging the gap between the village and the Uchiha. (Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi)
Hiruzen let out a sigh as he looked at the last evaluation, where it seemed as though a mocking smiley face had appeared. To him, it was such an affront and source of anger.
He took out a black pen and crossed out the last evaluation, replacing it with another sentence:
Proficient in concealment, cruel in nature. Unknown medical skills, unknown ninjutsu abilities... Like a shadow in the fog, an extremely high level of danger.
"Take this document to the Intelligence Division."
Hiruzen closed the document and spoke to the air.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
An ANBU operative appeared from the side, picked up the dossier, and then used the Body Flicker Technique to leave for the Intelligence Division.
…
The Uchiha clan compound.
Rui's original residence had been completely taken over by the ANBU.
"Is this everything?"
Every room, every item had been meticulously searched.
However, what they had collected were just normal ornaments and some basic medical ninjutsu-related books. There was hardly anything useful among them.
"Yes. That's everything. Many rooms were empty," answered the ANBU team leader.
"It's all quite ordinary. Nothing unusual," the ANBU team leader picked up a few books and briefly flipped through them before closing them.
"Should we take everything with us?"
"Of course, take it all and send it to the Intelligence Division. Although I doubt we'll find anything useful in there, it's still part of the job, and we can't leave anything behind."
The ANBU team leader instructed his subordinates.
The other ANBU members nodded, collected all the items, books, and even some suspicious scrolls, and placed them in a large box. One by one, they transported the box outside.
"However, I never expected that someone who seemed so ordinary would turn out to be such a dangerous individual," one ANBU ninja commented as they moved the items.
"Yeah, at the time when we were on the battlefield, we didn't even have the opportunity to act. Just sensing that atmosphere nearly suffocated us," the ANBU team leader sighed.
The feeling that one's life could be taken away at any moment, as if they were at the heart of the battlefield, not knowing when an enemy would take their life, was something unbearable.
"Excuse me," a soft voice interjected as they were transporting the items outside.
It was a girl with short brown hair, around eight or nine years old. Beside her was an Uchiha boy wearing sunglasses.
"Who are you? Do you need something?" The ANBU members didn't pay much attention when they saw someone approaching, as there had been quite a few onlookers when they were searching the area.
"I'm a student from the Ninja Academy, Rin Nohara. Um, I wanted to ask about Shiroshi-senpai... I heard he defected. Is that true?"
Rin's face carried a sense of hope, as if she couldn't believe it was true.
"It's true. Also, don't call him senpai anymore. He's just a dangerous rogue ninja now. You felt the massive turmoil in the village that night, didn't you? It was caused by him and others," the ANBU team leader explained patiently.
Although the ANBU were used to these situations, they understood that it was difficult when someone you respected or considered a friend turned traitor. They knew it was hard to accept.
"But, could there be a misunderstanding here?"
"Misunderstanding? With so many lives lost, it's not something that can be brushed aside as a mere misunderstanding. Give up your illusions. I saw his cruelty and ruthlessness that night with my own eyes. No matter how you defend him, he's not the respected medical ninja senpai you thought he was. If you encounter him again, he won't hesitate to kill you. It's best to let go of these pointless fantasies," the ANBU team leader spoke calmly.
Ignoring Rin, who was left standing there in shock, they continued to carry the items away.
"Captain, is this too cruel? She's just a student from the Ninja Academy..." one of the ANBU members said.
While they had abandoned their public identities, they still didn't want such a young child to be exposed to the harsh realities of the world so quickly.
"This happened right in front of her. I can't help it. Deceiving her would be the real cruelty and harm. He's a rogue ninja now, and he won't show mercy just because she used to be his comrade," the ANBU team leader stated with conviction.
"I hope she can move on from this darkness," he added.
"By the way, Captain, do you think their defection might be related to what happened with Sakumo ?" one of the ANBU members asked, lowering his voice.
"There's no evidence for that. Don't casually speculate on such matters," the ANBU team leader glared at him.
The ANBU ninja fell silent and didn't say anything more.
"Rin, are you still thinking about that guy?" As they watched the ANBU carry the filled box away, Uchiha Obito, who had been by Rin's side, looked at her with concern.
"Why did Senpai Shiroishi...?"
Hearing Rin's words, Obito knew that Rin still clung to the hope that it was untrue.
Obito fell silent, turned towards the empty courtyard beyond the gates of this luxurious residence. The place was devoid of any signs of life.
That bastard! How could he make Rin so sad! The next time I see him, I won't let him off the hook! Obito clenched his fists with determination.
"I promise you, Rin, I will find out why he left the village sooner or later. This is on me! I'm an elite shinobi of the Uchiha clan!" Obito assured Rin with sincerity.
"Yeah, thank you, Obito... I'm fine now," Rin replied, trying to convince herself.
Seeing Rin still forcing herself, Obito felt a twinge of pain in his heart.
Ah, that bastard is in big trouble. I must beat him up for making Rin so sad! Obito was filled with anger and dissatisfaction towards Shiroishi.
…
One day later, in the capital of the Land of Fire, at the Purple Orchid Pharmacy branch.
"Boss, this is the latest wanted poster released by Konoha."
Having obtained permission to enter, Chudan delivered the news to Shiroishi and placed a copy of Konoha's wanted list in front of him.
Shiroishi picked it up with interest.
Chudan commented, "Honestly, this wanted poster was released a bit slower than I expected."
Given Konoha's usual efficiency, it shouldn't have taken them this long to release the wanted list. They were currently still within the Land of Fire's borders, and based on their past speed, The Capital should have received the information yesterday, with the other countries following suit two or three days later.
"After all, they have to consider various balances and minimize the impact. Wanted posters are probably the least of their concerns. It's expected that they would release them a bit later," Shiroshi explained.
As for pursuit teams, with Iwagakure now involved in the war and having witnessed the formidable power displayed by Shiroshi's group that night. As long as they didn't have a death wish, they should realize that dealing with rogue shinobi was not their top priority at the moment.
Shiroishi finished reading the wanted poster from Konoha, and it was largely as he had expected:
Konoha shinobi Chiba Shiroshi, Chunin, defection motive unknown, charges include attacking the village and killing fellow shinobi. This individual is extremely dangerous and is hereby classified as an 'S'-rank rogue ninja.
As for Ayane... her existence was omitted entirely. They probably didn't want other villages to know about the Byakugan, so it had been intentionally left out. They might have even issued a gag order on anyone who knew about her. After all, on the night of the incident, most of the Konoha shinobi she encountered had perished at her hands, and with a few survivors, a simple gag order would keep things under wraps for a while.
If it weren't for him and Rui causing such a commotion, and with too many witnesses, it's possible that this defection event wouldn't even have a 'rogue ninja' category. It might have remained a secret circulating only within their organization.
Therefore, the wanted list only featured Shiroishi and Rui, both classified as 'S'-rank rogue ninja, signifying an extremely high level of danger.
In addition, Ayane, the branch member of the Hyuga clan and the defectors from the Uchiha clan, were not mentioned and were intentionally omitted.
"Indeed, it's the Hokage... I'm sure our side doesn't want to escalate the situation either," they shared an unspoken understanding.
Both sides had an unspoken agreement.
It had to be said that this was also Shiroishi's consideration.
Konoha was busy with the war and had no spare resources to pursue them. On their end, they needed to keep a low profile and, at least for now, couldn't make any conspicuous moves. They had to act in secret.
Shiroishi could probably understand the Hokage's thoughts quite well. Balancing the village's situation and surviving the current war crisis were his top priorities, not diverting resources to deal with dangerous rogue ninja.
"Speaking of Konoha, do you think the other villages might covet the power of the Sharingan?" Chudan expressed his concerns.
Even though many key details were omitted, Rui's Sharingan was likely to attract some people's greed.
"Perhaps they have some thoughts, but where would they get the information from?" Shiroishi countered.
Chudan thought about the wanted poster that only contained charges, ranks, and basic information but left out all the critical parts.
Shiroishi continued, "Although Rui and I have defected, our ninjutsu abilities and combat styles are core secrets of one village. Even allied nations wouldn't share intelligence on these matters."
Shiroishi didn't care about pursuit from other villages. After this incident, the information on their abilities would be classified as high-level Konoha secrets, only accessible to high-ranking officials and their trusted associates.
Konoha had already declared Shiroishi and Rui as 'S'-rank rogue ninja, signifying their tremendous strength and danger.
For foreign ninja to come and pursue them, they would first have to locate them, then send ninja teams to probe their abilities, accompanied by a significant investment of time, resources, finances, and potential casualties.
For a Sharingan that they couldn't even guarantee acquiring, it was not worth the sacrifice.
This was why foreign ninja typically disliked dealing with rogue ninja from other villages.
"I see."
"How's the situation on your end?"
"The members of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans have already been relocated in batches. If everything goes smoothly, they should safely arrive in the Land of Demons the day after tomorrow."
Chudan replied.
Shiroishi nodded. With Rui and Ayane accompanying them throughout the journey, even if one of the Five Kage personally came after them, they wouldn't necessarily benefit. Therefore, he wasn't concerned about their safety during the trip.
"Let's expedite our relocation as well. Although I can guess some things, we shouldn't let our guard down completely. Deploy more smoke bombs. Regardless of whether Konoha has sent pursuit teams, we can't afford to neglect these follow-up tasks."
"Understood."
Just as Chudan was about to leave, the ground trembled, and Earth General emerged from the floor. It held a letter and handed it to Shiroishi before submerging again.
"Whose letter is this?" Chudan asked curiously.
"It might be a report from the agent I planted inside Konoha's hospital," Shiroishi replied before opening the letter to read its contents.
Seeing that Shiroishi's expression seemed to change significantly, Chudan felt a sense of unease, thinking that something major had happened in Konoha that was directed at their side.
"What's wrong?"
"Minato Namikaze is not dead," Shiroishi said with an eerie expression.
"Minato Namikaze?"
"He's a very troublesome Konoha shinobi. I thought he was dead."
Shiroishi narrowed his eyes.
The blade of the Shadow Dancer had undoubtedly pierced Minato's heart, and even with Tsunade's surgery, it was impossible to save him under those severe conditions.
Shiroishi continued reading the letter and learned what had happened.
"Mount Myoboku..."
He muttered those three words.
"Mount Myoboku?"
Shiroishi contemplated for a moment and issued a perplexing order:
"Allocate some personnel to gather books related to ancient history, especially those about legendary figures and histories like the Sage. Focus on collecting them."
…
Whirlpool Country.
The sound of blowing sand echoed in their ears.
Before them lay a ruined and desolate site.
As Chudan and his group passed by, a wall suddenly collapsed, raising a cloud of dust that made everyone involuntarily cough.
"Cough, cough. Has this place really been so heavily damaged?"
It was a town that had been reduced to ruins, and from the scale of its buildings, one could imagine how magnificent it must have been in its prime. However, with the outbreak of the war, it had become a part of history's dust.
The fate of the Uzumaki clan had also met its end here. Due to their unique sealing techniques, many clan members had been slaughtered, and some of those sealing techniques had been used by other nations. Even the remaining clan members had lived in hiding for a long time, living in the shadows like rats.
"Master Mei, can we really find something here?"
Accompanying Chudan's group was an elderly man with long, white hair. He was over seventy years old but still physically robust.
This elderly man, named Uzumaki Morimei, held the highest rank and status among the surviving members of the Uzumaki clan. However, his once red hair had begun to turn white due to the natural aging process.
"Our clan preserved many ancient books from bygone eras, including some related to sage arts, tales of sages, and the like."
Morimei replied.
"Not about history?"
In response to Chudan's puzzled expression, Elder Morimei sighed, "The events of ancient times are too distant, and many of them may not be entirely accurate. Furthermore, some have a suspicious element of exaggeration because even within the Uzumaki clan, many regarded these stories as myths rather than actual historical events."
Clearly, even he himself didn't fully believe in tales of sages and otherworldly beings.
While sage arts had some basis, the stories of sages, demons, and the like were mostly products of artistic embellishment, spread in the form of legends in this era.
"These books may not necessarily be about the Sage of Six Paths, but rather... toads, snakes, slugs, and similar creatures."
Chudan used his hands to depict the shapes of these three animals.
"The Three Great Sacred Places?"
"Yes."
"That might be a bit troublesome because the Uzumaki clan mostly inherited human history, and there is very little recorded about summoning beasts. However, our clan did make contracts with some of the Three Great Sacred Places in the past. We might find something."
Even so, Elder Morimei couldn't guarantee that they would definitely find what they were looking for.
"That's the idea. We're counting on you."
Chudan and his group followed Elder Morimei.
Though the Uzumaki clan had been wiped out, many things had been preserved, such as scrolls containing sealing techniques and various research materials. It was impossible for all of these valuable documents to be lost. Certainly, some of them had been backed up within the clan.
"We're here. This is it."
All around them were shattered walls, and the stone slabs piled up were covered in moss, making them slippery.
Chudan and his group used their natural energy to increase their physical strength, moving the piled-up stone slabs one by one. It took them half an hour, and they were all out of breath after finishing.
What was exposed was an ordinary stone slab with some wear and tear on its edges.
Chudan and the others couldn't see anything noteworthy until Elder Morimei formed seals and activated a jutsu, causing the stone slab to emit a light. Numerous runes appeared on it, floating up and revealing an underground passage.
"This used to be our clan's intelligence division. Below is where we stored and organized intelligence and documentation."
Morimei took the lead and descended the stairs.
As the electrical facilities had been damaged, it was pitch black down below.
Chudan took out a flashlight from his pocket to light their way.
At the bottom, they found a relatively spacious underground chamber. The overall space was somewhat tilted, but there were no cracks.
According to Elder Morimei, there are earthquake-resistant sealing barriers set up all around, and they can also avoid detection. In times of danger, the Uzumaki clan members could take refuge down here, so they also store a certain amount of water and food.
The amount of books stored here is astonishing, with about half of them being outdated information, only recorded up to the end of the First Great Ninja War. However, the remaining materials consist of various valuable documents.
"As for books related to legends, there are very few... Anyway, let's bring them all back for now."
Since they were unsure which one Shiroshi needed or if he needed them all, Chudan and his group began the work of moving the books. They found empty boxes and started packing the books, preparing to transport them back with their supply team not far away. They aimed to complete the work before the sun set that day.
…
Land of Demons.
They had already arrived here by taking a long sea route and bypassing most of the Wind Country's territory.
The cultural environment in the Land of Demons was quite different from the Five Great Nations. With priestesses as rulers, it seemed to add a layer of mysticism to this country.
Shiroshi arrived here but had not yet met with the priestess. Instead, he stayed at the organization's headquarters and began arranging the members of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans.
In terms of their placement, it wasn't difficult as long as they remained hidden for the time being. The only issue was that due to the organization's continuous recruitment of members in recent years, combined with the sudden influx of so many people this time, the headquarters was starting to feel crowded.
While Shiroshi was contemplating this, Rui walked in.
"What's up? Have you sorted things out over there?"
"It's mostly sorted out, but I took a look around and noticed that the space here is a bit limited."
Rui pointed out the problem.
"I've been thinking about that too."
Shiroshi took out a map of the capital of the Land of Demons. It clearly marked the residential areas, commercial districts, and military-controlled zones.
Rui was interested in this management style, which was completely different from Konoha.
In Konoha, the residential areas of ninjas and civilians were not clearly separated, and they lived mixed together. During certain times, it could be chaotic, and the allocation of resources was more complicated, making it difficult to plan efficiently.
When Shiroshi initially established the organization's headquarters in the Land of Demons, it was entirely separate from residential and commercial areas, making it clear and easy to issue orders.
To some extent, the organization Shiroshi founded was one of the military forces of the Land of Demons. It also assisted the officials of the Land of Demons capital in managing security issues within the city.
It had a semi-official organizational structure.
However, the fact that the priestess readily agreed to this was unexpected for Shiroshi.
He only knew that Rui's parents played a significant role in this. According to Rui, when she was very young, her parents had already begun operating under aliases within the Land of Demons, establishing the Purple Orchid Trading Company, representing the Land of Demons officially. The Purple Orchid Pharmaceutical and Technological Company, later founded by Shiroshi, also fell under the jurisdiction of the company.
Thinking about it, the relationship between Rui's parents and the Land of Demons priestess was probably not as simple as it seemed. This directly interfered with the official power structure of the Land of Demons.
"Next, I plan to expand the size of the organization's headquarters. Also, it's time to give the organization a name. We can't keep hiding underground forever. It's not all bad to expose ourselves to the surface when appropriate."
Continuously hiding would make things seem abnormal and raise suspicion. On the contrary, showing a portion of their strength would make people relax their guard.
Of course, some sensitive matters within the organization couldn't be revealed, such as the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Uzumaki clans.
"For this matter, we need the priestess's permission."
"I'll visit her later. There are many plans ahead that will also require her support."
Rui nodded in agreement.
"By the way, is there anything taboo about that priestess?"
"Taboo? I haven't heard of any. I only know that she has the ability to see the future, and it seems that her predictions about life and death are always accurate."
"...That ability sounds quite ominous."
Predicting life and death... No matter how you looked at it, it would give people a chill down their spine. Moreover, being always accurate... honestly, that was quite terrifying.
"Right, before you go see the priestess, why don't you pay a visit to my mother? She has something to discuss with you."
"Your mother?"
Shiroshi was taken aback.
"Yeah, but don't take what she says too seriously. She has a terrible personality and isn't very serious."
As Shiroshi stood still, Rui reminded him.
…
Rui's mother is named Uchiha Miyoko.
To be honest, Shiroshi had met her only a few times. Whenever she visited Konoha to see Rui in the past, it was often irregular and without any particular pattern. Shiroshi's impression of her was that she was wealthy, dressed extravagantly, had an unconventional and unserious demeanor, and was a beautiful woman.
At a high-end residence in the capital of the Land of Demons, Uchiha Miyoko was dressed in an elegant black kimono, her hair neatly arranged, her skin fair. She held a paper fan and appeared to be in her early thirties, but she looked like a young woman in her twenties, and Shiroshi believed it.
When Shiroshi arrived and hadn't said a word yet, she already spoke with a mischievous smile.
"You and Rui, you've been intimate, haven't you?"
Cough!
Shiroshi coughed violently, choking on the tea he had just sipped. He had thought of many possible topics of conversation, but he definitely didn't expect Miyoko to lead with such a question.
"Oh my, are you blushing? What a cute reaction. It's more fun when boys are shy like this."
"Well, I'm not really... shy."
"Don't deny it, there's nothing to be shy about, you know. You see, when I was as young as Rui, she was already two or three years old. But if I had to guess, I'd say Rui is at the top as she is the more active one."
She seemed rather certain about this matter.
"..."
Shiroshi had no words to comment on this woman's thought process.
Seeing Shiroshi's bewildered expression, Miyoko giggled, clearly taking delight in it.
Just as Rui had described, she had a terrible personality.
"Please, could you refrain from teasing me? Is there something you wanted to discuss with me? There are a lot of matters I need to attend to."
Shiroshi shook his head with a wry smile, ending the lowbrow conversation topic. Despite her elegant and noble appearance, this woman had quite a mischievous and unconventional personality.
"Don't worry, we've agreed to your marriage with Rui. After all, it's a choice Rui made for herself. If we were to oppose or stop her, that child would definitely come up and give us each a punch."
Miyoko tapped her head with the paper fan, looking somewhat helpless.
Is that really the only reason you're not opposing it? It feels rather casual. Shiroshi sighed inwardly.
"Alright, let's put the previous topic to rest. Now, let's talk about business."
Upon hearing Miyoko's words, Shiroshi sat up attentively, ready to listen.
Miyoko took out a glass vial from her clothing, containing a pair of crimson eyeballs.
The eyeballs bore complex black patterns that Shiroshi had never seen before.
"Are these Sharingan eyes?"
Shiroshi asked, somewhat uncertain.
"More accurately, they're called Mangekyō Sharingan, an advanced form beyond the ordinary Sharingan."
Miyoko said with a light tone, watching Shiroshi's reaction with an interesting smile.
"!?"
Mangekyō Sharingan?
Surprise filled Shiroshi's eyes.
"It's quite incredible, isn't it? These eyes do exist, but they're not as miraculous as you might imagine. Forbidden powers often come with many risks."
Miyoko said, pushing the glass vial toward Shiroshi.
"What is this for?"
Shiroshi didn't understand Miyoko's intention.
"This is something someone entrusted me to give to you, hoping it might assist you in your research. I'll also send you more information about these eyes later."
"May I ask who the owner of these eyes is?"
As far as he knew, no one from the Uchiha clan had awakened these eyes.
"I absolutely won't reveal what I promised someone else. However, you can go ask others. If the Land of Demons priestess doesn't mind, she might tell you something."
"The priestess?"
"I'm not sure if it's true, but I've heard that the previous-generation priestess of the Land of Demons once performed a 'purification' ceremony for the owner of these eyes. However, whether this is true or not, I've only heard it from others. You don't need to take it too seriously."
After Miyoko finished speaking, she elegantly lifted the teacup in front of her, savoring the aroma of the tea inside, and remained silent.
It seemed impossible to get any answers from here.
Shiroshi picked up the glass vial and gazed at the pair of crimson eyes within it. Even though he wasn't an Uchiha ninja, he could sense the dangerous power lurking within these eyes, a power capable of manipulating hearts.
Shiroshi thought about Rui's parents, who had established a solid foundation within the Land of Demons when Rui was very young, and were able to influence the country's official decisions. This was not something an ordinary merchant could achieve.
Perhaps the relationship between the Land of Demons priestess and the Uchiha clan was more complex than he had imagined.
…
The priestess of the Land of Demons possessed incredibly mysterious powers passed down through the generations.
One was the ability to seal demons.
The other was the power to foresee the future and decide the fate of mortals.
The matter of sealing demons was too bizarre, but the power to foresee the future and determine life and death was widely known throughout the Land of Demons and neighboring countries.
If you asked the nobles and commoners of the Land of Demons, they would all tell you that the priestess's ability to predict the future had an accuracy rate of one hundred percent. To this day, there had been no failures.
To the people of the Land of Demons, the priestess was seen as sacred, mysterious, a messenger of the gods.
In this country without prominent leaders, the priestess served as the leader, making her an exception in the ninja world.
Crossing through the red torii gates and walking up the mountain path, the shrine where the current priestess, Miroku, resided was located at the highest point of the mountain path. From this vantage point, one could see the entire cityscape of the capital.
As the sky darkened, the sunset painted the western horizon in a beautiful twilight.
Guided by a priestess's attendant, Shiroshi climbed the steps along the mountain path.
After ascending the long staircase, he finally reached the shrine's location.
In front of the shrine, there were rows of red torii gates, perched in front with birds resting on them.
The massive building was constructed on a grand platform and resembled more of a palace than a shrine.
Considering it was the residence of the highest priestess in the Land of Demons, such a magnificent palace seemed reasonable.
However, there was a notable lack of people here, and the guards were sparse.
For someone of the priestess's status, there should have been more guards to protect her.
Or was there some hidden reason behind this?
Without dwelling on it too much, Shiroshi followed the priestess attendant, who was dressed in priestess attire, and entered the palace. Walking along the palace's long corridor, the trees in the courtyard and the twilight complemented each other beautifully, creating a calming atmosphere.
Could it be the priestess's influence? Shiroshi wondered.
This strange change in his state of mind was undoubtedly due to some peculiar power at work here. Residing in this place seemed to bring a primal sense of tranquility and connection to nature.
"Father..."
The voice of the Shadow Dancer reached his ears.
She also felt that something was amiss.
"Don't worry, the other party means no harm."
Shiroshi reassured the Shadow Dancer. Although he didn't know why he thought that way, he subconsciously judged that there was no danger in front of the priestess of the Land of Demons.
As they reached the main hall, the grand doors were wide open, allowing for ventilation. Inside, the smooth wooden floors were laid out, with folding screens on both sides and sturdy, beautifully adorned pillars supporting the palace. The design was exquisite and appealing.
Just the way it was arranged indicated the tremendous wealth of the current Miroku priestess.
In comparison, landmarks in Konoha, such as the Police Headquarters and the Hokage's Building, seemed rather unimpressive.
At the spacious sitting platform in the forefront of the main hall, only a young woman dressed in luxurious priestess attire knelt there. Her bright and gentle gaze gave off an unfathomable depth, as if she could see through people's hearts.
The current priestess of the Land of Demons, Miroku.
After the maid withdrew, a profound silence enveloped the hall.
Not even a single guard was assigned to her, indicating the priestess's absolute confidence in her own abilities.
When their gazes met, Shiroshi naturally raised his head and locked eyes with the priestess.
For some reason, when he looked directly at this priestess, Shiroshi felt like he wasn't facing a human being.
(Chapter End)