It was early morning. As usual, Hiko sat in a small eatery not far from the Ninja Academy, quietly eating his breakfast while keeping an eye on the street with casual indifference.
Only when a young boy wearing the Uchiha clan crest, backpack slung over his shoulders, walked through the academy gates did Hiko finally look away.
"Replication successful. Gained a trace of Indra's chakra. Proceed with fusion?"
"Proceed," Hiko answered silently in his mind.
He set down his bamboo chopsticks, left some coins on the table, and stood up to leave.
Unbeknownst to him, in the shadow of a nearby alley, a masked ANBU agent withdrew swiftly and made for the Hokage's office to report.
"Lord Hokage, Uchiha Hiko had breakfast at the usual spot across from the Ninja Academy. He left immediately after Uchiha Sasuke entered the school. No unusual activity."
"Good work."
The Third Hokage took a long drag from his pipe, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke with a heavy sigh.
He couldn't quite figure out what was with Hiko's dogged insistence on eating breakfast at the same place, every single day without fail.
What was his goal?
Was he there for Sasuke… or Naruto?
As long as the academy was in session, Hiko would show up like clockwork.
This inexplicable routine put the already jittery Hokage even more on edge.
He'd ordered ANBU to tail and monitor Hiko months ago—and what he thought would be a brief surveillance operation had dragged on for half a year.
"You've earned a break. While you're at it, have Shisui report to me."
After a brief silence, the Hokage put down his pipe and gave the order.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
The kneeling ANBU bowed and vanished in a flash.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of the nerves he was fraying in the Hokage's office, Hiko stretched lazily and strolled toward the Konoha Police Force HQ.
"Another day, another crit reward," he muttered, whistling contentedly.
Hiko had been in the Naruto world for six months now, and he still didn't know how the hell it had happened.
One moment he was pulling a late night at the office, printing out documents for his boss, and the next—blackout. When he came to, he wasn't in his office anymore.
He'd transmigrated. Into the Naruto world.
And not just that—he'd become a member of the Uchiha clan.
To make things worse, the Nine-Tails attack was already years in the past. The Uchiha massacre? Just three years away.
Whether it had something to do with the files he was printing before the blackout, he didn't know. But his cheat ability—his "golden finger"—was absurdly bizarre.
It had only two functions: Replicate, and Fuse.
If he used Replicate on someone, he could randomly obtain something—like a bit of Sharingan power, some taijutsu or kenjutsu training experience, or even a crit reward: a sliver of Indra's chakra… or Ashura's.
That's why he made a point to show up whenever the academy was open.
He needed Sasuke and Naruto as his daily replication targets.
"Captain."
On the second floor of the Police Force building, Hiko pushed open the door to the break room. The officers inside stood up quickly to greet him.
"At ease, fellas. Chill, relax, just don't get caught slacking by the big boss."
Hiko smiled warmly and waved a hand casually.
"By the way—has Personnel filled in the missing recruits yet?"
"Personnel says the background checks are underway. Once they're cleared, they'll join our squads."
"Alright, then. Carry on. And don't forget to stick to your patrol schedules."
With that, Hiko headed into his private office—one of the perks of being a squad captain in the Police Force.
As the door closed behind him, the mood outside returned to normal—chatting, tea-sipping, all the usual banter.
But elsewhere, Shisui Uchiha—also a squad captain—was making his way to the Hokage's office, a sense of unease weighing heavy in his chest.
Ever since he became a double agent—serving both his clan and the village—Shisui hadn't had a peaceful day.
One day he feared the village might strike against the Uchiha, the next he was worried the clan's hardliners were pushing for a coup.
Every time he had to report to the Hokage or another village leader, it was pure mental torture.
Please let nothing be seriously wrong this time, he prayed silently.
When he reached the Hokage Tower, he took a deep breath and knocked on the office door.
"Come in."
Permission granted, Shisui opened the door and bowed respectfully to the old man at the desk. "Lord Hokage."
The Third Hokage set down his paperwork, and the calm expression he wore a moment ago turned stern.
The change made Shisui's stomach drop.
That face always meant bad news about the clan.
"Shisui."
The Hokage paused, then continued:
"There's something I need to ask you about."
Shisui bowed his head. "Please, go ahead, Lord Hokage."
The Hokage nodded slightly, pleased with Shisui's respectful tone.
"According to ANBU reports, Uchiha Hiko, one of the Police Force captains, has been frequenting the area around the Ninja Academy. He seems to be trying to get close to Naruto."
When investigating someone, the key was always to start with a plausible excuse. The Third Hokage was a master at it.
"What? Hiko?"
Just as the Hokage expected, Shisui was stunned. Confusion flashed across his face, followed by disbelief.
Everyone in the Uchiha clan knew about Hiko's habit of eating breakfast near the academy—it had gone on for over six months now.
At first, even Shisui was suspicious. He tailed Hiko for a while… only to find the guy really was just eating.
And only when the academy was in session, for some reason Shisui still hadn't figured out.
As for getting close to Naruto? That was complete nonsense.
Hiko had never gotten within a hundred meters of the kid.
Even if they happened to cross paths on patrol, he'd make sure to detour away.
"Was this an internal arrangement from the Uchiha? Or is this something Hiko is doing on his own?"
"Lord Hokage," Shisui said urgently. "The clan has never made such arrangements, nor has anyone been instructed to approach Naruto. Hiko's breakfast spot is just a personal routine. It's been half a year now. I even investigated it myself. Other than eating, he's done nothing unusual."
Shisui couldn't throw Hiko under the bus over something like this.
The truth was the truth. If it existed, he'd report it. If not, he wouldn't invent it.
"I see."
The Third Hokage frowned slightly. He could tell Shisui was telling the truth.
And honestly, Hiko hadn't done anything sketchy. He had no reason to get near Naruto.
After all, his cheat ability worked at a distance—no need to get close and trigger any red flags.
The Hokage had called Shisui in not just to fish for intel, but to send a subtle warning—Hiko better not overstep his bounds.
"Sigh..."
The Hokage's sudden sigh made Shisui's heart leap into his throat.