Whoosh!
Kaede returned to his residence.
By now, the area had been sealed off. Anbu operatives had formed a perimeter, preventing other Konoha ninja from approaching. Inside the cordon, Rin remained on guard.
But it wasn't just her, Kakashi, and Kurenai inside the restricted zone, a number of ninja clad in Uchiha clan attire were also present. Leading them was Uchiha Fugaku.
At this moment, Fugaku was crouched between the sleeping Kurenai and Kakashi, his Sharingan spinning three tomoe, chakra flowing slowly but suddenly flickering twice.
Then he straightened up, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the three tomoe had vanished. He turned to face Kaede, who had just appeared nearby and was approaching.
"Apologies, Jōnin Kaede. The night patrol was careless, allowing this to happen. As Captain of Konoha Military Police Force, I feel responsible... I've already helped your brother and her break free from the genjutsu," Fugaku spoke respectfully.
Kaede gave a slight nod. "Thank you, Clan Leader Fugaku."
The official role of Konoha Security Force was just an excuse, Fugaku's real intention was clear. Leading part of the Uchiha here and keeping Anbu outside was a statement of allegiance.
This was a gamble on Fugaku's part.
The Uchiha clan had long been marginalized in Konoha. Even with Namikaze Minato's rise, real power still lay with Sarutobi Hiruzen, and conditions hadn't improved.
By intervening in this matter, Fugaku was making a move on the political chessboard. If Kaede lost, even with the Security Force's authority, Konoha's higher-ups would tighten their grip on the Uchiha clan.
If Kaede won, the situation might improve.
Now that Kaede was back, it meant he had won, his gamble paid off.
"What's the situation now?" Fugaku asked, his tension easing.
Kaede approached Kakashi and Kurenai, crouching beside them. He laid his hands lightly on their shoulders and answered, "Danzo is dead. I won't interfere in Konoha's affairs for a while."
Fugaku's relief was immediate, but it was followed by renewed worry. "Don't interfere?"
"Mutually." Kaede glanced at Kakashi and Kurenai, checking their condition. Then he stood and looked at Fugaku with a faint smile. "Same goes for them... My place was destroyed. Clan Leader Fugaku, could you help me out?"
Fugaku smiled and said, "It's no trouble at all. Follow me."
Kaede looked toward Rin, who was still holding chakra infused with the Three-Tails. He nodded. "You can withdraw the chakra now. Rin, wake them both up."
"Understood."
Rin finally exhaled in relief. Though Kaede had only been gone a short time, it had felt like an eternity to her, first a brief standoff with Hiruzen Sarutobi, then Anbu surrounding them, followed by Fugaku's arrival with his forces to take over and confront Anbu.
Most striking was that their opponents were not enemies from other villages, but Konoha's own higher-ups, a very different battlefield for her.
"...Hm? What's wrong?" Kurenai stirred awake, looking around in confusion. Then realization dawned. "Is this... genjutsu? What's going on?"
"It's over now," Kaede smiled at her. "But the place you were staying was destroyed. We'll move somewhere else first, and I'll explain everything later."
Kakashi had also woken up. He looked around with a puzzled expression, then his face darkened as he guessed what had happened.
He met Kaede's eyes and silently confirmed his suspicions.
Without asking right away, he stood and followed Kaede as they, along with Fugaku and the others, moved to the Uchiha clan's territory. They entered a modest but clean room, where Kakashi finally spoke.
"Was this... an operation targeting you, big brother?"
"Yeah." Kaede nodded. "It's over now."
Kakashi tensed. "Are you okay?"
Kaede smiled softly as he sat at the table. "Nothing to worry about. Just cleaned some dust that fell right in front of me."
Kakashi was left speechless.
Kaede's words made him want to retort but he didn't know where to start.
"What's the situation in the village? What about Minato-sensei?"
"Danzo is dead. I wiped out Root. I fought Minato a bit and won one round. I won't interfere in village affairs for a while. Also, the Uchiha clan is now on my side," Kaede explained calmly.
Though simple on the surface, the implications made Kurenai's mouth drop slightly, and Kakashi was shocked. It took them some time to calm down.
"So Danzo acted because he feared your power... And now you're completely split with Minato-sensei," Kakashi said, voice low as he stared at the ground.
Though he had anticipated it, the break between Kaede and Konoha's power structure, and the rift with Minato, still hurt. After all, he was caught in the middle.
"What about me now?" Kakashi asked Kaede, looking for guidance.
If the split with Minato was inevitable, Kakashi had no choice but to stand by his brother.
"Just keep being a Jōnin of Konoha," Kaede said with a light smile. "Feel free to show Minato your stance. Don't worry about it, life in the village stays the same as before. Minato and I just differ in ideals, and with the recent changes, there won't be more conflicts."
Relieved by Kaede's words, Kakashi exhaled deeply.
This outcome was far better than he had feared.
His worst case had been a civil war for the Hokage title that would plunge Konoha into chaos.
It seemed neither Minato nor Kaede wanted that. Though it was regrettable they couldn't work together, this was a result he could accept.
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