In the Hokage Tower office, the Third Hokage paced back and forth.
So much time had passed, yet there was still no word from Shisui and his team. A heavy sense of foreboding gnawed at him.
"Could the mission have failed? No… impossible. With Shisui's strength, failure isn't an option! "
Uchiha Shisui, wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, possessed power surpassing most Kage. Even now, the Third wasn't certain he could defeat Shisui in a fight.
He couldn't imagine Shisui losing to Uchiha Fugaku. By his calculations, Shisui should have already confronted Fugaku, completed the mission, and sent word back. Yet no message had come, leaving the Hokage deeply uneasy.
"Could Fugaku have anticipated this and sent elite Uchiha to ambush him instead? "
The thought creased his brow.
Back in the Land of Fields, Danzō's attempt to assassinate Fugaku had failed because Fugaku had been forewarned and dispatched Uchiha elites in secret. Could history be repeating itself? Had Fugaku sensed Shisui's threat and struck first with the clan's finest shinobi?
The uneasy feeling deepened. He called out to the ANBU guard stationed outside his office:
"Confirm with the operatives monitoring the Uchiha. Any unusual movement? Have large numbers of clan members—especially elite jōnin—left the village? "
"Understood."
Moments later, the messenger returned and entered the office.
"Well? " the Hokage asked quickly.
"All is normal within the Uchiha clan. Some members have left on standard missions, but nothing unusual. Several elite jōnin, including Uchiha Hoshi, who returned not long ago, remain in the village," the ANBU reported.
The Hokage exhaled in relief, yet his confusion only deepened.
If no major Uchiha forces had mobilized, it meant Fugaku hadn't detected Shisui's plan. Given Shisui's overwhelming strength, success should have been assured.
"Then why… after all this time… no report? "
"Something must have happened! "
His expression hardened. Some unforeseen event must have disrupted everything, delaying all communication.
"Dispatch three ANBU teams skilled in tracking. Search along the road to the Daimyō's residence for Shisui's Crow Squad."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
The ANBU vanished to carry out his command. Moments later, three teams—nine operatives in all—sped from the village toward the Daimyō's domain.
Hours later, one team reached the site where Fugaku and Shisui had clashed.
"A battle definitely took place here."
They stopped in the middle of an immense clearing in the forest, their faces tense.
Though Fugaku's group had erased most traces of jutsu—removing the skeletal forest conjured by Shikotsumyaku and melting away lingering ice—some scars could never be hidden.
Uprooted earth, shattered trees, and splintered rock bore silent witness. Returning the area to its untouched state was beyond even Fugaku's ability.
"Whoever fought here was either unimaginably powerful… or there were a great many combatants," said a middle-aged woman gravely.
Freshly overturned soil and scattered plant fragments suggested the clearing was artificially created through overwhelming force. To inflict destruction on this scale required either immense raw power or a battle involving hundreds.
"The traces are fresh. The fight ended less than six hours ago," a bull-masked ANBU said, sniffing a handful of soil.
"Given the timing and the road's location, one of the forces was likely Crow Squad," the woman muttered.
"They fought… and no message made it back to Konoha. Crow Squad may have been wiped out," said the horse-masked ANBU darkly.
"Impossible! With their strength?! "The bull-masked operative balked.
Crow was Shisui's code name; his seven-man squad carried the same. Even their weakest member was at least a jōnin, and Shisui himself possessed strength beyond most Kage.
Such a team, annihilated without even a distress signal? Unthinkable.
"Shocking, yes. But all signs point to it," the horse-masked ninja said grimly.
"Send the report."
With a sigh, the woman released a messenger hawk. It soared into the sky, orienting itself before speeding toward Konoha.
That afternoon, Fugaku arrived at the daimyō's estate with Uchiha Yui and Uchiha Akio.
Their official reason was to visit the Uchiha clan, a prominent family that had extended a formal invitation.
Fugaku, however, had an ulterior motive: luring Shisui into the open.
"Clan Leader Fugaku, welcome! "
The head of the Uchiha clan, a rotund middle-aged man named Uchiha Fugaku, beamed warmly. He was visibly honored that the Uchiha leader had come in person.
"It's been many years, Clan Leader Fugaku," Fugaku said with a courteous smile.
Though not a shinobi family, the Fugaku wielded significant political power within the Land of Fire, with many of their members holding key governmental posts.
Maintaining good relations with them served Fugaku's long-term ambitions of one day becoming Hokage.
"Indeed, it has. Please, this way," Fugaku said, practically glowing at the honor.
For the Fugaku, cultivating ties with the most powerful shinobi clan in the Land of Fire was an invaluable boon.