"Hahaha, brother, don't be angry. Yan only knocked you out because things got urgent."
Retsu chuckled at Uchiha Xingye, who was sitting behind the bars. He even poured him a cup of sake as if to lighten the mood.
Yan lifted his own cup.
"I hit too hard in the moment. Don't hold it against me. Here, I'll drink to you."
Renji chimed in with a grin.
"Xingye, you did great this time. I already filed the report. You'll definitely be promoted to squad captain. We'll be colleagues soon enough. Eat, drink, enjoy."
Xingye looked at the three captains before him. Drinks, apologies, even promises of a promotion. The resentment in his chest melted bit by bit as the liquor went down.
The table turned lively. Then Renji spoke again, his smile turning sly.
"We'll need you to endure three more days. I've already spread the word that we caught not only an Iwa spy, but also a Kumo spy who'd been locked up by Iwa. You understand what that means. Your comrades will come for you. Because you carry valuable intel."
Xingye cursed them all in his heart. These bastards would have him digging his own grave at this rate. Out loud, though, he said nothing.
Yan leaned in.
"This time is different from before. You'll stay in our custody, your chakra unsealed. Anyone approaching you that isn't Cha bringing food, you can cut them down without hesitation. Protect yourself first."
Retsu slapped his thigh and laughed.
"If this works, you'll be a hero of the clan. The patrols will hold their heads high and boast, 'Do you know Uchiha Xingye? The ace of the Uchihas, the one who crushed the spy network, the greatest contributor.'"
He stressed the last words deliberately.
Xingye's inner voice howled. The greatest contributor? More like the first corpse. But finally he nodded. "Fine. Three days. Not a day longer."
In the shadows of the village, a man in a straw hat whispered toward a well.
"We've got word one of ours was caught. Strange thing, though. The Uchihas claimed to capture an Iwa spy, but said they found a Kumo shinobi locked in the same place. Odd. That Uchiha Renji, the one you told me to watch, never leaves his comrade Yan's district. Day or night. Suspicious."
A scrap of paper floated up from the well. On it was a single word: Probe. The straw-hat man swallowed the note, took a swig of sake, and staggered off.
In a tavern, Retsu nudged Renji.
"The girl at the third table on the left looks at you a lot. Think she likes you."
Renji smirked. "No, I think she's after Xingye."
Yan grinned. "So they're biting the hook. Want me to add some bait?"
Renji shook his head. "No. The less we act, the more the secret looks real. Protect something too tightly and it shines brighter."
Retsu crossed his arms. "Then let's see how they plan to strike. Charging in outright would be insane."
"We'll find out soon enough."
"Three days? You said three days! It's been ten! My body's wasting away lying here. At least hang me from the ceiling so I can stretch my legs!" Xingye's patience finally broke, thrashing against the ropes binding him to the bed.
Retsu waved him down.
"Calm yourself. This time it really is happening. Scouts have already tested the waters. Just close your eyes, brother. When you open them, it'll be over."
Yan covered his face, embarrassed. Even he couldn't blame Xingye. Anyone would be breaking after so long. Renji, for once, stayed quiet.
Two days later, an explosion shook the district. Patrols rushed to a civilian house, sealing the streets with Uchiha guards, pretending as if nothing unusual was happening.
Night fell. Torches ignited around the house. The Uchihas formed a ring of fire. Renji stepped forward, voice sharp.
"We've been waiting for you." He gave the order.
The house erupted with the clash of jutsu and steel. Moments later it was over. Ming walked out holding a captive. Behind him stumbled Xingye, dragging two corpses, his expression tight and shaken.
The cleansing campaign had reached its end. The three squads had executed the plan flawlessly. Spirits soared. On an open patch of ground, the Uchihas lit a bonfire and held a feast.
Renji stood and raised his cup.
"Brothers, tonight we honor Xingye. Alone he braved the enemy's lair. While others begged to trade places, he refused again and again. He endured until the mission was done, until he returned to us with victory in hand. This is what it means to be Uchiha. This is our pride."
The clan roared their approval. Xingye, flushed and dizzy from praise, waved his hands.
"No, no, it wasn't that much. Really. Don't say it like that… haha, well, maybe just a little."
Ming stood and made it official.
"For outstanding service in this mission, Uchiha Xingye is hereby promoted to squad captain. Once new recruits are assigned, his team will be formed."
Xingye's face burned red. He shouted with conviction,
"For the Uchiha, I will fight to the death!"
The next day, the mission report landed on the Third Hokage's desk. Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, eyes bright as he read. Before long, the three elders entered his office.
"Take a look at this," Hiruzen said, passing the report. "They call it the Cleansing Operation."
Koharu and Homura skimmed through quickly. Danzō didn't even glance, his single eye fixed only on Hiruzen.
"Danzō, you've been resting long enough," Homura said sharply. "While you sit idle, spies crawl through Konoha like termites."
Koharu added, "Even the Uchiha brats have started cleaning up the village on their own. That Xingye boy in particular… he is far too calculating for his age. Not simple at all."
Hiruzen exhaled smoke.
"Root will return to duty. Konoha is not anyone's private garden."
Danzō left the office without a word. On the stairs, his lips curled into a cold sneer. "Uchiha."
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What you have witnessed is only the surface of a deeper, blood-soaked history. Renji's fate has already been carved into the Forbidden Scrolls that the village would never reveal. To step into that future, to see the battles of tomorrow today, cross the hidden threshold.
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