Chapter 96: Save the Clan or Secure the Bag?
It was midday.
Braving the warm sunlight, Uchiha Tsukasa walked out of the izakaya.
He walked through the quiet alleys, passing hidden ninja in straw hats, each one carrying a mission scroll.
He emerged onto the seemingly bustling streets of Yugakure Castle Town.
The lively voices and peaceful surroundings made him feel like he'd stepped into another world—as if one moment he was struggling for survival in the thrilling Shinobi World War, and the next he was immersed in the daily life of a peaceful city.
At that moment, he had two new items in his pocket.
One was a forehead protector proving his identity as a Konoha ninja, and the other was his ninja registration card, also confirming his Konoha ninja status.
However, this ID was slightly different:
Uchiha Tsukasa.
Rank: Chūnin.
Ninja Number: 009888.
Completed Missions: One S-rank, 855 D-rank.
It was clear that Tsukasa had been promoted—inexplicably becoming a chūnin.
He also had an S-rank mission listed on his record.
Konoha had transformed the Uchiha Clan's mission—originally intended to support Hell Valley—into an official Konoha Village mission.
This was clearly no coincidence.
Before Minato Namikaze's rise as the Yellow Flash would terrorize the ninja world, Orochimaru—the heir apparent of the Hokage lineage and currently considered by Hiruzen Sarutobi as his successor and potential Fourth Hokage—had sought to take an Uchiha as his apprentice.
Furthermore, during the sensitive period of the Shinobi War, even if both Orochimaru and the Uchiha agreed, the Third Hokage and the village elders would have struggled to approve it—especially with Danzō Shimura present, that Root elder who held a grudge against the Uchiha Clan.
Both sides must have paid a significant price to accomplish this.
Tsukasa didn't know what Orochimaru paid, but he speculated that the Uchiha Clan's payment included relinquishing the lucrative commission they'd accepted from the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning—an annual contract worth tens of millions of ryō.
The thought of this gave Tsukasa a headache.
Orochimaru had his sights set on Tsukasa's body for research, but the Uchiha clan members valued him and prevented direct seizure, so he tried finding a roundabout way to obtain it.
The Uchiha clan misunderstood Orochimaru's actions—first saving him, then accepting him as a disciple—believing he was showing goodwill toward the Uchiha. So they invested heavily, pushing Tsukasa into the Hokage faction.
This mutual misunderstanding led to this outrageous situation.
With both the Uchiha clan and Root backing him, would Orochimaru still defect? Would Minato Namikaze still become the Fourth Hokage?
Another way to think about it: if Orochimaru didn't defect, with Orochimaru's support, would the Uchiha clan still be forced to stage their coup?
What the hell is going on?
Tsukasa internally cursed. He had no intention of saving the Uchiha clan—he was just trying to secure his insurance payout!
Why did the plot take such a drastic turn?
Unwittingly, as the middleman, he had inexplicably shouldered the fate of his entire clan.
Yet only he knew this, while Orochimaru and the Uchiha clan—each thinking they'd profited—smirked in satisfaction.
Thus, the pressure fell squarely on Tsukasa's shoulders.
He now faced a serious dilemma:
To save the clan, or not?
If he did, he'd have to maintain his status as a Sannin's disciple while guarding against sudden attacks from his beloved teacher. He'd also have to guide Orochimaru's research onto the right path, support his campaign for Fourth Hokage, suppress internal discord within the clan, negotiate with Danzō—Konoha's master scapegoat—and guard against betrayal by his own so-called loyal followers.
Damn, what a hassle!
Tsukasa decisively chose option two!
He might as well continue his insurance fraud scheme.
What did all this political intrigue have to do with a chūnin just passing through, hoping for death?
With this thought, Tsukasa felt a sudden sense of relief, and his vision of the path ahead became crystal clear.
After being accepted as Orochimaru's disciple, it was no surprise that he'd soon be backstabbed by his teacher.
When that time came, he'd find the right opportunity and just let it happen!
Wouldn't it be wonderful to go home with 500 million ryō?
Tsukasa chuckled, embracing the warm sunlight as he began enjoying a moment of leisure in the bustling city of Yugakure.
On his way out, he'd borrowed 100,000 ryō from Seiichiro.
Remember, this isn't Konoha anymore!
Without those pesky Byakugan users and Inuzuka tracking dogs, I can walk right into the hot spring district without even needing a transformation jutsu!
Elsewhere, in the tallest six-story observation tower on Yugakure's largest entertainment street, Kabukichō—
Mei Terumi leaned against the doorframe in the corridor, yawning lazily and stretching.
Her figure swayed gracefully in the sunlight, drawing the gazes of passersby below.
Three days ago, she had led Mangetsu Hōzuki—who had willingly accepted the seal—to the location where Yagura Karatachi had left his marker.
It was here, in Kabukichō, within the largest hot spring entertainment district in all of the Land of Hot Water.
Mangetsu had entered the room to meet Yagura, and soon after, a heated argument had erupted from within.
For three days, no one had emerged.
If the food delivered daily hadn't been eaten, Mei would have thought Yagura and Mangetsu had starved to death in there.
The young Mei desperately wanted to contribute to the cause of saving Kirigakure, but the terms used in their argument were too complex. Without having formally experienced Kirigakure's politics, she struggled to fully grasp their conversation.
She could only understand the gist of it:
Their disagreement about the coup centered around Mangetsu's suggestion of "eliminating both the Daimyō and the Third Mizukage together."
Yagura would immediately retort, practically spitting in Mangetsu's face:
"Are you insane? Who's going to fund the village after assassinating the Daimyō? You? Your Hōzuki family?"
Then the two would engage in tangled discussions ranging from border defenses to ideals for a new political system.
Neither could convince the other.
Mei could tell that Mangetsu's arguments were rooted in Uchiha Tsukasa's radical words.
During these moments, she couldn't help but think of that brave young man.
Mei, her cheeks resting on her hands, leaned against the railing, her gaze wandering aimlessly as her thoughts centered on Tsukasa.
Every now and then, her face would flush, and she'd take a few deep breaths, feeling her resolve weaken.
What became of him after leaving the Jashin Cult's hideout?
Is he still alive?
Did he rescue Hidan?
Where is he now?
Suddenly, Mei blinked—the image of Tsukasa seemed to materialize before her.
She quickly patted her cheeks and rubbed her eyes, thinking:
Mei Terumi, you can't continue this foolishness.
You're supposed to be a powerful kunoichi working to save Kirigakure. You can't spend all your time thinking about a boy from another village.
But it was difficult not to think about him—like expecting excitement without any reason for it.
Well, I'll think about him... ten times a day at most!
However, after rubbing her emerald green eyes, the figure of the boy before her not only didn't fade—it became even clearer.
Mei was startled and looked down to the street below.
She saw a furtive-looking boy clutching what appeared to be a 100,000 ryō bill, his steps cautious like a cat's, nervously pacing in front of the establishment's entrance with sweat on his forehead.
The boy's eyes darted around anxiously as he swallowed nervously.
Then, with a trembling hand, he reached out toward a hostess standing on the street greeting customers, smoothed his hair, and flashed what he clearly thought was a charming smile.
"Hi~!"
Mei's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpricks!
"TSU-KA-SA U-CHI-HA!"
*End of Chapter 96
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