Anko's one-bedroom, one-living-room apartment had become the default gathering place for Squad Five.
Though both the Uchiha clan estate and Shuji's western outskirts residence had far more space, neither offered the relaxed, unguarded atmosphere that the shinobi apartments provided. This humble place was the most suitable.
Therefore, with everyone's agreement, Shuji allocated a portion of public funds to furnish Anko's apartment with necessities it had previously lacked.
On the second day after returning to leave status, Shuji arrived at the apartment earlier than Itachi, having taken on the role of organizer.
He brought a bag of glutinous rice flour, a bottle of milk, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, toasted peanuts, and white sesame seeds.
He had grown tired of always purchasing ready-made dango from the village shops. Today an idea struck him. Why not try making them by hand? Perhaps they could discover some interesting flavor combinations.
Anko immediately responded enthusiastically to the proposal.
"The rice flour needs to be mixed with hot water," Anko said, retrieving a bowl and looking somewhat flustered.
"I think I added too much water," Shuji said, observing the overly wet paste in the bowl.
"Then just add more flour!"
After this clumsy back-and-forth, they finally managed to knead a smooth, white dough. Next came rolling it into evenly sized spheres and dropping them into boiling water to cook until they floated.
Shuji had prepared abundant toppings, giving the dango multiple options: brown sugar syrup, honey drizzle, or sprinkled crushed peanuts and sesame.
"Mmm! Homemade tastes good too!" Anko's cheeks puffed out as she ate, her eyes narrowing happily. She seemed to exist in a paradise constructed entirely of dango.
"By the way, how is your training progressing lately?" Shuji asked.
"Speed and strength have been steadily improving. The release speed and power of my snake jutsu have become much stronger than before. I've also mastered several key techniques," Anko reported matter-of-factly while chewing.
However, her tone gradually became hesitant, and her cheerful expression faded slightly.
"There's also... the cursed seal that Orochimaru left on me." Her voice lowered. She unconsciously touched the back of her neck. "He said it was like a seed of some kind of power."
She turned around, showing her back to Shuji, and slightly pulled her collar aside to reveal the cursed seal mark on her neck.
"However, the Third Hokage has already personally sealed it for me."
"Only occasionally, when I encounter things related to Orochimaru or get close to him, the mark still grows warm and resonates slightly."
The Heaven's Cursed Seal was developed by Orochimaru based on Shigure, who possessed an innate sage transformation body. It could enhance the user's power. However, the cursed seal on Anko's body in the original story never allowed her to fully enter State 1 or State 2. It was an early prototype version of Orochimaru's research.
It held little power and could only be used to sense Orochimaru's presence.
Additionally, Heaven's Cursed Seal served as a backup for Orochimaru's resurrection. It would eventually need to be dealt with.
While Shuji was considering this, a light knock at the apartment door interrupted the brief silence. Anko quickly went to open it, revealing Uchiha Itachi standing punctually outside.
"I apologize for arriving late," Itachi said calmly. His gaze swept across the room, settling on the appetizing glutinous dango on the table.
"Perfect timing, Itachi!" Anko immediately brightened and pulled him inside. "Try these. We made them ourselves!"
The three sat around the small table, sharing dango in various flavors. The atmosphere relaxed and became comfortable.
After finishing this simple tea snack, Shuji and Itachi stood to excuse themselves.
"Itachi, the notice about the Chūnin Exams should be officially announced in about a month and a half, right?"
"Yes, Senior."
Shuji's pace did not slow. His gaze remained forward, his tone flat. "Tell Fugaku that I will be waiting for him at the western outskirts residence the morning after tomorrow."
Itachi's footstep paused slightly. "Understood."
"How has your investigation been progressing?"
"The primary targets of concern have all been preliminarily verified."
"Next, you can begin making contact with the most ordinary members within the Military Police Force, especially those in administrative and logistics positions. There is no need to rush. Take it gradually."
"Yes, Senior."
Two days later, at the western outskirts residence.
Uchiha Fugaku entered this mansion for the first time since it had existed since the village's founding.
When he was led into the inner hall and saw Tsunade seated in the place of honor and Shuji seated to one side, his pupils couldn't help but contract slightly.
Shuji had not mentioned through Itachi that Tsunade would also be present.
Their last meeting had left a deep impression. Shuji's merciless sharpness—outwardly polite yet fundamentally discourteous—had struck Fugaku hard. This time, Tsunade was also here.
Uchiha Fugaku steeled himself mentally.
"Fugaku, though you've been back in the village for some time, I haven't had the chance to see you," Tsunade said.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. My apologies for the lack of proper greetings," Fugaku replied with a slight bow, his etiquette flawless, his bearing neither servile nor arrogant.
"Well then, let's skip the pleasantries." Tsunade's manner shifted to a sharpness entirely different from before. "Fugaku, regarding the death of Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze and his wife, does the Uchiha clan have any connection to this?"
It was a direct strike. Before answering, Uchiha Fugaku looked toward Shuji.
Was this a Senju habit? Did that make the First Hokage an anomaly among the Senju?
He composed himself and met Tsunade's gaze. This time, he did not choose evasion. "There is a connection. However, it was not perpetrated by any Uchiha currently residing in Konoha."
"As far as I know, the only one within the clan whose eye power could possibly reach such a level is Uchiha Shisui alone."
"However, Shisui's whereabouts that day are accounted for. It could not have been him."
He still concealed the matter regarding his own eyes, though he believed preliminary consensus had been reached with the Senju. Some matters should remain kept.
This answer caused Tsunade's fierce gaze to soften slightly.
Admitting a connection rather than continuing to clear the Uchiha of involvement at least demonstrated Uchiha Fugaku's current willingness to communicate in good faith.
"On the night of the Hidden Cloud envoy incident, did the Uchiha compound or Military Police Force discover any anomalies or traces of suspicious individuals?"
These two matters represented the most impactful incidents affecting the village in recent years. If handled incorrectly, they could drag Konoha to the brink of destruction.
"Just as after the Nine-Tails rampage, I personally verified all internal personnel movements and patrol records both on the day of the incident and afterward. I found no noteworthy irregularities or suspicious traces worth reporting."
Tsunade asked further. "If that is so, who is your primary suspect?"
Fugaku did not answer directly this time. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke slowly. "Uchiha... Madara."
Tsunade's brow furrowed instantly. "He was killed by my grandfather in the Valley of the End long ago."
"Before Madara was killed by Lord Hashirama, he had already been away from Konoha for many years. We have no way of knowing what other preparations he may have made."
Uchiha Fugaku did not support Madara. He had always believed Madara made the worst possible choice for the Uchiha clan. If not for him, as a clan that helped establish the shinobi village, the Uchiha would not have been shackled with such an indelible original sin.
Tsunade's fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the table's surface as she fell into thought.
Though this answer seemed somewhat intangible and concerned someone long dead, considering Uchiha Madara's once-terrifying strength and the unpredictability of sharingan, it was not entirely impossible.
Regardless, up to this point, her conversation with Uchiha Fugaku had been satisfactory.
"Whether or not it was him, proof is difficult to establish now," she said after a moment. "However, the village will open an investigation into this lead. Given that the opponent likely possesses sharingan and possibly even higher-level dōjutsu,"
"The Uchiha must dispatch capable personnel to participate in this investigation."
"As ANBU members."
"This is not a negotiation. It is an order."
It was also a reward. No member of the Uchiha clan had ever entered the Hokage's direct ANBU before.
In fact, ANBU was one of the means the village used to control the Uchiha. During the Second Hokage's era, it was the Konoha ANBU that discovered the signs of Uchiha Setsuna's betrayal and arrested him in time.
Uchiha Fugaku maintained an outward composure, though his heart relaxed considerably. The strategy Shuji had previously discussed with him was beginning to take concrete form.
"How many personnel does the village require?" Fugaku asked.
"Initially set at one squad, four-person formation," Tsunade stated clearly. "You will prepare a list of candidates. The final selections will be determined after review."
"I understand."
The Senju princess continued. "In exchange for promoting four individuals into ANBU, the Military Police Force must yield one squad's slot from its establishment."
"I believe you should have anticipated this, Fugaku."
Fugaku struggled internally before finally nodding.
After Uchiha Fugaku left with a complex and inexpressible mood, Tsunade looked toward Shuji.
"How likely do you think it is that what he said about Madara has merit?"
Completely, though Shuji wanted to say it directly.
Instead, he said, "Whether or not it involves Madara is unclear, but the core objective of the Uchiha within the village has never been to destroy Konoha. It has always been to truly possess it."
Tsunade indicated her agreement.
To be frank, the position Konoha granted the Uchiha was already the highest treatment any powerful ninja clan could receive under the shinobi village system. Other villages with their own ninja clans and original shareholders could not possibly offer comparable benefits.
If not for this, despite feeling excluded for long periods, the Uchiha clan would not have refrained from considering defection for decades. Instead, they had persistently pursued the highest power within the system.
"I hope this yields results," Shuji said calmly. "ANBU has numerous long-term infiltration missions, cross-border investigations, and pursuits of dangerous rogue shinobi."
"By comparison, the Military Police Force is too idle, leaving them space to think troublesome thoughts."
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