Chapter 23 Departure
After the induction ceremony, the newly joined security team members happily went home with the ninjutsu scrolls handed out by their vice-captain.
Back in his office, Uchiha Touhuan saw Fugaku sitting in his chair with a dark expression.
"Touhuan..."
"Elder Fugaku, I'll bring back even more money this time." Uchiha Touhuan had already guessed that Fugaku would bring up money; after all, the 6,000 ryo travel allowance he had promised was no small sum, and with his salary, the money from the Yamanaka clan wouldn't last long. So he spoke directly.
"Which clan this time? Utatane? Or the Mitomon?" Uchiha Fugaku asked curiously.
"Ninja clans? What's a ninja clan worth?" Uchiha Touhuan chuckled. "Why not be a little bolder, Elder Fugaku? In our ninja world, who's the richest?"
Fugaku's pupils constricted. He hadn't expected Touhuan to be so audacious. This was a direct challenge to the existing rules of the ninja world. Compared to what he was about to do, the Uchiha's armed rebellion in the village seemed like child's play.
Seeing Touhuan's smile, Fugaku wanted to stop him, but thinking of the increasingly clear future his Mangekyō Sharingan saw—a future far surpassing their ancestors' glory—he suppressed his thoughts, only reminding him, "Be careful."
"I will. Then, Elder Fugaku, please take good care of the security department while I'm away," Touhuan said.
"I understand." Fugaku nodded, rising to leave Touhuan's office.
"By the way, Elder Fugaku, have someone send ten million ryo to me later. It's in cash; I need it for a mission," Uchiha Touhuan said.
"Ten million? That much? What are you planning to do with it?" Fugaku was somewhat surprised. What kind of mission required ten million ryo?
"It has nothing to do with the mission itself. This mission isn't important," Touhuan said. "What's important is that the ninjas who participate in the mission feel the kindness of the Uchiha."
"Alright, I'll have someone send it to you in a bit," Fugaku nodded, then turned and left the office.
After sitting in the office for a while, Fugaku sent someone to deliver the ten million ryo. After receiving the money, Touhuan sealed it with a sealing scroll and then packed up to go home.
But at the entrance of the Security Department, Touhuan saw an unexpected person: Uchiha Shisui was waiting for him in front of the Security Department gate.
"Let's chat?" Uchiha Touhuan raised an eyebrow, extending an invitation to this genius who had once been his equal in the clan.
Uchiha Shisui nodded and followed Touhuan.
Under the setting sun, the two walked together towards the clan's territory. Neither of them spoke first, but they strolled slowly.
Waves of children, laughing and playing, ran past them on their way home from the ninja academy. This scene touched Shisui, so he broke the silence first.
"Touhuan, what exactly is your purpose?" Uchiha Shisui asked with some difficulty.
"Didn't I tell you my purpose a long time ago?" Uchiha Touhuan said, buying two skewers of mochi from a roadside stall. He handed one to Shisui and then ate one himself.
"You only said those things to disturb my peace of mind, didn't you?" Shisui said. "Everything you did was clearly aimed at bringing the clan and the village closer together, allowing them to coexist peacefully."
"Is that so? Maybe what I said back then was true?" Uchiha Touhuan said ambiguously.
"Touhuan, it's come to this, don't lie to me anymore," Shisui said. "You were right back then, I was too arrogant. The power of Kotoamatsukami is too dangerous in my hands. A slight mistake could bring annihilation to the clan and the village."
Uchiha Touhuan looked at Shisui and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking how adorably naive his older brother was.
"By the way, why are you at the Security Headquarters today? Although you've always been on the Security Headquarters' payroll, I remember you rarely came here after you joined the Anbu," Uchiha Touhuan said.
"The Hokage sent me back, to keep an eye on the unstable elements within the clan," Uchiha Shisui said.
Hearing this, Uchiha Touhuan laughed: "So you finally remembered the spy mission the clan gave you? And, 'unstable element,' are you referring to me?"
"No." Shisui shook his head. "The Hokage-sama believes you, Touhuan, are a ninja with the Will of Fire in your heart."
Uchiha Touhuan suppressed his laughter and said, "Is that so? Anyway, I still have to thank you today. If you hadn't stepped forward, I'm afraid I would have had a hard time getting out of this."
"It's what I should do. After all, Touhuan, you're doing this for the sake of harmony between the clan and the village." Shisui said sincerely.
"Anyway, now that you're back, do your best in the Security Department." Uchiha Touhuan patted Shisui on the shoulder, encouraging him.
The two parted ways at an intersection. After returning home, Uchiha Touhuan took out a scroll from his study. The scroll contained the addresses of Fire Country nobles and wealthy merchants who had close ties to the Shimura clan, which the interrogation department had obtained over the past few days.
After marking several locations they would pass through on this mission, Uchiha Touhuan put the scroll away and began checking the ninja tools they would need.
...
The night passed, and early the next morning, Uchiha Touhuan met Uchiha Inahisa and Uchiha Zaito, who were already waiting at the entrance of the clan compound.
After the three met, they headed towards the village entrance.
When the three arrived, the other members of the mission had already assembled at the village entrance.
Although there weren't many people, they had still divided into several small groups.
Two commoners without ninja clan backgrounds huddled together, two ninjas from the Utatane and Mitomon clans mingled together, while Gekko Hayate, a ninja from a minor clan, was chatting with his lover, Uzuki Yugao, while petting a large, jet-black dog.
As for the two Hyuga clan members who had been conscripted, they stood alone, exuding an air of superiority.
Meanwhile, Kakashi, the captain of this mission, was squatting under the eaves of a small shop at the village entrance that hadn't opened yet, engrossed in flipping through a small copy of Liu Bei's works.
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(End of Chapter)