Meanwhile, unaware that they were being targeted, Aizen and Minato were in a secret room outside the Uchiha compound.
"Observe carefully. Report anything unusual to me or Captain Minato immediately," Aizen, wearing a standard mask with black stripes, instructed Eiji, Jun and other direct team members.
They addressed each other by their first names rather than using code names like other Anbu members.
"Yes, sir!" Eiji and the others responded respectfully.
They remained in the room, observing the Uchiha compound's activities through specialized binoculars. Minato's direct team was stationed in another room nearby, while other team members were tasked with tailing individual Uchiha ninjas.
"Captain Aizen! Captain Aizen!"
Suddenly, a heavy figure burst through the door, shouting Aizen's name.
Aizen raised an eyebrow, sensing trouble.
"Captain Aizen, a team we were tracking got into a conflict with a group of Uchiha. Captain Minato has rushed over. He told me to inform you immediately!" Choza Akimichi exclaimed, out of breath.
Aizen nodded in understanding, then asked, "Where did the clash occur?"
"Just three blocks away from the Sakura Tavern!"
Aizen immediately turned to Eiji, the intelligence ninja, "Eiji, inform Hiashi and Hizashi's teams to converge on the Sakura Tavern. Choza and I will head there first!"
Kosuke nodded hastily, "Yes, Captain, right away!"
With that, Aizen and Choza rushed towards the scene of the incident.
Outside the Sakura Tavern, two groups were locked in a tense standoff.
One group, led by Uchiha Kai, consisted of Uchiha radicals. They were all handpicked elites, mostly Chunin-level or higher, with a few Jonin among them. Several injured and unconscious Anbu ninjas lay behind them. It was the Anbu team led by Shibi Aburame.
On the other side, Minato and his team gritted their teeth, glaring at Uchiha Kai and his group. However, they were outnumbered and slightly outmatched in strength, so Minato held back despite his concern for the safety of Shibi and the others.
"Uchiha Kai, what is the meaning of this? Why did you suddenly attack our Anbu ninjas?" Minato questioned sternly.
"Oh! You say they were Anbu? Why should I believe it? Could it be that the Anbu in this village aren't meant to protect everyone, but only to secretly monitor and follow us? Is that truly what the Anbu are for? We, the Uchiha clan, are responsible for the security of the entire village. We have the right and duty to take action against suspicious individuals who threaten the village's safety! Is there a problem with that?" Kai sneered, his voice sharp.
His words resonated with the radical Uchiha youths behind him.
"Yeah, who would believe they were Anbu?"
"Exactly! They were acting suspiciously like spies from another village. We have the right to apprehend them!"
"Absolutely! What we did was completely justified!"
Minato felt a surge of anger as he listened to the Uchiha youths' accusations. However, on the surface, Kai's statements weren't entirely wrong. While both sides were aware of the Anbu's surveillance of the Uchiha clan, that issue hadn't been openly addressed yet.
The Anbu's surveillance of the Uchiha clan was inherently unjust. Minato, as a man with a strong sense of justice, struggled to find a suitable response.
"Your doubts are irrelevant!"
Just as Minato found himself in a difficult position, two figures suddenly descended onto the scene, their gazes fixed coldly on Uchiha Kai and the others.
The leader of the two was the one who had spoken. As they landed, two Anbu ninjas with pure white eyes, each accompanied by three Anbu team members, stood respectfully behind the leader.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. The Uchiha youths warily eyed Aizen and the newcomers, their chakra subtly surging within them.
"I wonder why you consider our doubts unimportant, esteemed Anbu commander?" Kai broke the silence, stepping forward to question. Despite Zashi's promises, Kai knew that an all-out conflict with the Anbu would lead to trouble for him. His goal was to use this opportunity to teach the Anbu a lesson and humiliate Minato and Aizen.
However, Kai had underestimated the situation. Aizen and Minato were the Anbu team leaders, and their failure to defend their subordinates would undermine their leadership. Moreover, by confronting Aizen and Minato, Kai was essentially challenging the entire Hokage lineage. He had oversimplified the situation.
Aizen sneered, "Regardless of the reason, any Anbu ninja attacked will be treated as a village traitor and dealt with accordingly!"
His words stunned everyone present. Not only were Uchiha Kai and the others shocked, but even Minato and his team were taken aback.
Before anyone could react, Aizen issued a command, "Listen to my order, prepare for battle immediately, and eliminate Uchiha Kai and the other village traitors."
Just as Aizen was about to give the kill order, Kai hurriedly intervened, "Wait a minute!"
"Oh, does this Uchiha traitor have something else to say to me?" Aizen's tone softened as he glanced at Kai.
"We are not traitors!" Kai retorted through gritted teeth.
Taking a deep breath and fixing Aizen with a stern look, Kai said, "How about we each take a step back and resolve this matter peacefully? What do you think?"