Although the task of killing the two elders was difficult, Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Jin accepted the mission without hesitation.
"Don't worry, I'll assign some people to assist you. Remember, don't let yourselves be exposed," Kisaragi instructed.
He didn't want anyone to know that he had sent people to assassinate the two elders.
"Understood, Lord Kisaragi," they responded.
In reality, killing the two elders wasn't the hard part. The second and third elders of the Uchiha Clan might have been strong in their youth, at least reaching the level of Elite Jōnin. But now, they were older than the late patriarch Uchiha Nagisa, and their strength had significantly declined, likely no more than standard Jōnin at best.
Given the strength of Uchiha Jin and Uchiha Shin, it wasn't difficult to eliminate them. The real challenge was to ensure that no one knew it was them.
"I hope the two of them won't disappoint me," Kisaragi thought.
If he had handled the task personally, those two old men would have been dealt with easily and discreetly, with no risk of exposure. But if Kisaragi did everything himself, what was the point of having subordinates?
If they could carry out this mission smoothly, Kisaragi would certainly reward them generously.
…
[Ding! Ordered the assassination of the two elders. Reward: 50 Explosive Tags, Evil Points +2000]
After waiting for two hours, Kisaragi heard the system notification indicating he had received the reward, signaling that the mission had been a success.
However, he wasn't entirely satisfied with the reward. It seemed that he would need to visit Uchiha Mikoto soon.
A few minutes later, Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Jin returned.
"Lord Kisaragi, the mission is complete. We made sure not to leave any evidence behind."
"Good, I see. You both did well. Here's a B-rank Fire Style ninjutsu scroll, Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation. Study it well, and burn the scroll after you've memorized it," Kisaragi handed them the scroll.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation, the lost technique!"
The two of them were ecstatic. This Fire Style jutsu had been lost to the Uchiha Clan for a long time, and it was an extremely powerful offensive technique.
Even though it was a B-rank ninjutsu, it could display power comparable to that of an A-rank or even S-rank technique when used by a skilled practitioner.
In general, the ranking of ninjutsu reflects the difficulty of learning it, but typically, the higher the rank, the more powerful the jutsu. So it was true that higher-ranked jutsu tend to be more destructive.
"Now, leave, and make sure to dispose of any weapons used in the assassination," Kisaragi instructed.
After they left, Kisaragi began training his chakra once more. His daily training had never ceased. Even before awakening the system, he had managed to reach near-Kage-level strength through sheer effort.
Now, having reached Kage-level, Kisaragi's chakra reserves had multiplied tenfold. Not only had the quantity increased, but the quality had improved significantly as well.
Executing the same jutsu with the same chakra expenditure now produced far greater results than before.
"I should find a remote place to try out Ryūjin Jakka's Shikai one day."
After finishing his chakra refinement, Kisaragi wiped down his Ryūjin Jakka sword. Now that he had reached Kage-level, he was finally qualified to perform Shikai. Once Shikai was activated, he felt confident he could incinerate even the strongest Kage-level opponents to ashes.
The next day, Kisaragi went to a private training ground to practice Chidori and Great Fire Annihilation. Ninjutsu purchased from the system didn't need to be learned; it was as if he had already mastered them.
However, Kisaragi refrained from testing Ryūjin Jakka, as it was one of his trump cards. Even if it was just in Shikai form, Ryūjin Jakka was a force to be reckoned with. If he could sustain it long enough, Kisaragi believed he could even challenge those at the super Kage-level.
Revealing one's trump card too early, especially as a ninja, was a death sentence.
Afterward, Kisaragi practiced some taijutsu and swordsmanship.
But before he could finish his training, someone came to see him.
The bodies of the second and third elders had finally been discovered!
At the residence of the two elders, Uchiha Fugaku stood with a dark expression, his face contorted in fury that could frighten any child.
"Who could have done this? Who would dare to kill two elders of our Uchiha Clan? Whoever it is, I swear, I will not let them go unpunished!" Kisaragi entered with righteous indignation, his voice full of anger.
Uchiha Shin, who was in the know, couldn't help but admire Kisaragi's impeccable acting skills.
"Captain Kisaragi, do you really not know who did this?" Uchiha Bob asked coldly, his eyes fixed on him.
Though there was no evidence, Uchiha Rin suspected that Kisaragi was behind it.
"If I knew who it was, I would have already caught the culprit!" Kisaragi replied, his tone indifferent.
"The two elders dedicated their lives to the Clan, and to have them assassinated like this is unforgivable. We must find the murderer and bring them to justice!" Kisaragi declared passionately.
"Yes, we cannot let this crime go unpunished!" other clan members echoed.
Uchiha Fugaku stared daggers at Kisaragi, his eyes full of hatred. If looks could kill, Kisaragi would have died a thousand deaths.
"As captain of the Konoha Police Force, I take full responsibility. The fact that the elders were killed is a failure on my part," Kisaragi said with an air of guilt.
"Captain, you're too hard on yourself. The culprits who assassinated the elders are too cunning. This wasn't your fault," Uchiha Shin quickly interjected, playing his part perfectly.
The two were like actors on a stage, performing a perfect double act.
"Everyone," Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward, his voice full of resolve. "I suspect that the murderer may be hiding among us, within the Uchiha Clan itself."
It was clear that Uchiha Fugaku was directing this accusation at Kisaragi. He was certain that Kisaragi was behind the deaths of the elders.
"Lord Fugaku, that's a serious accusation," one clan member protested.
"I refuse to believe it! The elders must have been killed by someone outside the clan, not one of our own!" another added.
"Do you have any evidence to support such a claim?" others asked.
"…"
Fugaku's words sparked outrage among the clan members. Accusing someone within the clan of such a heinous crime was no small matter.
Uchiha Bob, observing the situation, frowned. Fugaku is being too rash, he thought to himself. He was sure Kisaragi was involved, but since no evidence was left behind, the matter was best left alone for now.
"Search the entire Uchiha district. Even if we have to scour every corner of Konoha, we will find the murderer. I don't believe they could have left no trace at all!" Fugaku ordered, his gaze fixed on Kisaragi.
Ninjas had strong investigative skills, and even from corpses, they could extract useful information. Fugaku refused to believe that Kisaragi could have covered all his tracks. Even if Kisaragi didn't carry out the killings himself, he was certain that Kisaragi had ordered it.
At the very least, Fugaku would make sure that Kisaragi would suffer, even if he couldn't expose him directly