Back at Konoha Village, Uchiha Ryu felt a pang of guilt. If the others in Konoha discovered that he had killed Sarutobi Shinnosuke, his fate would be sealed.
"The traitor is back."
Uchiha Shin sneered upon hearing the news of Ryu's return, though he knew the clan's patriarch had never intended to let this traitor go. The fact that Ryu had come back suggested that he had succeeded in his mission. Sarutobi Shinnosuke was a Jōnin, and it would have been difficult for him to survive against Uchiha Ryu, an Elite Jōnin.
Ryu quietly slipped back into the Uchiha clan compound and immediately sought out Kisaragi.
"You're back already? That was fast," Kisaragi remarked casually as he looked at Ryu.
"Thud~!" Ryu suddenly knelt before Kisaragi.
"Lord Patriarch, I realize I was wrong before. Here is Sarutobi Shinnosuke's head. Please forgive me, just this once, for the sake of my mission."
He took Sarutobi Shinnosuke's severed head out of a sealed scroll. The head's eyes were wide open in death, frozen in horror.
"Forgive you?" Kisaragi sneered. "Do you think that's even possible?"
"Go home and see for yourself. I've prepared a 'gift' for you."
Ryu's face went pale. Without waiting to plead further, he used the Body Flicker Technique to rush home.
When he arrived, the scent of blood assaulted his senses, and his legs buckled beneath him as he saw the corpses of his family lying scattered on the ground. Kneeling in anguish, Ryu stared at the lifeless bodies of his loved ones. Nearby, an Uchiha ninja sat on the steps, blood dripping from his blade.
"Uchiha Shin, was this your doing?"
Ryu's grief quickly turned to fury as his Three Tomoe Sharingan locked onto Shin.
"Ryu, your biggest mistake was betraying the Uchiha clan. We do not tolerate traitors, and your family has paid the price for your betrayal," Uchiha Shin said coldly.
Ryu's fury erupted, and his Sharingan spun furiously. "Shin! I'll kill you!"
With a low growl, Ryu drew his sword and charged at Uchiha Shin.
"It's pathetic how useless you are without the Mangekyō Sharingan," Kisaragi remarked, observing from the rooftop with cold indifference.
Despite witnessing the slaughter of his family, Ryu had failed to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. Kisaragi was convinced that Ryu simply didn't possess the necessary emotional depth to unlock the power.
"Lightning Style: Chidori Blade!"
A sharp crack of thunder echoed as Kisaragi's lightning-infused blade extended, piercing through Ryu's body. The electricity coursed through him, paralyzing his cells. Ryu collapsed to the ground.
"Lord Patriarch," Uchiha Shin respectfully addressed Kisaragi, though a shiver ran down his spine. The patriarch's power seemed unfathomable. If Kisaragi hadn't intervened, Shin wasn't sure he would have been able to defeat Ryu. If the patriarch ever targeted him, he knew he would meet the same fate as Ryu.
"The stronger the patriarch, the better for the Uchiha clan," Shin thought to himself.
"You… you promised me a chance to atone!" Ryu gasped in pain, staring up at Kisaragi in despair.
Kisaragi looked down at him with mockery in his eyes. "You actually believed me? I never intended to let a traitor live. How could I deter others if I let you go?"
Ryu's eyes filled with shock and sorrow as he realized he had been used as an example—a warning to anyone who might harbor dissent against the Uchiha.
"The attack wasn't fatal. You still have one last use," Kisaragi said, glancing at Ryu. He had intentionally avoided a fatal strike.
Activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, Kisaragi cast a powerful Hypnosis on Ryu.
"Take Sarutobi Shinnosuke's head to Sarutobi Hiruzen," Kisaragi commanded.
Under the influence of Hypnosis, Ryu staggered to his feet, hastily treating his injury. He picked up the severed head Kisaragi had thrown at him and left the Uchiha compound.
"Lord Patriarch, you're provoking the Third Hokage," Shin said, surprised by Kisaragi's bold move.
"Yes, I want to provoke Sarutobi Hiruzen," Kisaragi replied, a smile playing on his lips.
[Ding, successful manipulation: +30,000 Evil Value.]
The notification from his system made Kisaragi's smile widen. He had achieved what he wanted. Sending a father his son's severed head—especially when that father was Sarutobi Hiruzen—was the perfect way to strike at the man's heart.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's reaction would be priceless.
"Remember this, Shin. From now on, Sarutobi Hiruzen is our enemy," Kisaragi said firmly.
Uchiha Shin was puzzled by Kisaragi's actions. Offending Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed reckless, but Kisaragi understood the inevitable. Even if he hadn't gone out of his way to offend the Hokage, Hiruzen would still have turned against the Uchiha.
"Come with me to the Hokage building. We have a show to watch," Kisaragi said as he began walking toward the Hokage building. Uchiha Shin quickly followed, though apprehension weighed heavily on him. He wondered if this would be the spark that ignited a war between Konoha and the Uchiha.
"Lord Patriarch, should I gather all of the Uchiha ninjas to go with us?" Shin asked cautiously.
"What for? Are you worried that Sarutobi Hiruzen will attack us in a fit of rage?" Kisaragi asked with a smirk.
Shin nodded, his concern evident.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is no match for me, and he won't make a move for the sake of Konoha's stability. Besides, I didn't kill his son—Ryu did. Why would he come after me?" Kisaragi said with a dark chuckle.
In fact, Kisaragi was already planning to help Hiruzen eliminate the true murderer. By then, Hiruzen should be thanking him for his 'help.'