I had been watching from dusk until dawn—endurance honed through rigorous Uchiha training. Hard work always pays off. The man from the fish stall in Konoha's market arrived with a few others, hauling a cart loaded with supplies. The bearded man, his face partially obscured by a tattered cloak, leapt onto the carriage and slipped out of the village under cover of early morning mist. The three men accompanying him bore identical travel-worn attire, their movements synchronized, raising immediate suspicion. Then, the moment of realization struck.
The carriage steadily rolled along the main road, its wooden wheels creaking as it traveled north on the official Konoha trade route.
"It's headed toward the Land of Hot Water," Uchiha Yan observed, narrowing his Sharingan-activated eyes. "That crest on the cart belongs to the Land of Hot Water. From there, they could reach either the Land of Lightning or the Land of Water. These men aren't ordinary merchants—at least one of them is a shinobi. That boy selling fish balls at the market—he's hiding something deep! I underestimated him, and now they've split up."
The carriage came to a sudden halt. The bearded man disembarked, a large wooden box strapped to his back. Without hesitation, he and the boy veered off from the main group, slipping into the dense forest.
"This is troublesome. We're short on manpower," Uchiha Ree muttered, eyes flickering with concern.
"We'll split up," Uchiha Yang decided firmly. "Yan, you're best at tracking—follow the bearded man, but leave Uchiha markers along the way. Lie Yi and I will intercept the caravan later. If we must, we eliminate first and ask questions later."
"When I left the village, I passed word to the gate guards. If we don't return within an hour, they'll alert my father, my sensei, or my uncle."
Just before they split up, Yang and Yan had left subtle Uchiha signals along their path. "As long as we keep the target in sight, we'll feast on this big catch," Yang said, eyes glinting with determination.
"Got it. Just don't screw up. Yang, you're the youngest, but you have to keep Lie in check—sometimes his recklessness gets the best of him," Uchiha Yan remarked. Before Lie could protest, Yan had already darted after the bearded man.
"Let's move. There's a creek ahead. I'll set up a kill zone and wipe them out." Uchiha Retsu grinned.
The two raced ahead, preparing traps 1,500 meters away from the caravan's projected path. Retsu took position underwater while Yang concealed himself in the trees.
But something was off. The caravan suddenly picked up speed, the drivers seemingly wary. Within moments, it was upon them.
Boom! A well-placed explosive tag obliterated the left wheel of the carriage. Shards of wood and metal flew in all directions, two guards collapsing instantly under the impact.
Reacting swiftly, the driver seized a large wooden box identical to the one the bearded man had carried and bolted toward the creek under the protection of two shinobi.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
"Uchiha Shuriken Barrage!"
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Claw Red!"
From beneath the water's surface, Uchiha Retsu unleashed a coordinated assault, detonating hidden traps while Yang hurled kunai from the trees.
Despite their preparations, only two of the enemy shinobi fell—one carrying the wooden box had dodged at the last second. A Chūnin, at least, Yang assessed grimly.
The remaining shinobi attempted to break through, but the two Uchiha had them trapped between their pincer attack.
"We're legitimate merchants from the Land of Hot Water, trading under Fire Country's protection. As Konoha shinobi, you are bound by Hokage-sama's decrees! Attacking us violates Konoha's standing agreements. If you leave now, we'll forget this ever happened." The driver's voice wavered, but he maintained a diplomatic stance.
Yang scoffed. "Why would we care about Hokage's orders? We are Uchiha!" His Sharingan flared to life. "You can surrender now, or my brother and I will send you to the afterlife."
He had no interest in negotiating. The moment the driver finished speaking, Yang had already completed his hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
A combination technique—Uchiha Yang's personal creation—intensified the incoming flames.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The enemy retaliated.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!"
The driver smirked. These two are young, too young to ambush a real shinobi by the river.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"
In an instant, the battlefield shifted.
"We got him!" Retsu grinned. "Yang, how did you predict he'd flee toward the water?"
"The shinobi heading for the Land of Hot Water aren't from the Land of Wind or Earth. They'd be either Kumo or Kiri-nin. And what's their strongest affinity? Water and Lightning. The moment we revealed we were Uchiha—mostly known for Fire and Lightning—they had only one real choice: the water."
Yang smirked, but his expression darkened when he glanced toward their captive.
Inside the water prison, the enemy shinobi coughed violently, blood seeping from his lips. He had taken his own life.
"Finish him off," Yang ordered. "We need to regroup with Yan. If these people would rather die than talk, whatever they're hiding is beyond us. We'll let the elders handle it."
Retsu nodded grimly. "Judging by the timing, our patrol brothers should have called for reinforcements. Our job is to track and delay. Let's move."
Even as they hurried toward Yan's location, Yang's gut twisted with unease.
Meanwhile, Yan trailed the bearded man and the boy. Their speed was impressive—the man carried the large wooden box effortlessly, his agility revealing his shinobi background. Just as Yan memorized their route, over ten figures emerged from the shadows.
The bearded man handed the box to one of them. The recipient unlatched it, revealing a bound and unconscious girl inside. Without hesitation, five of the newcomers disappeared with her.
Yan's eyes narrowed. The fish-ball vendor was among the remaining group. Another girl, identical in height and build to the first, stepped forward and climbed into the now-empty box.
A swap? They're smuggling people!
Yan immediately abandoned pursuit of the bearded man. This was bigger than one man—he needed to mark the key players. Leaving distinct Uchiha markers for his teammates, he altered course, following the new targets.
Back in Konoha, at the Uchiha compound, a young clan member approached a tall, sharp-eyed man.
"Ieyasu-sama, your son and his team left the village an hour ago. They left you this message."
Uchiha Ieyasu, a senior clan figure, chuckled as he read. "That brat, Yang, causing trouble again. His mother's going to kill him." But as his eyes flicked across the words, his face hardened.
"Send for Nobunaga. First Brigade, assemble at the village gates."
Across the compound, another Uchiha leader read the note. Without hesitation, he turned to his sister.
"Take this to the Elders. Ieyasu and I will handle this. The village is in your hands."
At Konoha's Hokage Tower, Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe thoughtfully.
"Report, Hokage-sama—three minutes ago, the Uchiha clan mobilized."
A Chūnin entered moments later. "Hokage-sama, Uchiha Sora requests an audience."
Hiruzen exhaled smoke. "Let him in."
The elder Uchiha entered, wasting no time. "Young men are eager for merit," he said, passing over the letter. "The clan head has already deployed support. This won't become an issue."
Hiruzen read the message. "The Uchiha need that fire. Since your people are handling it, I'll trust your judgment."
As Sora departed, Hiruzen muttered, "Uchiha…" before taking another long drag of his pipe.