Uchiha Kaede had maintained a low profile within the clan lately. During the initial phase of the Heavenly Curse of the Five Phantoms!, Shiraishi had been unable to fully read all of the original Kaede's residual memories.
However, after a period of adjustment and Training, Kaede's outward demeanor and speech were now indistinguishable from his former self.
"From today on, you are to report to the Police Force. Don't be as willful as you used to be."
Kaede's mother watched her son as he prepared to leave that morning. Her tone was the same as always, but there was a trace of deliberate, forced tenderness in her voice.
"I know," Kaede replied.
Watching her son's retreating back, the mother's facade crumbled. She began to sob quietly.
She tried her best to pretend everything was normal, but as a mother, how could she not tell that the person standing before her was different from the son she once knew?
Yet, she told no one. She bore the weight of this truth in silence. Her family had already endured enough suffering; telling the clan would only strip away her final shred of hope.
Moreover, he was clearly putting in the effort to play the role of a good son.
She stood up and began to clean, her face pale as she retreated back into the depths of her home.
Though she accepted the situation, the hollow ache of losing her true son left her mentally and physically exhausted.
Stepping out of the gates, Uchiha Kaede also sensed the subtle shift in his "mother." She hadn't exposed him as an imposter; instead, she was trying her hardest to treat him as her own.
A flicker of turbulence rose within Kaede's emotions. In the memories of his main body, Shiraishi, there was no concept of parents, as he had been an orphan since childhood.
This sudden "Uchiha mother" made Kaede feel profoundly uneasy. Every morning, she woke up earlier than him to prepare breakfast and packed meals.
Every time he returned home, the house was spotless, without a speck of dust.
Infiltrating the Leaf was a high-stakes mission. Logically, he should eliminate any threat to his cover immediately. Yet, looking at the dinner she prepared for him every night, Kaede found himself unable to strike.
First, report to the Uchiha Police Force.
After graduating from the Academy, it was standard for Uchiha members to join the Police Force. A few years ago, due to his father's status, the Leaf high command hadn't sent him there.
Now that his father was dead, the village leadership—wishing to avoid further trouble—had simply passed the buck and funneled him into the clan's primary institution.
The Uchiha Police Force Headquarters was a massive complex located on the outskirts of Konoha, bordering the Uchiha autonomous district—a symbol of the clan's unique status within the Leaf's hierarchy.
As he entered the gates, two Uchiha members looked at the youth with cold, indifferent eyes as he held his recommendation form. Their disdain was palpable.
Following his memories, Kaede quickly reached the office of the Police Force Chief—the current clan head, Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku sat behind his desk and looked over the recommendation. "You will report to the Third Squad."
Without any unnecessary small talk, Fugaku issued the appointment. The Third Squad's patrol route was primarily within the inner city; the workload was light, essentially a "desk job" for ninjas.
"By the way, there is a minor clan evaluation in a few days. You should participate."
These evaluations were held to assess the comprehensive strength of the clan's youth. Those who performed exceptionally well would be rewarded with powerful secret jutsu.
"Understood."
Though Kaede had no interest in such tests, there was no room to refuse an invitation issued directly by the Clan Head.
Hozuki Castle: An isolated fortress in the heart of the Land of Grass's inland sea.
Shiraishi stood on the deck of a massive wooden vessel, feeling the spray and wind of the great inland sea. Aside from the Land of Wind envoys, the Land of Grass had also sent several diplomats to accompany him.
Though Shiraishi was "merely" a ninja, as the second-in-command of the Land of Wind and the supreme commander of its military forces, his influence dwarfed that of the Grass Daimyo.
Consequently, the Grass officials were exceedingly careful, terrified of offending the Kazekage.
As the ship neared the castle, the magnificent fortress loomed before them. However, a thick, pungent scent of blood drifted over the water, causing Shiraishi's brow to furrow.
"Arashi, go check it out."
"Yes!"
With a Sand Body Flicker, Arashi appeared atop the ramparts of Hozuki Castle. The scene that greeted him was a nightmare.
The interior was littered with the bodies of prisoners and local ninjas alike. It was a massacre, as if the castle had been struck by some horrific, unstoppable force.
Before the Kazekage's diplomatic mission could even arrive, this ancient maritime fortress had been decimated by an unknown power.
Many of the corpses bore strange botanical marks, as if they had been struck by Wood Style.
The master of the castle, Mui, stood silently in the center of the courtyard. His black hair was matted, and his eyes had long since lost the light of life.
Several black receivers were impaled in his body, disrupting his chakra and preventing him from releasing the "Heavenly Prison" seals on the prisoners. Had he been able to, the castle might have stood a chance.
In the Land of Water, Uchiha Obito used Kamui to teleport another mysterious masked figure into the Hidden Mist. In their hands, they held a scroll containing the sealed Box of Ultimate Bliss, stolen from Hozuki Castle.
The ultimate weapon of the Sage of the Six Paths had fallen into Obito's hands.
Before clashing with Hozuki Haigetsu, the other masked man had infiltrated the Hozuki ruins to find ancestral records regarding the control of the Box.
After conferring with his collaborator, Obito, they had decided to wipe Hozuki Castle off the map.
The use of the Box of Ultimate Bliss was not limited to just consuming Tailed Beast chakra; as the Sage's strongest tool, it possessed far more terrifying capabilities.
To prevent the Fifth Kazekage from discovering the Box's secrets, Obito and the mysterious man had struck before Shiraishi could arrive.
"The only Hozuki survivors currently in the Mist are Suigetsu and Haigetsu," Obito remarked. "Based on your description, only Haigetsu fits the profile."
Obito did not tell the masked man that he already controlled the Fourth Mizukage. They were currently allies of convenience, and there was no need to share all his intelligence.
"Heh, Hozuki Haigetsu, is it..."
Back at the castle, the envoys vomited at the sight of the carnage. Shiraishi remained calm, immediately activating a specialized sensing technique to scan the ruins.
There were still over a dozen faint life signs. Among them, three possessed remarkably powerful and vibrant chakra.
It appeared the attackers had been in a hurry and failed to silence everyone. Since there were survivors, Shiraishi intended to find out exactly what had happened to Hozuki Castle.
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