This time, the truth was impossible to miss.
With Mito Uzumaki and Tsunade drawn away, even the surrounding ANBU had shifted positions. Add in the distractions the Cloud shinobi had prepared in advance, along with the spies who quietly lured nearby residents away, and the whole picture became clear. The kidnapping attempt had never been spontaneous. It had been planned down to the smallest detail, and the so-called peace talks had only been a cover from the start.
"This has to be reported to the Hokage immediately so he can make the final decision," Uchiha Yū said, his expression grim. "We return to the village now. All involved parties, including the prisoners, will be escorted back at once."
The weight of the matter was obvious to everyone present. This was not some ordinary infiltration, nor was it a mere provocation that could be settled quietly behind closed doors. A delegation from Kumogakure had entered Konoha under the banner of negotiation, then secretly attempted to abduct someone from inside the village itself. That alone was enough to tear apart what little remained of trust between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning and shape the course of the war to come.
It was far beyond the authority of the Police Force to handle on its own.
"There's no need. I'm already here."
The old but powerful voice rang out from the edge of the forest, and every conversation stopped at once.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped out from the darkness in old-style gray-green armor, the Vajra Staff in hand, his face hard with anger. Behind him came Orochimaru, Homura Mitokado, and Shimura Danzō. Behind them followed dozens of ANBU and Root operatives, all dressed in black, all masked, all silent. Their arrival turned the midnight forest into something far colder than before. The atmosphere tightened instantly, like a bowstring pulled to its absolute limit.
When Orochimaru's gaze found Uchiha Gen, the corner of his mouth shifted ever so slightly.
Well done, his eyes seemed to say. You've made me look good.
Then the Third Hokage spoke again, and his first words were not to the prisoner, nor to his advisers, but to those who had acted.
"Uchiha Gen, Namikaze Minato, and the members of the Police Force all performed admirably in this incident. Because of your timely action, the abducted target was rescued safely, and the village was spared an irreparable loss. Everyone who participated in the rescue has completed a joint S-rank mission."
The instant those words fell, Uchiha Gen's pupils shrank a fraction.
An S-rank joint mission?
Before he could even finish the thought, the familiar system notification flashed across his vision and the reward settled at once.
Even divided among multiple participants, an S-rank mission was still an S-rank mission. And in this one, he and Namikaze Minato had contributed the most at the critical moment. The amount of experience being credited was absurdly high. The gain surged into his system like a flood breaking through a dam, enough not only to push him over the threshold, but to leave a comfortable margin beyond it.
For a brief, shameless instant, one thought surfaced in Gen's mind.
If opportunities like this came up again in the future, maybe it really would be worth getting involved a little more often.
The Third Hokage continued without pause.
"Withdraw all field units immediately. The kidnapper will be transferred from the Police Force to ANBU custody for interrogation. The rest of the Cloud delegation has already been detained and will remain under guard by the Police Force. In addition, the Police Force, ANBU, and the Intelligence Division will begin a joint operation to identify and arrest all infiltrators and spies from other villages currently hidden inside Konoha."
The orders came one after another, each delivered cleanly, each heavier than the last.
Kumogakure had overstepped so completely this time that there was no room left for soft handling. Their actions had not merely endangered Kushina. They had humiliated Konoha to its face. More than that, they had trampled on the authority of the Hokage, insulted the village's leadership, and made a mockery of every shinobi responsible for Konoha's defenses.
And there was one person in particular whose fury no one here wanted to imagine too deeply.
If Kushina had truly been taken away, what would Mito Uzumaki have done?
Even the thought sent a quiet chill through the gathered shinobi.
"Hiruzen," Danzō said, his voice cold and cutting as a blade, "leave the interrogation to me. I guarantee I can pry every scrap of information from his mind."
His single exposed eye never once left the unconscious Cloud shinobi trapped under genjutsu.
At this point in time, Danzō was still very much in his prime. Aside from his damaged eye, he had not yet become the mutilated wreck he would be in the future. His body was whole. His chakra was strong. His aura alone was enough to make lesser men avoid meeting his gaze. However despicable his character might be, in the matter of intelligence work, nobody present doubted his professionalism.
The Third Hokage gave a slow nod.
"Very well. I'll leave him to you, Danzō."
And just like that, the unlucky Cloud shinobi achieved a ridiculous sort of distinction.
He had probably become the first person in the history of the ninja world to be personally escorted by the Hokage of Konoha, three top-tier experts at or near Kage level, nearly twenty Jonin-level forces from the Police Force and ANBU, and a cluster of elite subordinates beyond that. It was a lineup fit for crushing a village, not transporting one half-conscious prisoner through the woods.
If the Third Raikage himself had appeared at this moment, the reception would not have looked much more serious.
As the formation began to move, Orochimaru deliberately slowed his pace until he fell into step beside Gen.
"You handled this well," he said in a low voice. "Especially calling for reinforcements in advance."
Gen kept his own voice equally low. "I only acted because sensory ninjutsu told me the enemy's strength hadn't exceeded what I could deal with. And because I was confident help could arrive in time."
"Mm."
Orochimaru gave a slight nod.
That tiny response carried more approval than most men would pack into an entire speech.
More than talent, more than intelligence, this was what Orochimaru valued most in him: the ability to measure risk accurately. To know when to go all in, and when to retreat. To be bold without being reckless. To stay cautious without becoming cowardly. Those qualities determined whether a shinobi lived long enough to grow strong.
Orochimaru said a few more things, then, after hearing the Third Hokage call for him from the front, returned to the head of the procession.
Only once he left did Minato and Kushina finally find a chance to approach.
"Senior Gen," Minato said with his usual gentle smile, "my name is Minato Namikaze. This is Kushina. We've both heard a lot about you. You were the top genius of the previous year."
Kushina took a small step back, then bowed, a little awkwardly but very sincerely. "Thank you for earlier, Senior Gen."
"There's no need to be so formal," Gen said with an easy smile. "This afternoon, while I was at the Senju residence learning medical ninjutsu from Lady Tsunade, both she and Lady Mito mentioned Kushina several times. With that connection alone, I couldn't have just stood aside."
His gaze shifted to Minato.
"And you're impressive too, Minato. Keeping up with my Body Flicker, moving in silently, then dropping a Cloud shinobi in one clean ambush… at this rate, your place as the top graduate of your class is basically guaranteed."
The compliment hit exactly as intended.
Using mutual acquaintances was an easy way to close the distance. Using praise on top of that made it even smoother.
Minato scratched the back of his head, looking almost embarrassed. "Senior Gen, you're giving me too much credit. I still have a lot to learn from you."
Among his year, though, Gen knew Minato was already leagues ahead. His theoretical scores and practical results were overwhelmingly dominant. Unlike Gen's class, which had been a constant three-way fight among monsters, Minato's year was already his to lose.
"Then let me congratulate you in advance," Gen said. "With your talent, the village will start supporting you sooner rather than later."
He meant it.
Minato Namikaze's gifts were not normal. In the field of speed alone, he was already showing a terrifying edge. The fact that he could keep up with Gen's Body Flicker before even graduating from the Academy said enough by itself. And once a talent like that received proper backing, growth would come frighteningly fast.
Kushina looked from one blond boy to one Uchiha boy, her expression gradually brightening despite everything that had happened. The fear lingering in her eyes hadn't disappeared yet, but something steadier had taken root beneath it.
Relief.
The worst had passed. She was safe. The people around her were strong. And for tonight, at least, that was enough.
Around them, the night forest remained full of movement. Orders continued to spread. Captives were transferred. Patrol groups split off toward different sectors. The village was no doubt already in an uproar, and by morning the entire political atmosphere of Konoha would have changed.
But for Uchiha Gen, beneath all that tension, something else was quietly settling into place.
He had stepped into the center of a major event.
He had caught Orochimaru's approval again. He had drawn the Hokage's direct praise. He had entered Minato and Kushina's orbit earlier than expected. The Uchiha had seen his usefulness with their own eyes, and Konoha's higher-ups had as well.
That meant more attention.
More opportunity.
And more danger.
The thought should have made him uncomfortable. Instead, walking through the cold midnight forest under the watch of ANBU shadows and spinning Sharingan, Uchiha Gen felt the faintest curl of anticipation in his chest.
The gears were turning now.
And once history truly started moving, there would be no stopping it.