For a while, the Third Hokage no longer wished to argue with Danzo.
"How to handle things is the old man's responsibility. You needn't concern yourself with it anymore. Just stay here and recuperate."
I'm the Hokage. And you think you can dictate terms to me?
"Uchiha may be deeply suspicious, but suspicion alone isn't guilt. Your methods are too extreme."
"Danzo, cornering the Uchiha like this will do the village no good. If the Uchiha are pushed too far and something drastic happens, the village will bleed for it. I hope you can shelve these dangerous, unrealistic strategies."
"Oh, and don't expect any more intel from the Anbu. They'll stop feeding you information from now on. Rest well."
Having delivered his warning, the Third Hokage turned and left the small courtyard. As he walked out, he threw a sharp glance at the captains stationed outside—a silent command: This must not happen again. I don't care who the culprit is, but you captains must control your men.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen! You'll regret this!!" Danzo roared, but received only silence in return.
The Third Hokage wasn't interested in escalating tensions with the Uchiha. Nor was he about to let Danzo run rampant in these turbulent times. The village needed calm. And Danzo's schemes were the opposite of that.
As the Hokage's robes disappeared down the corridor, Danzo seethed in frustration. The Anbu captains stood stiffly, faces dark. They gathered their squads soon after.
"I don't care who it was," one of the captains said coldly. "But this can't happen again. You heard the Hokage's tone. Some of you think you're clever, but don't drag your comrades into your mess."
"Effective immediately, no one will act alone on missions. Pair formations are mandatory. Everyone works in twos, no exceptions."
Finding the traitor was pointless now. Root's inner ghost couldn't be outed without exposing more. The captains would rather tighten operations than spark a witch hunt. Sarutobi's patience was already wearing thin.
Danzo had planned a devastating blow against the Uchiha—at the very least, he'd hoped to smear them further and keep them boxed in politically.
Instead, the plan backfired spectacularly. His own puppet made the wrong move, and the Uchiha had been handed sympathy rather than suspicion.
---
At the Daimyo's residence, a local barbecue restaurant had recently become popular with Konoha's shinobi—good meat, decent prices. Even the Uchiha frequented it.
After completing their assigned shifts, Ryoichi Uchiha and his team stopped by to treat themselves.
Dinner hour meant the place was packed. Their table was placed in the far corner. Unfortunately, the group seated beside them included someone with no fondness for the Uchiha: Sarutobi Asuma.
Asuma sat with legs crossed, a cigarette dangling from his lips, a bottle of sake half-empty beside him. He and a few of his friends were unwinding.
As one of the Daimyo's escorts that day, Asuma had endured hours of frustrating political talk—where the nobles criticized the Hokage, his own father, no less.
Even if he had issues with Hiruzen himself, Asuma couldn't bear hearing it from others. But these were Daimyo and high nobles. He had to grit his teeth and swallow the insult.
Now, here at the barbecue shop, Asuma stewed in silent resentment. When Ryoichi and his friends sat down beside him, it lit the fuse.
"Well, well... if it isn't the noble Uchiha clan. Arrogant as always," Asuma muttered, loud enough for the table to hear.
His companions chuckled. Ryoichi's expression darkened.
"What do you mean, Asuma?"
"I didn't say you, did I?" Asuma arched an eyebrow, looking smug. "Don't be so sensitive. Or are all Uchihas this touchy?"
Ryoichi clenched his fists. Though Asuma was far from model shinobi behavior, he had the ultimate shield—being the Hokage's son. Few dared retaliate.
Even Tsunade, annoyed by Asuma's attitude, had never outright clashed with him. He was smart enough not to provoke her, at least.
"You…"
"Oh? Speechless?" Asuma taunted. "Big clan, small vocabulary? No wonder everyone's got their eye on you."
The mocking tone set Ryoichi ablaze. Asuma's words weren't just insults—they were daggers against the clan's pride. The young Uchiha finally snapped.
"You bastard!!"
Ryoichi charged at Asuma in a rage.
Exactly what Asuma had baited him into.
He dodged easily, and with a cold smirk, slammed a punch into Ryoichi's ribs. The impact sent the Uchiha flying across multiple tables, knocking over plates, drinks, and even coals from the grill.
Ryoichi screamed as hot embers burned him. Tables collapsed under his body.
"Ryoichi!!"
His teammates tried to rush over, but Asuma's comrades blocked them.
Chaos erupted.
Patrons screamed and ran. The shop owner nearly cried as his evening crowd fled without paying. But he didn't dare intervene.
---
Elsewhere, the Daimyo's business with Uchiha had mostly concluded. Recognizing Yan as a figure of authority within the clan, the nobles had quietly sent a message: they hoped to establish friendly ties with the Uchiha.
Yan was still debating how to respond. A strong alliance with the Daimyo had benefits—but too close a relationship might backfire. Balance was key.
Then an Anbu agent dropped into Yan's courtyard.
"Captain Uchiha Hiko. There's been an altercation. Your men clashed with others at the barbecue restaurant. I suggest you intervene."
The Anbu didn't mention who the others were. But both parties involved were sensitive—Uchiha, and Asuma. A mistake here could turn into a political mess.
"Oh?" Yan stood up and called into the house, "Stop the game. We're going."
Shisui and other Uchiha joined him without hesitation. If Ryoichi was involved, they had to respond quickly.
At the same time, Tsunade, informed of the fight, left her residence with Shizune.
She was furious. With the village already walking a tightrope, a public brawl would only make things worse.
She didn't even ask who was involved, but soon ran into the Uchiha on the way.
"You guys again?" Tsunade frowned. "Let me guess—Uchiha was part of it?"
She didn't need confirmation. The sight of Hiko leading several clan members toward the shop told her everything.
"Apparently one of our young ones got into a dispute with another shinobi," Hiko said nonchalantly. "I'm going to check on it."
Tsunade walked beside him, lips tight. "Your clan's always in the thick of it."
By the time they arrived, the scene was sobering.
The Uchiha lay scattered across the floor, bruised and battered. Ryoichi's arm and leg were visibly broken. His injuries were severe.
On the other side of the restaurant, Asuma and his companions sat comfortably, their clothes ruffled but bodies unharmed.
Tsunade's expression turned dark.
Not good.
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