As the wind rustled through the leaves, a masked ANBU agent suddenly appeared at the village's barrier, his voice cold and unwavering.
"The mission has changed. Lord Danzo requests your presence."
Kamiya Kazuki and Yoshida Taro instinctively dropped to one knee, bowing their heads. "Understood."
But the moment the words settled in the air, their eyes widened slightly.
It was impossible for a Root member, bound by the Curse Seal of the Root, to speak Danzo's name so openly.
Something was wrong.
Without hesitation, they formed hand seals in perfect sync, channeling their chakra swiftly.
"Genjutsu: Release!"
A sudden pulse of chakra rippled through the air.
"Ugh!"
As the illusion shattered, Uchiha Tunan coughed up a mouthful of blood. His Sharingan deactivated involuntarily, leaving crimson streaks trailing from his eyes.
Hearing the cough, Minato Namikaze and Kakashi Hatake instantly appeared at his side, steadying him.
Seeing Uchiha Tunan in such a weakened state, Kakashi clenched his fists, his free hand slipping into his ninja pouch, gripping a kunai tightly.
Even Minato—normally calm and composed—regarded the two older shinobi with an uncharacteristic coldness.
"That was unnecessary," Minato said, his voice firm. "You didn't need to break the genjutsu so violently."
Uchiha Tunan weakly raised a hand, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It's… fine. I should have warned them beforehand… not to say anything that would trigger suspicion. It was my mistake."
Kamiya Kazuki, his expression always stiff, struggled to display a look of remorse. Finally, he bowed slightly.
"We apologize. Your Sharingan genjutsu was incredibly lifelike. Instinct took over, and we dispelled it with force."
Uchiha Tunan forced a weak smile, shaking his head.
"It's understandable. But… my illusions aren't invincible. If an opponent is prepared, or simply shuts their eyes, I lose my advantage."
Everyone paused.
Minato and Kakashi exchanged uneasy glances.
Why is Tunan revealing such a critical weakness so easily?
Kamiya Kazuki and Yoshida Taro, however, exchanged a different kind of glance—one of quiet calculation.
Kamiya Kazuki handed Tunan a map.
"This will guide you to your designated post."
Yoshida Taro then pulled three small cylindrical signal flares from his pouch, each with a red button on top.
"Each of you, take one. When you encounter the two VIPs, activate the flare. Everyone else must respond immediately."
Seeing that Uchiha Tunan wasn't making a fuss, Minato and Kakashi let the issue drop. The mission was their priority.
Each of them took a flare and tucked it into their ninja pouches.
Minato knelt in front of Uchiha Tunan. "Rest for a bit. I'll carry you."
Without protest, Uchiha Tunan allowed himself to be lifted onto Minato's back.
With that, the five-man team resumed their journey toward the Land of Fire's border.
---
Two Days Later
The group moved swiftly through the dense forests of the Fire Country.
According to their maps, they would soon split up and head toward their designated outposts.
But all the while, Uchiha Tunan's mind was occupied.
Something about this mission didn't add up.
First, the mission itself.
It was an S-rank operation, requiring both ANBU and Root involvement—a rare and dangerous combination.
And, more importantly, the timing was suspicious.
If the timeline aligns… Sakumo Hatake is about to face his downfall.
Which means this mission is doomed to fail.
Uchiha Tunan sighed internally.
He had spent so much time subtly trying to gain Sakumo's approval, yet had never managed to do so.
If only he had the chance for a private conversation with him—
No.
If he couldn't gain Sakumo's acknowledgment, then he would ensure Sakumo never takes his own life.
Only after receiving that approval… would Sakumo's death be arranged.
His thoughts then drifted toward his so-called "teammates."
Before, when he used his Hell Staring Genjutsu, it was meant to uncover the deepest fears of Kamiya Kazuki and Yoshida Taro.
Yet…
They showed no real fear.
That was unnatural.
But the illusion still worked, which meant there was something—or someone—they feared.
From their reactions, it wasn't hard to guess.
They feared Danzo.
Their stiff expressions, their precise movements, the way they avoided emotional responses…
Root shinobi.
That makes things more dangerous.
If Danzo is involved, then nothing in this mission can be taken at face value.
More concerningly…
Orochimaru has already begun his Sharingan experiments.
And since the Uchiha clan's movements have been closely monitored lately, Danzo must be running low on subjects.
Within Konoha, it would be difficult for him to abduct Uchiha members from the Police Force.
But out here…
In a remote location, with no oversight?
Uchiha Tunan realized—
He was the perfect target.
He smirked slightly.
Then let's see who hunts whom.
---
Three Hours Later – Fire Country Border
By now, they had reached the designated split point.
Each shinobi branched off toward their respective garrison towns.
Before parting, Uchiha Tunan quietly summoned several white doves, instructing them to shadow Kamiya Kazuki and Yoshida Taro.
After half a day of travel, he arrived at a small border town.
Unlike the central villages, this place was modest, primarily occupied by farmers and small-scale merchants.
Of course, a Fire Country military garrison was stationed here, alongside a few ninja groups who had accepted C-rank defense missions.
Most of these shinobi were older genin, those who had failed to progress beyond their rank but sought stable missions for steady income.
Uchiha Tunan greeted them briefly before being directed to an inn assigned by the town's captain.
Inside, he set a kettle on the stove, brewing a pot of tea.
There was no need to act immediately.
Even a shinobi as powerful as Sakumo Hatake would take days to reach the Land of Rain.
Between travel time, skirmishes, and the rescue attempt, he estimated about seven or eight days before everything fell apart.
And since he already knew the future outcome, there was no rush.
Still…
Who was the hostage Sakumo would risk everything for?
It couldn't be Kakashi or Minato.
In the original story, even the person Sakumo saved had turned on him.
That left only the three Root operatives on this mission.
Uchiha Tunan's eyes narrowed.
Perhaps… I should eliminate them first.
If they weren't around to sabotage the mission, perhaps it wouldn't fail at all.
Which means…
I would still have time to earn Sakumo's trust.
A slow smile crept onto his lips as he lifted his tea from the stove, steam curling into the air.
The hunt had begun.