After being kicked out of the hotel by the old lady, Uchiha Hikaru and his companions stood on the quiet streets of the small town, caught off guard and at a loss for words.
The air was thick with the awkwardness of a mission that had failed before it even began. They had barely started their investigation, only to hit a wall almost immediately.
Hikaru frowned in thought, replaying his conversation with the old woman in his mind, trying to sift out any hidden clues.
He clearly remembered the moment she saw their forehead protectors—how her expression shifted into something deeply complex.
There had been obvious hostility and resentment in her eyes, yet beneath that, there seemed to be a faint but genuine expectation—as if she were locked in a battle with herself.
"Looks like we're not welcome here."
Tsunade broke the silence, her voice tinged with resignation.
At that moment, Nonō Yakushi spoke up.
"But… didn't you notice? Even though that old lady clearly has a deep grudge against Konoha, when she drove us away, she seemed to think she was doing us a favor."
Both Hikaru and Tsunade turned to look at her.
Nonō had always been keenly observant—likely one of the reasons she had gone on to become a spy with a title to her name. This time, she didn't disappoint.
Hikaru gave a slight nod, agreeing with her assessment.
He, too, felt the old woman's reaction had been contradictory, as though she were deliberately hiding something.
That only made them more certain—the town was hiding a secret no one wanted to speak of.
Just then, Uchiha Chiri offered her own thoughts.
"Seems like this has something to do with Konoha."
She turned to Hikaru, a questioning look in her eyes.
"Hikaru, don't you usually work with Lady Mito? You mean to tell me you've never picked up any information about this town?"
Hikaru rubbed his nose awkwardly.
Work with Mito? More like slack off with her.
Tsunade and Nonō clearly knew the truth; they exchanged amused smiles at the sight of him.
Still, Nonō stepped in to cover for him.
"This situation probably never got reported to the Hokage in the first place."
Tsunade frowned, countering,
"But this is on the main road to Konoha. Even if the townspeople are too scared to report it, the nobles and merchants passing through wouldn't care, right?"
Her words were like a key, unlocking something in Hikaru's mind.
He glanced at Nonō and saw the same spark in her eyes.
"In the Hokage Building, who's in charge of handling requests from outsiders?" Hikaru asked bluntly.
Nonō gave a subtle nod—she'd thought of the same thing.
Tsunade hesitated, thinking.
"It should be someone from the Sarutobi clan… but honestly, I can't remember their exact name."
A flash of embarrassment crossed her face, as though she were apologizing for her poor memory.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up in realization.
"You're saying there's something wrong with that person?"
She frowned again, but quickly added another doubt.
"But even if he was compromised, wouldn't the other people in the Hokage Building still hear about this? Don't tell me the entire building's been compromised?"
Her voice carried genuine disbelief.
Hikaru didn't answer directly, though in his heart, a vague answer had already formed.
"Let's go. We'll check the area nearby—see if we can find other clues."
The others nodded.
He said they were looking elsewhere, but Hikaru's steps were far from random—he moved with clear purpose, heading toward a specific destination as though he knew there'd be something there.
Along the way, a few townsfolk caught sight of their forehead protectors and responded with open disgust.
For Tsunade and the others, who had never been treated like this before, it was an unpleasant shock.
It also stoked their anger toward the one responsible for creating such an atmosphere.
Before long, Hikaru led them into the center of town.
The sight before them was a stark contrast to the dilapidated streets they had just walked through.
Here, the buildings were tall and ornate, a display of wealth and prestige. The pedestrians passing by moved with careful, almost fearful steps, as if terrified of drawing the wrong kind of attention.
Hikaru drew in a deep breath. This was enough to confirm his suspicion—but he still needed a witness to make his case undeniable.
They pushed deeper into the center until, before long, they stood before the grandest building of all—a massive estate guarded by two armored warriors at the gate.
The three girls exchanged uneasy glances, as if they already knew what was coming.
Hikaru just smiled lightly.
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
He strode toward the estate.
The two guards spotted him at once, raising their weapons as they barked,
"Who are you?! Stop right there! Do you have any idea whose place this is?!"
Hikaru only scoffed and flicked his hand.
In an instant, a roaring dragon of flame surged forward, slamming into the estate's massive doors.
The two guards were not his target, but as the dragon passed, the shockwave sent them flying dozens of meters, crashing into the ground with bone-jarring force.
BOOM!
With a deafening blast, the great doors were consumed by fire, reduced to smoldering ruins.
Dust billowed into the air, the entire town seeming to shudder from the force.
As the haze cleared, Hikaru's cold gaze swept the scene.
From within, the noise had drawn out the inhabitants.
A troop of armored warriors emerged first, weapons at the ready, their eyes locked warily on Hikaru.
Then, a rotund middle-aged man waddled into view, followed by three shinobi wearing Konoha forehead protectors.
The man's face twisted with anger and arrogance, as though furious at having his peace disturbed.
When he saw it was only a boy barely in his teens causing trouble, his expression grew even more insolent.
"So it's you, brat?! Do you have any idea where you are?!"
But he didn't notice how the three Konoha ninja behind him had gone pale with fear.
Their eyes widened as if they had seen something truly terrifying.
Sweat beaded on their foreheads, their heartbeats quickened—and then, without hesitation, they turned and fled, not daring to look back.
The middle-aged man froze for a moment at the sight, then shouted furiously:
"What are you doing?! Get back here!"