Tsunade's official inauguration as the Fifth Hokage brought rare liveliness to the Senju House. By the time evening arrived, Roshi had only just woken up, while Momoka had already sent off several waves of visitors.
They had come to offer congratulations, but with Roshi still asleep, most stayed only briefly before taking their leave.
Once he was up, Momoka informed him that Hayami and the others had arranged a celebratory gathering at Yamanoya that evening, and that he was expected to attend once he'd woken.
"Don't drink," she warned, fixing him with a particularly sharp look.
Roshi nodded obediently. After a quick wash, he stepped out of the old house, bathed in the warm afterglow of the setting sun.
The streets were relaxed, the excitement of the day still lingering on the villagers' faces. As he passed a familiar dango shop, he heard voices he recognized drifting from inside.
Turning his head, he saw Izumo, Kotetsu, and Hyūga Tokuma—old classmates—sitting by the window with dango skewers and cups of green tea.
Roshi paused. The gathering at Yamanoya only required a brief appearance; arriving a little late wouldn't matter.
He turned and stepped into the dango shop.
"Oh? Where's the esteemed Captain Roshi headed in such a hurry?" Izumo teased.
"Yamanoya," Roshi replied, pulling out an empty chair and sitting down.
At the mention of that name, Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged identical expressions of polite refusal.
Kotetsu glanced at Roshi with sympathy. "That place again? Uncle Hayami called you, didn't he?"
"Mm."
"As expected of a jōnin," Izumo scoffed theatrically. "Already dragged into adult gatherings. Go on, go on—you're beyond us now."
Roshi ignored him and ordered a serving of dango.
Seeing that Roshi had no intention of leaving right away, Izumo leaned back and said casually, "By the way, Roshi, you heard about the Hyūga joining the Police Force, right?"
"I did."
"Tokuma's one of the four," Izumo added.
That was news to Roshi. He turned to Tokuma, noticing the faint strain in his expression.
Kotetsu frowned. "Those Uchiha… they're pretty high-handed. Tokuma and the others have been having a rough time."
Tokuma let out a soft sigh, his tone restrained. "The work itself is fine. Captain Fugaku treats us fairly."
"It's the others…" He hesitated, then continued, weariness creeping into his voice. "Lord Hiashi warned us before we came—told us to be extra cautious, to avoid acting alone whenever possible, just in case…"
"Just in case it causes trouble," Izumo finished quietly.
In other words—they were being pushed around.
That didn't surprise Roshi. It was precisely because the first batch would face the most resistance that it had to be the Hyūga. If it were another clan, entering while tensions were still high, they might easily fall prey to Sharingan genjutsu.
"Well," Izumo said, trying to lighten the mood as he patted Tokuma's shoulder, "the Police Force has been theirs for years. It's normal for them to bristle when outsiders suddenly show up."
"Just endure this phase," Kotetsu added. "Once things settle down, it should get easier."
"And after some time," Izumo said with forced optimism, "maybe they'll finally come around."
Tokuma forced a small smile and said nothing more.
Just then, Roshi's dango arrived. As he reached for a skewer, a figure wearing an animal mask silently appeared at the entrance of the shop.
Anbu.
Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged glances, while Tokuma instinctively straightened. Anbu rarely sought someone out directly unless it was urgent.
"Jōnin Roshi," the voice came from behind the mask, "Hokage-sama requests your immediate presence at the Hokage Office."
Roshi set the skewer down, nodded briefly to his three classmates, and rose to follow the Anbu without another word.
"Three dead?"
Tsunade set the scroll down slowly. On her very first day as Hokage, trouble had already come knocking.
Three Uchiha—each with fully awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan—had fallen during the battle on the eastern front that repelled the mercenary force. The number wasn't large in absolute terms, yet it felt painfully heavy.
According to Kakashi's report, several highly skilled individuals had been mixed in among the mercenaries. The Uchiha Anbu squad had suffered a clearly targeted ambush. On the surface, it was an unfortunate but understandable combat loss.
As long as there was no evidence of conspiracy, the Uchiha Clan had no grounds to object.
After all, once a ninja stepped onto the battlefield, there was no rule stating that only others could die while the Uchiha were exempt.
What truly unsettled Tsunade were the finer details in the report.
Even after Shisui arrived to reinforce the battlefield, the attackers had still managed to forcibly seize a body and retreat.
That level of strength was far beyond that of ordinary rogue ninja.
When Roshi arrived, Tsunade tossed the scroll at him without ceremony. "Read it."
After giving him a moment, she continued, her tone decisive.
"You'll lead a reinforcement unit to the eastern front. Your task isn't to stand guard—confirm the situation on site, then escort the bodies of the fallen Uchiha back to the Village."
"And have Uchiha Enjin return as well."
Even if Enjin belonged to the radical faction, he had still fought for Konoha. At a time like this, barring him from returning would only deepen resentment.
If he caused trouble later, Tsunade would deal with it then.
Finally, her expression hardened. "Tell Kakashi to conduct a sweep of rogue ninja in the surrounding areas."
Participating in an attack against Konoha—regardless of whether Hidden Mist was involved—was not something she would let pass quietly.
Six squads were rotated in this operation. In truth, casualties across the front were relatively light. Aside from the Uchiha Anbu squad that had been nearly wiped out, most personnel had only suffered minor injuries.
The team set out that night and reached the forward stronghold before dawn.
Roshi briefly conferred with Kakashi, who had been waiting, quickly grasping the overall situation.
Then Shisui approached him, his voice low. "Roshi. This way."
They headed toward the tent where the bodies were being temporarily kept. Shisui's steps were heavy, his words quieter still.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I was careless."
"The attacker… I'm afraid it's the one you warned me about."
Roshi's eyes narrowed. "Orochimaru?"
Shisui nodded grimly. "Yes. His objective was very clear—the Uchiha."
Before Roshi could respond, a hoarse, furious shout suddenly burst from inside the tent.
"Their eyes—! Their eyes are gone!"
The canvas was yanked aside as Uchiha Enjin stormed out, his eyes bloodshot, breath ragged. He scanned the camp wildly before his gaze locked onto Kakashi Hatake, who was overseeing the handover nearby.
"Kakashi Hatake!" Enjin's voice shook with rage as he pointed accusingly. "It was you! You stole the Sharingan!"
The accusation crashed down like thunder.
The bustling camp fell into a dead silence. Every ninja—those mid-handover, Roshi, Shisui—froze in place.
Kakashi stared back, stunned.
"My… eyes? Me?"
The calm of the eastern front shattered in an instant.
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