This cave was a safe house prepared in advance by Uchiha Gen. Inside, there were food supplies and fresh spring water—enough for two people to survive for half a month.
The water came from a nearby mountain spring, while the food—mostly instant noodles, canned goods, and other non-perishable items—was purchased in disguise by Uchiha Gen during a solo mission in a nearby town.
After lighting the candles in the cave, Uchiha Gen methodically stripped Uchiha Yuichi of his belongings and secured his hands and feet to a wooden cross he had prepared earlier. Once his captive was restrained, Gen stepped outside.
In the dense forest surrounding the mountain, he searched for a tree with a trunk as thick as a human waist. Drawing the Kusanagi Sword, he infused it with wind-natured chakra, forming a light blue aura around the blade. With a single slash, the tree collapsed cleanly.
This technique was a recent development in Uchiha Gen's training—a refinement of wind chakra nature transformation that significantly enhanced the sharpness of his weapon. In the original Naruto series, Danzo Shimura demonstrated a similar technique, imbuing his shuriken with wind chakra to slice through rock effortlessly and reinforcing kunai to function like finely honed swords.
After stripping the fallen tree of its branches, Gen cut it into three- and four-meter sections before meticulously carving them. As his blade flashed, sawdust filled the air, and two humanoid wooden figures gradually took shape.
Lacking expertise in woodworking, the figures were rough and somewhat crude, but they retained recognizable human outlines. Sheathing his sword, Gen stretched out both hands. Two ethereal, white lights emerged from his palms, enveloping the wooden constructs, temporarily granting them both life and a limited lifespan.
The moment the jutsu took effect, the wooden figures stirred. Kneeling stiffly on one knee, they spoke in unison, "Master."
Uchiha Gen gave a slight nod. "There is currently one person in the cave, but there will be two soon. Your task is to ensure they are fed and their surroundings kept clean."
"Yes, Master."
"You are weak. Do not wander too far from the cave. Stay nearby."
"Understood, Master."
"When feeding them and cleaning the cave, do not speak to the captives. Consider yourselves mute."
"Yes, Master."
"Remember this well—if you jeopardize my plans, I will burn you into kindling." Gen's expression was cold, his tone laced with an unmistakable warning.
As if to reinforce his point, Zhu Rong, a sentient weapon resembling a flaming sword, flew from its sheath, while Wu Sheng, another living weapon, detached from his left arm. One slashed through the air, while the other exhaled a stream of fire, demonstrating their lethal potential.
"Master, we will not fail!" the wooden constructs stammered, clearly terrified.
"If there is punishment, there is also reward," Gen continued. "Complete your tasks, and I will not reclaim the souls and lifespans I have bestowed upon you."
"Thank you, Master! Thank you!" The two wooden figures immediately brightened, their fear replaced by relief.
Gen turned and entered the cave while Zhu Rong and Wu Sheng lingered outside, still issuing threats.
"Remember what Master said," Zhu Rong warned. "If you fail, I will burn you to ash."
"And I will carve you into splinters," Wu Sheng added.
"Y-yes, understood!" The wooden figures huddled together, trembling.
Although both were Homiz—animated constructs with limited sentience—they could clearly sense the overwhelming power of Zhu Rong and Wu Sheng, forces far beyond their ability to resist.
Moments later, Uchiha Gen emerged from the cave, tossing two black hooded cloaks to the wooden figures.
"Put these on."
"Yes, Master."
They obediently donned the cloaks, fastening the buttons. Now, instead of crude wooden constructs, they appeared as robed figures, their features concealed.
"Zhu Rong, Wu Sheng, go and clear out the beasts in the mountains," Gen commanded after a moment of thought.
Although the wooden figures were durable, they lacked the agility and strength of a true shinobi. The wild beasts in these forests, particularly in the Naruto world, were not mere animals; some possessed formidable strength and were not to be underestimated.
"Understood, Master!"
Zhu Rong transformed into a two-meter-long fire dragon, while Wu Sheng perched atop its back. In an instant, the two vanished into the depths of the forest.
Turning his attention back to the wooden figures, Gen motioned for them to follow. "Come with me. I'll show you how to use the tools and prepare food properly."
"Yes, Master."
Despite all this preparation, Uchiha Gen had no intention of killing his captive outright. If his research could be completed without unnecessary bloodshed, he preferred it that way—especially when dealing with fellow Uchiha.
Gen was self-serving, but he maintained his own set of principles. He justified his actions as necessary for power, but he refused to fall entirely into the darkness that consumed so many shinobi before him.
After all, if one is swallowed completely by darkness, they no longer control their power—power controls them.
Uchiha Gen had no illusions about being able to change the world, but he could at least hold himself to his own standards.
According to his research, Uchiha Yuichi came from a stable and happy family, with living parents and younger siblings. There was no reason to shatter that peace.
A plan formed in Gen's mind: once his experiment was complete, he would stage an attack linked to Kirigakure, making it seem as though Yuichi had been kidnapped by Mist Village operatives.
During a mission, he would kill Kirigakure ninjas and plant evidence pointing toward them. Then, a staged battle would take place at the cave—loud enough for anyone searching for Yuichi to hear.
By leaving behind several Mist Village corpses, the story would be clear: Kiri had abducted Uchiha Yuichi, but Konoha forces had managed to track them down and rescue him.
If all went well, not only would Gen avoid suspicion, but he might also gain two loyal subordinates from the Uchiha clan.
It was a complex plan, but well worth the effort.
Half an hour later, the wooden figures, despite their limited intelligence, had learned the basics of handling food and tools. Meanwhile, Zhu Rong and Wu Sheng had successfully exterminated the dangerous beasts in the area.
With everything in place, Uchiha Gen left the mountain and returned to Konoha's frontline camp to submit his mission report.
Despite the delay, no one questioned him—after all, he was not only a talented Uchiha, but also a disciple of Orochimaru. The shinobi responsible for mission tracking wouldn't dare scrutinize him too closely.
After reporting in, Gen approached Orochimaru and requested another solo mission.
During wartime, ninja had little say in their assignments, but Gen knew that with Orochimaru's influence, such matters could be arranged. Even if Tsunade or Jiraiya caught wind of it, they would have little room to object.
And so, shortly after, another Uchiha—Uchiha Mori—was ambushed by Kirigakure Jonin during a mission.
Two Uchiha shinobi had now been abducted in rapid succession. The Uchiha clan was enraged. Teams were dispatched immediately to track down the captives, and among those involved in the search were Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Gen, and the clan elders.
But no one suspected the real culprit was among them all along.
In the end, nothing was discovered, and the matter remained unresolved...
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