In the distance, Aburame Shikuro observed the towering flames and, without hesitation, activated the Root's Tongue Cursing Seal.
However, the seal gave him no response.
"Dead?" he muttered to himself. "A Fire Release of this magnitude… was it Uchiha Fugaku? Or perhaps... that old man?"
A certain figure flickered through his mind.
In the next moment, Aburame Shikuro's silhouette vanished into the night.
The mission had failed.
---
The fire surged violently, engulfing the neighboring buildings as the cold wind carried embers through the air.
Inside the burning house, Uchiha Tunan moved unhurriedly, tossing money and property deeds into the underground cellar. He then tucked a personal diary and a signed copy of The Will of Fire—one he had deliberately obtained from Hiruzen Sarutobi—under his arm.
With a slight sidestep, he effortlessly avoided a falling, burning beam before turning and walking towards the exit.
The enemy had clearly been from the Aburame clan.
Judging by their attire, they weren't ANBU but Root operatives.
Danzo… Orochimaru…
Two individuals he couldn't afford to challenge directly yet.
Uchiha Tunan considered himself pragmatic. He bore no deep-seated grudges.
If they were willing to accept him, he wouldn't mind joining them.
---
By this time, Uchiha Fugaku and the Great Elder had arrived at the scene.
"This is…" Fugaku muttered, his brows furrowing as he took in the roaring inferno.
"It seems we were too late," the Elder replied grimly.
Suddenly, their eyes sharpened in unison—footsteps echoed from within the flames.
Step, step, step…
A lone figure emerged from the burning wreckage, walking calmly through the sea of fire. As he stepped outside the collapsing house, the structure crumbled behind him with a deafening crash.
Rumble!
"Tunan, are you hurt?" the Great Elder asked, his voice laced with concern.
More Uchiha shinobi arrived, crowding around the scene. Their eyes flickered between the destruction and the lone survivor.
Against the backdrop of the inferno, Uchiha Tunan's silhouette looked frail—but no one present dared to underestimate him.
Tunan glanced at the gathered clan members before adjusting his glasses with an apologetic expression. He bowed deeply and said,
"I'm terribly sorry for disturbing your rest with all this commotion."
Fugaku stepped forward. "What happened? Was this the work of enemy spies?"
Tunan calmly shook his head. "No comment. I must report this directly to Lord Hokage."
At his words, the surrounding Uchiha erupted in irritation.
"Tch, we rushed over in the middle of the night for this?"
"Hmph, Great Elder, Patriarch, let's go. This kid isn't worth our time."
"That's right. He's always been an outsider. Why should we care?"
The Great Elder narrowed his eyes but maintained his composure.
"Tunan, your clanmates are simply concerned for your well-being. Do you not even trust your own people?"
Tunan remained silent, his expression unreadable.
The Elder stole a glance at the dying flames before turning back to the young Uchiha before him.
Power, intellect, and restraint… truly a gift from the heavens to our clan.
The Uchiha continued grumbling among themselves, caught between frustration and curiosity.
Just then, a squad of ANBU appeared nearby.
"Tunan, are you unharmed?" one asked.
The ANBU parted, and from behind them emerged Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in his casual robes. His face was lined with concern.
Tunan's expression softened. A warm smile appeared on his face as he responded,
"Hokage-sama, I'm fine."
Hiruzen's gaze flickered to the books tucked under Tunan's arm before he sighed in relief.
"I came as soon as I heard the news. Who attacked you?"
Tunan hesitated, pursing his lips.
"Tunan, Lord Hokage is here," the Great Elder pressed. "Surely you can tell him?"
Tunan glanced at the Elder before turning back to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen gave a small nod. "Go ahead."
Tunan spoke, his voice calm but firm.
"The attacker wore an ANBU mask but used kikaichū insects in battle. He claimed to be from Root and that a man named Danzo wished to see me. I refused, and he attacked."
The Great Elder's heart leaped with excitement. He had assumed Tunan was simply manipulating Konoha's higher-ups—but now, he realized the boy was doing something far greater: sowing discord between the Hokage and Danzo.
Feigning outrage, the Elder turned to Hiruzen and demanded,
"Lord Hokage, what explanation does Konoha have for this?
Why are Root operatives attacking the Uchiha clan's young prodigies in the dead of night?"
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
Root… Danzo…
While he couldn't be certain, there was a strong possibility that Danzo had indeed orchestrated this.
Initially, Hiruzen had planned to retrieve the enemy's corpse for investigation.
But now, he hesitated.
Danzo, you've overstepped…
He sighed before responding,
"The ANBU will conduct a thorough investigation. If the allegations are true, appropriate action will be taken."
Hiruzen then placed a hand on Tunan's head, his expression gentle.
"Tunan, your home is gone. Have you considered moving somewhere else?"
The Great Elder tensed.
"Lord Hokage, Tunan is an Uchiha. His home may be destroyed, but he still has a place within our clan. Are you suggesting we separate him from his people?"
Hiruzen inwardly smirked at the Elder's knee-jerk reaction.
Of course, I never intended to take him away. I just wanted to deepen his loyalty to me.
Tunan stepped slightly behind Hiruzen, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.
Hiruzen met his gaze and sighed.
"You're right. I hadn't considered that. My apologies, son. Do as your Elder says."
Tunan lowered his gaze, nodded, and obediently stepped forward.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take Tunan to his new residence," the Great Elder said coldly, motioning for Tunan to follow.
Tunan turned to Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama, I'll be going now."
"Go on."
With a final lingering glance at Hiruzen, Uchiha Tunan followed the Elder toward the heart of the Uchiha compound.
Hiruzen watched the boy's retreating figure and sighed deeply.
A child this intelligent and composed… it almost makes my heart ache.