When Hayashi received Fugaku's invitation, he was slightly surprised.
Ever since Fugaku's disappearance and return to the village years ago, he had acted like a completely broken man, silent, withdrawn, and lifeless, as if he had suffered a devastating mental blow.
But only Hayashi knew the truth.
The Fugaku living inside the Uchiha compound all these years had merely been a White Zetsu impostor.
Hayashi had tested him several times in the past, but to avoid alerting the enemy prematurely, he never exposed the deception.
This invitation, however, was the first one in five years.
At that moment, Hayashi could almost confirm it.
Fugaku was finally preparing to act.
Why invite him?
It certainly was not to reminisce.
If Fugaku was not planning to trap him, then he was planning to kill him.
Had Hayashi been an ordinary person, or if he had never uncovered Fugaku's identity beforehand, he would probably have walked into this meeting completely unprepared.
And once inside, he would either be sealed away or ambushed, much like how Danzō once targeted Shisui.
From a strategic standpoint, the hidden pawn Fugaku left behind years ago had been extremely effective.
Unfortunately for him, Hayashi had already been wary for a very long time.
As for whether he should still attend the meeting...
Of course he would.
Fugaku had hidden himself for years. Now that he finally revealed his hand, there was no reason for Hayashi to avoid him.
After briefly informing Minato and the others about the situation, Hayashi headed toward Fugaku's residence.
Years ago, this place stood at the center of the Uchiha Clan compound.
But after the commercial district was built, the clan's center gradually shifted elsewhere. Most of the prominent families moved closer to the new clan leadership area, leaving the former clan head's residence isolated and quiet.
Snow drifted gently from the darkening sky as evening approached.
When Uchiha Yama was still alive, Fugaku would personally stand outside the gate whenever Hayashi visited.
This time, no one came to welcome him.
Hayashi did not care.
He stepped over the entrance and walked straight inside.
Relying on memory, he passed through familiar corridors and old wooden walkways before finally reaching a small courtyard deep within the residence.
The doors to the room ahead were already open.
Several bottles of warmed sake rested atop the table, while charcoal crackled softly inside the fireplace, filling the room with warmth despite the freezing weather outside.
Snow had already covered most of the courtyard.
The bare loquat tree standing at the center only made the atmosphere feel colder and more desolate.
Fugaku stood silently beneath the doorway.
His gaze toward Hayashi was filled with complicated emotions.
Back then, his father was still alive.
Back then, he had not encountered Madara.
Back then, he and Hayashi were still friends.
The two youths from years ago had now become entirely different people, carrying completely different identities.
For a brief moment, Fugaku even imagined a different future.
A future where he became the Uchiha Clan Head while Hayashi stood beside him as his trusted deputy.
But that future no longer existed.
Hayashi slowly approached through the falling snow before sniffing lightly.
"The aroma is pretty good," he said casually. "Seems like expensive sake."
The two men now stood less than ten meters apart.
This was the second time Fugaku had truly seen Hayashi since inheriting Madara's will.
The first time was during the ambush on Himeji.
Back then, he only watched from afar through exploding tags and smoke.
This time, he finally saw him clearly.
Fugaku spoke softly.
"Of course it's good sake. Do you remember? Back when you served as a Guardian Ninja for the Daimyō, I told you I buried several bottles here."
Hayashi shook his head lightly.
"That was too long ago. I barely remember it."
He continued walking forward.
Three meters.
That was all that remained between them.
Fugaku stared directly at him.
"This bottle was prepared specifically for you," he said quietly. "The temperature is perfect. Since I went through the trouble, why not stay the night?"
Hayashi answered without hesitation.
"That won't work. Mikoto is still waiting for me at home."
For the first time in years, Fugaku smiled.
A genuine smile.
"It seems I'll have to force you to stay."
The moment the words left his mouth, Fugaku vanished.
At a distance of only three meters, he instantly appeared before Hayashi and drove a heavy punch directly toward his heart.
He had hidden his strength for years.
Combined with a sudden attack at close range, he originally believed the strike would land without fail.
Instead, Hayashi blocked it effortlessly.
Almost simultaneously, Hayashi swung his right hand toward Fugaku. A Flying Thunder God formula immediately condensed in his palm.
But Fugaku reacted just as quickly.
A kunai appeared in his hand and slashed toward Hayashi's wrist.
Hayashi immediately withdrew his arm, then drove his knee into Fugaku's abdomen before releasing a powerful kick that blasted him backward.
Fugaku flipped through the air before stabilizing himself midair.
Hayashi remained where he stood, but two Flying Thunder God kunai had already slipped from his sleeves.
The blades shot toward Fugaku instantly.
Yet just before reaching his forehead, both kunai suddenly stopped.
They trembled violently in midair, unable to move any closer.
Hayashi frowned slightly.
Fugaku floating himself through the air was likely a technique learned from Ōnoki's Light Weight Rock Technique.
But stopping the kunai entirely was something else.
That ability clearly was not Earth Release.
A Mangekyō Sharingan technique?
That made things troublesome.
Every Mangekyō ability was unique. If the user understood the opponent's abilities beforehand, dealing with them became manageable.
Without information, however, fighting against one was extremely dangerous.
Especially when Fugaku possessed Wood Release and seemingly limitless stamina.
Fugaku did not continue attacking.
Instead, he seemed more interested in the hovering kunai.
He casually reached out with two fingers, caught one of the Falling Thunder God kunai, and examined it.
"So this is the Flying Thunder God Technique?" he murmured.
Hayashi merely shook his head with obvious ridicule in his eyes.
Grabbing a Flying Thunder God kunai so openly was clearly bait.
Fugaku was trying to lure him into teleporting nearby.
There were undoubtedly additional traps hidden around the area. Perhaps that strange Mangekyō ability could immobilize him the moment he appeared.
Unfortunately, the trap itself was too obvious.
People who preferred hiding behind schemes usually lacked real combat instincts.
Seeing Hayashi refuse to take the bait, Fugaku lost interest.
"It seems killing you won't be easy," he admitted quietly. "You already knew I planned to attack."
Hayashi grinned.
"I know far more than you think."
Then his expression turned mocking.
"But someone like you wants to kill me?"
Fugaku slowly bent the kunai in his fingers until the metal curved.
"I never expected it to be that simple either," he said calmly. "But since you stepped into this courtyard, then you can stay here."
The next instant, Fugaku leaped high into the air.
"Six Purple Flame Formation."
Six black rods hidden around the courtyard activated simultaneously.
A massive purple barrier erupted upward, completely surrounding Hayashi.
At the same time, six White Zetsu emerged from the corners of the courtyard and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Barrier Ninjutsu, Dankū."
Fugaku floated above the courtyard while staring down at Hayashi.
"You're a master of sealing techniques, so I don't need to explain the Six Purple Flame Formation."
"As for this barrier, it was specifically designed to interfere with space time movement like the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Once Konoha is destroyed, I'll naturally release you."
After speaking, Fugaku slowly ascended higher into the snowy sky.
Meanwhile, standing inside the sealed courtyard, Hayashi smiled instead of panicking.
Was this really the best plan Fugaku came up with after hiding for years?
His eyes slowly shifted toward the six White Zetsu maintaining the barrier.
A trace of excitement appeared in his gaze.
These things were valuable.
He had wanted to capture White Zetsu specimens long ago but never found the right opportunity.
With these bodies in hand, Orochimaru's Wood Release research would likely progress several times faster than before.