In the dark forest, the atmosphere was quiet, broken only by the distant chirping of birds hidden among the branches.
Suddenly, a rabbit slowly emerged from its hole, its small nose twitching as it looked around cautiously.
"Shhh!"
A voice echoed softly through the air, startling the rabbit as it quickly tried to jump back into its burrow.
Just then, a kunai flashed through the air and struck the rabbit mid-leap, hitting it unexpectedly.
The rabbit dropped onto the ground without even making a sound.
"It was just a rabbit. Why are you so worked up?" a man in a mask asked his companion while standing with his back leaning lightly against a nearby tree, glancing at the dead animal lying in the grass.
The other man, crouching near the bushes while keeping watch on the surrounding forest, glanced at him and replied,
"Don't forget, many clan ninjas are watching this forest. If we aren't alert even for a moment, we might not even realise how we died."
His tone was cautious and a little worried as his eyes moved between the shadows of the trees.
He walked forward, bent down, picked up the rabbit by its ears, and handed it to another man standing a few steps behind them.
"Sabu, this is all because of those damn Uchiha bastards. If it weren't for them, would we have to come here and do these kinds of low-life jobs?" another man muttered angrily as he took the rabbit, pulled out the kunai stuck in its body, and wiped the blade on the grass.
"Don't say their names, X. Otherwise, the elder will definitely use the tongue-sealing jutsu on us," Sabu warned with a serious expression as he stood beside the large tree trunk, scanning the surrounding forest before speaking again.
"Don't think just because we're from the same clan that the elder won't do anything to us. You don't know how cruel he can be," he added, looking at both of his companions one after another.
"You two need to change this habit of yours if you don't want to get into trouble," Sabu said in a low voice.
The two men looked at Sabu with discomfort on their faces, the fear clearly visible even behind their masks.
"How can that be? The Third Hokage warned the elder that he won't do anything like that, right?" X asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Inside, however, he was shocked at the thought that the elder could use such a forbidden jutsu on members of his own clan.
Sabu regarded him silently for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"You can try it if you want," Sabu finally said calmly, "but don't blame me for not warning you first."
Both men began to sweat slightly as they looked at Sabu's serious face.
Now they realised that Sabu's words might actually hold some truth.
Seeing the fear on their faces, Sabu let out a small sigh.
Elder Danzo, after being punished by Hokage-sama, had been placed under house arrest, and his temper had only grown worse since then.
He rarely showed himself anymore,
appearing only during important meetings or official matters, deliberately avoiding contact with most clans.
Even if it were a small clan, the moment people noticed Elder Danzo approaching their territory, the area would grow tense.
If by chance the elder directly or indirectly asked that clan to send shinobi for some task, the entire clan would immediately become hostile.
They wouldn't even care that Danzo was an elder of the village.
To them, facing Elder Danzo always meant survival for their clan.
Incidents like this had already happened many times.
Danzo once believed that if he could not gain support from the large clans, then he could at least pressure the smaller clans into submission by using his authority and status.
But every attempt had failed.
Now, almost every clan in the village regarded him as nothing less than a calamity waiting to fall upon them.
"And he is the elder of our clan, so the Hokage can't really stop him if he decides to use it against us," Sabu said quietly as his sharp eyes continued scanning the forest for anything unusual.
"What exactly are we looking for?" X asked, trying to calm himself even though a hint of fear remained in his voice.
Sabu didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he slowly walked toward a large, ancient tree standing at the centre of the clearing and raised his hand, signalling for the other two to stop moving.
"What happened?" X asked cautiously as he approached.
Sabu glanced at his two subordinates before speaking.
"Just search around this tree carefully. Look for any hidden entrance."
The two men immediately began circling the tree, carefully examining the bark and the roots.
Suddenly, X noticed that one small section of the trunk looked slightly different from the rest.
He slowly reached out and placed his hand on the tree. His fingers brushed across the surface, and he immediately felt something different beneath the bark.
"Sabu, I found something," he said, raising his voice slightly.
"X, how many times do I have to tell you not to use real names?" Sabu replied as he walked toward him with another masked figure by his side.
X felt Sabu's sharp gaze and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry… I will try to change this habit of mine," he said quickly.
"But look at what I found."
He placed his hand on the tree again.
"This surface isn't as rough as the other parts of the trunk."
Sabu stepped closer and examined the area carefully.
His gloved fingers traced the bark while his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Hmm… it really is smoother."
He placed his palm on the spot.
"Let's try channelling chakra into it."
As Sabu released a thin stream of chakra, it seeped quietly into the trunk.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the tree suddenly trembled.
The bark split apart as the massive trunk slowly shifted.
Branches twisted unnaturally as if something deep inside the tree had awakened.
The wood folded inward, revealing a narrow opening that spiralled downward into darkness.
A hidden cave.
Sabu's eyes widened slightly.
"Great. Let's go. We found the place."
Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
The air inside the cave felt cold and stale, as if it had been sealed for years.
Dim light from their lamps revealed a wide underground chamber.
Rows of stone tables stood inside the room.
Large glass containers filled with strange liquids were lined along the walls.
Inside them floated distorted shapes that could barely be recognised.
Sabu's footsteps slowed.
"What… is this place?"
He looked around carefully.
Scrolls, broken equipment, and dusty research tables filled the room.
"This doesn't look like a normal hideout…"
Then his eyes fell upon something that made his heart skip.
Inside one of the glass containers—
A pair of crimson eyes floated in liquid.
Sharingan.
His breath froze.
"How did the elder even know about this place?"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"We need to leave. Now."
He turned quickly—
Only to see one of his teammates lying on the floor.
Motionless.
"Wait… what happened to you?"
He rushed forward and crouched beside the body.
"Sabu… he's dead."
X's voice came calmly from behind him.
In the next instant, Sabu's instincts screamed in warning.
But it was too late.
A sharp blade pierced through his stomach.
His body froze.
Blood rose into his mouth.
"X… you bastard!"
He turned around with difficulty, pain spreading through his body.
X stood behind him, the sword still buried deep in his stomach.
His expression was calm.
Almost bored.
X said nothing.
Instead, he opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue.
A dark sealing mark was engraved across it.
The moment Sabu saw it, he understood everything.
"Haha… so the elder already knew."
Blood spilt from his lips as he laughed weakly.
"Hokage-sama placed me near Elder Danzo…"
He shook his head slowly.
"And still… he didn't trust me."
Even though Sabu was a member of the Shimura clan, Danzo had still considered him expendable.
Sabu's vision slowly blurred.
His gaze wandered across the laboratory again.
"What kind of place is this…"
He struggled to speak.
"Where are even Uchiha Sharingan being researched?"
His body collapsed onto the floor.
X calmly wiped the blood from his blade.
He then walked toward a nearby table covered in dust and picked up several scrolls.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he flipped through them.
"Well… this place was one of the favourite research facilities of our great Second Hokage."
He looked around the underground chamber.
"Apparently, it was built by his brother."
He rolled up the scroll.
"The elder only discovered it recently while searching through some of the old experimental records left by the Second Hokage-sama."
He glanced down at Sabu, whose breathing had already stopped.
"Isn't this the perfect hiding place?"
X said quietly.
"Tch… can't even talk properly now."
He turned toward the exit.
"Well… from now on, this can be known as the best Root base."
As he left the cave, the entrance slowly sealed itself again.
The massive tree trunk returned to its original shape.
As if nothing had ever happened.
On the Uchiha side—
The Grand Elder sat with Elders Kazuto and Kohaku as they looked at Toyoma, Suki, and Raizen, along with his entire squad.
"Grandpa, Elder has already sent my letter to Uncle Koji."
Toyoma spoke calmly as he glanced at the elders.
"He will understand what to do after reading it. He should try to arrange for the clan's children to train inside the compound rather than sending them to the ninja academy to be brainwashed."
The Grand Elder and the other elders exchanged puzzled looks.
Raizen and the members of his squad shared the same confusion.
Meanwhile, Suki struggled to hold back her laughter.
"Ah… Toyoma," Elder Kohaku said with an awkward smile.
"I think you are the one leaving the village for the first time."
He chuckled lightly.
"As elders, shouldn't we be the ones teaching you what to do and what not to do?"
Toyoma slowly turned his gaze toward him.
His expression remained calm, his voice steady and firm, his face serious, and he looked Elder Kohaku in the eye.
"Don't worry, Elder. I know what I should do and what I shouldn't."
Suki couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
"You look like a nagging parent, Toyoma! It's so funny!"
She wiped the tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she tried to control her laughter.
Raizen and the members of his squad couldn't help but chuckle after hearing her.
The Grand Elder shook his head faintly before speaking.
"Alright, Toyoma. You don't need to worry about the clan," he said calmly as he looked at him.
"We are here. Nothing will happen to it."
Toyoma nodded slightly.
"Okay, Grandpa."
He then turned toward the gate.
"Let's go, Sister Suki."
With that, Toyoma and his group began walking out of the clan compound.
The Grand Elder and the other elders quietly watched them leave.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
"Well, that kid is strong," Kazuto finally said, noticing the strange expression on the Grand Elder's face.
"You don't need to worry about him, Grand Elder."
The Grand Elder seemed to be staring into the distance.
Then he murmured, almost unconsciously.
"Shein…"
Kazuto and Kohaku both heard it.
They exchanged a glance.
The Grand Elder had just called Toyoma by his own son's name.
A moment later, the Grand Elder blinked, as if waking from a brief daze.
Without saying anything further, he glanced once at Kazuto and Kohaku before quietly leaving the area.
Inside the Shimura clan residence—
A shinobi knelt on the floor as he reported.
"What? That Uchiha brat has left the village?"
Danzo's voice rose in surprise.
Then, slowly, a wide smile spread across his face.
A low laugh escaped his lips.
"Hahaha…"
His eyes narrowed as he looked down at the kneeling shinobi.
"Finally…"
He clenched his fist slowly.
"I finally have a chance for revenge."
Danzo's voice grew colder.
"Just wait, Uchiha."
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Author note:
Hello everyone, hear_tteeth here.
First thing—I want to say my semester ended yesterday. With the summer break, I'm free for the next two to three months, so chapters will now start coming at a proper pace.
Second, I'll be starting another fanfic from the Uzumaki perspective here. I don't want to rush this Uchiha story anymore, so it will stay on Patreon only until it reaches around 40 chapters—then it will come to Webnovel.
Now that I have full days free, I can work without pressure and focus properly on both fanfics and my other work.
And seriously—thank you for staying here even without updates, and for believing in me.
Lastly, the story will move in my style. You can comment and give suggestions—I will read and consider them—but I'll write it my way. In this Uchiha fic, I changed many things based on comments to match what people liked, and that slowed me down a lot and put pressure on my imagination.
This time, I'll keep it consistent.
Thanks again for your support.
As always, you can share your thoughts — I read them all.
And if you want to support and read ahead:
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