"Are you Fukami Natsuhiko?"
As Natsuhiko approached the elderly man from the Uchiha clan, the old man lifted his head and fixed his gaze on him, asking the question without hesitation.
Natsuhiko studied him in silence, his mind already sifting rapidly through the information he had stored.
The ANBU intelligence archives were, without question, exceptionally thorough—especially when it came to certain prominent families within the village. Their records went into far greater depth than one might expect.
It didn't take long before a faint smile appeared on his lips. He gave a polite nod before replying,
"Yes, I'm Fukami Natsuhiko. And you are…?"
In truth, he already knew exactly who the old man was.
According to ANBU records, his name was Uchiha Shin—an elder of the Uchiha clan. In his youth, he had been close to Uchiha Kagami. Unfortunately, Kagami had died early, and afterward, Shin had taken it upon himself to raise Kagami's son.
Yet whether it was fate or something darker, misfortune seemed to cling to Kagami's bloodline. Over a decade later, that son met the same end—killed in war, leaving behind only a child of his own.
Natsuhiko hadn't bothered to look into that child's identity, but he was well aware of everything concerning the old man before him. Even so, the questions in his heart remained, and naturally, he had no intention of voicing them outright.
For now, he wanted to see why this man had sought him out.
After all, on the surface, he was nothing more than a civilian-born shinobi.
"My name is Uchiha Shin," the elder said gently, his smile as composed as Natsuhiko's. "I hope you won't take offense at the manner in which I arranged this meeting. It's our first encounter—please, go easy on me."
"Go easy on you?" Natsuhiko echoed, his expression turning slightly odd.
He had already guessed something, but he simply shook his head.
"How could I presume to 'go easy' on a member of the Uchiha clan? Perhaps you've received some incorrect information. I'm just an ordinary shinobi."
"Captain Natsuhiko, you're far too modest."
Uchiha Shin let out a soft sigh the moment he heard that, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as if confirming something.
"Can someone Kakashi addresses as 'Captain' truly be ordinary?"
At those words, the warmth in Natsuhiko's expression deepened.
Now, his suspicions were confirmed.
This old man knew quite a bit—and rather interestingly, the source seemed to be Kakashi.
That possibility had crossed Natsuhiko's mind before. Even though he had tried to patch things up back then, once someone was determined to investigate, traces were bound to surface.
What he didn't know now was just how much Uchiha Shin had managed to uncover from the ANBU.
No matter how tight their secrecy, information always leaked—just as he had once told Chiyo: if you don't want anyone to know, don't do it in the first place.
The Uchiha clan's desire to gain influence within the ANBU had never been subtle. Whether they were the faction pushing for a coup or those advocating for negotiation, the ANBU was a force neither side could afford to ignore.
And yet… they had come to him.
That, more than anything, amused Natsuhiko.
He didn't even know whether this old man belonged to the doves or the hawks—but what made him think he could persuade him?
Do I really look like a traitor?
Tilting his head slightly, Natsuhiko noticed a subtle shift in the teahouse. The flow of people had begun to change—not dramatically, but enough.
That was all the confirmation he needed.
The ANBU had started to move.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps not."
Natsuhiko gave a slight shake of his head. Reaching out, he picked up the teacup before him, gently swirling it once or twice. Only then did he speak, his tone calm and unhurried.
"But that doesn't seem to have anything to do with you, does it?"
"Please, don't misunderstand—truly, don't misunderstand." Uchiha Shin immediately shook his head in denial.
He poured himself a cup of tea, then filled one for Natsuhiko as well. Only after setting the teapot down did he continue, a faint smile lingering on his face.
"I wouldn't dare pry into matters beyond my place—especially not those concerning Captain Natsuhiko.
It's just that… this time, I sought you out because there are things I wish to say. Things I've kept to myself for far too long. Truths I feel I should finally lay bare.
How you choose to regard them doesn't matter. Even if you report this meeting exactly as it is, that's fine.
It's simply that… there are words I've held in for years, and no one I could truly speak them to.
Now that I've been given this opportunity, I can't let it slip by."
Natsuhiko silently observed him, as though lost in thought, offering no immediate response.
For a moment, their table fell into an odd silence—one that stood in stark contrast to the low murmur of conversations drifting from the surrounding seats. Compared to the rest of the teahouse, their stillness felt almost unnatural.
Natsuhiko idly rotated the teacup in his hand.
The motion was slow, but the arc was wide.
And yet, not a single drop of tea spilled.
That detail did not escape Uchiha Shin.
In that instant, he understood—this young man's control over chakra had already reached an extraordinary level.
And that only deepened his curiosity.
According to the records, this boy was nothing more than an ordinary shinobi.
But that "ordinary" background was riddled with gaps—sections so vague they might as well have been erased entirely.
More intriguingly, when he had sent people to investigate Natsuhiko, he had encountered subtle resistance. Nothing overt, nothing he could point to directly—but enough to warn him that taking even one step further might lead to real trouble.
He was certain now.
This boy was ANBU.
But what he truly wanted to know… was what kind of existence he was within the ANBU.
That was why he had decisively halted the investigation and instead chosen to meet him in person—this former classmate of his granddaughter.
He had a feeling.
If he spoke with this boy, he might gain something unexpected.
Even if such a meeting carried risks, it was a chance he had to take.
For his family.
For the Uchiha.
"…I think I understand now."
After a long pause, Natsuhiko finally gave a small nod.
"But I'm curious. Why me? How did you find me? And one more thing…"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Do you even know who I am?"
Faced with the question, Uchiha Shin took a slow breath before answering in a lowered voice.
"You are a captain within Konoha's ANBU. My apologies—that is the only conclusion I could reach, based on what little I was able to gather.
As for why I sought you out… truthfully, the one I wanted to approach was Kakashi. After all, he is the disciple of the Fourth Hokage.
But you are Kakashi's captain. In certain matters, that gives you greater authority than he has.
So, in the end, I had no choice but to come to you.
What do you think of that explanation, Captain Natsuhiko?"
Natsuhiko didn't find anything particularly questionable in his words.
Still, one detail stood out.
He had mentioned both the Fourth Hokage and Kakashi.
That alone made Natsuhiko wonder—
Was this old man one of the doves?
After all, the dovish faction still hoped to negotiate with Konoha in good faith. And with the Fourth Hokage now in power—a man who maintained a certain connection with the Uchiha clan—it wasn't strange for them to place their hopes there.
If anything, it made perfect sense.
Of course, Natsuhiko couldn't rule out the possibility that this man belonged to the hawks. That was something he would have to judge for himself, slowly and carefully.
With that in mind, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Then go ahead," he said calmly. "Let's hear what you have to say. Perhaps I can pass along a message for you."
"You have my sincere thanks, Captain Natsuhiko, for your willingness to listen."
Uchiha Shin seemed visibly relieved. He lifted his teacup, took a small sip, and only then began speaking in a low voice.
"To me—or rather, to a portion of the Uchiha clan—we deeply wish for the Uchiha and Konoha to return to a state of true harmony—"
"Stop."
Natsuhiko cut him off before he could finish.
"The Uchiha and Konoha have always been together. Intertwined. Indistinguishable from one another," he said evenly. "You should be more careful with your wording."
"…Perhaps I was careless."
Uchiha Shin showed no trace of anger at being interrupted. Instead, he studied Natsuhiko for a long moment before giving a slow, solemn nod.
He understood perfectly well what Natsuhiko meant.
There were things that simply couldn't be said aloud—at least not without inviting serious trouble.
A quiet sigh echoed in his heart. When certain truths couldn't be spoken, many things lost their clarity… yet under such circumstances, one had no choice but to bow their head.
And so, he adjusted his approach.
"Captain Natsuhiko, please believe that I bear no ill intent.
Perhaps the Uchiha and Konoha have always been one—but within both, there have always been differing voices.
As an elite of the ANBU, I imagine you're well aware of this."
His voice remained low, deliberate.
"Within the Uchiha clan, certain… less rational voices have begun to gain ground.
They are not yet dominant—but if this continues, I fear something irreversible may happen.
And when that happens… it will be a disaster. Not just for Konoha, but for the Uchiha as well."
He paused briefly, then continued.
"People like myself—and those who share my views—are willing to act for the sake of both the village and the clan.
We are willing to maintain communication with the Hokage. We are willing to give more of ourselves, to prove our loyalty through action.
And we hope, through that, to earn the Hokage's recognition… and his support."
Uchiha Shin spoke slowly, his voice kept deliberately low, as though wary of being overheard.
But Natsuhiko, on the surface, seemed entirely unconcerned. He continued to idly play with the teacup in his hand, as if none of this truly mattered.
And yet—
Behind that casual demeanor, he had already begun to seriously consider the meaning behind the old man's words.
It was already clear to Natsuhiko—this man was, without a doubt, part of the Uchiha clan's dovish faction.
At present, the struggle between the doves and the hawks was still locked in a tense stalemate. Though the hawks held the upper hand, they had yet to achieve full control.
The true turning point—the moment the hawks would seize dominance—would only come after the Nine-Tails incident, when Konoha's attitude and treatment toward the Uchiha shifted irreversibly.
But now…
The doves were already trying to establish contact with the Hokage?
Natsuhiko stilled the motion of his hand.
In his memory, the doves had indeed sent certain individuals into the ANBU. One was Shisui—the man who proved that even the Mangekyō Sharingan was not invincible.
The other…
Uchiha Itachi—the one who, with a single, decisive stroke, wiped out his entire clan.
It had to be said, the "assets" cultivated by the Uchiha's dovish faction were… remarkably effective.
Even if that had never been their intention, the end result spoke for itself.
A tragedy, no matter how one looked at it.
But reaching out to the Hokage… through the ANBU?
Was that truly the right move?
Or was this simply another form of signaling—just like other clans sending their own members into the ANBU to demonstrate loyalty?
And more importantly…
Which Hokage were they trying to reach?
The Third?
Or the Fourth?
Natsuhiko couldn't fully untangle those questions, but he had grasped one key point—
This man likely intended to place someone within the system.
The difference was, compared to others, his motive seemed far more straightforward.
He wasn't scheming for power.
He was trying to build a bridge.
With that thought, Natsuhiko raised his teacup and took a small sip before speaking in a quiet, measured tone.
"I think I understand your intentions. But there's one question I need answered."
"Please, go ahead, Captain Natsuhiko," Uchiha Shin replied with a nod and a polite smile.
In truth, he didn't quite believe that Natsuhiko had fully grasped his meaning. After all, the man before him was simply too young.
"You want me to report this matter…" Natsuhiko set his teacup down, the smile on his face growing ever more gentle, "…to the Third Hokage?"
"Or to the Fourth?"
"…This—"
The question instantly made Uchiha Shin aware that things were more complicated than he had assumed.
After a brief hesitation, he asked cautiously, "Is there a difference?"
"No difference at all," Natsuhiko replied, his smile widening slightly. "After all, they are both Hokage."
He had no intention of pursuing that topic any further.
Whether Uchiha Shin was feigning ignorance, or simply kept in the dark due to the strict information lockdown, Natsuhiko couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.
Because the truth was—
That question had no easy answer.
Even he wouldn't have responded lightly in the same position.
To the outside world, after all, Minato Namikaze was seen as someone personally elevated by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Looking at the man before him, Natsuhiko suspected that Shin didn't particularly care which Hokage received this information.
In a sense… it was all the same to him.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Suddenly, Natsuhiko tapped his fingers lightly against the table before rising to his feet.
"Let's leave it here for today," he said calmly. "Thank you for the tea."
"There's really no need to be so—"
Uchiha Shin began with a faint smile, but the words died in his throat.
Because at that very moment—
As Natsuhiko stood, every single patron in the teahouse fell silent.
Then, one by one…
They rose as well.
The scene froze him in place.
Only then did he realize—
He was surrounded.
Every person in the teahouse had, without him noticing, already been replaced by ANBU operatives.
"As for next time," Natsuhiko continued, as if he hadn't heard a word, his voice calm and almost indifferent, "if you wish to meet me, don't do it like this."
He paused slightly, then added—
"And you were right about one thing."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"I'm not an ordinary shinobi."
"Nor am I… an ordinary member of the ANBU."