Konoha’s Five-Element Ninja

Chapter 50: Return to the Village

Seething with anger, Hayama clenched his fists and struck a wooden support post of the tent. His knuckles turned red, but he felt no pain.

Yamashiro Tatsu emerged from the tent and lightly patted Hayama's shoulder. "Have you thought about using the Uchiha connection?"

Hayama, still processing, replied woodenly, "Uchiha?"

"Tatsu, what's the purpose of Uchiha Fugaku sending you this letter?" Yamashiro Tatsu raised the letter in his hand, drawing Hayama's attention.

As his mind cleared, Hayama quickly pieced together what Tatsu was implying. Slowly, his eyes narrowed—a clear sign to Tatsu that his captain had come up with a plan.

Tatsu remained loyal to Hayama despite the latter's fall from favor. It wasn't just Hayama's strength that drew him; it was Hayama's unwavering mental fortitude. A ninja with power but no brain was merely a brute, destined for failure. To thrive in a place as cutthroat as Konoha, strength opened doors, but intelligence and tact were what carried you up the ladder. Without it, one would meet the same fate as Uchiha Kagami—manipulated by the upper echelons and discarded like a pawn.

"Are you suggesting I fully align with the Uchiha?" Hayama asked calmly.

Tatsu nodded. "It's the best choice under the circumstances, isn't it?"

Hayama fell silent. From the moment he received this letter, he knew he had no other options. The Uchiha were his only remaining path.

Sarutobi Firefang had made it clear he wanted Hayama dead. Since their animosity was now out in the open, there was no point pretending otherwise. The Hokage's faction was out. The ANBU group led by Hatake Sakumo and the civilian ninjas wouldn't stand up for Hayama either—especially after their recent ideological split.

Hayama's options had dwindled to one: the Uchiha clan.

He carefully examined the return address on the letter. It had been sent through official Konoha channels, with Uchiha Fugaku clearly listed as the sender and Hayama as the recipient. Fugaku wasn't hiding his intentions; he wanted to tie Hayama to the Uchiha with a public gesture.

Hayama had no doubt the letter had passed through the Hokage's desk before reaching him. It was likely the copy in his hand wasn't even the original.

Still, he trusted the letter's content. The code phrase "Strange numbers stay constant; symbols follow the quadrant" was known only to him and Fugaku. Hayama had prepared such codes in advance, not only with Fugaku but also with Tatsu. If he hadn't, he might already have been dead without knowing who had set him up.

Determined, Hayama returned to his tent and began drafting a reply to Fugaku under the dim light.

Tatsu's suggestion had been correct. Aligning with the Uchiha was Hayama's best—and only—choice. Without them, Hayama was just another disposable jonin. His best-case scenario would be a lifetime of border patrol; his worst-case, a forgotten death in the wilderness.

Once the letter was written, Hayama handed it to Tatsu for review. Trust was earned over time, and Tatsu's unwavering loyalty during Hayama's hardest days proved he was a true ally.

After reading the letter, Tatsu placed it back on the table and said seriously, "Captain, you forgot something."

"What's that?" Hayama asked.

"You forgot to include my name."

Hayama was genuinely touched. Adding Tatsu's name to the letter meant openly declaring his allegiance, severing ties with the Hokage's faction. As a tokubetsu jonin, Tatsu was a valuable asset to Konoha. There was no pressing need for him to make such a bold declaration.

Hayama said nothing. He tore up the original letter and, under Tatsu's clear-eyed gaze, wrote a new one.

The next morning, Hayama skipped his usual training routine and headed to the courier office. He sent the revised letter via express delivery, ensuring that it would reach Fugaku in two days. Both he and Tatsu had now sworn their loyalty in writing.

...

Days passed. Hayama and Tatsu refused all patrol assignments, waiting instead at the courier office each day for a reply from Fugaku.

Had it not been for the protocol prohibiting unapproved returns during a mission, Hayama would have gone back to the village himself. Writing a letter seemed like a painfully roundabout way to show his allegiance.

Five and a half days later, Hayama didn't receive a letter from Fugaku. Instead, he received an order from the Hokage's office.

The order opened with an apology for Hayama's extended border assignment. It then rambled on about the Will of Fire before finally authorizing Hayama and Tatsu to return to the village for rest—no time limit specified. Notably, the order was signed not by Sarutobi Hiruzen, but by Shimura Danzo.

Hayama wasn't a fool. He saw the clear attempt by Hiruzen to shift responsibility. Danzo likely had no idea this order even existed.

It was clear now that, even though the Uchiha had been marginalized, their influence still lingered. The clan's performance in the recent war against the Mist had bolstered their reputation. A "crippled" camel was still larger than a horse; despite the Hokage's efforts to diminish them, the Uchiha clan retained their weight within the village.

Without wasting time, Hayama and Tatsu set off for Konoha as soon as they received the order.

After a day and a night of travel, they reached a point twenty kilometers west of the village's western gate. Before they could proceed further, two Konoha ninja in standard flak jackets blocked their path.

Both were young, around twenty, with unremarkable features. Their jet-black eyes, however, gleamed with a piercing intensity.

"You must be Hayama and Tatsu," one of them said.

Hayama noticed the Konoha Police Force insignia on their flak jackets. "That's right. And you are?"

"Uchiha Nagayasu."

"Uchiha Seiji."

As they spoke, their black pupils turned crimson—both had fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan.

Hayama's tone became even more polite. "Are you here specifically to escort us?"

Nagayasu smiled. "It's not just us. The young clan head has been waiting for you at the gate since yesterday."

Hayama caught the key detail. So Fugaku had become the Uchiha's clan head during his absence. It seemed Hayama's decision to align with them had been the right one.

With an appropriate expression of gratitude, Hayama said, "Let's not keep the young clan head waiting."

"Indeed," Nagayasu replied.

The group moved quickly toward the western gate. Along the way, several Uchiha patrols greeted Hayama warmly. It was clear word of his new status had already spread, and he was surprised at how warmly the Uchiha welcomed him.

At ninja speed, the remaining twenty kilometers flew by. In just over ten minutes, the towering western gate came into view. Standing about a hundred meters away, waiting patiently, was none other than Uchiha Fugaku.

From a distance, Fugaku broke into a broad smile, extending his arms as if to embrace Hayama. But Hayama stopped short, dropped to one knee, and offered a formal ninja salute.

"Young Clan Head, it's an honor that you came to greet us. I'm not worthy of such courtesy."

A flicker of complex emotion passed through Fugaku's eyes. His outstretched arms hesitated midair, and his tone turned slightly annoyed. "What do you take me for? A friend? A superior?"

Hayama looked up, his gaze clear and sincere. "Regardless, I'm deeply grateful for your assistance."

Fugaku sighed, clearly resigned. He stepped forward, pulled Hayama to his feet, and clasped his hand firmly. "No need for formalities between friends. Let's go home—I've prepared a welcome feast."

Even as they walked through the wide streets of Konoha, Fugaku kept hold of Hayama's hand, leading him all the way to the Uchiha compound.

There, in Fugaku's lavish home, a banquet was held with dozens of attendees. Hayama was seated at Fugaku's left, with Tatsu on his right. The rest of the guests were seasoned warriors, their sharp presences unmistakable. The gathering's grandeur left Hayama truly touched by Fugaku's regard.

In the spring of Konoha's forty-second year, eighteen-year-old Hayama fully and openly joined the Uchiha's ranks.

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