NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23: Departure
After the induction ceremony, the newly recruited members of the Konoha Military Police Force happily took the ninjutsu scrolls distributed by the Kuragami and headed home.
Meanwhile, upon returning to his office, Kuragami Uchiha found Fugaku Uchiha sitting in his chair, looking displeased.
"Kuragami..."
"Elder Fugaku, I'll bring back more money this time."
Kuragami Uchiha said before Fugaku could speak. He knew Fugaku was about to bring up financial matters again; after all, the 6,000 Ryo he had promised as a transportation subsidy was no small sum. Combined with salaries, the funds he had obtained from the Yamanaka clan wouldn't last much longer.
"Which clan this time? The Koharu clan? Or Mitokado?"
Fugaku Uchiha asked curiously.
"Ninja clans? They don't have much money."
Kuragami Uchiha chuckled. "Think bigger, Elder Fugaku. In this Shinobi World, who has the most wealth?"
Fugaku Uchiha's pupils shrank. He hadn't expected Kuragami to be this audacious; what he was planning completely defied the established rules of Shinobi World. Compared to that, a Uchiha-led rebellion within the village seemed like child's play.
Looking at Kuragami's smiling face, Fugaku wanted to stop him. But then he thought of everything Kuragami had done since taking power and the increasingly clear vision of the future he saw through his Mangekyō Sharingan.
A future where the Uchiha Clan achieved a level of glory surpassing even their ancestors.
In the end, he swallowed his concerns and simply warned: "Be careful."
"I will."
Kuragami replied. "Elder Fugaku, while I'm away, I'll have to trouble you to take care of the Konoha Military Police Force."
"I understand."
Fugaku nodded and got up to leave.
"Oh, right, Elder Fugaku, send me ten million ryo in cash. I'll need it for the mission."
"Ten million? That much? What kind of mission requires that amount of money?" Fugaku was surprised.
"It's not about the mission itself. The mission isn't that important."
Kuragami said. "What matters is making sure the participating ninjas feel the Uchiha Clan's generosity."
"Alright, I'll have someone send it over later." Fugaku nodded, then left the office.
After a while, someone delivered the ten million Ryo as Kuragami requested.
Kuragami sealed the cash inside a storage scroll, then packed up his belongings, ready to head home.
However, as he stepped out of the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters, he saw an unexpected figure waiting at the entrance, Shisui Uchiha.
"Want to talk?"
Kuragami raised an eyebrow, inviting his once-equal rival in the clan to a conversation.
Shisui nodded and followed him.
Under the setting sun, the two walked toward the Uchiha district in silence, taking a leisurely stroll. Groups of children who had just come out from the academy ran past them, laughing and playing. The sight stirred something in Shisui, and he was the first to break the silence.
"Kuragami, what exactly is your goal?" Shisui asked hesitantly.
"Haven't I told you already?"
Kuragami said while buying two sticks of dango from a roadside stall. Then he handed one to Shisui and took a bite of his own.
"You only said that to unsettle me back then, didn't you?"
Shisui said. "Everything you've done has been about bringing the clan and the village closer together, ensuring peace between them."
"Is that so? Maybe what I said before was the truth."
Kuragami replied ambiguously.
"Kuragami, don't lie to me anymore."
Shisui said. "You were right before; I was too arrogant. The power of Kotoamatsukami is too dangerous in my hands. A single misstep could doom both the clan and the village."
Kuragami looked at Shisui and couldn't help but find his cousin's innocence endearing.
"By the way, why were you at the Konoha Military Police Force today? You still have a position there, but ever since you joined the Anbu, you rarely come by." Kuragami asked.
"The Hokage ordered me to return and monitor the unstable elements in the clan."
Shisui replied.
Hearing this, Kuragami laughed. "So they finally remembered to use you as a spy? And by unstable elements, do they mean me?"
"No."
Shisui shook his head. "The Hokage believes that you are a ninja who upholds the will of fire."
Kuragami struggled to suppress his laughter. "Is that so? Well, in any case, I should thank you. If you hadn't stepped forward, things could have ended badly for me."
"I was only doing what I should."
Shisui said sincerely. "After all, you're also working toward peace between the clan and the village."
"Regardless, since you're back, you might as well work seriously in the Konoha Military Police Force."
Kuragami said while patting Shisui's shoulder in encouragement.
At an intersection, the two parted ways.
After returning home, Kuragami took out a scroll in his study. The scroll contained information extracted by the interrogation unit in recent days, addresses of nobles and wealthy merchants in the Land of Fire who had close ties with the Shimura Clan.
Kuragami marked a few locations that coincided with his mission route, then put the scroll away and began preparing his tools.
The night passed quickly.
Early the next morning, Kuragami Uchiha arrived at the Uchiha district's entrance, where Inoka Uchiha and Saito Uchiha were already waiting for him.
After regrouping, the three-headed toward the village gates.
By the time they arrived, the rest of the mission's participants had already gathered.
Though the number of people wasn't large, they had naturally formed several small groups.
Two ninjas without clan backgrounds stuck together, while a ninja from the Koharu clan and one from the Mitokado clan formed another pair. Hayate Gekko, who came from a minor ninja clan, stood with his lover, Yūgao Uzuki, chatting with an Inuzuka Clan member while petting a large black dog.
As for the two Hyuga clan members who had been assigned to this mission, they stood alone, maintaining their characteristic sense of superiority.
Meanwhile, the team leader for this mission, Kakashi Hatake, sat under the eaves of a still-closed shop near the village gate, quietly reading his copy of Make Out.