I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 102 The Pledge of Allegiance of the Xuanjian Squad

Konoha, inside a tavern.

With his fingers tapping on the table, 16-year-old Uchiha Yoru exuded the air of a superior as he sized up the three 18- or 19-year-old ninjas before him, who seemed somewhat uneasy.

It's not that the three of them have a bad attitude, it's just so embarrassing. Their resumes are utterly shameful. As the Fourth Hokage's bodyguards, the Fourth Hokage died while the three of them were unharmed. It's impossible not to feel embarrassed. Now they're shamelessly asking for favors, clearly trying to curry favor with the future Fifth Hokage.

Tsk tsk, the three of them felt their faces burning, but they had been driven to the brink of despair.

"Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi, and Deivashi are known as the 'Genma Team.' They were once appreciated by the Fourth Hokage. They came from commoner backgrounds, and their achievements at this age are truly remarkable."

Despite being younger than them, Uchiha Yoru spoke of their information with the air of a superior, and the three of them did not feel uncomfortable at all.

"I haven't met any of you three before, but I seem to recall Orochimaru mentioning that the Fourth Hokage told him that his bodyguard team of three, Genma, had learned the Flying Thunder Formation. I'm curious if that's true or not?"

Uchiha Yoru's words startled the three of them, but then they remembered that he was Orochimaru's disciple, who in turn was the disciple of the Third Hokage and was on the same team as Jiraiya. The Fourth Hokage was also Jiraiya's disciple.

Although it was a bit convoluted, it made perfect sense that they knew this secret, so the three of them suddenly realized.

Upon hearing this, Genma Shiranui seemed to have thought of something and hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and making a firm decision, saying in a deep voice, "Yes, the Fourth Hokage once taught the three of us the Flying Thunder Formation technique. If Lord Yoru needs it, the three of us are willing to teach it to him without reservation."

At this moment, Uchiha Yoru smiled. Was this a pledge of allegiance? When the three of them handed over this ninjutsu to him, it meant that they were completely marked with his mark, or rather, the mark of Orochimaru's lineage.

After all, this was an advanced ninjutsu that the Fourth Hokage had taught to the three of them. Although the Fourth Hokage was dead, this ninjutsu involved some secrets, so if they wanted to pass it on to others, they would have to report it to the current Hokage.

It's quite obvious that the three of them want to use this ninjutsu as a stepping stone or a pledge of loyalty.

Looking at the three of them, Uchiha Yoru immediately showed curiosity. "I'm a little curious. Although this is our first meeting, I trust my eyes. You three aren't those kinds of people. Can you tell me why you three went against your original intentions to join the Seventh Division of the Police Department?"

Goodness, just one sentence, "I believe you guys aren't that kind of people," instantly made the three awkward and uneasy people feel deeply moved, as if they were willing to die for someone who understands them.

The three of them were miserable. Who the hell could have imagined that the Hokage would die? Besides, were they not going to participate in the battle against the Nine-Tails? The Fourth Hokage's space-time jutsu teleported the Nine-Tails so far away that even the Third Hokage died by the time he arrived. They were exhausted and still couldn't catch up, but no one listened to these reasons.

Everyone saw that the Fourth Hokage was dead, but the three of them, as the Fourth Hokage's guards, were alive and well without losing a single hair. The rumors and gossip had tormented them a lot during this time.

At this moment, Uchiha Yoru seemed to be their mentor. The three of them felt sad and wronged. Among them, Deivashi's eyes were red, and he couldn't help but slam the table angrily. He tried to suppress his anger but still spoke with a wronged nasal voice as he explained the reason.

"It's not that we're afraid of death, nor are we afraid of what others will say about us behind our backs. It's just that some people don't treat the three of us like human beings. We're afraid that one day we'll die at the hands of our own people without knowing why."

At this moment, Deivashi was filled with grievances. Genma Shiranui, who was standing to the side, wanted to speak up to stop him, but after opening his mouth, he could only sigh helplessly.

At this moment, it was as if a floodgate had been opened, and even Raiichi Namiya began to speak with a sense of grievance.

"It's not that we're opportunistic, we didn't want to either! Yes! We failed to protect the Fourth Hokage, and we'll accept whatever punishment we're given. We're just gatekeepers, we deserve it. But even if we're executed, we'll accept it, but this is unacceptable."

At this moment, Namiashi Raido and Deivashi were filled with anger, but in the end, Shiranui Genma sighed softly and told Uchiha Yoru the truth.

"Master Ye, the three of us have been a team since graduation, but recently the Root people secretly attacked us."

"Root?" Upon hearing this, Uchiha Yoru immediately understood. The other party had mistaken the attack that night for that of Root members. However, he still shook his head calmly and said, "Although I don't know much about Root, I do know one thing: if Root members had made a move, the three of you would probably have already secretly disappeared from Konoha."

Although this statement sounds somewhat disrespectful, it is also true. If Genbu really wanted to make a move, the three of them would have already disappeared silently from the village.

However, upon hearing this, Deivashi gave a wry smile, pointed to his head, and mocked, "Yes, it's a pity that the three of us have some important things in our heads, such as the secrets of the Flying Thunder Formation Technique. The Root uses a secret technique to enter the mental world and directly examine memories. This is a secret technique of the Yamanaka family, the intelligence department."

Although they were commoners, they had served as the Fourth Hokage's bodyguard for a year, so they had some knowledge and naturally recognized the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques.

"I'm afraid it was difficult to make a move at first. Now that the storm has passed, the three of us are naturally useless. This is a reckoning after the storm. First, we'll investigate the Flying Thunder Formation Technique thoroughly. I'm afraid that one day a rogue ninja or someone who failed to protect the Fourth Hokage will be held accountable. Oh, and it's also possible that our reputation for being afraid to fight the Nine-Tails will cause the three of us to disappear from the village without a trace."

Seeing Deivashi's sarcastic remarks, Genma Shiranui and Raido Namiashi, standing to the side, shook their heads with wry smiles. Their understanding of Root was indeed possible.

Of course, there is another possibility: to make use of them, forcing the three of them to join the Root and become cannon fodder for the mission.

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Yoru finally understood everything. These three had been driven to desperation by Root, otherwise they wouldn't have been so shameless as to beg Orochimaru to join their ranks.

Clearly, in the eyes of the three, Orochimaru currently has the greatest influence and is the most likely candidate to become the Fifth Hokage. They believe that joining him would provide them with protection.

"Lord Ye, it's not that the three of us are afraid of death, but we really don't want to die such a pathetic death. Even if you send us to the battlefield now and we die there, we don't want to suffer the torment of the Roots."

At this moment, Genma Shiranui also spoke up. Ever since the incident with Deivashi, the three of them were furious when they learned about it. But after the anger, they felt more resentful. To put it bluntly, they would rather commit suicide than fall into the hands of Root. Therefore, the three of them decided to join Orochimaru.

Just as they made up their minds, the three of them happened to be guarding the gate when they saw Lord Orochimaru and Uchiha Yoru, who were out on a mission, at dusk.

Lord Orochimaru and his men, who were on a mission, naturally wouldn't dare to intercept him, but Uchiha Yoru could.

"I've naturally heard about the cruel methods used by the root of the family from my teacher."

At this moment, Uchiha Yoru looked at the three of them with a face full of resentment, "The actions of Root are indeed hateful."

"Don't worry, the three of you will come with me to the police department tonight to complete the formalities. It's a waste that Konoha sent such an elite squad to guard the gate."

Upon hearing the three's experiences, Uchiha Yoru looked furious and slammed his fist on the table to express his feelings. Seeing this, Shiranui Genma and the other two immediately showed expressions of gratitude.

Ever since being targeted by Root, the three of them have been unable to eat or sleep, fearing that they would disappear from Konoha at any moment, or be taken back to Root's base, where they would be subjected to all sorts of cruel torture and even their corpses would be used for research.

Now that they have finally found their mentor, they can finally relax. At the same time, Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi, and Deivashi exchanged glances and revealed a sense of relief at surviving a disaster.

The reputation of Gen was so great that they were all uneasy.

Uchiha Yoru, however, smiled. In any case, Danzo's Root members had been scapegoated more than once or twice, so one more wouldn't make a difference. He could also gain three capable assistants for free. After all, a bodyguard who was chosen by the Fourth Hokage must be capable.

Especially loyalty. Since he had no plans to defect, the more loyal ninjas he had, the better. As for the three of them, they hadn't betrayed the village; they just wanted to live and had joined Orochimaru's faction within the village. They were still part of the Hokage's faction, so it wasn't a defection.

That night, the three of them went to the office building of the Seventh Division of the Police Department. Thanks to the intimidation of Root, the three elite ninjas stayed in the office building, saying they wanted to familiarize themselves with the work. In fact, they were afraid that Root would come knocking on their door. They decided to resign from their job as gatekeepers the next day. Even the Hokage couldn't persuade them to stay.

Choosing to stay with the Hokage might mean falling into the hands of Root, while joining the police department would at worst result in being ridiculed. They'd rather do that. As for trusting the Hokage? They're not stupid. During the year they followed the Fourth Hokage, they knew perfectly well the relationship between the Third Hokage and Root—it was incredibly close and indulgent.

For the next few days, Konoha seemed peaceful, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the arrival of peace.

The two high-ranking officials of Konoha, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, constantly dealt with the delegation from Kumogakure, the Village of Lightning. After all, they were both seasoned veterans and naturally the best at this kind of thing.

Danzo of Root seems to be busy plotting something, and the Third Hokage is issuing Hokage orders to various parts of the Land of Fire. There are also strange signs of reinforcements appearing on the front lines, and the direction is towards Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village).

Uchiha Yoru of the police department has been grinning from ear to ear these past few days. Although there aren't many clans in Konoha, they don't skimp on money. Even the Third Hokage sent his clansmen to deliver funds.

Within the entire Hidden Leaf Village, only the Hyuga clan seemed to have a somewhat oppressive atmosphere. Although it had always been like this, this time it seemed different, with a feeling of being unable to breathe.

Time flies, and a month later...

The Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure couldn't contain his anger and slammed his fist on the table, cursing, "That old scoundrel Hiruzen Sarutobi, he's truly despicable!"

"Lord Raikage, some elite squads from Konoha have begun to reinforce the front lines, and at the same time, Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, has been spotted near the Land of the Sea."

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, the Fourth Raikage, A, couldn't help but slam his fist on the table, stand up, and curse, "That old man Sarutobi is truly cunning, damn him!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's methods are truly cunning. He's reinforcing the front lines, and Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, has even appeared at the border. This is a clear indication of a threat: if you dare to make a move, Konoha will dare to start a ninja village war against you. Do you dare?

Even in his anger, the Fourth Raikage could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger. It wasn't that he was afraid, but if they really fought, the resources of the Hidden Cloud Village alone wouldn't be enough. In the previous major battles, the Hidden Leaf Village had already revealed its powerful resources, capable of holding its own against many opponents.

"Send a message to the delegation heading to Konoha: no matter what, even if they're just making trouble, the Third Hokage has to give us an explanation."

Having suffered a loss in silence, the Fourth Raikage, A, could only vent his frustration with such a shameless method. After all, it wasn't just Konoha that had just experienced the Third Shinobi World War; their Hidden Cloud Village had also suffered heavy losses.

Konoha, the Hyuga clan.

The dim candlelight illuminated the room, which was ancient and steeped in history. At this moment, the Hyuga main family and six elders were sitting on the left and right sides.

The person seated at the head of the table was the Third Hokage, who was wearing a Hokage hat. At this moment, the Third Hokage lowered his hat and puffed out smoke as he smoked a pipe.

"Now the head of the envoy from the Land of Lightning has been killed on Hyuga clan territory. Regardless of the reason, this is Konoha after all. Kumogakure is using this as an excuse to say that Konoha violated the alliance treaty immediately after signing it and has put forward many unreasonable conditions."

"Even recently, tensions have risen on the border due to the ongoing disputes." With his cunning and shrewdness, the Third Hokage smoothly shifted the pressure onto the Hyuga clan.

Your Hyuga clan, like the Uchiha, is known as one of the powerful clans of the Warring States period. So powerful that even the Hokage couldn't interfere with your clan's territory? Fine, now that person has died on your doorstep, you'll have to deal with the mess you made.

Want me to clean up your mess? Once the war breaks out on the front lines, the Hyuga clan will be the sinners of the entire Hidden Leaf Village, all because of your Hyuga clan.

If you were to say that the envoys from Kumogakure were guilty of a heinous crime, that they abducted members of your Hyuga clan, would anyone believe you?

Kumogakure only has one delegation, yet they dare to kidnap a Hyuga bloodline member from Konoha and fight their way out? Even the Second Hokage couldn't break out of Kumogakure back then. Do they really think this delegation is some kind of god of the ninja world?

In short, the Hyuga clan is now caught in the middle, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's methods are even more cunning. He has completely absolved himself of any responsibility. Since the Hyuga clan's territory is almost entirely their own, and no one can interfere, then you can decide what to do about this.

After the Third Hokage finished speaking, puffing out clouds of smoke, he calmly watched the Hyuga clan express their opinion from his seat. He was certain of victory and could even give the Hyuga clan a good talking-to.

(End of this chapter)