Naruto: I am Uchiha Fugaku

After Uchiha Yakumi left, Uchiha Fugaku sat alone in his office, his right hand lightly supporting his chin as he fell deep into thought.

The bounty he had issued would soon spread across the underground black markets of the various nations.

Since the payment had already been made in full, even if something happened to the employer, the bounty would remain active until the target was eliminated.

In other words, even if the organization that posted the bounty was destroyed, the bounty itself wouldn't disappear.

"If we want to cancel the bounty, we'd have to wipe out the entire underground black market. But that's practically impossible."

The underground black market was a massive, secretive network.

Hidden strongholds existed in all five great nations and beyond.

The Five Great Hidden Villages had all attempted to eradicate the black market at some point, but none had succeeded.

Though some hidden strongholds were destroyed, new ones would quickly spring up to replace them—just like weeds growing back in the spring breeze.

There were even suspicions that key government officials from the Five Great Nations were secretly supporting the black market from behind the scenes.

"If we can't wipe out the entire black market, then we'll crush a few of their strongholds to teach them a lesson!"

With his mind made up, a cold glint flashed across Fugaku's eyes.

If the black market dared to post a bounty against the Uchiha Clan, then they would have to pay the price.

Hokage Office, Hokage Tower

The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe repeatedly, his brows furrowed in frustration.

First, there was Shimura Danzo's disappearance.

No—at this point, it was better to call it what it was: his death.

So many days had passed without any sign of Danzo. His death was all but certain.

Then, there was the alarming realization that the Uchiha Clan might have discovered Shisui Uchiha's role as a spy.

These two incidents happening in quick succession left the Third Hokage deeply unsettled.

And now, his greatest worry was another matter entirely.

"Has Itachi's identity as a spy also been exposed?"

If Shisui, who had joined the Anbu, was compromised, then Itachi, also an Anbu member, would surely fall under suspicion.

Thankfully, Itachi was the clan head's son—a fact that offered him some protection.

This family connection should, at least, reduce the level of suspicion directed at him.

But even so, the Hokage couldn't be sure if Itachi's cover had been blown.

Knock, knock, knock!

Urgent knocking rang out, sharp and rapid, betraying the anxiety of the person outside.

"Come in!"

As soon as the Hokage spoke, a silver-haired Anbu operative hurried inside.

"Hokage-sama, urgent report: the Uchiha Clan is mobilizing in large numbers. Even their clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, is on the move."

"The clan head himself?"

The Third Hokage shot to his feet, eyes wide with alarm.

Hearing of such a large mobilization, his first thought was that the Uchiha were preparing to deal with the traitor, Shisui.

Though Shisui was no longer with the Uchiha, the Hokage had secretly hidden him somewhere in the village.

The Uchiha Clan might have discovered his whereabouts and could be planning to take him out.

"Which direction did they go?"

He asked anxiously.

"They're heading toward the village's exits. It seems like they're planning to leave the village for some purpose."

"Leaving the village?"

The Hokage slowly sat back down, letting out a faint sigh of relief.

If they were leaving the village, then their target wasn't Shisui.

Relieved as he was, confusion lingered in his mind.

"Do we know what their goal is?"

"Not yet, but we've already dispatched several Anbu teams to follow them," the silver-haired Anbu replied, shaking his head.

"Send more men. We must find out what the Uchiha Clan is planning with such a large mobilization."

After some thought, the Third Hokage gave his orders.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The silver-haired Anbu bowed and left the office.

Over a Day Later, in a Bustling Town Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth

Uchiha Fugaku arrived in town, accompanied by two other Uchiha clan members.

One was Uchiha Mei, a young woman with short black hair similar to Shizune's.

The Uchiha were known for producing handsome men and beautiful women, and Mei was no exception—her delicate features could easily be called beautiful.

The other was Uchiha Hiro, who had previously accompanied Fugaku on a mission to the Land of Fields.

After the Shisui incident, Fugaku had taken a deeper interest in Hiro's abilities.

"According to our intel, the black market stronghold is hidden beneath that casino up ahead," Hiro said, checking the map in his hands.

The black market's locations were always well concealed, and this one was no different.

Who would suspect that an underground black market operated beneath an ordinary casino?

"We wait until noon before making our move," Mei whispered, lowering her voice.

The Uchiha had discovered seven black market strongholds within the Land of Fire. In response, they dispatched seven teams, each targeting one stronghold.

To avoid tipping off the black market and giving other locations a chance to escape, all seven teams would strike simultaneously at noon.

Fugaku looked up at the sky.

The sun was already high, though still a little ways off from directly overhead.

"Stay low-profile. Find a nearby place to wait."

The three found a small eatery nearby, ordered some dumplings and barley tea, and watched the casino from afar while they ate.

When noon finally arrived, the three stood and headed for the casino.

A large curtain with the character for "Gambling" hung over the entrance. Loud calls and shouts spilled out from inside.

Lifting the curtain and stepping in, they were greeted by a chaotic gambling hall.

Some tables hosted games of odds and evens, others bet on dice rolls.

The atmosphere was rowdy and intense.

Some cursed loudly after losing, while others laughed wildly after a win.

Many gamblers had bloodshot eyes, showing signs of little sleep, yet their energy remained unnervingly high.

Fugaku scanned the room and quickly spotted a dim, secluded passage in one corner of the casino.

Two burly guards stood at the passage entrance, blocking ordinary gamblers from entering.

"That must be it."

Fugaku and his companions approached.

"High-stakes area ahead. What's your buy-in?" one of the guards asked, giving them a quick once-over. This was the prearranged passphrase.

"Step aside," Fugaku ordered coldly.

With that, his eyes lit up with the Sharingan, three tomoe spinning in his gaze.

The guards immediately froze, their expressions going blank.

Without resistance, they stepped aside, allowing Fugaku's group to pass.

The Uchiha clan had obtained the password through their intel, but Fugaku had no intention of playing by the black market's rules.

After all, today, they weren't here to gamble—they were here to tear the place apart.

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