Naruto: The Rise Of Uchiha

After leaving the Hokage's office, Uchiha Fugaku returned to the Guard Department. He began to organize a team, selecting members, preparing tools, and packing supplies for the mission.

It wasn't until he spent a full half hour in hesitation that he finally departed with over a dozen members of the Guard Department. Together, they began their search for Orochimaru outside Konoha.

The group activated their Sharingan, casually scanning the area around the village for any traces left by Orochimaru.

"Captain, we've found something!"

A member of the Guard Department suddenly called out.

"Oh?"

Uchiha Fugaku walked over, his Sharingan scanning the area. A faint series of footprints, previously invisible, became apparent under its heightened vision.

"There's only one person, and these footprints are fresh—no more than three hours old. Captain, these could be Orochimaru's tracks!"

The Guard Department member reported.

"Let's follow these footprints," Uchiha Fugaku said flatly, his expression unreadable.

The team began following the trail, but their pace was far from hurried.

This was, of course, deliberate.

Everyone in the group knew the true purpose behind the Third Hokage's order. It wasn't just about pursuing Orochimaru—it was about punishing the Uchiha clan. Understanding this, they had no intention of making the Hokage's plan succeed.

An hour later, Fugaku raised a hand.

"Stop and rest," he ordered.

The group came to a halt, and the members began to relax. Some took out water bottles, others reclined against tree trunks, and a few idly chewed on blades of grass.

Their demeanor was more reminiscent of a leisurely outing than a high-stakes pursuit.

Not far away, three figures hid among the dense foliage, observing them closely.

The trio wore masks and the standard uniforms of Konoha's Anbu.

"Captain, they're moving at a snail's pace. They've only been traveling for an hour and are already taking a break. They clearly aren't taking this mission seriously," one Anbu ninja whispered.

"Hmm," the senior Anbu operative, identifiable by his commanding presence, nodded.

The Third Hokage had anticipated this kind of behavior from the Guard Department. To counter it, he had sent their team to monitor Fugaku and his group. Now, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Let's go," the senior Anbu said.

The trio emerged from their hiding spot and approached the Uchiha group.

"Who's there?"

The Uchiha members immediately stood up, their gazes sharp. Upon recognizing the Anbu uniforms, their frowns deepened.

"They couldn't resist meddling," Uchiha Fugaku thought, his expression calm.

He had sensed their presence long ago with his heightened perception but chose not to react until now.

"Captain Fugaku," the senior Anbu operative called out from about ten meters away.

"What do you want?" Fugaku asked, his tone indifferent.

"We've been sent by Hokage-sama to supervise the Guard Department's mission," the Anbu operative stated coldly. "Based on our observations, it seems your team is being negligent."

The revelation that the Hokage had sent supervisors made the Uchiha members visibly bristle.

"They sent someone… to spy on us?!"

The group's expressions darkened, and hostility flared in their eyes. Slowly, they moved to encircle the three Anbu operatives, their intent clear.

The tension in the air grew thick, and it felt like the slightest provocation could ignite a confrontation.

"We're acting on the Hokage's orders. Do you dare attack us?"

The senior Anbu ninja tried to remain calm, but his voice carried a hint of unease.

"If you do, the Hokage won't let you off easily," he added.

The other two Anbu operatives were visibly tense, sweat dripping beneath their masks as they watched the Uchiha group's movements.

Uchiha Fugaku's cold gaze swept over them, freezing them in place like prey before a predator.

After a long moment, Fugaku's lips curled into a chilling smile.

"Thank you for the reminder. We'll keep it in mind," he said smoothly.

Then, he turned to his team.

"Let's move," he ordered.

The Uchiha members reluctantly backed off, shooting glares at the Anbu as they resumed their journey.

The sound of their departure echoed through the forest, leaving the Anbu trio frozen in place.

"Hoo… hoo…"

The three operatives exhaled deeply, their tension finally releasing.

For a moment, they had felt as if their lives hung by a thread. Logically, they knew the Uchiha wouldn't dare attack them, but the atmosphere had been oppressive enough to make them doubt.

Further ahead, Uchiha Fugaku led his team through the forest.

"Captain, are we really going to chase Orochimaru as those Anbu suggested?" a younger member, Uchiha Asami, asked quietly.

"Of course not," Fugaku replied, a cold smile forming.

"However, if we don't put on a show, those three will interfere again," Asami pointed out. "They might even report back to the Hokage."

"Then we'll make sure they're unable to follow us," Fugaku said, his tone sharp and resolute.

As they moved, he allowed a tree trunk to block the Anbu's view. In that moment, Fugaku quickly formed a spore clone and handed it a ninja tool bag.

The spore clone took the bag and used the Mayfly Technique to vanish into the ground.

"Captain…" Asami began, realizing what he had done.

Fugaku silenced her with a slight shake of his head, and she immediately understood.

About half an hour later, the forest gave way to a sprawling grassland.

"Something's wrong up ahead!" a vigilant Uchiha member warned.

Activating their Sharingan, the group immediately saw through the illusion covering the field. Hidden beneath the grass were dozens of explosive tags, cleverly concealed by an illusory barrier.

"We'll detour around the grass," Fugaku ordered.

The group nodded in understanding, carefully avoiding the booby-trapped field.

Asami glanced at Fugaku, admiration flashing in her eyes.

She now fully understood the purpose of the spore clone Fugaku had created earlier.

(End of this chapter)

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