I have a mission for you

The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the great wooden gates of Konoha. Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki stood at their usual post, the monotony of their shift broken only by the occasional traveler passing through.

"Another thrilling day," Kotetsu muttered, leaning lazily against the gate.

Izumo huffed, his arms crossed. "At least nothing's exploded today."

Before Kotetsu could retort, a sudden gust of wind rustled the trees. A presence—silent, swift—descended upon them. Tekka Uchiha, clad in dark shinobi attire, materialized before them, his red Sharingan gleaming beneath his forehead protector.

"Kotetsu. Izumo." Tekka's tone was firm but not unfriendly. "Fugaku-sama requests your presence this evening. The matter is important."

Kotetsu straightened, glancing at Izumo, who tensed beside him. "What's this about?"

Tekka didn't answer. Instead, with a flicker of motion, he vanished, his form dissolving into the wind. A handful of leaves rustled to the ground in his wake.

Izumo exhaled sharply. "I really don't like this."

"Yeah," Kotetsu muttered, watching the leaves settle. "Feels like he's treating us like damn lap dogs, summoning us without explanation."

Izumo nodded. "Makes me wonder if we should even go."

Silence stretched between them. The implications of ignoring an invitation from the head of the Uchiha Clan were heavy. Kotetsu tapped his fingers against his arm, deep in thought.

After a moment, he sighed. "If we don't show, he might just send another of his goons to drag us there."

Izumo groaned. "Guess we're going, then."

As night fell, the two found themselves approaching the Uchiha district. The red-and-white fan symbols stood stark against the dimly lit streets, the air thick with unspoken tension.

Just before they reached the district's entrance, two Uchiha gate guards stepped forward, blocking their path.

"Halt," one of them said sharply. His Sharingan spun lazily, assessing them with cool disdain. "What business do you have here?"

"We're here to see Fugaku Uchiha," Kotetsu said, forcing himself to sound casual.

The second guard sneered. "Is that so? You expect us to believe that the clan head would request an audience with a couple of nobodies like you?"

Izumo tensed beside Kotetsu. "We were summoned. If you have a problem with it, take it up with—"

The first guard stepped closer, his posture shifting into something unmistakably aggressive. "You're lying."

Kotetsu's jaw tightened. This was about to go south—fast.

Before things could escalate further, a blur of motion signaled Tekka's arrival. He landed smoothly between them, his Sharingan gleaming in the dim light.

"Stand down," Tekka ordered the guards. "They're expected."

The guards exchanged a glance before stepping aside, though their glares lingered.

Tekka turned to Kotetsu and Izumo. "Follow me."

Kotetsu sighed. "Great start."

Izumo muttered under his breath, "I really don't like this."

This time, Kotetsu didn't disagree.

Tekka led Kotetsu and Izumo through the dimly lit Uchiha compound, the silence between them thick with tension. The streets were nearly empty, save for the occasional Uchiha patrol moving like shadows in the night. The compound felt different from the rest of Konoha—quieter, more closed off.

The two Chunin exchanged uneasy glances, but neither voiced their concerns. At last, they arrived at the clan head's residence. Tekka knocked once, then pushed open the door, gesturing for them to enter. Inside, Fugaku Uchiha stood near a low table, his arms crossed over his chest. His Sharingan wasn't active, but his sharp gaze was piercing, nonetheless. "You came," he said simply.

Kotetsu exhaled, stepping forward. "You didn't exactly leave us a choice."Fugaku didn't react to the remark, instead getting straight to the point. "I have a lead on Ryoji Kurokami."Izumo's eyebrows lifted. "The merchant?""The spy," Fugaku corrected. "He's been moving in and out of Konoha under the guise of trade, but we have reason to believe he's passing information to the Cloud Village."Kotetsu narrowed his eyes. "Why come to us? You have the Military Police. Shouldn't this be their job?"

Fugaku's expression darkened. "Normally, yes. But if the police act too soon, the higher-ups might intervene, downplay the threat, or worse—accuse the Uchiha of overreacting." His tone was bitter. "They would see this as a political move rather than a legitimate concern."Kotetsu crossed his arms, understanding dawning. "So, by bringing us in, you're making sure there are outside witnesses. If we confirm this guy's a spy, no one can sweep it under the rug."

Fugaku nodded. "Exactly. If Kurokami is what we believe him to be, his presence is a threat to the entire village, not just the Uchiha. That's why I need you two to handle this."Izumo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So what's the plan?"

Later that Night

They had been briefed on Kurokami's movements by the Military Polices Intelligence Department, and they knew he had spent the night at a brothel. Then he exited at 10 pm to sleep in one of the inns near the village's northern gate. It wasn't much to go on, but it was a start.

Kotetsu rubbed his chin as they walked, his mind already running through the possibilities. "So, the plan is simple, right? We stake out the inn, gather intel, see if anything looks suspicious."

Izumo gave a half-smile. "Yeah, but it's never that simple. A spy with connections to the Cloud Village? He's bound to be good at hiding in plain sight."

Kotetsu nodded grimly. "That's why we have to be better."

They made their way to the northern gate, the buildings around them growing taller as they entered the more residential part of the village. The inn Kurokami had been staying at was a small, humble place, tucked between two larger structures. It was the kind of place where someone could easily disappear into the crowd, but Kotetsu and Izumo were determined to find the truth

Hours passed without any sign of Kurokami. Kotetsu and Izumo sat quietly in a nearby alley, watching the inn's entrance, keeping to the shadows. The noise of the village went on around them, but they remained focused on their target.

Just as Izumo was about to suggest they check the merchant's stall across the street for more information, Kotetsu's sharp eyes caught sight of something. A figure exited the inn, his hood drawn low, but Kotetsu could make out the outline of a distinctive tattoo on the man's wrist—a symbol that looked eerily like the insignia of the Cloud Village's intelligence unit.

"That's him," Kotetsu whispered. "Let's move."

The streets of Konoha bustled with the night crowd, prostitutes calling out to those looking for a good time, drunkards littering the streets, with tons of Izakaya's open for services as ninja's are always out for missions. The air was thick with the scent of grilled meat and alcohol.

But Kotetsu and Izumo weren't paying attention to any of it. Their eyes were locked on a single man weaving through the busy marketplace—a hooded figure with a familiar bulky build. Ryoji Kurokami.

Izumo nudged Kotetsu subtly. "That's him."Kotetsu nodded, adjusting his headband. "He's moving fast. He knows someone's onto him."The two Chunin quickened their pace, closing in on Kurokami while staying just out of sight. The marketplace made it tricky to approach without drawing attention, but that wouldn't be a problem for long.

Because they weren't the only ones watching. Out of the corner of his eye, Kotetsu spotted three Uchiha Military Police officers lingering at the edges of the crowd. Their eyes gleamed with the crimson glow of the Sharingan. They had been trailing Kurokami as well. "Looks like we have company," Izumo muttered. Kotetsu clicked his tongue. "Yeah, but let's use it to our advantage."

Just as they neared, Kurokami suddenly turned, locking eyes with them. He froze for a fraction of a second—then bolted."Damn it!" Kotetsu cursed, launching into pursuit. The chase tore through the market, sending civilians stumbling aside as Kurokami pushed past carts and bystanders.

Kotetsu and Izumo were fast, but the spy knew how to move, cutting sharp turns and knocking over obstacles to slow them down. But he hadn't accounted for the Uchiha.

Just as Kurokami tried to duck into an alley, a figure dropped in front of him—a Military Police officer, Sharingan spinning. "Going somewhere?"Kurokami skidded to a halt, pivoting to escape, but another Uchiha appeared behind him. Trapped. Kotetsu and Izumo caught up, panting as they surrounded him. "End of the line, Kurokami," Izumo said, drawing a kunai. The spy's face twisted in frustration. "You fools don't understand. This village is already compromised. My people are everywhere."

Kotetsu scoffed. "You're really saying that when you're the one cornered?"Kurokami's hands darted for his pouch, but Izumo moved first, knocking the container from his grip before he could reach for another suicide pill. The spy's eyes widened in shock—just before a fist slammed into his stomach, courtesy of Kotetsu.Kurokami gasped, stumbling forward, and Kotetsu grabbed his collar, reaching into his coat. His fingers closed around something—a hidden scroll. He yanked it free and tossed it to Izumo. "Got it.

"The Uchiha officers wasted no time. "We'll take him from here," one of them said, gripping Kurokami's arms and twisting them behind his back. As they restrained him, the surrounding crowd, once merely startled, now fully grasped what was happening. "Who is he?" someone asked. "A spy," another voice answered. "From the Cloud Village. "Murmurs spread like wildfire. "A Cloud spy? In Konoha? "The Uchiha caught him? Maybe they're actually doing their job for once."Kotetsu flicked his gaze toward Fugaku's men. The officers didn't react to the whispers, but there was a quiet satisfaction in their demeanor. This was exactly what the Uchiha needed—public recognition, proof of their competence.

As Kurokami was dragged away, Kotetsu and Izumo watched the gathered crowd, the shift in sentiment palpable. Izumo leaned over, voice low. "This is gonna shake things up."Kotetsu nodded, gripping the scroll tighter. "Yeah. And I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."One thing was certain—the Uchiha were no longer being ignored.And that meant things in Konoha were about to change.