Uchiha Shrine

"What?" Uchiha Kaien's eyes widened in disbelief as he pointed at himself. He looked at Uchiha Setsuna, the elder who nodded, and Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head, who remained stoic.

'Clan head, elder, the clan said we must not lose face for the Uchiha clan. We cannot let the Sarutobi clan surpass us. But I already competed directly with Sarutobi Asuma for Yuhi Kurenai, all for the sake of the clan. And now you want me to go again?' Uchiha Kaien's expression showed his disbelief, as if questioning, "How could you do this to me?"

Uchiha Fugaku maintained his silence, seemingly oblivious to the conversation. The elder next to him coughed lightly, his expression grave. In a deep voice, he said, "The Uchiha clan is on the verge of relocation, and the high-ranking ninjas in the village have lost trust in us."

It was the third day of the Nine-Tails' rampage in Konoha. The first day witnessed the funeral of the Fourth Hokage and countless ninjas. The second day saw the return of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, reclaiming his authority. On the third day, the decision was made to rebuild Konoha and reorganize the territories of the various clans. The clan head had just informed them about the upcoming relocation.

The high-ranking ninjas were the ones trusted to participate in the battle against the Nine-Tails and had a chance to survive. The majority of casualties among the lower and mid-ranking ninjas were caused by the Nine-Tails' rampage, and they suspected the Nine-Tails was being controlled by the Sharingan.

Upon hearing these words, Uchiha Kaien's face turned solemn. His gaze shifted toward Uchiha Shisui beside him, and everyone present noticed this.

Uchiha Shisui awkwardly lowered his head. At thirteen years old, he admitted his inferior talent, much to Uchiha Kaien's embarrassment. The elder, observing the situation, let out a light cough, wearing a serious expression. He said in a low voice, "Kaien, your talent is unquestionable, while Shisui has mediocre talent in terms of seduction. There's a difference."

This statement made Uchiha Shisui even more embarrassed. Uchiha Fugaku, as the clan head, felt helpless. Shaking his head, he said, "This mission is extremely difficult. After discussing with the elder, we have decided to assign you a Clan-A rank mission. The reward for the mission is one million."

Initially troubled, Uchiha Kaien's expression instantly changed upon hearing about the one million reward. The troubled look vanished, replaced by a resolute and solemn expression. He nodded seriously and said, "For the revival of the Uchiha clan! For the village! Clan head, elder, rest assured, Uchiha Kaien will definitely complete the mission."

In a matter of seconds, Uchiha Kaien transformed from troubled to resolute and self-sacrificing. Uchiha Shisui, witnessing this, felt even more embarrassed. Although they were working toward the reconciliation of the clan and the village, it felt somewhat shameless.

Observing this shameless individual who expressed greed in the name of the clan, Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head, couldn't help but twitch his eye. If he didn't know this young man's background so well, he might have actually believed him.

Uchiha Kaien, fourteen years old, was a Chunin who awakened the Sharingan with one tomoe on the night of the Nine-Tails attack. Uchiha Shisui, on the other hand, was already a genius with three tomoe. Although he was still a Chunin, the power of the Sharingan made him as strong as a Jounin.

Yet, for Uchiha Shisui to admit his talent was inferior in "that" aspect, Uchiha Fugaku, at that moment, looked at the young and handsome figure before him, sighing in his heart. Indeed, in terms of that particular aspect of talent, Shisui couldn't compare.

Dressed in a white kimono with black pants, Uchiha Kaien stood tall at 1.7 meters, displaying his attractive muscles through the slightly open chest. A dark forearm guard extended from his forearm to his palm, and a black rope belt circled his waist, with a ninja straight sword inserted horizontally.

At only fourteen years old, his handsome and cold facial features were truly remarkable. In fact, his appearance bore a striking resemblance to Sasuke from Team Hawk.

Especially when looking at Uchiha Kaien's face and tall figure, the elder couldn't help but nod and praise, "Kaien, the Uchiha clan is at a critical moment now. Although the Third Hokage has assumed control, it's only temporary to stabilize the volatile situation. Once the situation stabilizes, the Fifth Hokage will be selected, and now, only the three Sannin have the qualifications for the position."

"Currently, Tsunade's whereabouts are unknown, and Jiraiya is on a secret mission in another country. He won't be back for at least a year or more. The only one who can potentially become the future Fifth Hokage is Orochimaru. Whether the Uchiha clan can regain the trust of the Hokage depends entirely on you."

The elder's expression turned solemn, and Uchiha Fugaku's face mirrored his seriousness. Uchiha Shisui, observing this scene, displayed a firm determination in his eyes. For the trust of the clan and the village, they must become bridges.

Witnessing this, Uchiha Kaien nodded solemnly. "Clan head, elder, rest assured, I will do my best to approach Orochimaru's Chunin disciple, Mitarashi Anko."

That's right! When Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, returned to power, it was to temporarily stabilize the village and serve as a transition period. Once the situation calmed down, he would step down and make way for others to become the Fifth Hokage.

Orochimaru had long been a strong candidate for the position of Hokage. Many in Konoha saw him as the natural successor to carry the village forward. However, the Nine-Tails' rampage had shaken the village to its core, and the Uchiha clan, once proud and revered, now faced suspicion and mistrust. If the Uchiha clan wished to reclaim their standing, they needed a powerful ally among Konoha's elite.

Mitarashi Anko, Orochimaru's disciple, offered a unique opportunity. Though unconventional and unpredictable, Anko's connection to Orochimaru made her a vital link. If Kaien could win her over, it might serve as a bridge between the Uchiha and Orochimaru, who seemed destined to become the Fifth Hokage.

However, no one, not even Uchiha Kaien, could predict the dark road Orochimaru would soon take, turning his back on the village entirely.

Uchiha Fugaku and the elder exchanged knowing glances. Kaien's age and striking appearance were assets, but so was his newly awakened Sharingan. A promising talent like him could represent the clan in a way few others could.

"Clan head, elder," Kaien said carefully, his voice lined with calculated hesitation. "As you know, being Orochimaru's disciple, Anko will likely have certain... expectations. It's only natural that she would need resources."

Fugaku's stern expression faltered for a moment, and the elder twitched slightly at Kaien's brazen implication. They both knew he was fishing for funds.

"Fine," the elder sighed. "I'll allocate two hundred thousand ryō to you."

Kaien's face brightened as he accepted the pouch of money, his earlier "selfless determination" replaced by a grin that bordered on mischievous.

"If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it," the elder muttered. It was an age-old truth, and Kaien was certainly exploiting it.

As Kaien left the shrine, he weighed the pouch of ryō in his hand, his mind racing with plans. While the mission seemed straightforward on paper, he knew it would be anything but easy. Mitarashi Anko wasn't just some girl he could impress with a charming smile and a bag of money. Her personality was as wild as her affinity for snakes.

Still, Kaien wasn't entirely worried about Anko. What troubled him more was how he would explain this new "mission" to Yuhi Kurenai. After all, Kurenai and Anko were best friends. Convincing one without offending the other was going to require a level of finesse he wasn't sure even his Sharingan could provide.

"Kaien!"

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Turning, he saw Uchiha Shisui jogging toward him, his face set with determination.

"Are you really going through with this? Approaching Orochimaru's disciple... it's risky," Shisui said, his voice low. "What if this doesn't work? What if the village continues to mistrust us?"

Kaien placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder, his expression serious but laced with confidence. "Shisui, this isn't just about the village trusting us. It's about proving that the Uchiha can adapt and thrive, no matter the circumstances."

Shisui nodded slowly, though doubt lingered in his eyes. "Be careful, Kaien. The path you're taking... it won't be easy."

Kaien smirked. "Since when has anything worth doing ever been easy?"

With that, he turned and walked off into the village, the weight of the Uchiha clan's expectations pressing on his shoulders. Yet, he wore a confident smile, knowing that whether it was politics, battles, or even matters of the heart, he would rise to the challenge.

And so, Uchiha Kaien's mission began—not just to win over Mitarashi Anko, but to secure the future of the Uchiha clan in the ever-shifting sands of Konoha's power struggles.