Chapter 53: The Isolated Uchiha
"What a lunatic..."
Haruta was walking toward the Uchiha clan's district—the designated meeting point for today.
But in his mind, he kept replaying his conversation with Aburame Ryoma earlier, unable to hold back a curse.
Danzo, that old lunatic, was truly shameless.
Funding the orphanage was something he should have done anyway, yet he made it sound like some grand favor.
"This guy doesn't even know how to properly string people along, huh?"
People always said Danzo was a master at manipulating others, but after working under him for so long, Haruta realized—yes, Danzo did manipulate people.
Physically.
On the other hand, look at Orochimaru—despite being a rogue ninja, he still had a whole cult of followers within Konoha. The gap between these two couldn't be more obvious.
"Anyway, about these missions..."
That bastard Danzo had assigned him two new tasks.
[New Mission Acquired]
Obtain Obito's Sharingan
[New Mission Acquired]
Establish Contact with Sunagakure
Haruta completely ignored the first one.
Did Danzo seriously expect him to steal a Mangekyō Sharingan from someone who could use Kamui and Izanagi?
"That old lunatic is completely obsessed with the Sharingan. He's actually lost his mind."
But the second mission was interesting.
Clearly, the Obito investigation was a long-term mission, and right now, they were still in the early investigation phase.
Even if they did uncover something, the higher-ups would need time to discuss their next move.
That meant Haruta had plenty of free time to head to Sunagakure and take care of his assignment there.
He didn't mind this mission at all—especially because it reminded him of something.
"Sunagakure... has an unclaimed energy source capable of providing a massive amount of chakra."
The Ryūmyaku (Dragon Vein).
A highly valuable and strategically significant power source.
Honestly, if Minato Namikaze were still alive, Haruta wouldn't have dared make a move.
Minato had specifically placed Flying Thunder God seals near the Dragon Vein, just in case another "Mukade" appeared, allowing him to teleport there instantly and prevent any threats.
"But now that he's dead… that means it's up for grabs. If only it weren't so far away..."
The farther he teleported using Flying Thunder God, the more chakra it consumed.
And since it wasn't his own seal, plus he wasn't sure about the current state of the Dragon Vein's seal, he decided to be rational and not rush in blindly.
---
"Haruta, you're here."
Arriving at the Uchiha clan's meeting point, the first person to greet him was Uzuki Yugao.
She walked over, her face filled with concern.
"I heard about what happened last night. I didn't expect something like that to happen. Are you okay?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Haruta smiled, immediately feeling a little lighter.
There was something about gentle, beautiful girls that just brightened the mood.
But he was mindful of the situation.
Especially since Kakashi, Shisui, and Yamato were all standing nearby—he didn't want to say too much.
So instead, while Yugao was momentarily distracted, he took her hand and casually walked toward the others.
---
"Good morning, Kakashi-senpai."
Haruta greeted him with a friendly smile.
Yugao was still stunned, not yet realizing what had just happened.
"Shisui-senpai, how's Itachi?"
"Thank you, Haruta-kun. It's all thanks to you."
Shisui nodded, his expression filled with gratitude.
Meanwhile, Kakashi had calmed down a lot since last night. He simply gave Haruta a small nod, choosing to remain silent.
Seeing this, Shisui quickly spoke up.
"Alright, let's get going. The clan leader is already waiting for us."
With that, he led the group toward the Uchiha compound.
---
The Uchiha clan's territory was now located on the outskirts of Konoha.
According to Haruta's memories, this unfortunate clan had been forcibly relocated twice.
The first relocation happened during Tobirama Senju's era.
Under the guise of "honoring" the Uchiha's noble status, Tobirama assigned them a large district—while simultaneously isolating them from the rest of the village.
He also bound them to the Konoha Police Force, granting them significant authority but also ensuring they would be resented.
This marked the first time they were pushed to the edge of the village.
The second relocation was orchestrated by Haruta's boss, Danzo Shimura.
After the Nine-Tails Incident, Danzo took advantage of the destruction to push for a new zoning policy.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi's silent approval, the Uchiha were relocated even further to the outskirts—closer to Konoha's prison, completely cutting them off from the village.
Now, they were trapped.
---
This was one of the main reasons the Uchiha were so angry.
Their prideful nature made them unwilling to explain themselves, and whenever villagers spread rumors or insults, they would often resort to "physical persuasion."
This, in turn, made the common folk fear and hate them even more, further isolating them.
The vicious cycle continued, driving the Uchiha further away from Konoha's heart.
Now, outsiders weren't even allowed into their district anymore.
---
"The environment here doesn't seem too bad."
Haruta looked around, then turned to Shisui and Kakashi with a grin.
"Though... it seems like your clan members aren't too happy about us being here. Kakashi-senpai, do you think it's because of you?"
"....."
Kakashi silently touched his covered Sharingan eye.
His eye had stirred up quite a controversy back in the day.
"Or… maybe it's because of you, Haruta."
Yamato suddenly smirked, lowering his voice.
"After all, you beat up their clan leader's son—and didn't even give him a chance to fight back. I heard his promotion to Chūnin was pretty controversial."
Uchiha Itachi's promotion had indeed caused a stir.
After all, he had been defeated instantly by Haruta's Flying Thunder God—without putting up any resistance.
Even though most people would have lost in the same way, there were still plenty of skeptics questioning his ability.
His rushed mission last night wasn't just about his first Chūnin assignment—it was probably also about proving himself.
---
"Enough talking. We're here."
Shisui shook his head, cutting off the conversation.
Honestly, it didn't matter who visited—the Uchiha weren't welcoming to outsiders in general.
Soon, they arrived at a large estate—the residence of Uchiha Fugaku.
A servant led them to a pavilion within the compound, where Fugaku was waiting.
---
"Clan Leader Fugaku."
"Please, everyone, take a seat."
Fugaku's expression was slightly haggard as he gestured for them to sit.
He was exhausted.
Last night, after bringing Itachi home, certain "sensitive information" had inevitably leaked.
And when it came to the Mangekyō Sharingan, it meant everything to the Uchiha.
It ignited the radicals in the clan, and some had even suggested launching an attack to retrieve the mysterious Uchiha!
The mere thought made Fugaku furious.
"That bastard is the reason the Fourth Hokage is dead. That bastard ruined all my plans. And now you want to go look for him?"
Fugaku had barely stopped himself from exploding at them.