From Konoha Year 23 to 25, the position of Uchiha clan head changed hands repeatedly, with countless talented individuals falling each year.
Surprisingly, the village maintained a wait-and-see attitude toward this matter throughout.
The Third Hokage had explicitly stated that matters concerning the Uchiha clan were not for the higher-ups to interfere with. Rash intervention could easily backfire, leading to the Uchiha clan's isolation and alienation. Therefore, such issues could only be resolved by the Uchiha themselves.
At this moment, in the Uchiha clan's territory, the newly appointed clan leader glared sinisterly at Uchiha Naori. His mismatched eyes—one red, one white—were filled with profound darkness, as if he wanted to utterly devour the person before him.
He had only recently taken office. If there was anyone in the clan qualified to challenge him, this 16-year-old girl was the most likely candidate!
From a young age, she had displayed extraordinary talent. By the time she graduated, she already possessed the strength of a jonin. Rumor had it that her Sharingan had already evolved to the Three-Tomoe stage, and with four years of experience in the Police Force, she wielded both formidable power and considerable prestige.
Moreover, due to her outstanding abilities, she was exceptionally promoted to the position of Konoha's Security Team captain this very month—a rise so rapid that even he, the clan head, couldn't help but covet her position.
The so-called "Hell Valley Mission" was nothing but a trap specifically designed to target her. If he could seize this opportunity to weaken her influence and exclude her from the competition, that would be ideal. At the very least, it would buy him time to consolidate his own power by sending her away.
Thus, when faced with Naori's "reasonable arguments," he resolutely adopted an overbearing and dictatorial stance, refusing to retract his orders under any circumstances.
Naori stared directly into the clan head's eyes for a long moment before a profound disappointment flickered deep within her gaze.
Soon, the scene the clan leader had most anticipated appeared—Naori decisively resigned from her position as captain of the Konoha Military Police Force to prevent Tsubaki Maya from being harmed and accompanied him to Hell Valley.
"Naori-nee, are you really okay with this?"
Kirigaya asked hesitantly, feeling dejected because he was the one who had dragged his sister into this.
"You're the only little brother I have. Compared to you, losing anything else means nothing to me." Naori gently ruffled her brother's hair, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly as she revealed a doting smile.
Orochimaru and Uchiha Nian exchanged glances beside them, confirming each other's intentions before stepping forward together.
"We're going too!"
"Huh? Don't be ridiculous!" Kirito frowned and immediately refused: "I already feel guilty enough for dragging my sister into this. If I drag you two down as well... what kind of friend would that make me?"
"By the same logic, standing by and watching you sink into quicksand without acting wouldn't make us friends either," Orochimaru shrugged.
Uchiha Nian clasped his hands behind his back, putting on an air of a little adult. "That makes sense. Besides, even if you don't believe in our strength, surely you believe in Sister Naori's abilities?"
"This..."
Orochimaru patted Kirigakure's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's just a reconnaissance mission. More people means more support."
"Sister, please help me talk them out of this!" Kirigakure pleaded urgently.
Naori silently glanced at Orochimaru, pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Since this is our dear friends' decision, to honor their resolve, you shouldn't refuse either."
"But..."
"Don't worry, big sister will protect all of you." Naori smiled gently.
Under their persistent insistence, Kirito ultimately couldn't sway them. The four eventually formed a team. To prevent interference from the clan leader's faction, Naori submitted the mission application to the Hokage Building in advance and successfully obtained the Hokage's approval.
On the day of departure, an unexpected turn of events unfolded.
"Jiraiya? Tsunade?" Orochimaru slightly furrowed his brows, "What's the meaning of this?"
The four of them looked at Jiraiya and Tsunade who had been waiting at the village entrance, all falling into confusion.
"The Hokage is very concerned about the Chinoike clan of Hell Valley. Plus, he worried you couldn't handle it alone, so he sent us two to assist."
Jiraiya held a transfer order between his fingertips, coolly waving it back and forth.
"The teamwork of our Team Seven still needs improvement, and we could use some real combat experience. This happens to be a great opportunity. Besides, Naori is an extremely trustworthy shinobi—I have full confidence in her as the team leader."
Tsunade tossed her hair and added, "Those were the Hokage's exact words."
Naori took the transfer order, and after carefully reading through it, a faintly alluring smile curled at the corners of her lips.
As intelligent as she was, she had already figured out the reasons behind it all.
Setting aside Orochimaru being Kirigakure's close friend, his status as the current Third Hokage's personal disciple spoke volumes.
Not only had the Hokage rejected her resignation letter, but he had also approved her village departure request and assigned two other disciples to accompany her. This clearly indicated the village hadn't completely abandoned the Uchiha clan's current situation.
The presence of the Sannin in Team Seven served as an insurance policy for Naori - this was already a form of subtle intervention.
The incident was sudden. The sudden assignment of this external mission by the Uchiha clan leader was a transparent trap specifically targeting Uchiha Naori—anyone could see through the intention.
Even so, the Third Hokage still dispatched his personal disciple to accompany Naori and the others on the mission. This was to prevent the Uchiha from resorting to lethal measures—no matter how deranged they might be, they wouldn't dare act recklessly against someone directly tied to the Hokage's lineage.
This move served as a warning: don't cross the line. No matter how fiercely they fought within the village, those conflicts should never spill beyond its borders.
Naori could even interpret this as the Hokage, to some extent, placing his bets.
Thinking of this, she smiled slightly and nodded gracefully, "Welcome, both of you. Let me formally introduce myself—my name is Uchiha Naori, and I am still the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force. I hope we can work together well."
Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair, grinning as he extended his hand toward Naori. "Nice to meet you. I'm Jiraiya. You can give me that love letter later."
Before Naori could shake his hand, Orochimaru silently grabbed Jiraiya by the collar and yanked him back.
"Tch." Jiraiya clicked his tongue in annoyance, only to turn his head and see a row of warning glares—from Orochimaru, Kirigakure, and, furthest to the right, Uchiha Nian.
The gaze was icy, as if it could dismember him into eight pieces.
He shrank his neck sheepishly, recalling some rather unpleasant memories.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Tsunade. My favorite foods are tender chicken and sake, I hate sweets, and don't let my appearance fool you - I'm actually a medical ninja!"
"Hello, little Tsunade. I've heard so much about you." Naori took Tsunade's hand with a gentle smile.
"Hmm! This sister didn't call me 'princess' like everyone else!" Tsunade exclaimed with delight, enthusiastically hugging Naori's slender waist. "I like this sister!"
Naori gently patted Tsunade's head, pressing the little girl's face against her chest. "Ara~ I like you too, you know. Did you know you share the same birthday as Kirigakure...?"
Thus, the reconnaissance team—led by jōnin Uchiha Naori and consisting of genin Uchiha Kirigakure, the young Sannin, and the mysteriously skilled Uchiha Nian—set out on their journey toward Hell Valley.
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