At the Fire Nation border, Uchiha Fugaku and his team of thirteen encountered a group coming from the opposite direction.
This group consisted of survivors from the Taihe Chamber of Commerce, but instead of goods, they carried the bodies of the deceased.
In one of the carriages, six corpses adorned with the Uchiha clan emblem lay alongside other bodies. These six belonged to the Uchiha clan members who had been killed.
The bodies were carefully removed and laid on a straw mat.
An Uchiha skilled in autopsy stepped forward to examine the injuries. After a short moment, he stood and addressed Uchiha Fugaku.
"Clan Leader, their injuries are minimal in number but severe in impact. From what I can deduce, the enemy had both numerical and strength advantages. Additionally..."
He hesitated, his expression darkening.
"The eyes of all six were gouged out. The method was precise, indicating the attacker was skilled in such techniques."
"Skilled in such techniques?" Fugaku's face clouded over.
No ordinary robber would practice extracting eyes unless they specifically intended to target Sharingan wielders. This further solidified the suspicion that the attack was aimed at the Uchiha clan.
The group stood in silent mourning for their fallen brethren.
"Rest assured, the family will avenge you," Fugaku promised. "Every one of your attackers will pay for this with their lives."
After observing a moment of silence, he gave his order. "Seal the bodies in the scroll. We move out."
An Uchiha member stepped forward with a sealing scroll, carefully preserving the six bodies.
The group of thirteen resumed their journey, heading deeper into the Land of Fields.
Hours later, they arrived near Shangtian Town.
"Clan Leader, the town ahead is Shangtian Town," one of the Uchiha members reported after consulting a map.
Fugaku nodded. "We will split into smaller groups to avoid detection. You will form teams of three and infiltrate the town in disguise. Search for any signs of the enemy. Avoid drawing attention."
He paused before continuing, "Regardless of what you find, meet at the town center in half an hour."
"Understood," the team replied in unison before dispersing into pre-assigned groups.
Fugaku transformed his appearance into that of an inconspicuous civilian and approached Shangtian Town from a different direction.
The streets of Shangtian Town were lined with slightly dilapidated houses. Few pedestrians wandered about, emphasizing the town's modest and quiet nature.
"Perception—"
Fugaku activated the sensory abilities he had inherited from the Yamanaka clan. As he walked through the town, he paused abruptly near a deserted street.
"There," he muttered.
Several hundred meters ahead, in a house, Fugaku sensed seven distinct chakra signatures. These signatures didn't match the twelve Uchiha members accompanying him, leaving no doubt about their origins.
"Time to investigate."
Employing the Mayfly Technique, Fugaku melded into the ground and advanced toward the house undetected.
Inside the house, seven black-clad ninjas stood on high alert, monitoring their surroundings through windows, door cracks, and other vantage points.
At the center of the room was a bound man, his luxurious clothing soiled and wrinkled from days of neglect. His mouth was gagged with cloth, and his eyes were blindfolded.
Fugaku immediately recognized him as Taihe Yoshi, the president of the Taihe Chamber of Commerce.
Confirming the identities of both the captors and their hostage, Fugaku refrained from acting immediately. He slipped away from the house, careful not to alert the seven ninjas, and made his way to the designated meeting point at the center of town.
The other Uchiha members, also in disguise, had already taken positions in nearby shops. While appearing nonchalant, they were quietly on high alert.
"Over here," Fugaku signaled with a subtle gesture.
Recognizing the agreed-upon signal, the others followed him into a secluded alleyway. Once there, Fugaku released his transformation jutsu.
"Report," he instructed.
One by one, the others shared their findings.
"I spotted a ninja disguised as a civilian, likely monitoring the area."
"Same here, another ninja likely on surveillance duty."
"I didn't notice anything unusual."
When the reports concluded, Fugaku shared his own findings.
"I located seven ninjas in a house. Taihe Yoshi is also inside, bound but alive."
"There are more than ten in total now, so the numbers match," Uchiha Atsuko, one of the elite jonin, noted.
Fugaku nodded. "Yes, and the presence of sentinels confirms their coordination."
He turned to Atsuko and Uchiha Huang, the other elite jonin. "Here's the plan. You two will lead teams to eliminate the six surveillants. The remaining six of us will storm the house. We'll move simultaneously in thirty minutes."
"Understood," both elite jonin responded before departing with their teams.
Fugaku and the remaining six members began advancing toward the house he had identified.
(End of Chapter)
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