"Where did you hear this name?" Yugao looked at him anxiously.
"Is he your relative?" Yami didn't answer directly but continued asking.
Seeing Kurenai watching her with a gossipy expression, Yugao immediately grabbed Yami and dragged him into his room.
"Yami, can you tell me where you heard about Uzuki Shinji? This is really important to me."
Inside the room, Yugao pleaded with him.
Yami nodded. "I can tell you, but you also have to tell me about your connection to him and what exactly happened."
He wanted to hear the whole story.
Yugao agreed and began explaining her relationship with Shinji. He was her uncle—her father's younger brother and the most talented genius of the Uzuki clan. At thirteen, he had already become a Tokubetsu Jōnin.
However, during the Third Shinobi World War, he was reported as "dead" in battle against Iwagakure. His body was never found, just his name listed in the casualty records.
For almost ten years, Yugao had believed her uncle was gone. No wonder she was so emotional upon hearing his name from Yami.
Yami thought for a moment before revealing a bit of information about Shinji.
"He's still alive and still in Root?" Yugao stood up abruptly, eyes wide with shock. "Then why hasn't he come home all these years? Not even a single letter?"
"Maybe he had some sort of agreement with my old man," Yami casually blamed Danzō.
"Let me make one thing clear—Anbu is Anbu, and Root is Root. The two are completely different."
Yugao frowned in confusion.
"Isn't Root just a division of Anbu?"
Yami sighed. At this point, Yugao was still a rookie and didn't understand Konoha's true power structure. He had no choice but to explain the difference between Anbu and Root to her.
Upon learning that even the Hokage couldn't interfere with Root's actions, Yugao's expression changed.
With such authority, Danzō was practically another Hokage in the village. In some ways, he had even more freedom than the actual Hokage.
After all, the Hokage led openly, with every action under scrutiny.
But in the shadows, there were no restrictions, Root could act as they pleased, unchecked.
"So once someone joins Root, they can't send any messages back?" Yugao still couldn't wrap her head around it.
"People in Root don't have names only code names."
Yami explained, "You said he was listed as dead, right? That means his survival is tied to my old man."
"If I hadn't forced him, he wouldn't have even told me his real name."
"Then... can I meet him?" Yugao asked nervously.
The war had left the Uzuki clan nearly extinct, and Shinji was her only remaining clan member.
"Not right now," Yami refused. "I need to go back and ask the old man first. I'll let you know after that."
Although disappointed, Yugao understood. She looked at Yami gratefully.
"Thank you, Yami. If you hadn't told me, I never would've known I still had family left in this world."
[Bond with Uzuki Yugao has reached the second stage. Reward received: 'Swordsmanship Talent (Good).']
Yami was a bit surprised. Reaching the second stage of a bond usually wasn't so easy. With Izumi, he had to use some special methods.
But this reward... well, it's better to have it than not.
At least it proved that Yugao was truly grateful, not just saying empty words.
As the night deepened, Tanshō Street became alive with the chaos of nightlife. Even past midnight, while the number of pedestrians dwindled, the sounds of bars and entertainment houses remained lively.
Fortunately, the residential areas of the upper class were much quieter.
Hizashi had sent the signal, and soon, Yami and his two teammates jumped out of the window, following behind him.
Using the darkness and rooftops as cover, they stealthily approached the residence of their target—smuggler Fujimoto Keisuke.
In assassination missions, the challenge isn't the kill itself, it's making sure no one notices.
But for Yami's team, that wasn't an issue.
After all, their leader was Hyūga Hizashi.
Outside the walls of a lavish mansion, veins bulged around Hizashi's eyes as he activated his Byakugan.
The Sharingan was powerful, but for the village, the Byakugan was of far greater strategic value.
Unlike the scarce Sharingan, the Byakugan was readily available, and its intelligence-gathering capabilities were unmatched.
Ninjas with Byakugan made for the best reconnaissance operatives, capable of mapping out entire battlefields while barely expending chakra.
Of course, this excluded the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Not only was it rare, but no successful transplant cases existed. Other than old-timers like Ōnoki, most shinobi villages considered Mangekyō Sharingan nothing more than a legend.
Hizashi quickly scanned the area, then took out a scroll and began sketching a rough map on the ground.
"There are three people in the master bedroom on the second floor—one man and two women. Two guards are posted at the door.
"Three more bedrooms on the first floor, each occupied by two people.
"And two more in the basement."
He paused, then heavily circled one of the bedrooms near the master bedroom.
"This room is the most important. There's a shinobi inside, judging by his chakra, he's a Chūnin. And he's still awake."
"Our target is most likely in the master bedroom, but there's always a chance he has multiple hideouts. So we need to secure everyone for identification."
Hizashi then looked up at Yami and his teammates to assign roles.
But after a quick glance, he froze.
Staring at Yami's chakra, which was several times larger than his own, Hizashi almost thought his Byakugan was malfunctioning.
Meanwhile, Yami wasn't paying any attention.
His mind was fixated on one particular detail.
"One man and two women..."
He clenched his fists in frustration.
Even with all his advantages, he hadn't enjoyed such treatment.
And yet, this measly smuggler dared to.
You've already found your way to the afterlife.
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