Chapter 56 056: What Has Uchiha Taiga Been Up To Lately?
Time passed unknowingly, and the weather had turned completely cold.
All the leaves in Konoha had fallen, leaving behind only bare branches. A thin layer of white frost coated the morning grass, crunching underfoot. The wind carried a dry chill that pierced straight through people's collars.
It had snowed yesterday, blanketing Konoha in white. The village's atmosphere didn't ease with the changing weather; instead, it grew increasingly heavy.
News from the border trickled back intermittently—some good, some bad. No one could say for sure when this conflict would end.
In the Hokage building, the atmosphere inside the Hokage's office was somewhat stifling.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, gripping a newly delivered intelligence report. His eyes were fixed on the words, his brow furrowed into a tight knot.
Wisps of blue smoke rose from the pipe at his lips, swirling in front of him and blurring his features.
Mitokado Homura sat in a chair to the side, his hands folded in front of him. His eyes were closed, as if resting or deep in thought. His face was expressionless, but his brows had creased at some point.
The office was quiet, save for the faint crackle of burning tobacco in the pipe and the occasional rustle of clothing when Homura shifted his posture.
Hiruzen set the report down and looked up. "This intelligence arrived just in time."
His voice was slightly hoarse, seemingly from smoking too much, but only he knew it was actually due to his anxiety over the frontline battles.
He was getting on in years, after all. Hiruzen could feel that his energy was no longer what it used to be.
"From the looks of it, Kumogakure has no immediate intention of going to full-scale war with Konoha. The border skirmishes are still within a tolerable range."
Homura opened his eyes and nodded. "For now, yes. The village won't be under too much pressure."
His voice was steady and unhurried as he continued, "But there's no guarantee how Kumogakure will react moving forward. After all, their current probing has already allowed them to gather a certain amount of intel on us."
Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "Indeed. We cannot let our guard down."
He paused and took another drag from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of white smoke from his nose that formed a haze in front of him.
"Those from the Uchiha clan have played a significant role on the battlefield. We can grant them an appropriate amount of autonomy on the front lines."
Homura frowned slightly and opened his mouth as if to say something, but after a moment of thought, he nodded.
"Very well. I will contact Danzo and have him make the arrangements."
As an advisor and a member of the village's upper echelon, he had inherited the ideology of his teacher, the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama. This meant staying vigilant and even prejudiced against the Uchiha clan in daily life. However, he knew that during times like this, delegating authority was necessary. He possessed at least that much awareness.
Hiruzen glanced at him, took another puff of smoke, and asked seemingly casually, "How are things on Danzo's end?"
Homura's expression relaxed slightly.
"Quite well."
He elaborated, "He has already secured several victories. The loss of a few Kumogakure squads was his doing."
Hearing this, Hiruzen sighed softly.
"That's good. Let's hope this conflict goes smoothly and Kumogakure realizes the futility and backs down."
Homura fell silent for a moment before speaking up. "Danzo wants to use this opportunity to salvage his reputation. When he returns, he might ask you to reinstate him."
This was to be expected. As a companion who had known him since childhood, he understood his old teammate all too well.
Hiruzen frowned at the remark.
He thought for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk as if weighing his options. Finally, he made up his mind and said seriously, "Then it depends on what he can achieve on the battlefield."
After a pause, he sighed. "If he earns enough merit to satisfy the Jonin Council, I can agree to his request."
Homura nodded, offering no objections.
Root might be extreme in some of its methods, but for the higher-ups, its existence in the village was actually a good thing.
After all, there were certain tasks that were inconvenient for regular village ninja to handle and equally unsuitable for the ANBU. In such situations, Root—operating from within Konoha's darkness—was the most fitting choice.
He thought for a moment and spoke again.
"Koharu seems to want to head to the front lines as well."
Hiruzen shook his head, his tone resolute. "She cannot go just yet."
He paused, as if organizing his thoughts.
"Tell her to wait for now, just in case the other villages make any unusual moves. It will be easier to make arrangements then."
He was always lenient with his comrades.
Homura nodded and said no more.
The office fell quiet once again.
Hiruzen turned around and looked out the window.
The sky outside was a hazy gray, the clouds hanging low as if it were about to snow. The familiar buildings of the village looked somewhat desolate under the gloomy light, and the streets were practically empty.
He stared for a long time, slightly lost in thought, before letting out a sigh.
"The Uchiha clan truly is terrifying."
He spoke suddenly, his voice carrying an indescribable undertone.
"Fugaku's eldest son, that child named Itachi, has already awakened his Sharingan at less than five years of age. The same goes for Uchiha Shisui at the Academy. He's only a few years older than Itachi, but they are both absolute geniuses."
Homura fell silent.
He didn't reply, but his silence was an answer in itself.
This was exactly what he was worried about as well.
Just like his teacher, Senju Tobirama, he had always remained wary of the Uchiha clan.
The strength of the Uchiha was never something to celebrate.
To those sitting in the Hokage's office, every new pair of Sharingan in the Uchiha clan meant another element of instability in the village.
Especially since that child was still so young and had such a long road ahead of him. Who knew what terrifying heights he would reach in the future?
Hiruzen seemed to recall something else and changed the subject.
"What has Uchiha Taiga been up to lately?"
Homura pulled himself from his thoughts and considered the question. "Nothing out of the ordinary. His routine is very regular. He leaves early and returns late every day. It seems like..."
He paused, as if remembering something.
"He's been fishing."
Hiruzen's expression turned slightly odd at the answer, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fishing? In this weather... Well, never mind, that's just how the boy is. It's good that he's keeping a low profile. At least we don't have to worry about him causing any more trouble. It's already the end of the year; I just hope we can pass this New Year in peace."
Homura hesitated, his lips parting as if debating whether to speak.
Hiruzen noticed his expression.
"What is it?"
Homura remained silent for a brief moment before speaking. "There is one matter that is still unconfirmed."
"What matter?"
Homura lowered his voice slightly. "The Uchiha on the battlefield reported that one of their squads has gone missing on the front lines. There is no trace of them, and it's unknown if Kumogakure is responsible."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed. He set his pipe down, then picked it up again, finally saying in a deep voice, "Tell Danzo to do his best to find them."
His tone was heavy.
"The Uchiha are also members of this village. At a time like this, we cannot give them cause to overthink things."
Homura nodded.
"Understood. I will send word to Danzo."