"Sir Gang… are we really just letting him go like this?"
In a quiet corner of the Uchiha camp, an elder Uchiha watched Raizen and Amamiya Takashi vanish over the horizon, frustration lacing his tone as he shouted at a middle-aged commander nearby.
"Otherwise? The patriarch has agreed. The ninjas of other clans may leave," the man replied coldly.
This was Uchiha Gang, the commander who had orchestrated the decisive battle. He knew exactly what Raizen had done on the battlefield: a small clan's shinobi with terrifying skill. It stung him, not just with jealousy but with something darker—a murderous awareness of a potential threat.
If only Uchiha Tajima had witnessed Raizen in action firsthand. But the war had ended, and the Uchiha had no official reason to prevent the departure of outsiders.
And yet… the thought festered in Gang's mind. Kill a genius like Raizen now, he mused, and you avoid a future disaster. But Gang was no clan head. Uchiha Tajima wielded absolute authority, and even elders dared not defy him. So Gang's rage remained bottled, silent, impotent.
"My lord… shall we—"
One of the side ninjas, sensing Gang's fury, finally revealed a murderous intent. "Clean up the tail," he said with a cruel grin. "Leave nothing behind that could disgrace the Uchiha!"
"Yes!"
In a blur of movement, the ninja vanished, leaving only the whisper of death behind. Gang watched the horizon, muttering under his breath:"Don't blame the old man… if you have a grievance, blame that he isn't from the Uchiha."
Raizen and Amamiya Takashi pressed forward, flying swiftly toward the Amamiya clan residence. But the Uchiha were not done. As they passed a narrow canyon, five masked ninjas in black leapt from both sides, their chakra radiating lethal intent.
"You Uchiha are shameless," Takashi spat, drawing a knife as he readied himself. "How much has our clan sacrificed for your sake, only for this?"
Raizen sighed. Of course the Uchiha wouldn't let him leave unchallenged. He didn't even bother summoning the giant clay bird. Sometimes, teaching a lesson meant fighting face-to-face.
The battle was over in moments. Raizen's mastery of the Flying Thunder God technique had sharpened over countless skirmishes. He sent three kunai streaking with lethal precision, and three of the attackers dropped instantly. The remaining two faltered when Takashi held his ground, only to meet Raizen's kunai at their feet, beheaded without a chance to scream.
The five Uchiha lay dead. Raizen called forth a giant clay bird and vanished, leaving the canyon silent once more.
Half an hour later, two armored silhouettes arrived at the scene. They surveyed the fallen Uchiha, their throats sealed in a grotesque warning. One figure's eyes were black and angry, his face flushed crimson with fury. The man was none other than Uchiha Tajima, head of the Uchiha clan.
Tajima didn't mourn the deaths. He was irritated that his orders had been ignored. His control, his absolute command over the clan, had been challenged, and some dared to defy him openly. That, more than any casualty, gnawed at him.
Raizen and Takashi had no idea what had transpired in their absence. Two days of flight later, they finally arrived at the Amamiya clan's residence.
They should have been relieved—home at last—but the forest path before them felt strangely cold, familiar yet alien. The air carried a subtle chill, a quiet that made Raizen's gut tighten. The war was over… but in its shadow, unease lingered.