Chapter 205: Pursuit and Escape
Mikoto Uchiha was a little nervous. The figure beside her was walking with such a stiff, formal gait that she had unconsciously started to take small, shuffling steps.
Fugaku Uchiha was looking straight ahead, as if the person on a blind date with him did not exist. In reality, he was also very nervous, his body a little rigid.
As a typical great clan with a Kekkei Genkai, the Uchiha had always encouraged marriage within the clan. Or rather, only marriage within the clan was supported. Her parents and his parents were old friends, and so this blind date had been arranged.
It was called a blind date, but the two of them knew each other, though they were not very close. Before, they had just been clansmen.
But he was quite famous among the young Uchiha. Not only was he from a good family, but he was also a powerful figure in the Military Police Force, and he had recently gained the favor of the Hokage. He was one of the links between the Uchiha and the high command, and a strong contender for the next clan head.
If there was one thing to be regretted, it was that he was much older than her.
But for the more traditional Mikoto, this was not a big problem.
Though she had some talent, she had no ambition as a ninja. She was more interested in being a good wife. She was not averse to a blind date with such an outstanding clansman.
But one of them was very traditional, and the other was very quiet, so the first day of their blind date was spent in an awkward silence.
She secretly glanced at him from the side. Compared to the more handsome style of most of the Uchiha, his jawline was a little wider, which made him look a little older, and gave him a very serious feel.
But she didn't dislike it. In fact, such a steady face made her feel a little more at ease.
"Mikoto-san," he said, stopping, "would you like to eat here?" He pointed to a sushi restaurant.
She was a little uncomfortable with the "-san." They weren't complete strangers, after all, and he had never called her that before. But she just nodded. "Whatever you'd like, Fugaku-kun," she said. "I have no opinion."
At least he didn't choose a ramen shop, she thought. The sushi restaurant gets a plus.
Just as he was about to lift the curtain for her, the ground suddenly shook slightly.
Like an earthquake, but only once.
He froze and looked around. He saw that both she and the other passersby had felt it. It wasn't his imagination.
He waited for a moment, but nothing happened. "It was probably just a large-scale ninjutsu experiment outside the village," he said reassuringly. "Please, after you."
But just as he had finished speaking, the ground shook again, and this time, it was more violent, and closer.
The source of the tremor was deep underground.
Now, both of their expressions changed. They were ninja, after all. They quickly snapped out of their blind date mood.
The tremors did not stop. They came again and again, with no pattern, but they were definitely getting closer to the surface.
Most of the ninja in the village had felt the anomaly and were already investigating, but for now, they had found nothing, only that the tremors were coming from underground.
The two of them also leaped onto a rooftop and activated their Sharingan, observing their surroundings. Though they did not have x-ray vision, the Sharingan enhanced their perception, allowing them to not miss a single detail.
Just then, in the northern part of the village, not far from where they were, an explosion occurred. A residential building had just collapsed, disappearing from their sight.
"What's going on?"
"Was that an explosion? What was with the tremors?"
Many of the villagers were panicked and were running out into the streets.
The two of them exchanged a look and immediately went to investigate.
A massive, bottomless, and pitch-black crater had appeared in the ground, and the house had seemingly fallen into it.
A large number of ninja had gathered around. One of them, a Hyuga, landed on the roof where they were.
"BYAKUGAN!"
Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to give them some information.
The veins on his forehead bulged. "Someone is coming up!" he said, his voice cold.
Everyone was on high alert. Mikoto was also maintaining her Sharingan.
The next moment, a flash of red appeared in her vision.
Red hair? Is that...?!
A figure in a white lab uniform, with broken, thick iron chains on its limbs, flew from the crater.
Is that...?! Kushina?!
She could hardly believe her eyes. She had never imagined that the one to emerge would be the long-lost Kushina.
She jumped from the crater, and the long-lost sunlight stung her eyes. For a moment, she did not try to distinguish who was in the crowd of ninja that had surrounded her. She knew she had to act fast.
Before the others could react, she shot off towards the outskirts of the village.
After a moment of shock, a few figures immediately gave chase. Though they didn't know what was going on, they knew they couldn't let her get away.
Mikoto and Fugaku were also among them.
Mikoto, to find out what had happened to her friend, and Fugaku...
In that fleeting glimpse, he had seen that in her eyes were the Sharingan.
"Mikoto-san," he asked as they ran, "do you know that person?" He had noticed her reaction.
"She's... my best friend," she said, her voice bitter. "She went missing during the 'Night of the Purple Moon.' It's been a year now. Her name is Kushina Uzumaki."
"An Uzumaki?" he mused. "From her hair, yes. But why..."
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "There must be a hidden story."
A moment after she had left the crater, a golden-haired figure also jumped out.
"Who are you?!" the people around him shouted.
"I'm from the ANBU," Minato said, pointing at his mask. "Did someone just come out of here?"
"A strange-looking woman just jumped out," a villager said frantically. "And the others went after her."
"Did she have red hair?" he asked urgently.
"Yes, she did. How did you know?"
Hokage Tower
Sakumo was meeting with the Sand's envoy, Ebizo, when a commotion came from within the village. The three of them were very embarrassed. They had to first appease Ebizo and have him leave.
Sakumo's face was grim. From the direction, he couldn't see the source of the commotion from his office.
But he had already begun to put on his combat gear and his short sword.
After the "Night of the Purple Moon," all the ninja in Konoha were extremely sensitive to any commotion in the village.
Just as he had strapped on his sword, an ANBU agent came to report. "Lord Hokage," he said, "an unknown crater has appeared in the village. Someone has escaped from it. The crater is very deep and leads to the underground of Konoha."
"A crater that leads to the underground?"
Though there was more than one underground facility in Konoha, to have made such a commotion...
It was hard for him not to think of the Foundation.
He glanced at the two elders. Sure enough, they had thought of the same thing. Their faces were all grim.
"Sakumo," Homura said, "you go and check on the village. Koharu and I will go and check on the Foundation. Its existence is not yet suitable to be made public."
Sakumo nodded and leaped from the office.
The next moment, a terrifying explosion came from the eastern side of the village.
A large number of the uninformed Konoha ninja suddenly remembered that night, a year ago.