Time slipped by, and in the blink of an eye half a month had passed.
February arrived quietly, and Konoha Village remained peaceful. By now, even those outside the Police Force had more or less adjusted to the Ninjutsu Point Exchange System.
The great clans and the commoner ninja might grumble behind closed doors, but they could not openly oppose it. Resistance had nowhere to go.
Within the Police Force and the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Gen had already smoothed out most affairs. His leadership was practiced, decisive, and effective, leaving him freer than he'd expected. With that freedom, Gen decided it was time to begin his next step, training in Sage Mode at Ryūchi Cave.
Better to take advantage of the lull now than be weighed down by endless duties later.
But leaving the village as both Police Chief and Clan Head wasn't simple.
Gen thought carefully, then acted with his usual precision. He secretly made a trip to the Land of Fire and, using his Sharingan, discreetly influenced a noble family friendly to the Uchiha.
In their name, an invitation was issued, formal, respectable, and sufficient to justify his absence.
Once everything was in place, Gen convened a meeting with the Police Force captains and above. He entrusted both clan and Force management to Uchiha Setsuna while he was away.
When the clan elders suggested sending escorts, Gen refused outright. Who would be protecting whom if trouble came? His strength was beyond question, and the higher-ups, having seen his methods firsthand, did not press him further.
He said his farewells to Mikoto, Kurenai, Yugao, Anko, and the others, then left Konoha alone.
When news of Gen's departure reached Danzo, the old schemer hesitated only briefly before deciding, this was the chance to strike. Another Uchiha death would hardly raise suspicion, not after the Nine-Tails Night.
But Danzo was cautious.
He did not dare send Root ninja directly, lest they fail and invite Gen's retaliation.
Gen's sharp performance at the last Hokage meeting had made it clear, this was not a man who would swallow humiliation. Instead, Danzo moved indirectly. He siphoned Root funds, dispatched his most trusted assistant to the Exchange Market, and placed a hefty bounty. Then, using his extensive underworld network, he spread the word.
Danzo's connections in the shadows ran deep. The black market and Exchange Market were long intertwined with Root operations, supplying information, rare materials, and deniable killers. With Danzo's push, the bounty reached all the major bounty hunters and groups.
By now, Gen's identity and power were no secret. The leader of the Uchiha, Chief of the Police Force, wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, the 'Fear Shura' whispered across nations.
His reputation alone was daunting.
Most rational hunters kept their distance. Yet as the saying went, 'man dies for wealth, bird for grain.'
The reward was too tempting, and the prestige of killing such a target was priceless. A few, confident in their strength, accepted.
But then came the hard part... finding him.
Gen didn't travel like ordinary ninja. With the Flying Thunder God and his ability to fly, he left little trace. Root's informants were useless. Danzo, believing Gen was bound for the Daimyō's mansion, concentrated his watchers there, only to be left waiting.
Gen never arrived.
Frustration mounted, and Danzo's lips blistered with stress. At last, realizing he had been deceived, he redirected his hunt toward Orochimaru, reasoning that Gen might appear there. Orochimaru and Danzo still maintained a wary cooperation; despite past betrayals, Orochimaru still saw value in him.
So Danzo shifted Root's intelligence network to the Land of Rice Fields, a place where Orochimaru's laboratories thrived. Hunters were notified, information gathered, and the net was cast.
If Gen fell, so be it. If not, Danzo would at least measure his strength for future schemes.
One of the hunters who answered this call was Kakuzu, now counted among Akatsuki's ranks.
Far away, deep in a forest of the Rice Fields, Orochimaru worked in his underground laboratory. Clad in a white coat, he bent over his instruments, hands steady, gaze intent.
The door opened without hurry. Gen stepped inside, calm as ever, carrying a cloth bag at his side. Today, he wore a fiery red shirt with the top three buttons undone, dark-blue trousers, and a black trench coat lined with silver. He cut a figure both elegant and imposing.
"You're late," Orochimaru remarked without glancing up.
Gen chuckled. "If I'd come early, I'd just be standing around while you finished. Besides, it's rare for me to be free, so I took some time to explore."
Orochimaru's lips curved. "Your 'exploring' nearly took a full day."
Gen lifted the bag, smiling. "To make up for it, I brought your favorites, egg dishes of all kinds."
That made Orochimaru laugh softly. "That will do. And congratulations are in order, Police Chief and Uchiha Clan Head. You've made quite a name for yourself."
"All thanks to your teaching, Sensei."
"Hahahaha!" Orochimaru finally set down his tools, laughter bubbling out.
Gen blinked. "???"
"What's so funny?"
"You toss words like that so carelessly," Orochimaru said, shaking his head. "I guided you, yes. But the rest, your rise, your power, that's yours alone."
Gen shrugged with mock deference. "If Sensei says so."
"You little rascal…" Orochimaru muttered, half amused, half exasperated.
He peeled off his gloves, accepted the bag, and casually cracked a boiled egg. Chakra shimmered faintly, the shell sliding away clean into the bin, leaving the egg pristine between his fingers. He popped it into his mouth, swallowed, and then his golden eyes sharpened.
"I've received word. A group of bounty hunters has their sights on you. Someone placed a fortune on your head and made sure the word spread far."
Gen raised a brow. "Oh? Is there such a good thing?" His tone held more amusement than concern. "Impressive. I've been flying the whole way here, and they still tracked me down? Do we know who's behind it?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Not yet. The threads don't reach that far. But are you planning to hide until it blows over?"
"No," Gen said simply. His eyes glinted. "If anything, I was worried the souls have been coming in too slowly. Hunters? Prey? That depends on perspective."
Orochimaru's smile slanted. "Don't be careless. This time, the hunters aren't weak. There's even a Kage-level among them. If they rush you together, danger is real."
Gen smirked. "But will they? Old hands like them don't trust easily. Greed and suspicion run deeper than loyalty."
"True," Orochimaru admitted. "That's why you must still be cautious."
Gen's smile turned sharper. "Caution is fine. But if they all gather… I'll kill them all at once."
"Do you want me to intervene?" Orochimaru asked lightly.
"Wouldn't that be overestimating them?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Perhaps. Just remember... try to leave the bodies."
"Of course."
He set the bag aside, then summoned a puff of smoke. A green scroll patterned with white snakes appeared and floated toward Gen.
"This is my newest technique, Orochimaru-Style Substitution Jutsu. Study it before they arrive."
Gen accepted it without a word; between master and disciple, thanks were unnecessary.
"Now, help me clear the bench. I'll need you for the next phase of the experiment."
Gen nodded, already moving. "Where's Kabuto?"
"That child's talents are exceptional," Orochimaru said with faint satisfaction. "I've assigned him preliminary trials at another base."
Gen filed the answer away and began tidying the instruments.
Two days later, news came; the bounty hunters had reached the Land of Rice Fields.
Gen stepped out of the laboratory alone.
After he left, Orochimaru summoned a massive burrowing snake to shadow him from underground. It was Orochimaru's way of ensuring backup if things went awry.
In his eyes, Gen's worth was now greater than anyone before, even Nawaki, even Jiraiya or Tsunade.
Gen noticed the tail only when he stretched his senses outward, gathering information with Soul Perception. Still, he let it be. Better to accept Orochimaru's concern than rebuff it.
Locating the first band of hunters, Gen strolled straight into town, passing openly in front of them before heading toward the wilderness. They followed, believing him oblivious.
But in the barren fields, when they sprang their ambush, their prey never arrived. Frustration mounted, until scarlet feathers drifted from the sky, settling before them like drops of blood.
Four hunters froze instantly, minds shackled in Genjutsu. Their eyes widened with terror as Gen's hidden form drank in their souls. Only the leader and his second snapped free in time, whirling back-to-back, blades ready.
A shimmer rippled, and Gen appeared before them. The Kusanagi Sword glinted coldly in his hand, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Don't be nervous. You're the closest of the hunters left. We've got plenty of time to play."
The leader, a broad-shouldered man in gray armor and a straw hat, scowled. "You knew?"
Gen's smirk deepened. "I have friends in the Exchange Market and black market. News travels."
The man's expression tightened, but he steadied himself. "Then there's only one path left. We fight to the death."
His younger companion nodded grimly. "Big brother is right. Attack!"
But the instant the words left his mouth, both men bolted in opposite directions.
Gen arched a brow, then laughed quietly. "Sleeping Dragons and Phoenixes, are you? Some brotherhood. But running… only hastens death."
Blue-white lightning roared down, thick as tree trunks, striking where the two had fled.
They twisted mid-stride, dodging by instinct, but the blasts ripped earth and stone apart, hurling them through smoke and rubble. Armor dented, flesh bruised, they staggered up—only to keep running.
Gen followed leisurely, blade swinging. Wind blades crisscrossed like a net, lightning speared from above. They had no Earth Release to burrow, no hope of escape. Their screams cut short as the storm closed in.
When the smoke cleared, the two lay broken but breathing. Gen walked to them, drew in their souls, and sheathed his sword.
"What a dull fight," he muttered. "Not even worth opening my Sharingan. Sensei's definition of 'not weak' really doesn't match mine."
He exhaled softly, half amused. "I even played cautious, ambush, feints, restraint. What a waste. Better to draw them all together. So many hunters, and a Kage-level among them… that should be fun."
With a snap of his fingers, six great snakes materialized, carrying the bodies back to Orochimaru. Gen's form blurred and vanished into the air.
That night, the wilderness lay silent, broken only by the faint rustle of feathers that were not there a moment before.