A few days later, in the evening.
Tumultuous noises erupted at Konoha's entrance.
The team led by Asuma was returning to the village.
Among them, several members were injured.
After a long and exhausting journey, they had finally succeeded in bringing the Priestess of the Land of Demons back to Konoha.
On the way, they had been attacked by ninjas from the Land of Demons.
Although they managed to repel them, several had been wounded.
Each ninja village had its own combat methods.
The Land of Demons had no ninja village. Their shinobi still followed ancestral traditions, serving directly under the daimyo.
As such, their archaic and mysterious techniques had produced unexpected effects.
"We're back in the village, hang in there!"
Asuma, carrying an injured man on his back, entered the village, his face covered in sweat.
Soon after, night fell.
Asuma went to the Hokage building to report.
Believing he would finally receive recognition from his father after completing the mission, he was instead disavowed by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Why?!"
Faced with his father's silence, Asuma was deeply troubled.
His inner frustration was on the verge of exploding.
Since childhood, he had only wanted one thing: his father's approval. But even after becoming a jōnin of Konoha, that recognition never came.
"Asuma... you don't understand the true essence of the Will of Fire..."
After a long pause, Hiruzen, his back turned to his son, explained his shortcomings.
Fulfilling a mission wasn't enough to make him a true Konoha ninja.
He had to deeply grasp the meaning of the Will of Fire to truly inherit the spirit of his predecessors.
"Humph!"
Unable to contain his anger, Asuma finally snapped.
He made a threat: he would leave Konoha, go far away from this place.
And once he had achieved something on his own, he would return to prove it to his old man!
Watching his son stray even further from the Will of Fire, Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh.
"Asuma... if only you had even a tenth of Naruto's understanding..."
Thinking of Naruto, who naturally embodied the Will of Fire, Hiruzen couldn't help but note the vast differences between individuals.
"And the Priestess?"
Once Asuma had left, Hiruzen turned toward the shadows.
An ANBU member immediately responded: "The Priestess has been provisionally settled in a guest residence..."
Guest residences were a generic term for a district reserved for foreign visitors.
"Very well, let the Priestess rest for the night..."
Hiruzen decided to wait until the next morning to meet her.
...
Night fell, dark and silent.
In the Uchiha district, as if moved by a common will, the inhabitants gradually came out of their homes.
In the shadowy streets, they all converged toward one place: the Naka Shrine, the Uchiha clan's place of origin.
Itachi advanced step by step, as if descending into an abyss.
"Itachi..."
Fortunately, Shisui, his friend and mentor, was at his side, offering him some comfort.
Once inside the secret room beneath the shrine, the Uchiha ninjas sat cross-legged.
Uchiha Fugaku, seated at the place of honor, faced his fellow clansmen—all shinobi of the clan.
Only those with ninja status were permitted to attend this secret meeting.
"Let there be silence..."
As soon as Fugaku spoke, the atmosphere turned quiet.
"Itachi has become a chūnin and has successfully completed several missions..."
"Congratulations!"
Yashiro and the others congratulated him, and Itachi responded politely.
"If a genius like Itachi joined the Military Police, he could play an even more important role."
The clan members joked.
However, Fugaku's next words startled them:
"I intend for Itachi to join the ANBU."
A brief silence, then passionate murmurs.
Under the hopeful gaze of his peers, Fugaku announced: "Danzō has already approved the request... Itachi will soon join the ANBU."
Cheers immediately erupted, filling the room with joyful excitement.
Itachi's entry into the ANBU had a significance they all understood.
The Uchiha clan was finally stepping beyond the confines of the Military Police and extending its influence into other sectors.
The ANBU, being Konoha's most secretive department, would grant them access to crucial information.
It was a sign that the Uchiha would finally reach the heart of the village's power!
Their recent success on the battlefield against Kumo had swelled their pride.
With the death of the Fourth Hokage and the departure of the Legendary Sannin, the Uchiha were now in a position of strength.