Chapter 24: Shadows Over the Leaf

  The morning sun painted the rooftops of Konoha in hues of gold, casting long shadows across the village. Uchiha Ren stood on the balcony of his home, sipping tea as Mikoto adjusted her sandals, preparing to head out for her own patrol shift. Married life had woven itself into a calm routine—sparring in the mornings, patrol duty by day, and peaceful dinners at dusk. Their bond had only grown deeper, Mikoto’s gentle smile now an anchor amidst the chaotic world they once fought through.

  But that calm was soon broken.

  By midday, word arrived at the Uchiha Police headquarters: a top-secret supply room in the intelligence division had been breached. Nothing was stolen—at least nothing officially recorded—but the seals had been tampered with, and traces of chakra unfamiliar to standard Konoha ANBU were found. The incident sent a quiet ripple through the upper ranks of the Uchiha Police.

  Ren narrowed his eyes as he studied the report, standing in the main hall with several trusted officers gathered. His instincts—honed by battlefield trials and sharpened by gene cultivation—sensed a deeper threat. One that reeked of manipulation and deception. This was no common infiltration.

  That evening, he brought the report home. As he laid it on the table, Mikoto leaned in, her brows furrowing. "That chakra signature... it isn’t familiar, but it’s definitely not foreign either. Almost... dampened. Suppressed."

  "Which means someone inside the village," Ren said calmly, though his voice was tight. "Either someone is hiding something, or we have a force that’s operating under our radar."

  The idea of Root came to his mind. Danzo’s rumored shadow organization wasn’t officially recognized, but every elite in the village had heard whispers. It wasn’t impossible that they were behind it. But why tamper with intel rooms now, during peace?

  Over the next week, Ren began conducting his own investigation. He patrolled late at night, moving silently across rooftops, shifting between light and shadow using Phantom Step. His steps left no sound, his presence nearly invisible, even to other Jōnin. Mikoto covered for him when necessary, offering tactical support from her position in the intelligence unit. Both of them were aware that uncovering something too sensitive could put them at odds with their own village.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  They discovered more than they expected.

  Three sealed scrolls meant for archiving had gone missing. No one had reported them stolen. One jōnin, part of the security team, had not been seen for three days—his absence covered up as "extended leave". And worse, a trail of faint chakra suggested someone had entered the vicinity of the Hokage’s archives without authorization.

  Ren didn’t report it—not yet. Instead, he followed the traces to a hidden alcove within the forest near the Naka River. It was a place only those with knowledge of secret Uchiha routes would know. The trees here whispered old secrets, and even the birds seemed quieter.

  There, he found nothing but a faint scorch mark on the ground and a discarded black mask.

  "Someone’s erasing their steps," Ren muttered, showing the mask to Mikoto that night. "Not just stealth. This is organized. They’re experimenting with blending suppression seals into their gear."

  Mikoto crossed her arms, deep in thought. "Ren... do you think Danzo’s involved? Or worse, someone in the Hokage’s inner circle?"

  He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked out into the night. The quiet rustle of trees beyond their window seemed more sinister tonight. "If I dig too deep, I’ll cross a line. But if I ignore this... Konoha might be rotting from the inside."

  Mikoto placed her hand on his. "Then we dig. Together."

  Later that week, Ren used his position as vice-captain to comb through old classified records under the guise of inspections. He found mentions of long-disbanded factions, missing ANBU reports, and vague memos referencing "non-catalogued operations." Too many threads. Too many gaps.

  One night, as he returned home under the cover of dusk, a shadow moved near the base of the Uchiha compound wall. Ren moved in silence, catching a cloaked figure mid-step. The intruder fled, but Ren gave chase using Phantom Step: Shadow Mirage Traversal. The pursuit ended near a concealed stone basin, where the masked figure triggered a smoke flash and vanished—but not before dropping a silver emblem marked with the Root sigil.

  Ren stared at it for a long time. Proof. Finally.

  He brought it home. Mikoto's expression was grim. "This changes everything. If they’re still operating... and if they’re infiltrating departments this deeply... we need to be careful."

  Ren nodded. "We don’t confront them yet. We watch. Record. Gather more. When the time comes, we expose everything."

  As shadows lengthened across the Hidden Leaf, Uchiha Ren realized that even in a time of peace, danger did not always come from the outside. Sometimes, the darkest threats were born from within.

  And this time, they wore familiar faces.