I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

Chapter 92 People from Kirigakure have arrived!

Konoha Prison, three underground levels.

The corridor was long, with luminous pearls embedded in the walls on both sides, casting a pale light on the wet stone slabs.

Bai walked ahead, with Shuoge following behind, their footsteps light, the only sound the soft thud of their shoes on the wet floor. The jailer stopped before an iron door at the deepest part of the prison, took out a key, and unlocked three locks.

"A quarter of an hour," the jailer said, then turned and left.

Bai pushed open the door.

The cell was small, with a bed, a table, and a chair.

On the table was a chipped bowl containing half a bowl of cold porridge.

Zabuza sat on the edge of the bed, his hands resting on his knees. The chakra sealing technique extended from his wrists to his shoulders, the pale blue patterns appearing and disappearing in the dim light.

He looked up, glanced at Bai, his gaze lingered on Bai's face for a moment, then looked away.

"What are you doing here?"

Bai walked in and sat down in the chair.

Shuoge leaned against the wall outside the door, neither coming in nor looking inside. He lowered his head, examining the strips of cloth wrapped around the hilt of his knife, slowly, circle by circle.

"I brought this for you."

Bai took out an oil paper package from his pocket, opened it, and inside were several rice balls.

The rice was pressed tightly, the seaweed was wrapped neatly, and a plum was sandwiched in the middle.

He worked on them all night, making more than a dozen, and then picked out the best-looking ones to bring.

Zabuza neither spoke nor moved.

Bai placed the rice ball on the table, then folded the oil paper and stuffed it back into his pocket.

"I'm doing very well in Konoha. Lord Sakugo allowed me to join the Kage," he said. "It's not just the Uchiha clan; there are ninja from other clans there too. Everyone wears masks, so you can't tell who's who, but after working together for a while, we develop a strong teamwork."

"I'm in charge of ice-style attacks and assassinations. The anesthetic in the senbon needles has been replaced with a deadly poison, so I no longer hesitate when killing. You once said that ninjas don't need emotions. I understand now."

Zabuza stared at Haku's hands. Those hands used to be fair and slender, but now the knuckles were thick, there were calluses on the base of the thumb, and several scars on the back of the hands that hadn't completely faded.

He didn't speak; his pale lips moved slightly, but he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

"Time's up," the jailer's voice came from the other end of the corridor.

Bai stood up and straightened the chair. "I'll come see you again next month." He walked to the door, stopped, and didn't turn around. "Lord Zabuza, you mustn't die."

F

Zabuza remained silent.

He left in vain.

The iron gate closed, and the lock clicked three times.

Zabuza looked down at the rice ball on the table, picked it up, and took a bite. The rice was cold, the plum was sour, and the seaweed was no longer crisp. He chewed twice and swallowed.

Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes.

A hidden outpost in the forest, an underground training ground.

Shuoge stood at the end of the corridor, with five people standing in front of him.

Bai is on the far left, wearing a black combat uniform, with his hair tied back and a mask pinned to his waist.

The other four people wore identical white masks without any markings, making it impossible to identify them.

One was tall and carried two short swords on his back; another was thin and had many sword pouches hanging from his waist; a third was of medium height.

One of them had his hands in his pockets and stood casually; the other was shorter and carried a huge scroll on his back. Judging from his build, he was not very old, but he had broad shoulders.

"From today onwards, the five of you will be a team. Code name: 'Shadow Fox.' Bai, captain."

Shuo Ge's tone was neither warm nor cold, as if he were reading out a list of supplies.

"Your missions are high-difficulty assassinations, intelligence infiltration, and any orders directly issued by the Hokage. Your identities are kept secret under normal circumstances, and you do not know each other's real names, only code names."

No one speaks.

Bai glanced at the other four people, and they were all looking at him too. The eyes behind the masks were all different—some were calm, some were sharp, and some showed no emotion.

He looked back.

Shuoge placed five scrolls on the table, one for each person. Inside were information about their new identities, contact details, and the first batch of task lists.

"Three days later, first mission. The Land of Rivers: eliminate a rogue ninja group. Seven targets: one Jonin, four Chunin, and two Genin. Leave no survivors." He paused. "Any questions?"

"No," all five answered at the same time.

Shuoge turned and left.

The corridor fell silent. Five people stood there, none of them removing their masks.

Bai looked down at the scroll in his hand, the seal bearing the Hokage's stamp. He put it away and turned to walk towards the training ground. The other four followed behind him, their footsteps synchronized, like one person.

Three days before the Chunin Exams registration, the streets of Konoha Village were much more lively than usual.

The ninjas from out of town came in twos and threes. Some stood in front of the bulletin board looking at the exam map, some were picking out shuriken in the ninja tool shop, and some were squatting by the roadside eating dumplings.

In the training ground, some people were practicing shuriken. The target was full of kunai. A ninja wearing a headscarf missed and one of his kunai hit the tree trunk behind him. His companions laughed at him.

Naruto walked down the street with his hands behind his head, taking large strides and swaying from side to side.

The sunlight was bright, shining on his blond hair, and the metal plate on his headband reflected the light.

Sakura Haruno followed behind, holding a copy of "The Chunin Exams Guide" in her hand. She flipped to the middle, reading as she walked, muttering to herself.

Sasuke walked at the very back, his hands in his pockets, expressionless, his eyes scanning the pedestrians around him.

"Naruto, you're blocking my way." Sakura Haruno said without even looking up.

"Where?" Naruto stepped aside, almost bumping into a vendor carrying a load on a shoulder pole. The vendor cursed, and Naruto smiled apologetically before walking back to the center.

The crowd in front automatically parted to both sides.

It's not making way, it's dodging.

A red-haired boy carrying a gourd on his back walked out of the alley.

He was wearing a dark ninja outfit from Sunagakure, with deep dark circles under his eyes and an empty gaze, like two dry wells.

—Gaara!

Kankuro followed behind him, carrying a puppet wrapped tightly in bandages on his back, his face painted with purple greasepaint. Temari walked at the very back, her three-star fan slung over her shoulder, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight.

Naruto slowed his pace, not out of fear, but out of an instinctive feeling that he sensed something.

The red-haired boy's aura was off; it wasn't murderous intent, but something deeper and heavier, like winter wind seeping in through a crack in the door—you felt cold even before you saw the wind.

Gaara's gaze swept over Naruto, then shifted to Sasuke and stopped.

Sasuke was also looking at him. Their eyes met for a moment, and neither spoke. Kankuro leaned closer and whispered, "Gaara, not here—"

"Shut up, don't tell me what to do."

Gaara's voice was cold and soft, as cold as ice and snow in winter, and as soft as sand slipping through your fingers.

He looked away and walked past Naruto without touching his shoulder, but Naruto felt a chill on his shoulder.

Kankuro and Temari followed. Temari glanced back at Sasuke, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before turning away.

"Who is he? What's with the attitude?" Naruto muttered.

"Gaara of the Sand Village." Sakura Haruno closed the book. "I heard he's never been injured in a mission; all his opponents have died."

Sasuke didn't speak. He stared at Gaara's back; the red-haired boy's steps were light, almost making no sound on the stone pavement.

That guy gave him a dangerous feeling, as if he were hiding some kind of terrifying monster.

On the other side, three people dressed in dark robes walked from the end of the street.

Leading the way was a bespectacled boy with light blue hair that covered half his face. He held a sword taller than himself—Hiramekarei, one of the seven most famous ninja swords of Kirigakure.

Its blade is thick and wide, wrapped in bandages, and looks quite heavy.

He walked steadily, the knife didn't drag on the ground, but his shoulders felt slightly heavy.

Chojuro.

Behind them were two genin of similar age, a man and a woman, dressed in the same dark robes with headbands tied on their foreheads, their eyes wary as they surveyed their surroundings.

"Chojuro, where are we staying?" the male genin asked, his voice not loud, but it sounded like something was stuck in his throat, making him feel a little muffled.

"The hotel. Mei Terumi-sama said it's already arranged."

Chojuro's voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing others.

He kept his head down, looking only at the ground as he walked, avoiding eye contact with people. Children were running and playing in the street, almost bumping into him. He stepped aside to let them pass, and the children ran past him without him saying a word.

The female genin's gaze swept across the shops along the street, finally settling on a steamed bun stall. Steam rose from the steamer, and the aroma of meat wafted over. "Steamed buns."

Her voice was faint, but Chojuro could tell.

"Find a place to stay before you go out to buy anything." Chojuro didn't stop.

The three walked down the street without attracting much attention. Everyone in Konoha was focused on the Sand Village group; no one noticed these three unassuming Kirigakure genin.

In the distance, by the window on the second floor of a dumpling shop, Terumi Mei sat holding a cup of tea, but did not drink it.

She looked at the crowds on the street, her gaze sweeping over Gaara and his group, then over Chojuro, lingering for a moment on the Hiramekarei sword on Chojuro's back, before looking away.

Sitting opposite her were two middle-aged men wearing headbands with veiled mist; one had a beard and wore a greyish-white robe; the other had a scar on his face and wore a dark blue short jacket.

"Lady Terumi Mei, will Konoha return the Executioner's Blade?" the bearded man asked, his voice low, as if afraid of being overheard.

Mei Terumi put down her teacup, the bottom of which touched the saucer with a soft sound.

"It won't be that easy."

"If only the Third Hokage were still alive," the scarred ninja said impatiently, tapping his finger on the table.

Compared to the tough Minato Namikaze, they "preferred" the gentle (weak) Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Mei Terumi didn't reply. Her gaze fell on another person on the street—Sakugo. He was wearing a long black robe, a sword hanging on his back, as he walked through the crowd.

His pace was neither fast nor slow, and people around him automatically made way for him, not because he was blocking the way, but because he had an aura that made people not want to get close.

He ignored everything around him and walked straight toward the Hokage Building.

Mei Terumi watched his figure disappear around the street corner, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. The tea had gone cold, and a bitter taste lingered on her tongue.

"Who is that guy with the knife?" the man with the scar on his face asked.

"Uchiha Sakugo." Mei Terumi's voice was soft. "One of Konoha's Twin Swords."

The bearded man was about to say something when Mei Terumi raised her hand to stop him.

She had already heard of Blade's name back in Kirigakure.

The Uchiha genius who rose to prominence during the Third Shinobi World War.

At only ten years old, he already possessed the fighting power to directly confront the Raikage.

How strong is it now?

Mei Terumi stood up and straightened her clothes. "Let's go, it's time to meet the Hokage."

The three people went downstairs, and the flow of people on the street had returned to normal.

Chojuro and the others had already gone far away, and Gaara and his group had also disappeared into the depths of the alley.

On the streets of Konoha Village, the sun shone brightly, and the shouts of vendors rose and fell, as if nothing had happened.