"Do you have any proof?"
Fugaku Uchiha poured a cup of tea for Uzumaki Shuji and looked at him seriously.
Based on what he had just heard, he no longer believed Uzumaki Shuji had been sent by the village to frame the Uchiha.
Which meant this information was extremely important.
The safety of the Uchiha clan was his responsibility.
"Snap."
"You should recognize this chain, right? A secret technique of the Uzumaki clan—Adamantine Sealing Chains."
"Some surviving members of the Uzumaki clan found me. They also helped unlock the memories my parents sealed within me."
Uzumaki Shuji began his fabrication.
With a snap of his fingers, the Gate of Babylon opened behind him, and the Chains of Heaven emerged, floating like venomous serpents at his back.
Fugaku's eyes widened as he carefully examined the three golden chains.
"The Uzumaki clan… still has survivors?!"
He accepted Uzumaki Shuji's explanation.
At the same time, he was shocked by what it implied.
"The destruction of the Uzumaki clan—Hiruzen Sarutobi bears significant responsibility."
"As for the Senju clan, even more so. Once the strongest clan in Konoha, yet in just over a decade, they withered away."
"All of this is tied to Konoha's leadership."
Uzumaki Shuji continued calmly.
He needed Fugaku to believe they were on the same side.
"So what you said earlier… that the one behind the Nine-Tails incident will cooperate with someone within the Uchiha clan to target us—is that true?"
Fugaku was already more than halfway convinced.
This was no small matter.
"Of course it's true. I'm risking exposure just by coming here. Why would I lie to you?"
As he spoke, Uzumaki Shuji withdrew the chains.
"Then who within the Uchiha is involved? And why would the village do this?"
Fugaku frowned, unable to make sense of it.
"Information like that comes with a price. Our relationship isn't close enough for me to give it away for free."
Uzumaki Shuji met his gaze calmly.
He wasn't here to play the hero.
He was here to secure his own path to power.
"What do you want?"
"Is this… a proposal for cooperation between the Uzumaki and Uchiha?"
Fugaku asked solemnly.
This child… felt nothing like Sasuke.
He felt like an adult.
"For this piece of intelligence—one hundred million ryo. I'll also include a potential solution."
"As for completely saving the Uchiha… discussing that price now would be meaningless. If this first deal succeeds, we can talk further."
Uzumaki Shuji stated his terms directly.
It was less than the value of three elite jonin bounties.
Demanding the entire Uchiha estate outright would never be accepted.
So he would start with money—test the waters, build trust, and proceed step by step.
"One hundred million… that's a steep price."
Fugaku hesitated.
"The bounty for an elite jonin is thirty-five million. With so many members in the Uchiha clan, can you really not afford this?"
"You won't have much time to react. The sooner you act, the better. I know you don't have the cash on hand right now, and I don't have time to wait."
"If you want the deal, bring the money between 1 PM and 3 PM, Monday to Friday, and leave it in my home's bathroom."
"As a jonin, avoiding ANBU surveillance shouldn't be difficult."
"Once I confirm the payment, I'll leave the solution in the same place the next day."
"That's all for today."
"Oh, right. As payment for this initial information, I'd like a scroll of the Shadow Clone Technique."
Uzumaki Shuji added casually.
He didn't care much about other jutsu, but the Shadow Clone Technique was invaluable.
"Shadow Clone Technique?"
"…Very well. I'll write it down now."
Fugaku was slightly puzzled. For the Uzumaki clan, such a technique shouldn't be hard to obtain.
But since their relationship wasn't close, he didn't question it. The technique itself wasn't particularly rare.
He took out a scroll and quickly wrote down the hand seals, then handed it over.
Uzumaki Shuji accepted it and, right in front of Fugaku, stored it inside the Gate of Babylon.
Fugaku's eyes widened again, stunned—but he said nothing.
Then Uzumaki Shuji continued his act.
He dipped his fingers into the tea Fugaku had poured and lightly rubbed his eyes.
The warmth made them instantly redden.
"Handle this quickly. The sooner, the better. If you're not afraid of the risk, feel free to hesitate."
Even with reddened eyes, his tone remained calm.
"Understood. I'll give you an answer as soon as possible."
Fugaku didn't dare act against Uzumaki Shuji.
The price was high, but the information was far more valuable.
"Thank you, sir… Next time I fight with Sasuke, I'll be more careful."
Uzumaki Shuji didn't respond directly.
Instead, he opened the office door and spoke in a slightly sorrowful tone.
Under the watchful eyes of the police force, he walked out with tears in his eyes.
Outside, the ANBU let out a sigh of relief upon seeing him.
Noticing his reddened eyes, they assumed they understood what had happened.
It seemed nothing serious had occurred. The Uchiha clan wouldn't dare do anything reckless.
They quickly followed behind Uzumaki Shuji.