Bratva: Some things never change

Chapter 6: Discussion

The room fell into a suffocating silence as Takahisa's words hung in the air. Izuku's mother looked between her husband and her son, her face pale as she tried to grasp the implications. Shige, usually calm and composed, shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"A mole?" Izuku's mother whispered, her voice barely audible, as though saying it louder would make it more real.

Izuku nodded, his expression grim. "It's the only explanation that fits. The enemy was too precise, too informed. They knew exactly where I was going to be, what route I'd take, and even how to jam our chakra communications. That kind of intel doesn't come from random chance or good guesswork—it comes from someone on the inside feeding them information."

Takahisa clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He had always known the dangers of their work, but the idea of betrayal from within the clan—the very people they were supposed to trust—was almost too much to bear.

"Shige," Takahisa said, his voice low and steady, "we need to start an internal investigation immediately. We can't let this go unchecked."

Shige nodded, already running through the necessary steps in his mind. "I'll have all agents on deployment freeze our intel network and return to base. We need to consolidate and control our communications before they're compromised any further. We still have the Uzumaki matter at hand."

Takahisa sighed, rubbing his temples as the weight of the situation pressed down on him. "Damn it, I almost forgot about them..." Suddenly, a thought struck him, and his head shot up. "Wait, could it have been them?"

Izuku shook his head, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "I don't think so. Let's approach this rationally. We can't rush into pointing fingers. The Uzumakis don't have the clearance or the operational access for something like this. Besides, I think they targeted me because of my status as heir to the clan, not because of any operational activity I've done for the clan against them."

Shige exhaled heavily, the situation growing more complex by the minute. As head of foreign affairs under the Central Shinobi Agency (CSA), he was used to dealing with diplomatic issues, but this was different. The crisis now involved internal security, something far more personal and potentially devastating.

"The Uzumakis, the strain with the Noodle Daimyo, and now this traitor... Everything seems to be falling apart at once," Shige muttered, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Shit, can't even come close to my retirement, and I have a security crisis on my lap."

He turned to Takahisa, his expression serious. "What about the rising tensions with the Uzumakis? We still haven't figured out why they suddenly switched their behavior. Could this be connected?"

Takahisa frowned, considering the possibility. "It's hard to say. The timing is suspicious, but there's no clear link yet. The Uzumakis are indebted to us. But if there is a connection... it could mean something much bigger is at play here."

Izuku interjected, his voice steady despite the growing tension. "We can't afford to overlook anything. The Red heads may not be directly involved, but their sudden disobedience the moment of my disappearance could be a symptom of something deeper. We need to investigate all possible angles, including our recently strained relationships with the noodle Daimyo."

Shige nodded in agreement. "I'll increase surveillance on their movements and communications. We need to know if they're being influenced by an outside force or if this rebellion is a front for something more sinister."

Izuku's mother, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her voice filled with determination. "Whatever it takes, we will protect this family. Our ancestors survived worse before, and we'll survive this too."