The rustic tea room had two doors.
One connected to the outer courtyard—the path Danzo had just taken. The other led to the indoor corridor.
As Fugaku's voice echoed, the wooden sliding door to the interior slowly opened. Uchiha Itachi stood there, recently promoted to chunin, wearing simple home clothes. Worry clouded his eyes without disguise.
Entering the tea room, Itachi settled onto a cushion and brought up something seemingly unrelated to the Uchiha.
"Father, ANBU has recruited me."
"What do you think?" Fugaku asked in return.
Itachi fell silent for a moment before slowly voicing his thoughts.
"I... I plan to accept. The clan and village leadership need a bridge for communication. We can't abandon our Police Force comrades and leave alone like Danzo suggested."
Relief flickered across Fugaku's face.
His son had matured, learning to worry about family and comrades—that was good. However, the situation was far more complex than it appeared.
After a moment's consideration, Fugaku decided to share his true thoughts.
"Danzo isn't worth trusting. His prejudice against the Uchiha is practically unchangeable. All these years, his Root operatives haven't relaxed their surveillance of our clan for a single day. The same applies to the village leadership—they're equally untrustworthy. Without the higher-ups' permission, Danzo wouldn't have the ability to act, even if he wanted to. So whether it's ANBU or Root, neither can be trusted.
Your desire to bridge the clan and village leadership is admirable. You know about Uchiha Kagami, right? Even before I was born, he gave everything to help our clan integrate into the village, nearly dying in the process.
Itachi, you must understand—the Uchiha's destruction is inevitable. The leadership harbors prejudice, we have fools among our own ranks, and most critically..."
Fugaku paused, as if gathering tremendous resolve before continuing through gritted teeth:
"Most critically... someone in the shadows covets the Uchiha clan. This feeling wasn't obvious before, but since the Nine-Tails incident, it's become crystal clear. I've dug up... I've excavated graves of many clansmen in our cemetery. Their bodies... their bodies..."
He stopped there.
"The Uchiha clan must face destruction—even an apparent destruction is necessary. Konoha is no longer what it once was. I must lead our people to find new sanctuary."
Looking at his resolute father, Itachi's worry deepened:
"Police Force members comprise nearly half our clan's young adults. Including their families, almost half the Uchiha would be separated. Can we... can we really evacuate so many people? And if these clansmen leave their homeland, they'll inevitably resent Konoha. If we can think of this, don't you believe the village leadership can too?"
Fugaku fell silent again. His son's comprehensive thinking impressed him.
Still, this beat total annihilation. When people die, nothing remains.
Without his teacher, Fugaku might have chosen to flee with just his family. But with backing behind him, why resort to desperate measures?
Fugaku shook his head firmly:
"No matter what, these difficulties pale before death itself. Your grandfather Uchiha Kagami has already contacted me. Hidden Rain's elite forces are fully deployed, positioned at the Fire Country border. Let Konoha choose—tear off the facade or maintain peace."
Standing, Fugaku approached Itachi and affectionately patted his head for the first time in ages.
"Itachi, remember this—as long as your father draws breath, I'll protect you all. Don't overthink it. Get some rest."
He walked out with hands clasped behind his back.
One week later, at Naka Shrine.
As the Uchiha clan's ancestral shrine in Konoha, this sacred space only opened for ancestor worship and major assemblies.
On this moonless night, the Uchiha gathered at Naka Shrine for an emergency meeting.
Deep within the shrine, Uchiha Fugaku sat cross-legged on a cushion, eyes closed in meditation.
Though he couldn't control the entire clan, his position as clan head commanded respect. Family heads quickly assembled, packing the shrine to capacity.
The elder faction brazenly occupied a large section, creating a clear divide from the Police Force faction.
Seeing everyone assembled, Fugaku slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.
"The Uchiha have suffered under Konoha's boot for too long! During the Warring States period, clan leader Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama founded Konoha together—only then did surrounding clans join! In terms of seniority, the Uchiha clan stands equal to Konoha itself! Look at us now—the pathetic Hyuga, the worthless Sarutobi clan—they're all pissing on our heads! Can you tolerate this?"
Below, though the elder faction didn't grasp Fugaku's full scheme, this inflammatory rhetoric perfectly matched their temperament.
Elder faction members roared in unison:
"We cannot tolerate this!"
Onstage, Fugaku's gaze swept over everyone, his lips curving almost imperceptibly.
"When the Nine-Tails rampaged, I approached the Third Hokage, requesting the Uchiha clan fight on the front lines for our village. The Third's response? Dismissive. He ordered me to lead our people in civilian evacuation. I didn't question it then—I strictly followed orders! What happened next? These leaders used village reconstruction as an excuse to relocate our homes to the furthest corner! Most infuriating—those civilians who lost family blamed the Nine-Tails disaster on us! And the village leadership? They watched silently as we got dragged through the mud! Can you stand this?"
Fugaku's roar ignited the crowd. Below him, except for a few clear-headed individuals, everyone erupted in hysterical fury.
Watching his clansmen's rage blaze, Fugaku's smile remained hidden.
I'll shoulder the blame for leading the Uchiha to destruction. But taking blame is my job—dying is yours.
Pressing his hands down for silence, Fugaku continued:
"The previous clan leader once secured a position in Konoha's leadership, but circumstances later marginalized him. This time, we storm the Hokage building, force the Third to step down, and install one of our own as Fifth Hokage!"
Here, Fugaku shifted tone, adding:
"As for the Fifth's candidate—as clan leader, I cannot run. After all, I've already sacrificed everything for our Uchiha's bright future and lack energy for additional duties. Besides, my eyes are failing—a blind man has no right to become Fifth Hokage."
He gestured toward his deliberately dulled eyes.
Below, several elder faction leaders exchanged strange looks. This guy's eyes were sharper than a hawk's, yet he shamelessly claimed near-blindness.
Lying through his teeth?
Still, since he was abandoning the Hokage seat, the elder faction would graciously accept it.
Grasping the implications, several elders immediately led enthusiastic cheering, loudly praising Clan Leader Fugaku's sacrificial spirit.
Soon, the entire Naka Shrine erupted in celebration, as if the Hokage seat was already secured.
In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo watched Naka Shrine through the crystal ball, brows deeply furrowed.
Normally, the Uchiha compound's barrier protection made the Telescope Technique useless for surveillance.
But that cunning Fugaku was playing both sides—inciting clansmen to rebel while secretly using his clan leader authority to disable the barriers.
His message was crystal clear: extract himself from this whirlpool. Moreover, he deliberately avoided mentioning timing, pressuring village leadership while preparing secret evacuation.
When had this kid become so deviously clever?
Could it be... that person had arrived?
At this thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen's frown deepened further.
"Danzo, are Root operatives positioned?"
Danzo nodded grimly.
The situation had grown unexpectedly complex. He'd envisioned countless evacuation scenarios for Fugaku, never expecting such a radical path—sacrificing the elder faction while escaping with trusted followers.
But now the initiative had returned to Fugaku's hands. If he followed through and led all Uchiha to storm the Hokage building, the consequences would be catastrophic.
His carefully laid schemes had turned to ash once again.
A certain smug face flashed through Danzo's mind.
Damn it! Something went wrong!
The Uchiha absolutely could not be allowed to execute this plan.
"Hiruzen, deploy ANBU for surveillance. Equip the Ino-Shika-Cho clans and Sarutobi clan with ANBU gear. I'll distribute Root uniforms to Inuzuka, Aburame, Kurama, and Shimura clan ninjas. If it's just those elder faction wastes, that's manageable—but I fear the Police Force might join the chaos."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded gravely.
"Execute your plan. The moment the Uchiha show gathering signs, crush them immediately."
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