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The Spark Before the Fire
That night, as Arai returned from patrol, he overheard whispers from a hidden corner of the compound—Arata and Keiji, speaking in hushed urgency.
"Gendo says tomorrow night. We hit the ridge and clean up. Make Tajima look useless."
"You think Arai suspects?"
"He's too busy playing diplomat to see straight."
Arai clenched his jaw. So the rumors were true. Gendo was preparing a rogue operation. If it failed, it could ignite a civil fracture within the Uchiha. If it succeeded… it might cement Tajima's fall.
The weight of choice settled on his shoulders.
Report it—and be seen as a traitor to his generation.
Ignore it—and risk watching the clan tear itself apart.
He knew what he had to do.
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Night settled heavily over the Uchiha compound, veiling it in shadow and silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of patrol torches and the rustle of wind slipping through narrow alleys between ancient wooden halls. Arai stood alone on the roof of the training dojo, eyes trained toward the northeastern ridge. The night air was crisp, yet his jaw clenched in frustration, the heat within him refusing to cool.
Earlier that day, Arai had hidden himself behind the weapon storeroom when he heard Arata and Keiji's voices. The two were among the most vocal of Gendo's loyalists—young, proud, arrogant, and increasingly hostile toward Tajima's leadership.
"…he's going to send a handpicked team," Arata had whispered, his voice taut with excitement. "Just a quick raid on the northeastern post. Enough to drive back those wandering mercs and make it look like Tajima is indecisive."
"And he'll say the enemy was ready to breach, right?" Keiji had replied. "That Gendo acted when the clan head was still deliberating. Classic hero move."
They had snickered then—ignorant of the consequences, blinded by ambition and the rhetoric of glory.
Arai had slipped away before they could notice him, fury boiling beneath his skin. Gendo wasn't just scheming behind Tajima's back—he was ready to spill Uchiha blood to prove a point.
Now, Arai descended the dojo rooftop and made his way toward the courtyard where the loyalists gathered. His steps were steady, his heartbeat quick, his thoughts a storm of disbelief and anger. The political storm had finally broken, and he was standing at its eye.
He found Arata, Keiji, and three others in the moonlit clearing, sharpening kunai and whispering in a tight circle.
"You're planning treason," Arai said flatly.
Five heads turned toward him. Silence stretched like a drawn bow.
Arata stepped forward, half-laughing. "Arai. Didn't know you'd joined the patrol tonight."
"I didn't," Arai replied. "But I heard enough."
Keiji sneered. "What did you hear, exactly?"
"You're leading an unsanctioned assault on a border post. You want the clan to think Father's weak."
The group stiffened. Arata's smile vanished.
"You think Tajima is strong?" he spat. "You think letting the Senju form alliances, bowing to minor clans, and pretending we need help is strength? We're Uchiha! We bend no knee. Gendo understands that."
"He understands vanity," Arai snapped. "He'll lead you to your deaths for a moment of applause."
Keiji took a step forward, his hand on his kunai. "We don't need the son of a coward lecturing us about glory."
Arai's eyes narrowed, Sharingan gleaming faintly under the moonlight. "If you go through with this, I'll stop you. Even if I have to drag you back in chains."
Arata scoffed. "You think you're strong enough to stop all five of us?"
"I don't need to be," Arai knows he single-handedly defeat all the 5 Uchiha but he chose constraint over bloating and said quietly. "Because I won't be alone."
From the shadows, another figure emerged—Yagami Uchiha, his arms folded, gaze unreadable. Behind him came two more of Tajima's trusted enforcers. The loyalists froze.
"You've been watched for days," Yagami said grimly. "Your little coup ends here."
Tajima's Study – Later That Night
Arai stood before his father, the weight of the night's events settling on his shoulders like a mantle. Tajima sat in silence, eyes fixed on the candlelit reports before him, fingers steepled.
When he finally spoke, his voice was measured. "You did well."
Arai exhaled quietly. "They would've gone through with it. Gendo's influence runs deep."
"I know," Tajima said. "But you brought evidence, witnesses, and Yagami's confirmation. This is not just hearsay. It's treason."
He leaned back, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across his face.
"What would you have me do with them?" he asked.
Arai hesitated. "They should answer for their actions… but if we crush them too hard, we'll only create martyrs. Gendo will use their punishment to fuel his fire."
Tajima nodded slowly. "You've grown wiser than your years."
The clan head stood and walked toward the war map on the far wall, his gaze trailing along the Uchiha territory's eastern edge.
"Perhaps I was too proud myself," he said quietly. "Trying to guide the clan forward while holding on to its past… But you've shown me tonight that not all change must come through war. Sometimes, it begins with conviction."
He turned back to Arai. "You'll join Yagami and Madara on more operations. You've proven yourself."
Arai bowed low. "Yes, Father."
Meanwhile… Gendo Uchiha's Hidden Sanctuary
Gendo sat with his most trusted confidants in a shaded room carved into the forest rock. The news had already reached him. His scouts had seen Yagami move.
"So the boy acted," Gendo muttered. "And Tajima sides with him."
One of his men growled, "We strike now, while the clan is divided."
"No," Gendo snapped. "Not yet. Arai's becoming a symbol. If we challenge him directly, we legitimize him."
He stood, his cloak swaying like dark wings. "Let him shine. Let him rise. The higher he goes, the harder the fall. When Tajima finally slips—or is made to—the clan will want strength, not peace."
He smirked. "And I will be there to give it."
Later That Week – Arai and Madara, Preparing for the Next Mission
Madara adjusted the wrappings around his forearms, his eyes unreadable. "So… you faced down five of them?"
"More like stood my ground until help came," Arai said with a dry smile.
Madara snorted. "Still, it takes guts. Especially when one wrong move and you're the traitor."
They walked in silence for a moment.
"Father trusts you more now," Madara said. "That's good. But it also means more eyes on you. Be careful."
"I know," Arai said.
Madara stopped, placing a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "You're doing the right thing. Just don't let their hate turn you cold. That's the real fight."
Arai nodded. He felt the pressure of it all—the clan's fractures, Gendo's whispers, his own growing role in Tajima's strategy. The path ahead wasn't just about strength. It was about balance, vision, and the will to hold the clan together through fire.
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