"The Nara Clan's goodwill, huh?"
Yuhara walked toward the training grounds, still thinking about what Kotoha had just told him.
As he replayed the conversation in his mind, he tried to figure out what it all meant—why would the Nara clan share this with him?
After thinking it through, Yuhara managed to piece together quite a bit. He more or less understood what the Nara were implying.
"It's pretty much confirmed now—Uchiha Itachi has some dangerous thoughts. That's weird. Shisui showed him another path, a better one. So why is he still like this?"
Yuhara couldn't quite understand how things had gotten to this point. But honestly, he didn't feel like digging deeper. Everyone had their own mindset.
He had already prepared himself mentally for this possibility, so he wasn't surprised. What did catch him off guard was the Nara clan's stance.
In the original story, Yuhara never heard of the Nara passing any information to the Uchiha.
But thinking about it more, Yuhara guessed it wasn't because they didn't want to, but because they simply didn't know who to give it to.
Giving it to Shisui clearly wasn't an option—back then, when Shisui was still alive, things hadn't gotten this bad yet.
Giving it to Itachi after Shisui's death was even worse. Shisui was dead—passing intel then would've dragged them down too.
But now, Shisui was alive, and Yuhara—someone with a good working relationship with Kotoha—was around. Naturally, that made Yuhara the most suitable contact.
The Nara clan's motives weren't complicated. On one hand, they probably genuinely cared about Konoha. The village really couldn't afford more chaos.
If things escalated, even if the Uchiha were wiped out, Konoha would take heavy damage. A major clan openly rebelling would crush Konoha's reputation in the shinobi world.
And thanks to the Hidden Cloud and Hiruzen's blunders, Konoha's image was already in shambles.
On the other hand, there was probably growing dissatisfaction with Hiruzen.
The Hyuga incident came first, and then Danzo's actions—his behavior toward the clans broke every rule the village had.
Whether it was Aburame Torune or Yamanaka Fu, they didn't exactly volunteer for Root. Danzo forcibly pulled talent from every clan.
No clan willingly gave their best shinobi to Root.
And Danzo had snatched way more than just those two, and from far more than just those two clans.
"So really, this is about frustration with the Third Hokage. The Uchiha were exposed, I've got ties to the Nara, and that's why they passed me this hint."
"The only one who'd even know all this would be that old fox in the Administrative Department—Nara Shikaku."
Yuhara had basically figured it out. With that, a smile tugged at his lips.
It reminded him of the Chūnin Exams. Kakashi even held Gai back, and everyone else? Gone without a trace.
Especially Hiashi Hyuga—one second he's lecturing Neji in the arena, the next, vanished into thin air.
But the moment Hiruzen died, boom—there he was again. And not just him—all the clan heads suddenly showed up.
It was obvious just how deep their resentment for Hiruzen ran. They watched him die without lifting a finger.
"Sure, maybe they called it 'honor' and wanted a fair duel, but come on. They're ninja, not samurai."
Yuhara shook his head and stopped thinking about it. He'd received the Nara's goodwill—and not just theirs.
Ino-Shika-Cho always moved together. But if he wanted more information in the future, it all depended on the Uchiha.
Only by doing his job well would others see him as someone with a future—someone worth helping.
"I had Shisui watching him already, but it's clearly not enough. When I get back, I need to overhaul all our defenses—and do it quietly."
Even if it's not guaranteed something will happen, it's better to prepare now. And if it does happen, it won't be soon.
They just kicked Itachi out of the clan. Konoha would obviously be watching him closely, and they'd wait.
In the original, Itachi met with Danzo and took his time mentally preparing, only acting after the Uchiha dropped their guard.
Back then, the Uchiha had no idea Itachi would betray them. But now Yuhara was watching. If Itachi dared make a move, he'd just be giving Yuhara the excuse to strike.
At that moment, deep within the Root base, Uchiha Itachi stepped inside dressed in ANBU uniform.
He had been preparing for this for days. Today, he was finally ready to act.
Removing the mask from his face, Itachi slowly walked in. He sensed people watching him—but he didn't care.
He'd experienced this many times. As usual, once they confirmed who he was, they backed off.
Making his way to the inner chamber, Itachi found Danzo seated there. He knelt down and said in a low voice, "Lord Danzo."
"Oh?" Danzo raised an eyebrow, then smirked coldly. "I told you there are things you only report to me. Seems you didn't listen."
Expressionless, Itachi replied, "Apologies, Lord Danzo. The matter was too important, so—"
"So you went to Hiruzen?" Danzo already knew everything but didn't want to openly challenge the Hokage. "I've heard about it too. What do you plan to do?"
"The Hokage asked me to consult with you," Itachi said, eyes closed. He truly didn't know what to do—otherwise he wouldn't be here.
Danzo watched Itachi silently. He already had an answer in mind, but he needed to observe Itachi's reaction.
Because that day, Itachi had already told them—he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"You want my answer?" Danzo finally spoke coldly. "Then I'll give you two options. One: stand with the Uchiha, and join them in whatever they're planning. Or two..."
Danzo's tone shifted—colder, deadlier.
"Two: stand with us. Stand with Konoha. Before the Uchiha commit the unforgivable—kill them all, and leave only your little brother alive!"
Itachi froze in place. In that instant, his eyes changed.
The three tomoe morphed into a pinwheel-shaped pattern—demonic and hypnotic. Just looking at them made one dizzy.
"So it is Mangekyō... the brat really awakened it."
Danzo studied the eyes carefully, but didn't react. He remained calm, speaking steadily.
"To protect the village, the chaos must be stopped before it begins. The only one who can bear this burden... is a spy of both Uchiha and Konoha.
That means you. And Shisui. But Shisui already defected—that proves how dire the situation is.
So for the sake of Konoha, my order to you is: eliminate the threat.
Will you accept this mission?"
Would he accept it?
Itachi slowly closed his eyes. He'd braced himself for this moment, but the weight of it still felt immense.
But thinking of the state of the village... of his little brother... of what would happen if war broke out between the clan and the village... and of Uchiha Madara—
He opened his eyes. His gaze was calm and unwavering.
"As long as you keep your promise... for the sake of Konoha, I accept."