But it no longer mattered. Even if Fugaku Uchiha were not naive, nothing would truly change.
Because those watching Uchiha Clan were no longer only Ryuji Hyuga.
"Black Zetsu, let me see what you truly want to do."
Ryuji Hyuga's gaze seemed to pierce the night and fix on a distant tree. A black and white figure slipped into it in an instant.
"Perhaps what we want to do is the same," he said softly.
As he spoke, Ryuji Hyuga's figure melted into the darkness, and a faint chuckle drifted away with the wind.
"Heh, a play of 'the living go to die, the dead return to life, cause and effect repaid'?"
"As the first act for the arrival of the Void Realm, it seems acceptable."
At the same time, Fugaku Uchiha walked with Itachi Uchiha at his side, with Yashiro Uchiha and the other three following behind. The six stepped onto the quiet path leading toward the Uchiha clan grounds, far from the noise of the crowd.
The waters of the Naka River flowed beside them, clear under the moonlight. This river had once been where Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha first met, and now it had become the divide separating Uchiha Clan from the village.
The oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating, heavy and unmoving. The night wind carried dampness and chill from the river.
"Fugaku Uchiha!"
Inabi Uchiha finally could not hold back any longer and quickened his steps to catch up to Fugaku Uchiha. His voice was hoarse from suppressed humiliation as he demanded why they had bowed to those people.
He accused them of trampling the dignity of Uchiha and mocking them for not daring to go to the battlefield. He even repeated the words comparing them unfavorably to a boy from the Hyuga Branch Family.
His hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white as his voice trembled.
"Yes, Fugaku Uchiha!"
Tekka Uchiha spoke as well, red veins still visible in his eyes. He complained that the Konoha Police Force worked tirelessly to maintain order, only to become a joke in the end.
He listed how clans like Akimichi Clan, Nara Clan, and Yamanaka Clan were sent to face Kumogakure in the Land of Moon campaign. Even smaller clans like Inuzuka Clan and Aburame Clan had been sent to the Land of Rain front against Sunagakure.
With heavy casualties at the front, he questioned why the village did not need elite forces, and why the elites of Uchiha were excluded time and again. He accused the Third Hokage and the three advisors of guarding against them and distrusting them from the heart.
Yakumi Uchiha also spoke, saying they feared the clan gaining merit, influence, and a stronger voice in the village.
"Enough."
Fugaku Uchiha finally spoke after remaining silent all this time. His calm voice was not loud, yet it instantly choked all of their accusations.
"Do not argue with the villagers anymore. Remember your duties."
He let out a sigh and continued in a firm tone. "Also, Itachi has been allowed to join ANBU. You should understand what that means."
Without looking at the three whose anger had turned to shock, he continued walking toward his residence without changing his pace.
On the riverside path, only two figures remained, one tall and one short. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting mottled shadows on Fugaku Uchiha's gloomy face and illuminating Itachi Uchiha's thoughtful expression.
To maintain order in the village of Konoha Ninja, the Konoha Police Force was established with Uchiha Clan as its core. In other words, the Konoha Police Force served as Konoha's police force.
Yet there was another group responsible for security in the village. That group was ANBU.
As the directly subordinate force of the Hokage, ANBU handled critical missions inside and outside the village. Major crimes within the village were often transferred from Konoha Police Force to ANBU.
There was no clear boundary defining their jurisdictions. In practice, the Hokage made the judgment each time, and the scope of investigations often changed.
Because of this, conflicts between Konoha Police Force and ANBU were frequent. Each time, Fugaku Uchiha stood at the front to negotiate with the Third Hokage and ANBU.
As the clan head of Uchiha and captain of Konoha Police Force, Fugaku Uchiha understood this friction better than anyone. Yet he could not change it.
The only solution he could think of was to let Itachi join ANBU. He hoped his son could become a bridge between the village and the clan.
The Third Hokage agreed to the request, which allowed Fugaku Uchiha to relax slightly. He sighed inwardly, hoping everything would go smoothly.
In his view, since ANBU was the personal guard of the Hokage, the approval showed there was still goodwill toward Uchiha Clan. Deep down, Fugaku Uchiha even held a faint hope.
If his son, Itachi Uchiha, could catch the Third Hokage's eye and be taken as a disciple like the old days of the Uchiha mirror and Tobirama Senju, then perhaps he could touch the position of Hokage he once could only dream of.
At this moment, Fugaku Uchiha did not notice the change in Itachi's eyes behind him.
Itachi Uchiha followed half a step behind his father and looked up at his broad yet tense back. He knew the words of Inabi Uchiha and the others reflected the feelings of many clan members.
At the same time, different thoughts stirred within Itachi Uchiha. Clan members who only stood for their own interests could see only harm to themselves, yet failed to realize that the village's stability and safety were the foundation of every decision.
Deploying large numbers of Ninja, especially elite forces from a single clan, could affect everything at once. In the current weakened state of Konoha, the village truly could not do without the Konoha Police Force.
Trust was always mutual. If the clan constantly assumed the worst of the leadership and showed suspicion and resistance, how could they expect the village leaders to give them trust in return?
Always calculating immediate gains and losses, never considering the safety of the whole village, and drawing such a clear line between clan and village.
Deep in Itachi Uchiha's black eyes flashed a heaviness far beyond his age. The thought that the clan lacked a sense of the bigger picture pricked his heart like a small thorn, carrying misplaced resentment.
"We are all companions in the same village," he thought. "If everything is viewed only by which side one stands on, it is impossible to see the whole."
Thinking of this, he recalled the man named Danzo Shimura and the question he had asked not long ago.
On a sinking ship carrying ten of your compatriots, one has a deadly infectious disease. If he lives, the other nine will also fall ill and die. As the captain, how would you decide?
At the time, Itachi Uchiha wondered why such a question was asked of someone he had just met. Yet in the next moment, he answered without hesitation.
"The sick person will die no matter what. That is his fate. If I were the captain, I would prioritize saving the other nine and choose to kill one to save nine."
He then saw the man smile. He said the answer was clear and that he looked forward to meeting Itachi Uchiha again.
Elsewhere, unseen by Itachi Uchiha and Fugaku Uchiha, a black White Zetsu emerged from the ground. The air beside it twisted into a vortex, and Obito Uchiha appeared next to it.
"Black Zetsu," Obito Uchiha said as he watched Itachi Uchiha in the distance, frowning. "Is that one truly what you call the reincarnation of Madara Uchiha?"
In truth, Black Zetsu could not be completely certain. The time of Madara Uchiha's death did not align with Itachi Uchiha's birth.
But with the Senju clan having abandoned their surname and merged into Konoha, finding the reincarnation of Asura's Chakra was like searching for a needle in the sea. They could only mark the most likely target.
So Black Zetsu nodded and said in a hoarse voice that he could sense potential like Madara Uchiha, the potential to awaken the Rinnegan. Hearing this, Obito Uchiha's eyes flickered before he finally agreed to proceed as suggested.
At the same time, in Amegakure within the Land of Rain. Rain fell endlessly over the battered land.
A towering spire pierced the lead gray sky, its grotesque form resembling a demon with its tongue extended. At the highest point, two figures stood quietly in the rain upon that crimson tongue.
"Is the timing still not right?" Hanzo asked coldly. "I am sick of those bastards from Konoha and Sunagakure."
"I really want to kill every last one of them."
"Hanzo-sama, has he really grown old?"
"That Hanzo does not even dare to act anymore."
"Did Konoha and Sunagakure scare him out of his wits?"
"What kind of hero is that? Just a coward hiding in the High Tower, only sending others to protect himself."
"I heard Hanzo was already killed by someone."
"Amegakure is finished. We are finished."
Hanzo stood on Red Tongue like a block of stone, heavy and restrained breathing leaking from beneath his mask. His fists were clenched so hard that his knuckles creaked, and restlessness churned in his eyes.