11-15

*Chapter 11: The Squad*

The fire was still raging.

The forest nearby was just unlucky enough to have crossed paths with Sōgen.

His fire-release techniques, enhanced by his unique skill "Magic Release (Flame)," were arguably the strongest even within the Uchiha clan. One use of Great Fire Annihilation not only burned down a large section of the forest and claimed two lives, but the leftover flames continued to consume the surrounding vegetation.

Sōgen laid the unconscious Naruto flat on the grass.

He chopped down a tree stump with a single stroke, not minding the dirt, and sat down on it. He wasn't about to stand there waiting for those big shots to arrive late. Honestly, it might’ve looked like he’d taken down the twelve attackers with ease, but he hadn't emerged without tension. It felt almost as simple as cooking.

In truth, the entire fight had him on edge, unable to relax for even a second.

Honestly, his chakra consumption was still above the safety line, and the mental exhaustion was what really took its toll.

"My Mangekyō Sharingan! Why hasn’t it awakened yet?! I wouldn't even mind if the dojutsu is trash..."

Sitting on the stump, Sōgen muttered bitterly about his ever-elusive Mangekyō.

If he had the Mangekyō Sharingan, he wouldn’t care if the abilities were useless. The Susanoo was what really mattered!

However,

In the next second—

"Ptui! Ptui! Ptui!"

Sōgen spat several times, regretting his earlier thoughts.

No, it’d be better if the dojutsu was powerful. If he got something like Kotoamatsukami, he’d end up crying.

"Why is it taking so long? Why hasn’t anyone shown up yet?"

Sōgen looked down at the still-unconscious Naruto, wondering if he should wake the kid up for some conversation. But before he could, he sensed movement from behind him. He quickly turned to see Shisui, carrying a small tanto, coming into view.

"Finally."

"Sōgen, what the hell happened here?"

"Shisui, you’re too slow! Your ‘Shisui of the Body Flicker’ title must be crying right now."

"Cut the crap, Sōgen. What’s going on? Why did you use such a massive fire-release technique inside the village?" Shisui, who had hurried over, stared at the scene in front of him, his mind going blank for a moment. He quickly regained his composure and shouted, "What the hell did you do? Is the Nine-Tails’ Jinchūriki... Wait, is the Nine-Tails’ Jinchūriki okay?"

"Hey, that’s too rude, Shisui."

Sōgen blocked Shisui from getting closer to Naruto. "Nine-Tails’ Jinchūriki, Nine-Tails’ Jinchūriki... That’s way too disrespectful. This kid has a name, one his parents gave him. Calling him just a ‘Jinchūriki’ isn’t right."

"Uh..."

Shisui’s aggressive attitude deflated. He opened his mouth, looked at the unconscious Naruto lying on the grass, and took a step back. "Uh, sorry. That was rude of me."

"Now that’s more like it!"

Sōgen nodded in satisfaction.

"..." Shisui frowned suspiciously. Looking at Sōgen’s smug face, he felt something was off. Why did he apologize to Sōgen? No, apologizing was the right thing to do, as calling Naruto just a ‘Jinchūriki’ was indeed disrespectful.

The problem was Sōgen. He had no business accepting the apology as if it was directed at him!

Honestly—

It was frustrating!

"Sōgen, stop messing around. What happened here?"

"What happened?"

Sōgen sneered. "Shisui, don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out yet. Don’t kid yourself, or I’ll lose respect for you."

"..."

Shisui fell silent.

His eyes wandered around, spotting shuriken and kunai scattered in the grass, signs of jutsu attacks on the ground, and headless corpses, distorted by self-destruction seals.

As the only Uchiha currently serving in the ANBU, Shisui understood what those strange bodies were. Only corpses implanted with self-destruction seals would end up like that.

"I was escorting Naruto home when we were attacked here. Twelve assailants, all of them top-tier. By my estimate, four were Jōnin and eight were Tokubetsu Jōnin. They launched a combined ambush, and one of them had a secret technique. I couldn’t hold back—I had to kill them all."

"A secret technique?"

Shisui looked up.

"A pig, a deer, and a nest of bugs."

"…Are you sure?"

Shisui asked, clearly troubled.

"Do you think my eyes are broken? Naruto passed out because of the pig’s Mind Transfer Jutsu, and the deer paralyzed me. If I hadn’t reacted quickly, you wouldn’t even find my body by the time you arrived."

Shisui’s expression turned blank.

He knew Sōgen sometimes said weird things and occasionally lied in ways even a child could spot, but as comrades who trusted each other on the battlefield, Shisui knew he wasn’t joking.

"Also, the attackers had curse marks on their tongues."

Sōgen added, essentially confirming the identity of the attackers.

"Curse marks... The Root Curse Seal?"

"The attackers were sent by Danzō. Maybe they were trying to kill me, or maybe they were using Naruto to challenge the Third Hokage. Or maybe they had some other goal I don’t know about. But..."

Before Sōgen could finish speaking, more people arrived, this time from the direction of the Uchiha clan’s district.

"Sōgen!"

"Sōgen-bro!"

"Are you alright, Sōgen?"

Only six people arrived, men and women alike, all wearing the Uchiha clan’s flame-fan emblem. With their black hair and eyes, there was no doubt—they were Uchiha, and all of them were Jōnin.

Young Jōnin, close in age to Sōgen. None of them were over twenty.

"Ranzan, Futaba, Chihaya, Jun, Akitaro, Hokuto... Why is it you guys?" Sōgen widened his eyes in surprise.

"Elder Genshi sent us."

The one who spoke was Uchiha Ranzan.

He was Sōgen’s cousin, three years older than him, and the eldest of the group. Before Shisui and Sōgen rose to prominence, Uchiha Ranzan had been the standout genius of the clan, only to be overshadowed by them.

But silver remains silver. Even if gold steals the spotlight, silver doesn’t turn into copper.

Becoming a Jōnin at thirteen was proof of his talent.

"The clan head isn’t at the compound tonight, so the elders are in charge. Elder Genshi knew you were here and sent us to support you... But since Shisui is already here, it looks like we’re not needed," Uchiha Ranzan scratched his head, then greeted Shisui.

Sōgen suddenly understood.

No wonder it was Ranzan and the younger generation, rather than the older, more established Jōnin.

Compared to those older Uchiha whom Sōgen had to address as "Uncle" or "Elder," this group was his personal squad. They were fully aware of his ambition to overthrow the clan head and were his loyal supporters. They were the "we" that Sōgen had mentioned to Shisui earlier.

Grandpa really knew how to make thoughtful arrangements!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 12: The Meeting*

"No, Ranzan, who said you’re useless? I still need you to back me up later! Right now... I can only rely on you!" Sougen glanced at the despondent Shisui, a stubborn idealist who hadn't given up on his impossible dreams.

Despite awakening the ‘Kotoamatsukami,’ a powerful ocular jutsu that rewrites others' wills, Shisui still clung to the notion that the village and the clan could communicate and understand each other, turning hostility into peace... an idea Sougen knew was pure fantasy.

However, Shisui was a die-hard idealist who, despite knowing it was impossible, remained steadfast in his inherited Will of Fire.

At this moment, Shisui, devastated by the Root's attack on Sougen, was of no help.

Or rather, as long as he didn’t switch sides and oppose them, that was the biggest help he could provide.

"Sougen, what’s going on...?"

Uchiha Ranzan scanned the area, his gaze lingering on the disfigured corpses, his expression growing more solemn. "Who attacked you?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Danzo? That old bastard!"

Danzo's reputation among the Uchiha clan was terrible, especially among Sougen’s close friends, who loathed him.

"Enough, Ranzan. We don’t have any evidence to prove Danzo was behind this. Even if we did, it's unlikely we could do anything to the Hokage's advisor. We’d only make things harder for our clan leader."

"Sougen, when will the plan... be executed?"

Uchiha Chihaya spoke up. She was fifteen, two months younger than Sougen, and they had grown up together as childhood friends. She had been promoted to Jonin at the end of last year, but even as a new Jonin, a member of the Uchiha clan required at least two Jonin to face unless they had a way to counter the Sharingan's genjutsu.

"Hey, Chihaya, Shisui is still here!"

Ranzan shot her a look.

Unfortunately, the Uchiha clan's ditzy beauty didn’t catch Ranzan’s meaning and instead asked, "Ranzan, did you get sand in your eyes?"

"Haha!"

Uchiha Akitaro, watching the scene, laughed so hard he held his stomach.

"Alright, stop messing around. Ranzan, don't worry. I already discussed the plan with Shisui earlier today. I told him everything," Sougen quickly intervened, preventing the situation from spiraling out of control. "Chihaya, be patient. If you bite into the takoyaki too soon, you'll burn your mouth. You'll be notified when the time is right."

"Got it."

Chihaya responded and stood quietly in place.

"Shisui... hey, Sougen, are you sure it’s okay?"

Ranzan walked up to Sougen, glanced at the still-absent Shisui, and whispered, "His side has always been close to the village. They might not support our plan. If he tells the clan leader ahead of time, we could be ruined."

"It’s fine. Shisui still cares about the clan. Even if he doesn’t help, he won’t sabotage us."

In contrast, no one expected the clan leader's eldest son to become the one who would massacre the clan.

"As long as you know what you’re doing."

Ranzan didn’t press further.

As the oldest in their group, Ranzan had almost naturally taken on the responsibility of looking after this bunch of troublemakers. He had gradually curbed his genius pride and arrogance, adopting a steady and reliable demeanor.

"Alright, everyone, enough idle chat. The big shots are arriving. Stay sharp and don’t let anyone underestimate the Uchiha."

Sougen stood up, leaning on his knee, and looked towards the southwest.

Flames were still burning fiercely there.

But in an instant, a massive wave of clear water rolled through, extinguishing the flames. The surrounding area suddenly darkened as the ground beneath their feet shook slightly. The land, still damp from the water, lifted and split in two, revealing a wide, open path.

"Whoa! Such a large-scale Earth Release jutsu... this is impressive!"

Uchiha Akitaro, the playful one, couldn’t hold back his usual chatter.

Along the wide-open path, a group of people rushed forward. Leading them was none other than the Third Hokage, dressed in his black, form-fitting combat gear. Despite being in his sixties, Hiruzen Sarutobi, once renowned as the "Shinobi Hero," charged ahead like an arrow shot from a bow, his sharp, overwhelming aura palpable from dozens of meters away.

"They’re coming in hot, Sougen."

"Shut up, Akitaro! If you don’t speak, no one will think you’re mute!"

"I’m just speaking the truth, Brother Ranzan. Why are you always so mean to me?"

"Stop talking, or I’ll deal with you myself!"

Akitaro pouted, clearly unhappy.

But he didn’t dare talk back. He had sparred with Ranzan twenty-two times, and all twenty-two matches ended in his defeat. Seeing the fierce glint in Ranzan’s eyes, Akitaro wisely kept quiet.

Sougen ignored their banter and took a few steps forward to greet the Hokage and the two elders.

"Hokage-sama."

"Sougen-kun."

The Third Hokage stopped in front of Sougen, greeting him.

He waved his hand, directing his subordinates to take action. Medical ninjas quickly surrounded Naruto, carefully conducting a thorough check on the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Meanwhile, a group of masked Anbu operatives vanished into the surrounding darkness, presumably beginning their investigation.

Once his subordinates were all at work, the elderly Hokage, his face marked by age spots, finally turned his gaze to Sougen standing before him.

"My apologies for making you wait, Sougen-kun."

"You’re too kind."

"Now, can you explain what exactly happened here?" the Third Hokage asked, as if he had no idea what had occurred.

"I was escorting my sister’s classmate home when we were ambushed by unidentified enemies. There were twelve attackers, all of them highly skilled. Without a word, they launched their assault. To protect Naruto, my sister's classmate, I had no choice but to eliminate them all."

"Did you figure out who the attackers were?"

"No. They all had strong self-destructive seals on their bodies. I tried to investigate, but came up with nothing. However, perhaps the Anbu elites might uncover something. That’s why I stayed here to preserve the scene, though I didn’t expect you to come in person, Hokage-sama."

Sougen responded to the Third’s questions in a formal, detached tone, sounding almost like an emotionless puppet.

At that moment, one of the Anbu, who had been examining the bodies, seemed to have found something. He hurried over and glanced at Sougen standing close to the Third Hokage. Before he could speak, the Hokage raised his hand slightly. "Speak openly, no need to hold back."

"Yes."

The Anbu operative from the corpse-processing unit respectfully responded. Without further hesitation, he quickly reported, "Hokage-sama, we found no items to identify the deceased, but their clothing is made of a highly permeable material. This type of fabric is rarely used in the Land of Fire but is in high demand in the Land of Water and the Land of Rain."

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 13: Shisui’s Choice*

"Kirigakure or Amegakure?"

Upon hearing the report from the Anbu, the Third Hokage naturally deduced two possibilities. He turned to Sougen and asked, "Sougen, which side do you think the attackers came from?"

"Probably Kirigakure!" Sougen replied casually.

"Oh? Why do you think that? Why not Amegakure?"

"If Amegakure had the strength to launch such a large-scale attack on Konoha, they would already be the sixth great ninja village. Also, that kind of self-destructive sealing technique is something only the cold-blooded lunatics from Kirigakure would use. It’s either complete the mission and come back alive or fail and die with no remains."

Sougen said the lie without blinking.

Lying is simple! Everyone's trying to deceive someone. It's just a matter of whose strategy runs deeper. For now, it looks like the Third Hokage is trying to pin the blame on Kirigakure. The only question is how he plans to shift responsibility onto the Uchiha clan. But there’s no need to rush—patience will reveal everything.

"If you put it that way... it does seem like Kirigakure's style," the Third Hokage nodded in agreement.

Soon after, another Anbu member arrived, reporting the discovery of a small base in the forest. Inside, they found standard Kirigakure kunai and other equipment, confirming that the attackers were spies from Kirigakure. They also found extensive information about the "Flame Demon" Uchiha Sougen, suggesting the spies were targeting him specifically.

As for the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, it seemed he was merely collateral damage.

Sougen understood the hidden implication. He raised an eyebrow, realizing their plan was to use Naruto to accuse the Uchiha of failing in their duty to protect. He glanced over at Naruto, who was surrounded by medical ninjas. The poor kid was being examined from head to toe by a group of rough men, even having his pants pulled down to check his behind. After some back-and-forth, one of the medics rushed over to the Third Hokage.

"How is Naruto?" the Third Hokage paused his inquiries about Kirigakure to focus on the medical ninja.

"Lord Hokage, we didn’t find any external injuries on the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. It seems he’s suffered some sort of mental attack, which is why he remains unconscious. Fortunately, the seal is still secure, so there’s no immediate danger."

"And what about Naruto himself? Is he alright?"

"It’s hard to say. The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is very young, and mental trauma is difficult to heal. Often, it’s up to the individual to recover on their own. We’ll need to monitor him closely."

The Third Hokage’s face darkened.

"Such professionalism! Amazing acting! No wonder he’s been the Hokage for so long!" Sougen observed coldly.

He knew exactly what had happened to Naruto—it was just a mind-body switch technique. There was nothing as complicated as the medical ninja was making it out to be. He had even considered waking Naruto up for a chat earlier. But since they were putting on a performance, he decided to let them continue. He was curious how far they intended to take this.

The confrontation was imminent.

"Uchiha Sougen!!" Elder Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses and locked eyes with Sougen coldly. "Is this how you protect the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki? Mental trauma? What if the seal were to break and the Nine-Tails were released... Could you take responsibility for that?"

"Why should I be responsible?" Sougen asked in surprise. "Kirigakure infiltrated the village and launched an attack. Isn’t this the Anbu’s failure? I killed the attackers; if anything, I should be praised!"

"Kirigakure was targeting you. The fact that the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was injured because of you is your fault." Homura’s accusation was direct. The Anbu continued their tasks without reacting, but their eyes subtly glanced toward Uchiha Lanshan and the others.

Uchiha Akitaro’s face showed signs of anger. Fortunately, Uchiha Lanshan grabbed hold of the impulsive Uchiha Hokuto. Despite his casual demeanor, fourteen-year-old Hokuto was the epitome of Uchiha pride, making him impulsive and eager to fight.

"Hokuto, Akitaro, stand down. Sougen hasn’t given any orders, so no one is to act without permission. Chihaya, Futaba, Jun, the same goes for you."

The authority of the elder silenced the group. Lanshan’s sharp gaze, enhanced by the Sharingan, swept over them. Satisfied that they were calming down, he silently sighed in relief. It would have been a disaster if they had all started causing trouble.

"My fault?" Sougen’s voice was incredulous as he stared at Homura. "Kirigakure targeted me because I killed too many of their ninjas on the battlefield. If they hate me for that, fine. But Lord Hokage, is Elder Mitokado suggesting that we shouldn’t fight our enemies for the sake of the village? That provoking enemy retaliation because I defended the village is somehow my fault?"

His voice rose, his eyes turning red with fury, looking pitifully at the Third Hokage.

Homura was momentarily stunned before his anger flared. This brat had twisted his words. His point had been that Sougen shouldn’t have been involved with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, exposing him to potential danger. When did it become about abandoning the heroes who fought for the village?

"Homura, it was just a slip of the tongue. Don’t argue with the young ones; show some patience." The Third Hokage intervened, stopping Homura from continuing. Then, he turned to Sougen. "Sougen, Elder Mitokado was overly concerned for Naruto’s safety. It was a slip of the tongue, and I hope you can forgive him. But you must also understand that people like you and me are often targets of enemy attacks. Bringing Naruto along with you was indeed a lapse in judgment. In the future, you must be more cautious."

With that, he deftly smoothed things over for Homura while subtly blaming Sougen.

Without giving Sougen a chance to argue, the Third Hokage swiftly wrapped up the matter.

"As expected of the Hokage..." Sougen thought, suppressing his anger and frustration. He didn't bother arguing further. As long as no actual punishment was handed down, the accusations didn’t matter.

Besides, he could use this to rally support from his clan.

"Sarutobi, you’re too soft. If we don’t punish mistakes, how will we lead the village?" This time, it was Elder Utatane Koharu who spoke, sternly criticizing the Hokage’s "leniency."

The Third Hokage frowned, seeming torn.

Sougen clenched his fist, and Uchiha Lanshan and his comrades immediately stepped forward. Their Sharingan eyes flared, standing behind Sougen as a silent warning and threat. This sudden tension caused the Anbu to stop their tasks and prepare for action.

At that moment, a voice broke the tension.

"Lord Hokage, this isn’t Sougen’s fault."

The speaker was Uchiha Shisui.

Standing beside Sougen, Shisui addressed the Third Hokage and the two elder advisors. "Regardless of whether the attackers were from Kirigakure or not, there is no rule in the village prohibiting others from approaching Naruto. Sougen acted within the village's regulations. He couldn’t have known that Kirigakure would attack. To punish him for this would be nitpicking."

Sougen raised an eyebrow in surprise, then a faint smile crossed his face.

Finally, Shisui seemed to understand which side he needed to stand on.

As for what Shisui said... it didn’t matter much. What was important was his shift in attitude, giving Sougen greater confidence in his upcoming plans.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 14: Playing Peacemaker (Please Bookmark! Please Support! Please Vote!)*

Eight pairs of Three Tomoe Sharingan. In the Uchiha clan, a Three Tomoe Sharingan is synonymous with a Jōnin-level ninja. Even the weakest Uchiha Jōnin can fight two opponents at once, let alone elites like Sōgen and Shisui, who can take on five, ten, or even more opponents...

In other words, with Sōgen and Shisui included, the eight Uchiha here would need at least twenty or thirty Jōnin working together to stand a chance against them.

Unless there were more experts like the Third Hokage, which would reduce the need for Jōnin numbers. Unfortunately, Konoha is now lacking talent. The village leadership is filled with a bunch of old geezers and grannies. Honestly, they should just rename the Hokage office to "Senior Citizen’s Leisure Club"!

The sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage didn't just cost Konoha an outstanding leader.

A group of elderly people now holds the village’s power, creating a stifling atmosphere. Orochimaru's defection shattered the legendary Sannin, and tensions with the Uchiha clan have further darkened the village with internal strife. If you exclude the Uchiha, there aren’t many promising young talents left in Konoha these days.

If you think about it, only Kakashi stands out.

"Shisui, calm down. It’s unfair to place the blame for this incident on Sōgen," the Third Hokage finally broke the cold, tension-filled standoff. "No one expected the Mist Ninja to launch such a brazen attack on Sōgen. Ultimately, the real fault lies with the ANBU for being too lax, allowing Mist spies to cause chaos in our village."

"Homura, Koharu, you’re being too harsh. Show some patience and understanding to the younger generation. They need time to grow."

After hesitating for a long time, the Third Hokage finally came to a conclusion.

He soothed Sōgen, protected the two elders, and subtly defused the intense atmosphere. His ability to play the peacemaker had reached a masterful level.

Sōgen, however, knew exactly what was happening. It wasn’t that the Third Hokage was particularly enlightened, but rather he didn’t want to openly break ties with the Uchiha at this point. These elders wanted to get rid of the disobedient Uchiha with minimal cost, not fight them in a mutually destructive battle.

Especially with Sōgen and Shisui, the two most prominent Uchiha at the moment, serving as the clan’s brightest symbols.

Making a move against them would be nothing short of declaring war on the Uchiha.

The firm support from Arashiyama and others had forced the Third Hokage to come to this resolution.

“Hmph!”

Koharu didn't say anything else, but her face remained stern, showing no kindness towards Sōgen and his group. Homura, on the other hand, kept his usual poker face, making it hard to discern his thoughts.

At that moment, one of the medical ninjas taking care of Naruto rushed over, smiling as he reported, "Hokage-sama, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki’s injuries aren’t serious. The mental impact isn’t too severe either. With a good night’s sleep, he’ll be fully recovered by tomorrow."

Sōgen twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Seriously?

They weren’t saying that before. The previous report made it sound like Naruto’s condition might worsen, and he wouldn’t even survive the night. Now, after a single statement from the Third Hokage, Naruto’s suddenly fine? Just a good night's sleep and he’ll be bouncing around again?

It’s truly—

"People’s words are like two-faced coins, flipping with the wind."

They can turn black to white, good to bad, with just a few words.

“That’s great! That’s great! As long as he’s okay!”

The Third Hokage's worried expression vanished, replaced by the same kind smile he often showed to academy students. He turned to Sōgen, grinning, "By the way, Sōgen, if I’m not mistaken, you don’t have a fixed position right now, do you?"

“How about joining the ANBU? You’ve made a significant contribution by protecting Naruto. The ANBU would offer you a larger stage to showcase your skills…”

"Thank you for your kind offer, Hokage-sama, but I must decline. I’m very content with my current life. Rather than joining the ANBU, I’d prefer to stay home and help take care of my sister. Besides, my combat style doesn’t quite fit with the ANBU’s methods. It’s too flashy and doesn’t align with the ANBU’s more subtle approach."

Before the Third Hokage could finish his speech, Sōgen decisively cut him off.

He wasn’t interested in listening to another lecture on the Will of Fire.

Moreover, joining the ANBU was out of the question. That’s the Third Hokage’s domain. If he went there, he’d be at their mercy. They wouldn’t need to use any tricks—just send him to places like the Cloud Village or the Stone Village as a spy, where survival would be nearly impossible.

“I see! Well, that’s a shame. I had high hopes for you, Sōgen... What a pity!”

The Third Hokage sighed regretfully.

"Hokage-sama, if there’s nothing else, may we take our leave?"

With things at this stage, Sōgen had already achieved his goal.

There was no need to waste time here. Instead of staying to play along with the old Hokage’s charade, he’d rather go home to discuss the next steps with his comrades. Now that Shisui had made his stance clear, their plan could move forward.

"Leave the rest to the ANBU. You’re dismissed."

The Third Hokage nodded, his eyes briefly glancing at Shisui, but he said nothing further.

"Then, we’ll take our leave."

Sōgen wasted no time, swiftly heading toward the Uchiha compound. Shisui hesitated for a moment, but eventually followed, joining Arashiyama and the others as they disappeared into the night.

In the scorched forest,

The Third Hokage stood still like a statue, silent for a few minutes before suddenly speaking, "Danzō, you’re late."

"It wouldn’t have mattered if I arrived earlier."

An older man with a cold, distant demeanor and a prominent X-shaped scar on his chin stepped out of the darkness. This man, dressed in black, radiated an aura that warned others to stay away. He was none other than Shimura Danzō, the leader of Root and one of the Hokage’s advisors, often referred to as the "Shadow of the Shinobi."

"Uchiha Sōgen and Uchiha Shisui are different types of people. Your usual methods won’t work on that kid. Even if I had arrived earlier, it would’ve just been a waste of time. Better to take my time."

The Third Hokage frowned but didn’t criticize his old friend’s bluntness. Instead, he agreed with Danzō's assessment, "You’re right. Uchiha Sōgen... he doesn’t care about the village. And even Shisui has been influenced... Danzō, he’s yours to deal with."

"You should’ve done this sooner."

"Just handle it quickly. Don’t drag it out. I’m worried Shisui will be too deeply affected. If necessary, use more drastic measures."

"As long as you don’t get in my way, there won’t be any problems."

With that, Danzō turned and vanished into the darkness of the forest.

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 15: Are You Serious About Becoming the Clan Leader? (Seeking Support!)*

"Shisui."

"Aren't you going to say something?"

Shisui, known as the "Body Flicker," had indeed mastered the Body Flicker Technique to a level no one in the Uchiha clan could match. It's a pity the Fourth Hokage, known as the "Yellow Flash," had passed away, or Shisui might have challenged the Fourth's Flying Thunder God Technique.

With a single Body Flicker, Shisui passed Uchiha Ranzan and the others, arriving at Sougen's side.

"What do you want me to say?"

Sougen asked calmly, showing no change in expression.

"..."

Shisui was at a loss for words, but he was also feeling quite uneasy. He struggled to find the right words, stammering, "Well, tonight... Lord Hokage, he..."

"Alright, shut up! You're so awkward that it's making my teeth ache."

Sougen interrupted Shisui's incoherent rambling with irritation.

"Shisui, I'm glad you made the choice you did tonight. I also understand the unease you're feeling. In front of Ranzan and the others, I can clearly tell you: I firmly oppose an armed coup. Infighting is harmful to both the village and the clan. What I want is to save the Uchiha, not destroy it."

"Don't worry, I won’t go back on my word and use force for a coup. Of course, I won’t deny that it could be the last resort, but as long as there's any other possibility, I won't choose that dead-end."

Uchiha Ranzan and the others, following behind them, remained calm. It was clear they had heard such words before.

Seeing this, Shisui felt slightly more at ease.

Even though he had chosen to support Sougen, it didn’t mean he had fully shifted to the clan's side. Shisui was a man who, even in death, wished to prevent conflict between the village and the clan. He supported Sougen because Sougen’s words gave him a small glimmer of hope—a "last-ditch effort."

Instead of passively sinking into helplessness, it seemed better to support Sougen and make one final stand.

His initial goal remained the same: to see the village and the clan truly unite, without any division.

"Sougen, about that plan you mentioned... when will it happen?"

After a few seconds, Shisui couldn't help but recall the "plan" that Uchiha Chisao had accidentally let slip.

Before he had made his decision, Shisui had been torn. But once he decided, his mindset became urgent. He had walked too long in the darkness without hope, desperately longing for even the faintest glimmer of light.

"We'll talk about it at my place."

Sougen quickened his pace.

Ahead, they could already see the clan members fully armed at the entrance to the clan's territory. Leading them were three elderly men with snow-white hair. Among them was Sougen's grandfather, Uchiha Genshiki. These three were the elders of the clan.

"Grandfather, Elder Ryuuji, Elder Homaru."

Sougen halted and stood on the stone path.

"Sougen, what happened?"

Uchiha Genshiki, Sougen’s grandfather, a man nearing seventy, stared closely at his eldest grandson. Unlike his usual carefree demeanor at home, he now wore a black and purple battle outfit, with layers of armor over it and a sword at his waist. He looked ready for battle, exuding a murderous aura.

It wasn’t just him; the other two elders, along with the twenty or so clan members behind them, were similarly dressed for combat.

Seeing this, Sougen sighed inwardly.

The tension between the village and the Uchiha clan had escalated to the point where clan members were always ready for battle. At this stage, hoping for peace between the village and the clan was a pipe dream. The resentment and anger accumulated in so many hearts could not be easily dispelled unless one had a silver tongue like that of a legendary Six Paths figure.

He glanced back at Shisui, who looked pale. Clearly, he had also sensed the depth of the situation from the clan’s response.

"It's nothing major. The Mist Village wanted revenge on me, so they sent a spy to ambush me on the road. The matter has already been dealt with. Grandfather, Elders, you can send everyone back to rest. There's no need to worry about any incidents tonight. We're not at that point yet, and no one is ready for it."

Sougen's loud voice was heard clearly by not just the elders, but all the others as well.

Uchiha Genshiki exchanged a glance with the other two elders.

Soon after, Elder Ryuuji stepped forward, leading some clan members back into the clan territory. They spread the information Sougen had brought, calming the highly tense clan members, and gradually restoring the sharp, murderous atmosphere in the Uchiha compound.

The Uchiha clan's reputation as the top family in Konoha was well-earned.

If any Uchiha member could awaken the Sharingan and not die on the battlefield, they would eventually reach the level of three tomoe. This was why the Uchiha clan had the highest number of Jonin in Konoha, and it was also one of the reasons the Uchiha dared to consider a coup.

"Kid, now you can tell us the truth. What really happened?"

Uchiha Homaru, who was quite short—just over 5'2"—was much shorter than the 5'7" Sougen, despite Sougen only being fifteen. Homaru was shorter than many others as well, but no one underestimated this elder, once known as "Blazing Flame" in his younger days.

Despite his short stature, Homaru was incredibly strong, and among the six Uchiha elders, he was the most powerful. Even Uchiha Genshiki wasn’t his match.

The short elder raised his head to glare at Sougen, his scarlet eyes filled with killing intent.

"Do I really need to explain? If Mist Village were capable of planting that many Jonin-level spies in Konoha, they wouldn’t have been driven back to the sea to fish during the last war."

Sougen sneered. "It was Danzo, and the Third Hokage allowed it. But I don't have enough evidence to accuse Danzo."

"Who needs evidence? We just need to find the right opportunity to kill that old dog, and that'll solve the problem for good."

Elder Homaru clenched his fists, making cracking sounds. "I knew that guy was no good back when the Second Hokage died. I wanted to take people to kill him then, but Kagami stopped me."

As he said this, he glanced at Shisui, the grandson of Uchiha Kagami.

Shisui opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say, ultimately offering only a helpless smile.

"Let's drop that for now, Elder Homaru. Of course Danzo opposes us; that’s expected. There's no need to get angry over him. More importantly, where is our esteemed clan leader? Is he handling things in the clan?"

Sougen changed the topic. Even if they did intend to deal with Danzo, they couldn’t openly discuss it.

At Sougen's question, Elder Homaru's face immediately darkened.

"The clan leader is on duty at the Police Force. He needs to maintain order in the village and not give the village any excuse to target our clan. For now, us old men are managing the clan's affairs," Uchiha Genshiki said slowly.

The Uchiha compound had undergone two relocations.

The first was orchestrated by the Second Hokage, who bound the Uchiha to the Police Force, turning them into the village’s bad guys. The second relocation happened four years ago after the Nine-Tails attack, when the Third Hokage moved the Uchiha clan to the remote northeastern corner of the village.

This resulted in the Uchiha clan and the Police Force being physically separated.

In the past, even while stationed at the Police Force, the clan leader could still manage clan affairs.

"Genshiki, stop covering for Fugaku. I didn’t see it before, but now it's clear—he's indecisive. As clan leader, he doesn’t protect the clan. Instead, all he talks about is the village. Does he really need to worry about village affairs? He’s the Police Force Captain, and with the ANBU around, he has no real role to play!"

Elder Homaru angrily complained. "Honestly, I don't even know what to say... We were blind to have supported him for clan leader."

Then, suddenly shifting his gaze to Sougen, he asked, "Hey, kid, you once told me you wanted to replace Fugaku as clan leader. Were you serious?"

"Of course I was serious."

Sougen nodded solemnly.

*(End of Chapter)*

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