At this time, deep underground in the sacred and secret Uchiha Clan's meeting place at the Naka Shrine, the atmosphere was the complete opposite of the peaceful sunset outside, filled with the smell of gunpowder and anger so thick it was almost tangible.
The flickering torchlight illuminated faces full of rage and resentment. Nearly all the Uchiha Clan's Jonin and core members were gathered here.
The crowd was restless, their whispers like the surge of an underground current.
Standing at the forefront were the clan's radical elite Jonin: Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Inabi. Their faces were flushed with excitement, their eyes sharp as knives, their voices impassioned and forceful.
"Fugaku-sama!" Yashiro's voice was loud, carrying an undeniable urgency, breaking the gloom of the underground room, "How much longer must we endure? The Konoha's leadership has long seen us as a thorn in their side! Ever since the night of the Nine-Tails Attack, the look in their eyes has been full of suspicion and apprehension!"
Tekka slammed his fist against the stone wall beside him with a dull thud, "The Police Force's authority has been cut back again and again! Our movement is restricted! Even the village children hide when they see the Uchiha Clan's fan crest! This is a utter disgrace!"
Inabi took over, his tone resolute, "Shisui's disappearance is definitely their doing! He was one of our strongest Ninja. How could he just vanish without a trace? It must be the Konoha's leadership, that old bastard Danzo's dirty work! And now they're trying to pin the blame on Itachi!"
Mention of Shisui caused a stir in the crowd. Grief and indignation spread like a tide.
Shisui was not only the pride of the Uchiha Clan but also an object of admiration for many young Uchiha Clan's Ninjas.
His mysterious disappearance was like a poison thorn deeply embedded in every clansman's heart, and the Konoha's leadership's vague investigation results only intensified this suspicion and resentment.
"That's right! We can't just let Shisui's matter go!"
"They're slowly pushing us to our deaths!"
"We Uchiha possess the strongest Kekkei Genkai! Why should we put up with this humiliation!"
"Let's revolt! Fugaku-sama! Lead us to reclaim our rightful dignity!"
The crowd was incensed. Pairs of scarlet Sharingan unconsciously manifested in the dim light, emitting a dangerous, powerful aura. The chakra fluctuations in the air became disordered.
All eyes were fixed on the man standing opposite them: the head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku.
Fugaku's face was as stern as carved stone, his brow deeply furrowed. He wore the traditional Uchiha attire with the Jonin flak jacket over it, his arms crossed, trying to use his authority as head of the clan to suppress this nearly uncontrollable torrent.
Over the past year, he had managed to placate the clan by citing practical pros and cons: the lack of support from other clans, the difficulty of opposing the entire Konoha with Uchiha strength alone. He had even sent his eldest son, Itachi, into the Anbu, ostensibly to 'gather intelligence, know yourself and know your enemy', which temporarily stabilized the situation.
But now, Shisui's disappearance was the final straw. The long-suppressed resentment within the clan had completely erupted.
He felt as if he were standing on a volcano about to erupt, a force nearing the limits of his control.
"Quiet!" Fugaku's low and authoritative voice rang out, temporarily overpowering the clamor.
His sharp gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on the black-haired youth who had remained silent at the back of the crowd.
"Itachi," Fugaku's voice was unreadable, "You report. What have you learned recently? What is the current attitude of the Konoha's leadership? Are there any concrete leads regarding Shisui's disappearance?"
All eyes instantly focused on Itachi. Those gazes were complex… scrutinizing, expectant, but mostly filled with deep distrust.
Itachi slowly raised his head. His face was calm, even overly pale. His black eyes were as deep as unfathomable, cold pools, perfectly hiding all emotion.
He took a step forward and spoke in a steady voice, reporting carefully selected information that seemed important but was actually inconsequential, "Based on my observations, there are disagreements between Hokage-sama and Advisor Danzo regarding how to handle clan affairs. The Anbu and Root also check each other… it's not a monolithic bloc. Currently, the leadership's main attention seems drawn to the newly emerged Land of Stars outside the village. As for Shisui..."
"More of the same!" His words were immediately cut off by Yashiro's impatience, "Itachi, you've been in the Anbu for over a year now! Every report is this ambiguous nonsense! The leadership isn't united? What use is that! We need their concrete action plans! How did Shisui die? Who is the murderer?!"
"I think he's just going through the motions!" Tekka added sharply, "Maybe he's already been brainwashed by those higher-ups, become their spy within the clan! He might even be involved in Shisui's death!"
"Enough!" Fugaku snapped, but the accusations continued to flood towards Itachi.
"I don't think he wants to help the clan at all!"
"Fugaku-sama, we can't trust him anymore!"
"Right! Why does he always speak for the village?"
Listening to his clansmen's undisguised suspicion and accusations, Itachi's heart sank lower and lower.
Looking at those faces twisted by anger and narrow-mindedness, seeing the flames of hatred burning in their eyes, flames sufficient to consume the entire clan, an immense sorrow and disappointment submerged him like icy water.
Everything he had done, everything he had endured, appeared so despicable in the eyes of his clan. The path of peace he sought showed not a glimmer of dawn here.
Amidst the uproar, Fugaku's expression grew increasingly grim.
He knew that if he didn't give a clear stance today, he might not be able to quell the clansmen's anger, and it could even spark internal conflict on the spot.
He was being pushed by the surging will of the people to the edge of a cliff.
He took a deep breath, as if making a momentous decision, and suddenly raised his hand.
The room quieted down again. Everyone looked at him expectantly.
"I understand everyone's anger!" Fugaku's voice echoed in the shrine, "The dignity of the Uchiha will not be trampled! But-"
He changed his tone, his voice becoming extremely serious, "Rebellion is not child's play! It cannot succeed on passion and anger alone! We need a meticulous plan, the right timing, we need to consider all possible contingencies! Charging blindly towards the Hokage Building will only plunge the Uchiha Clan into an abyss of destruction!"
His words temporarily suppressed the agitation. The clansmen began whispering among themselves, thinking their clan's head had finally relented and was seriously considering a rebellion plan.
"Yashiro, Tekka, Inabi," Fugaku named them, "You will take the lead. Immediately draft a detailed combat plan. Assess all risks. List the forces we need to win over and the enemies we need to guard against. Until we have a foolproof plan, no one is to act rashly!"
"Yes, Fugaku-sama!" The three Elite Jonin responded with delight.
The other clansmen also seemed to see hope. Though their emotions remained high, they were at least directed towards the 'planning' phase.
Fugaku closed his eyes wearily and waved his hand, "Everyone, disperse. Remember, until the plan is mature, maintain absolute calm. Do not let any information leak."
The clansmen left the Naka Shrine one after another, filled with excitement and anticipation.
Finally, only Fugaku and Itachi remained in the empty and chilly underground room.
Fugaku walked up to Itachi, looked at his son's expressionless face, and was silent for a moment before saying quietly, "Itachi, go to the Anbu. Report as usual. Say that… the clan still holds grievances over the Shisui matter, but I have temporarily suppressed it. They are currently still observing and have no concrete plans."
This was clearly instructing him to pass on false intelligence, to lull the higher-ups.
Itachi looked up and met his father's gaze deeply.
He saw deep exhaustion, struggle, and a trace of unwilling compromise in his father's eyes.
He said nothing, only gave a slight nod, turned, and left the shrine.
His back looked especially lonely in the dim passageway.
After leaving the Naka River, Itachi did not go home. He went straight to the Hokage Building.
The night was deep, but the Hokage's office was brightly lit.
Not only was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, present, but the three Hokage Advisors, Danzo, Koharu, and Homura, were also there.
Clearly, they had been waiting for Itachi.
Itachi knelt on one knee, his face impassive, his voice steady without a single ripple.
He reported everything that had happened in the Naka Shrine, including his father being forced to agree to formulate a rebellion plan, the clansmen's impassioned demands to seize power by force, truthfully and without omission.
The office fell into dead silence.
Hiruzen's hand holding the pipe trembled slightly. His face was full of heartache and reluctance. Wreathed in smoke, his wrinkles seemed deeper. In the end, he had failed to prevent this.
"So it has come to this after all..." He murmured, his voice hoarse.
"Itachi, you have done well. You have not betrayed Shisui's efforts," Hiruzen said, praising the motionless kneeling Itachi.
Then Hiruzen commanded, "You may go and rest now. Continue monitoring the Uchiha Clan's movements. If the timing is confirmed, report to me immediately."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Itachi bowed his head deeply, his tone unreadable.
After Itachi left, Danzo was the first to speak.
"Hiruzen! At a time like this, what are you still hesitating for?!" Danzo's single eye gleamed with a cold, sharp light, his tone aggressive.
"The Uchiha Clan is a cancer on Konoha's body! If we don't cut it out now, are we going to wait for it to fully erupt and drag the entire village down with it? The outcome of the Kaguya Clan's rebellion in Kirigakure is a lesson from history!"
He took a step forward, his voice growing even darker, "Moreover, who can guarantee that Fugaku won't collude with those two Uchiha from the Land of Stars? That woman called Uchiha Hikari, her strength is unfathomable. Even Shisui suffered a great loss at her hands! Once the Uchiha launch a rebellion from within, with powerful enemies supporting them from outside, Konoha will face an unprecedented crisis! We must purge them immediately, to cut off the problem at its root!"
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances and nodded gravely.
"Danzo's words, though radical, are not without reason," Homura said, pushing up his glasses.
"The Uchiha problem can no longer be resolved peacefully. Their Sharingan is too dangerous. Once they run amok, the consequences are unimaginable. However… with Konoha's current strength, to completely suppress the Uchiha Clan would likely result in heavy losses."
Koharu added, "We need to recall Jiraiya and Tsunade immediately. With the two of them back to bolster our forces, plus the Anbu, Root, and the power of clans like the Ino-Shika-Cho, we should be able to control the situation."
Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, his face full of helplessness. He sighed, "Jiraiya's whereabouts are uncertain. Tsunade... she has hemophobia. Even if she returns, how effective can she be? And distant water cannot quench a nearby fire."
Danzo snorted coldly, as if he had expected this. He changed the subject, his sinister single eye fixed on the door through which Itachi had left, "Since we can't rely on external forces, we'll solve it from within. Hiruzen, you know Itachi's strength well. Shisui said more than once before his death that Itachi's talent surpassed even his own. His strength is second only to Fugaku within the Uchiha Clan."
Hiruzen seemed to sense something, his brow furrowing sharply, "Danzo, what do you mean?"
Danzo's voice was cold and merciless, "The meaning is simple. Have Itachi do it. Have him eliminate those radical core rebels. We don't need to kill them all, just throw the Uchiha Clan into internal chaos and panic."
"At that time, the Anbu and Root can intervene under the pretext of quelling internal strife and thoroughly purge the Uchiha Clan. Finally, pin all the blame on Itachi, declare him the clan-destroying Missing-Nin. This is the best plan to minimize losses for the village."
'It's also the best opportunity to deal with the Uchiha Clan.' Danzo's right eye, hidden under bandages, the one transplanted from Shisui, stirred restlessly, 'Izanagi, that reality-altering Jutsu, is too overpowering, but the cost is too high. I need more Three-Tomoe Sharingan!'
The office fell into deathly silence once more.
Koharu and Homura didn't speak, but their silence itself seemed like a form of acquiescence.
Hiruzen looked at Danzo in shock. He couldn't imagine the cruelty of having a youth personally slaughter his own clan.
"Danzo! You're insane! How can we have Itachi-" Hiruzen tried to refute.
But Danzo cut him off, "This is the only choice!"
"The Uchiha rebellion is a foregone conclusion! Their fate is sealed! The focus of discussion is no longer how to avoid it, but how to remove this huge hidden danger capable of destroying the village with the smallest cost and the most thorough method! Exterminating the clan is the only choice!"
"Or do you want to see the Uchiha Clan collude with the Land of Stars's Shura and that Uchiha Hikari, attacking Konoha from within and without? Causing even greater casualties than the Nine-Tails Attack?!"
Danzo's cold words struck everyone's hearts. Koharu and Homura both looked at Hiruzen in the center.
The Uchiha Clan, as the strongest Ninja Clan in the world, had Elite Jonin like Fugaku, Yashiro, Tekka, Inabi, and others. Add to that other Jonin who had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, the number was no less than ten. Not to mention clansmen like Mikoto who had retired from active duty after marriage.
If the Uchiha mobilized the entire clan, it would be a rebellion of at least a dozen or twenty Jonin and over a hundred Chunin, far more grand in scale than the Kaguya Clan's rebellion of sickly weaklings!
It would be no less than a large-scale battle!
Hiruzen's aged face was bitterly wrinkled as he fell into deep silence.
The night grew deeper.
Beneath Konoha Village's seemingly calm surface, the undercurrents surged towards a critical point.