Chapter 11: A Village in Turmoil; The Radicals' Eerie Silence!
Within the Uchiha Clan, a massive internal exodus had begun.
Following the revelations dropped by Uchiha Jin at Naka Shrine, clansmen who chose to believe his warnings began moving their families into the Radical-controlled territory in droves.
Their reasoning was simple: whether the Village High Command was truly planning a shadowy revenge or not, it was better to be safe than sorry. They had nothing to lose by moving. Furthermore, with the recent string of mysterious disappearances within the compound, the fear was palpable. Even those who didn't care for the political infighting between the factions didn't mind seeking refuge under the Radicals' protective umbrella.
The members of the Radical Faction were jubilant. To them, this was a clear sign that Jin was winning the hearts and minds of the people.
As time slowly trickled by, Fugaku's weakness and indecision only made things worse. By choosing to do nothing and allowing the migration to continue, he inadvertently signaled his lack of control. More and more "neutral" Uchiha began to pack their bags.
The vast Uchiha district was now effectively split in two.
Meanwhile, Shisui had indeed gone to see Hiruzen Sarutobi. However, he was deflected with ease.
Hiruzen simply claimed that Danzo and Kagami had been the closest of friends, and that Kagami had gifted his Mangekyo to Danzo on his deathbed.
And just like that—Shisui believed him.
After all, with the precedent of Obito giving his eye to Kakashi, a similar story of "comradeship" seemed plausible to his naive heart. Had it been Uchiha Jin, he would have treated such a claim as a blatant lie—did Danzo really have the nerve to compare himself to Kakashi? Did he even have a face to do so?
But Shisui was not Jin. He was easily swayed by the "Will of Fire" rhetoric.
As for the arm full of Sharingan, Hiruzen settled the matter with a single phrase: "It was all for the sake of the Leaf." He explained that Danzo had lost his arm years ago in service to the village. If he used a few Sharingan to better serve Konoha, what was the harm?
Shisui, thoroughly "re-educated," seemed to forget that the Sharingan was the sacred bloodline of his clan. He forgot that any clan's Kekkei Genkai was its foundation, and no ninja family in history would ever tolerate such a theft.
Ten days later.
The Great Migration within the Uchiha was complete. The Radical district was now a bustling hub of activity. Sentry posts, both visible and hidden, dotted the perimeter, and a powerful new barrier jutsu hummed as it enveloped the entire sector.
On the other side, the Moderates and Neutrals—under Fugaku's leadership and Shisui's "protection"—chose to continue their policy of trusting the High Command.
Unfortunately for them, Danzo was in a state of crisis. Having lost his arm full of eyes in the battle against Jin, he needed to restabilize the Hashirama Cells in his body. To do that, he needed 3-Tomoe Sharingan, and he needed them fast.
Since the Night of the Massacre hadn't happened yet, Danzo's stockpile was low. After Jin had erased ten of his eyes in a single fight, Danzo was forced to become even more aggressive to save his own life.
He became a predator, more feral than ever before.
Because the Radicals' defenses were now impregnable, he naturally turned his gaze toward the Moderates and the Neutrals. In an instant, a wave of terror swept through those factions as their strongest members began to vanish into the night.
Fugaku's response: "Trust the village. Trust the Hokage. These are just coincidences!"
Shisui's response: "Don't panic, everyone. The Hokage-sama is investigating!"
A Clan Head and a Mangekyo powerhouse, both vocalizing their trust while their people were being harvested. They were panicking internally, the pressure weighing on them like a mountain, but they dared not emulate the Radicals. They didn't change their barriers or increase their sentries, because to do so would be an open admission of "distrust" toward the village.
To people like them, the fear of being seen as "unfaithful" was greater than the fear of death itself.
Three days later, however, they had no time left to worry about disappearances. A new wave of rumors began to flood the village—whispers that the Uchiha were planning an imminent coup. This time, the rumors were more vicious and widespread than ever before.
Fugaku and Shisui were frantic, but they had no solution. When they sought help from Hiruzen, they were met with the same old platitudes:
"Trust the villagers. Trust the Leaf."
"Rumors die when they reach the wise. Let time handle it."
"Do not fear. I am here."
"As Hokage, I will settle this!"
Frustrated as they were, they had no choice but to believe. But Hiruzen had no intention of stopping the rumors. In fact, he had given his tacit approval for Root to spread them. It was a classic pincer maneuver to crush the Uchiha's spirit.
While Fugaku and Shisui were burning with anxiety, the Radical district remained eerily silent.
Uchiha Jin had completely vanished from the public eye.
During this period, he stayed indoors, focusing entirely on recovering his Mangekyo's ocular power. For someone without a "System," he had to ensure he remained at his absolute peak. This was the reason he hadn't simply flipped the table and killed the village elders yet.
His raw strength was still his bottleneck. Until he obtained Hashirama's cells or found a way to awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he had to play the game of shadows.
"Jin-kun, are we really just going to watch?"
"One of the 3-Tomoe elites from the Moderate faction disappeared last night. Even though we're in different factions, we're all Uchiha. My heart aches seeing us lose our kin like this."
"If we truly plan to rebel, those are vital combat assets we're losing!"
Uchiha Setsuna spoke with a bitter smile, his heart heavy. Even as a Radical, the loss of talented clansmen was hard to stomach.
In response, Jin poured tea with practiced leisure, as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Elder Setsuna, my heart aches as well."
"But the current Uchiha have been 'domesticated' for too long. They are like house dogs who have forgotten the wild blood of their ancestors."
"The only way I see forward is Destruction before Rebirth."
"These losses... they aren't enough yet. Only when more ninja die, only when their precious illusions are utterly shattered, will these people finally realize the truth. Only then can we unify the entire clan and earn the right to challenge the High Command."
"That is why I haven't officially broken ties with the village elders yet. With only the Radicals, forget a coup—we wouldn't even have the strength to drag the elders to the grave with us."
"Only by integrating the entire Uchiha Clan do we gain that leverage."
"Yes, you heard me correctly."
"Even with a unified clan, we only have the power to take the Leaf down with us. A successful coup? That is still a mountain we have yet to climb."
Jin's voice was low and haunting. As a transmigrator, he understood the true depths of the Leaf's power far better than anyone else. He would not let arrogance lead him to an early grave.
Setsuna stood frozen, stunned by Jin's cold assessment. "Jin... why do you fear the elders so much? Do those old fossils really have that kind of power?"
"Aren't you being a bit too cautious? Hiruzen might have been a god in his youth, but he's old and frail now. The other clans aren't a match for the Uchiha either."
"I truly believe that if we strike now, our chances of success are high!"