Fugaku, Are You Willing to Trust Me?

It was worth mentioning that Shisui Uchiha had never exposed his identity as a Double Agent from beginning to end.

Even when he took his own life at the Naka River, the Uchiha Clan firmly believed that, whenever it was for the sake of the Uchiha Clan, Shisui would always lead from the front.

When Fugaku began entertaining the idea of launching a coup, he had also counted Shisui among his side's strongest combat power.

Based on various reasons, Kaze's confrontation with the Konoha leadership and his exposure of Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan naturally left Fugaku unable to understand.

He hoped Kaze could give him an explanation.

Even if Kaze explained that he had been anxious at the time and had spoken without thinking, Fugaku could still accept that.

"Clan Head, did you really fail to see it? Shisui had long since become one of the Konoha leadership's people."

Using the Electric Wave properties of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Kaze surveyed the surrounding environment.

Only after making sure there were no Anbu or Root shinobi listening in did he begin spinning his tale for Fugaku.

"What did you say?" Fugaku instinctively stopped walking, his pupils trembling unnaturally.

Kaze's words had clearly startled him.

"Didn't you notice, Clan Head?"

Kaze paused slightly before continuing, "The reason I said that was actually to drive a wedge between Shisui and the Konoha leadership."

"Only once a rift formed between them could Shisui stand on our side."

Kaze appeared to be speaking frankly from the heart, but in truth, he was merely leading Fugaku by the nose.

Because at present, it was not only the Konoha leadership that trusted Shisui. Fugaku trusted him too.

"Clan Head, you must have been wondering why I usually acted like such an honest person."

"Among our clansmen, my talent had always been utterly ordinary."

"Why had I suddenly undergone such an enormous change?"

Hearing Kaze say this, Fugaku could not help frowning.

Because what the boy before him said was exactly what he had been thinking.

For some reason, it made him feel as though he had been seen through completely.

"Winning a battle is easy, but sinking into a state of pressure as you wait for the next battle to arrive is, in my view, an extremely foolish way to live. Fighting others is both hollow and endless."

"The life I want is to spend my days with a heart like a plant's, living peacefully. That kind of stable life is my goal."

"Strife runs directly contrary to the peaceful life I seek, so I hate it."

"That was why I had always disguised myself."

"I wanted to stay far away from the political conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha."

"But..."

At that point, Kaze's lips curled into a bitter smile.

"My disguise still failed to escape Shisui's eyes."

Listening to Kaze recount his inner journey, Fugaku felt as though his mind had been struck by a blow.

But it made sense. How could anyone in this world suddenly become stronger?

If Kaze had been disguising himself all along, that was instead a reasonable explanation.

"You mean to say that your change was because of Shisui?" Fugaku could not help asking.

"That's right."

Kaze admitted it decisively, then pulled a notebook from his clothes. "That day, Shisui came to find me on his own and gave me this."

As he spoke, Kaze handed Fugaku the notebook he had prepared beforehand.

Fugaku raised a brow and opened Shisui's notebook.

On the very first page was an explanation of the Will of Fire, along with Shisui's understanding and annotations regarding the so-called Will of Fire.

One must transcend narrow Uchiha ideology, envelop the Uchiha Clan with the true Will of Fire, change their mindset, allow them to fully integrate into the village, and devote their entire lives to Konoha...

After reading only a few lines, Fugaku's face could not help turning green.

In reality, the notebook Kaze had taken out did not belong to Shisui at all. He had merely used the Sharingan to imitate Shisui's handwriting and compiled this notebook in Shisui's voice.

"Most importantly..."

"Shisui also told me about the Clan Meeting."

"During the Nine-Tails Rampage years ago, the Konoha leadership pointed the finger at our Uchiha Clan."

"They drove us to the outskirts of the village. Many Uchiha clansmen became dissatisfied with this situation, and the conflict grew more intense by the day."

"As a result, voices calling for the launch of a coup gradually emerged within the clan."

What Kaze said was half true and half false.

There was less than a year left until the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall. By this point, Fugaku had already begun considering a coup.

From Fugaku's perspective, someone on the fringes like Kaze, who had never attended a Clan Meeting, could never have known about this.

Of course, although Fugaku was not a Clan Head skilled in political maneuvering, he was not stupid either.

He would not be fooled by a few casual words.

Kaze understood that perfectly well. The true purpose of what he had said was to plant a seed in Fugaku's heart.

And for that seed to take root and sprout, further planning would be needed.

"On top of that, look at how the Konoha leadership treated the Hyuga and our Uchiha Clan today."

"Perhaps my birth has doomed me to never live a peaceful life."

Kaze continued, reaching out to take back the notebook he had forged.

"Clan Head, do you believe me?"

Seeing the change in Fugaku's expression, Kaze simply stopped walking, faced him directly, and revealed a faint smile.

And honestly, Fugaku truly had no other choice.

He had never believed in his own strength.

At first, he had pinned the success or failure of the coup on Shisui.

Later, he placed those hopes on his son, Itachi Uchiha.

When he realized that Itachi stood with the Konoha leadership, he chose to give up the struggle altogether.

He allowed Itachi Uchiha to slaughter the entire clan.

"What are you trying to say...?"

Fugaku sucked in a breath.

"I have a way to change the Uchiha Clan's situation."

"Even..."

"I can make a Hokage emerge from our Uchiha Clan."

Seeing that Fugaku was beginning to take the bait, Kaze spoke with a resolute expression. "Fugaku, I swear to you in the name of Uchiha."

"I am the only one worthy of your trust."

"As long as the two of us join forces."

"With my abilities and your influence, we can unite the clan."

"We will certainly enter the center of Konoha's power!"

It had to be said that Kaze's words struck Fugaku right in the heart.

"What do you have in mind?" Fugaku hesitated briefly before asking Kaze directly.

Based on Kaze's words alone, Fugaku was only half-convinced.

However...

Even if Kaze might have been lying, he was still a member of the Uchiha Clan.

They shared glory and ruin alike.

It would be better to hear what his plan was first, then decide what to do.

After all...

Fugaku was no fool.