Uchiha Toko's Plan

"First, from now on, I don't want to hear anyone in the clan talking about rebellion," Uchiha Toko announced solemnly.

"Huh?" The young Uchiha, who had been fervent moments ago, were stunned. Shisui and Itachi, however, breathed sighs of relief. Thankfully, Uchiha Toko still had his senses and understood that the clan could not rebel.

But the next instant, their hearts sank again.

"This village was founded by Lord Madara and the First together. In a sense, the Uchiha Clan should be one of this village's masters. All we need to do is reclaim the power that rightfully belongs to us."

"That's right! This village should have belonged partly to the Uchiha Clan from the start!" Uchiha Inaho cried passionately.

"Second, the Military Police Force is understaffed. Starting tomorrow, recruit Commoner Ninja. Within a week, I want the Military Police Force's manpower doubled. These Commoner Ninja must be paid no less than the rate for D-Rank Missions in the village. Also, take out all of the clan's ninjutsu except those related to the Sharingan, including the spoils accumulated by the clan over the years, and use them as rewards for ninja with outstanding merit." Uchiha Toko then dropped his second bombshell.

This time, the uproar was even greater. Even Shisui and Itachi could not quite figure out what Uchiha Toko was trying to accomplish.

If the earlier matter had merely been one of appearances, then this order from Uchiha Toko was truly cutting into their own flesh.

"Quiet!" Uchiha Toko waited until the commotion below had reached its peak before stepping forward. "Most of you here serve in the Military Police Force. I imagine you have all encountered this before: even when we enforce the law impartially, the villagers still resent us. The Military Police Force may appear powerful and prestigious, but it has built a thick wall between the Uchiha Clan and the villagers. This is the trap that the innately vile Senju Old Ghost set for our clan!"

"If we want to reclaim our power, the first thing we must do is close the distance between ourselves and the villagers. The First once said something very true: you do not gain everyone's recognition by becoming Hokage. Only after gaining everyone's recognition can you become Hokage!"

"The Uchiha Clan has been too distant from the villagers for far too long. What we must do now is take the initiative and embrace them!" Uchiha Toko's voice was deeply stirring. After hearing him speak, even Shisui began to wonder if he had misunderstood Uchiha Toko. Wasn't what Uchiha Toko was doing now exactly what he himself wanted to do?

"Recruiting Commoner Ninja is understandable, but aren't the ninjutsu a little too valuable?" an elder asked doubtfully.

"The foundation of our clan is our bloodline limit. As for these ninjutsu, rather than letting them gather dust in the clan storehouse, it would be better to turn them into a bridge between us and the village," Uchiha Toko said.

"But, Toko, have you considered this? Recruiting so many Commoner Ninja at once and paying them all at least the rate of D-Rank Missions will drain the clan's funds quickly. After all, what happened six years ago forced the clan to move away from the center of the village," Uchiha Fugaku reminded him from the side.

"Elder Fugaku, there is no need to worry about that. I will find money for the clan." Uchiha Toko smiled calmly.

"As long as you have a plan. Then, according to clan tradition, the Clan Head always serves as captain of the Military Police Force..."

"No, no, no." Before Uchiha Fugaku could finish, Uchiha Toko interrupted him. "Elder Fugaku, please continue serving as captain of the Military Police Force. I have more important things to do."

"More important things?" Uchiha Fugaku was somewhat puzzled.

"Of course, completing the task assigned to me by the Third Hokage." Uchiha Toko smiled.

"Come to think of it, since you accepted the task of investigating Danzo and Root, shouldn't we begin the investigation as soon as possible?" an elder said.

"How could we start investigating now?" Uchiha Toko gave a meaningful smile. "We need to give them a little time."

A little time to destroy the evidence.

"Inaho, Saito, starting tomorrow, the two of you will accompany me in investigating Root." Uchiha Toko did not elaborate, instead turning to call out the names of the two Uchiha clansmen who had been following him all day.

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

While the Uchiha Clan was holding its meeting, Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Ryoma were in Root's base within the village, directing their subordinates to destroy Root's documents without pause. Since they were dealing with Uchiha ninja, Yamanaka Fu, whose abilities were inherently countered, had been left at the base by Danzo. Aburame Ryoma had been left behind for much the same reason. During the Third Shinobi World War, Danzo had sent him to attack Uchiha Toko, who had already begun making a name for himself at the time. The two had fought, and whenever the insects he cultivated approached the electromagnetic field formed by Uchiha Toko's Lightning Style, they would lose their sense of direction. He had barely escaped alive from Uchiha Toko that time.

That was why Danzo had kept both of them at the base this time. Yet the news they received was that Danzo had died outright.

After years of Danzo's brainwashing, the few ninja remaining in Root worked like machines, gathering the base's top-secret documents together before using Fire Style to destroy them all at once.

A night passed. Just as they had nearly finished handling everything, the two received word that Uchiha Toko was leading people to the Root base.

They exchanged a glance, then looked at the secret documents that had yet to be fully dealt with. They nodded to each other and headed outside together.

Uchiha Toko led Inaho and Saito toward Root's location at an unhurried pace.

"That old bastard's turtle nest is pretty damn remote," Uchiha Inaho grumbled after they had walked for a while.

Uchiha Toko smiled at that, then raised a brow. "The little turtles are here."

As his words fell, blue lightning flashed around Uchiha Toko. All manner of insects appeared around the three of them, then fell with a series of crackles. The plants beneath their feet withered the instant they came into contact with those insects.

Seeing this, Uchiha Inaho and Uchiha Saito immediately drew Kunai from their Ninja Tool Pouches and assumed fighting stances.

"Aburame ninja, didn't last time teach you a lesson? These things are useless against me," Uchiha Toko called out.

His response was a barrage of incoming Shuriken.

Yet when those Shuriken came within a foot of Uchiha Toko, they all stopped eerily in midair.

With a bang, one of the Shuriken exploded into a cloud of smoke. Aburame Ryoma appeared, his Kunai driving straight for Uchiha Toko's throat.