The Uchiha Predicament

"What did you say? Katsuki is back? And there are two outsiders too?"

The Third Hokage, who was practicing calligraphy, put down his large brush and looked Anbu the messenger in surprise.

"... Uzumaki Katsuki first went to the Senju Clan Senju Clan's residence with Nawaki Senju ...and stayed there for about two hours before leaving. Now they're heading north, and if I'm not mistaken, they're going to the Uchiha Clan. They've arranged for two teams to secretly follow them..."

"You said Nawaki issued temporary residence permits to those two? Show me the copies." The Third Hokage held out his hand.

The Anbu seemed to have anticipated this, taking out two thin sheets of paper with rubbings already prepared from his sleeve. As a trusted Anbu of the Third Hokage, he had long since developed the habit of making thorough preparations.

"Yuki Yoizuki Rokuro Kaguya?"

The Third Hokage frowned, feeling as if he had seen those two surnames somewhere before. His mind raced, and he quickly retrieved the answer from his vast mental database: the Ninja Scholar was no exaggeration.

"Ice Release, Shikotsumyaku? It's actually these two families? How did they get involved with Katsuki?"

He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He was utterly helpless against Katsuki's ability to cause trouble. He hadn't even gotten anywhere after provoking the Mist Ninja in the Land of Water, and now these two Kekkei Genkai noble clan Kirigakure had jumped out.

"You said they stayed at the Senju Clan for two hours?" the Third Hokage asked.

"Yes, we dared not approach the Senju Clan. We could only wait on the outer perimeter. It was indeed two hours later that Nawaki Senju escorted us out, and then Nawaki Senju went to Konoha Hospital instead."

Konoha Hospital?

A name naturally surfaced in his mind: his obedient disciple, Tsunade, known as the Slug Princess. The Tsunade on the Third Hokage's temples throbbed. How come more and more people are getting involved? A strange sense of unease crept into his heart. He had a feeling that this kid, Katsuki, was going to cause him a lot of trouble again.

"Go and fetch Orochimaru for me."

My mood for practicing calligraphy today is ruined. With the matter of Katsuki on my mind, how can I possibly concentrate on calligraphy?

"Yes."

The Anbu, with their keen senses, detected the Third Hokage's barely concealed agitation. They dared not say a word, simply acknowledged the order, and vanished in Body Flicker Technique to find Orochimaru.

The Uchiha Clan.

Katsuki's face was quite popular within the Uchiha Clan. He was on good terms with Otoha and Otome, and could even exchange a few words with the new clan leader Uchiha Fugaku. He was one of the few people who could move freely within the Uchiha Clan's territory.

"Looking for me?"

In the courtyard, Uchiha Fugaku looked at the three people standing on the Katsuki with surprise, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel.

"That's right."

"What's up?"

"Event."

Upon hearing this Uchiha Fugaku raised an eyebrow and thoughtfully glanced at Yuki Yoizuki and Rokuro Kaguya.

"Follow me!"

Two years ago, Uchiha Fugaku succeeded his aging father as the new young clan leader, and also took over the position of captain of the Konoha Military Police Forces. In the past two years, Fugaku has shown extraordinary skills, winning over all the clan members who were dissatisfied with him. Every move he made exuded an aura of authority.

Well! Although he's always been a super serious guy.

Study.

"... Yuki and Kaguya ...I've seen these two surnames in the family's library..." A hint of surprise appeared in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes as he stared at Yuki Yoizuki and Rokuro Kaguya, making the two of them involuntarily show a hint of unease.

Uchiha Fugaku was very young, but his aura of authority was far stronger than that of the six elders of the Senju Clan.

"There are only so many bloodline limits in the Shinobi World Kekkei Genkai clan. After fighting each other for so many years during the Warring States period, they all know each other to some extent. The Ice Release of the Yuki family and Kaguya's Shikotsumyaku are both recorded in the family documents. They are very powerful Kekkei Genkai."

A casual compliment instantly excited Yuki Yoizuki and Rokuro Kaguya. Someone had praised their powerful Kekkei Genkai, and that person was none other than the current head of the Uchiha Clan.

"What did you say, Fugaku- senpai?"

Katsuki asked a question.

"... You should know that we don't have much say in the village. To be honest, you've probably come to the wrong person about this. Going to your teacher would be more effective than me," Fugaku said softly.

"Well, that's why this is an opportunity, isn't it? If things continue as they are now, the Uchiha will always be out of place in the village... and the future probably won't be good. I'm not exaggerating, ever since the Senju Clan retired, the Uchiha have been caught in a predicament where they are feared by the village's higher-ups. If they don't seek change, the future... well, it's hard to say, there is no future."

Katsuki squinted and spouted nonsense.

However, it's also true that the Sharingan of the Uchiha is incredibly powerful. Even the First Hokage's Wood Style Jutsu isn't as famous as the Sharingan. The power of Wood Release stems from the First Hokage's sudden emergence, but the strength of the Sharingan isn't solely due to Madara Uchiha. Generations of Uchiha clan members have used those crimson eyes to bring eternal nightmares to their enemies, collectively forging the Sharingan's formidable reputation.

This not only instilled fear in their enemies, but even their own people harbored a dread towards the expressionless Uchiha clan, and fear often leads to hostility. This situation deteriorated rapidly, especially after the Senju Clan, their equal in strength, retired, Uchiha subtly became the most powerful clan in Konoha ...

"You mean supporting Yuki and Kaguya joining the village will change things?" Fugaku's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

"It's hard to say, but as you said before, both Yuki and Kaguya have very strong Kekkei Genkai. Their addition will disrupt the current situation, at least it can break the current united front that isolates the Uchiha. As for what will happen in the future, only heaven knows. But I think doing something is better than doing nothing."

"But sometimes moving around will only hasten death, won't it? Waiting might also bring unexpected changes. As you said, only God knows, so I don't think your idea is particularly brilliant."

"Ugh--!"

Katsuki's lips twitched; this was truly a troublesome person.

"Alright, just say it. As long as you're willing to help, the Uzumaki Clan, the Yuki Clan, and the Kaguya Clan will all become friends of the Uchiha. I think our three clans are qualified enough to be friends with the Uchiha, right?" Katsuki said, patting his chest.

The reason why the Uchiha Clan was out of place in the village was partly due to the suppression and isolation caused by the leadership, led by the Second Hokage, who feared the power of the Sharingan. On the other hand, it was also due to the Uchiha Clan itself; the Sharingan gave them great power, which in turn fostered their arrogance.

Whether it was the struggles between children in the Ninja Academy or the arrogant attitude displayed by the Uchiha Clan ninjas during missions, they were separating their clan from the ever-growing number of civilian ninjas.