Conspiracy

At night in the Uchiha Compound, five elderly men had gathered in a room in a remote area, seemingly plotting something.

However, they did not appear to agree. Some wore delighted expressions, while others looked deeply conflicted.

Uchiha Kai, the grandfather of Uchiha Kyo and Setsuna, spoke up. "What? Are the Fifth Elder and Sixth Elder opposed to my plan?"

The two Elders hesitated for a moment upon hearing that. "It's not that we oppose it, but isn't this a little too hasty?"

Uchiha Kai waved his hand and said flatly, "No. We have been preparing for this for nearly a year."

After a pause, he continued, "Besides, with these eyes of mine, I can already accomplish many things."

His pupils twisted and spun before turning scarlet. Their originally black centers took on the shape of shuriken, with a tomoe at each of the four points.

"This is... the Mangekyō Sharingan!" The Elders cried out in unison. In their eyes, Uchiha Kai's talent had only been average. They had never expected him to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"When did you awaken it?" the Fifth Elder asked, his body trembling slightly.

It was something he had pursued his entire life without ever obtaining, yet this old man before him possessed it.

Looking at the Elders' astonished expressions, Uchiha Kai felt only bitterness and grief. "Twelve months ago, at the cost of my grandson."

"What?!" the Elders asked in disbelief.

"Setsuna is dead? What happened?"

Uchiha Setsuna had been considered a Genius among their faction. There had been no younger member with greater talent than him.

These Elders had practically raised Uchiha Setsuna together and placed great hopes in him. How could he have died so inexplicably?

Uchiha Kai sighed. Though he appeared calm now, he was actually the one suffering the most.

"Setsuna went to avenge Kyo, but he never returned. That child was the Hokage's disciple, so he must have encountered some hidden measure left behind by the Hokage."

The Sixth Elder immediately realized the implication. "Doesn't that mean the Hokage has already set his sights on us?"

The Uchiha Clan was divided into two factions: the war faction and the peace faction. There was no way the Hokage could be unaware of that!

If Setsuna had truly been killed by a method left behind by the Hokage, then the Hokage must have noticed them long ago.

If Torikaze had heard these Uchiha old men, he would probably have laughed for three days straight without sleep. What hidden measure left behind by the Hokage? What being watched by the Hokage? Weren't they just fantasizing on their own?

With Uchiha Setsuna's meager skills, was there even a need to leave behind some hidden measure? They truly thought too highly of themselves.

"That is why I said we need to act as soon as possible! A year has already been far too long. We cannot wait any longer!"

Uchiha Kai had endured for an entire year. Every day during that year, he dreamed of his grandson riding on his shoulders and playing when he was young.

And every time he woke, fury burned within his heart without pause.

The Eighth Elder was the first to speak. "Stop dragging this out. I agree with what the Fourth Elder said! I truly regret not leaving with Madara Uchiha back then!"

"I agree as well. The Uchiha Clan must make the Senju Clan feel pain once more!" the Ninth Elder said in a trembling voice. His health was poor, and it seemed he did not have much longer to live.

That was why he wanted one final dance before his death.

Seeing that the Eighth Elder and Ninth Elder had both agreed, the Fifth and Sixth Elders, who had been hesitant all along, could only nod unwillingly.

Uchiha Kai was in high spirits. If not for the successive deaths of his two grandsons, he would not have wanted to become this insane. Konoha was to blame for all of this! And Madara Uchiha too!

Yes, he hated Madara Uchiha! If Madara had not insisted on leading the clan into the village, perhaps this situation would never have arisen!

Yet all of this was merely an excuse Uchiha Kai used to cover up his own incompetence. There had been many chances for him to leave Konoha.

But at the time, Uchiha Kai had been the Fourth Elder of the Uchiha Clan. He held a high position and considerable influence within the clan.

Naturally, he had been unwilling to give up such status to follow Madara Uchiha and gamble on an unseen future.

Now that his two grandsons were dead, he had begun complaining again. It was nothing more than another excuse for his incompetence.

Uchiha Kyo had died five months earlier. Though medicine that replenished vitality had been supplied to Uchiha Kyo in an endless stream, his body had been like a vessel riddled with countless holes.

The vitality slowly drained away as soon as it entered his body. He had barely held on for more than half a year before finally dying.

Torikaze knew about this as well. Chisato had told him. Since she was a member of the Uchiha Clan, Chisato still had to attend Kyo's funeral.

However, the way Uchiha Kai had looked at her that day had truly made her skin crawl.

Inside the room, the Elders discussed how they would launch their operation three days later. They also planned to secretly mobilize trustworthy clansmen to join the operation.

Their first target was none other than the peace faction Uchiha. They would crush them first, then absorb them.

That way, Uchiha Kai and the others could use the strength of the entire Uchiha Clan to launch a rebellion against Konoha!

But they had no idea that on the roof above them, a young man with the Three Tomoe Sharingan activated was listening to everything.

Even with a powerful man like Uchiha Kai inside, one who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, they had failed to notice his presence entirely.

That young man was none other than Kagami Uchiha! The young leader of the peace faction, the strongest among the Uchiha Clan's younger generation, and someone held in extremely high regard within the clan.

Aside from the five Elders in the room, the First, Second, Third, Seventh, and Tenth Elders all leaned toward the peace faction.

Although none of them had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, they had no fear of Uchiha Kai.

Months ago, Kagami Uchiha had noticed that the Fourth Elder was secretly plotting something, and he had been watching him from the shadows ever since.

Uchiha Kai had always displayed extreme hatred toward Konoha and its upper ranks, and he often spoke about how to retaliate against Konoha.

But it had all been empty talk and casual conversation, nothing that could be taken seriously. Without evidence, they could not act rashly and alert the enemy.

But today, Kagami Uchiha had finally found evidence that these men intended to harm the Uchiha Clan and Konoha.

Kagami was not flustered. He had long known this day would come, so he was not surprised.

However, this was not something he could stop alone. He still needed to report it to the Grand Elder first and make plans afterward.

After all, this was an internal matter of the Uchiha Clan. If it became public, it would turn into a scandal for the Uchiha Clan!

By then, Chisato's wish and will would never be fulfilled.

Kagami Uchiha then leaped away without making a sound, vanishing into the vast night in an instant.