Talk no Jutsu vs. Talk no Jutsu

Talk no Jutsu vs. Talk no Jutsu

"Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha joined forces to create Konoha so children would no longer have to slaughter one another, so they could speak their hearts and become brothers. Don't you think we're just like them now?"

Xu Fan looked directly at Itachi Uchiha in the tree, spreading his hands as he prepared to talk this guy around.

"Being obsessed with the past will only keep people from moving forward." Itachi Uchiha reached behind him and gripped the hilt of his sword, emphasizing his identity to Xu Fan. "I am not a ninja of the Uchiha Clan. I am a Konoha Shinobi."

Itachi Uchiha was about the same age as Xu Fan, yet he possessed a way of thinking none of his peers had.

He understood everything the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had done.

That included his idea of no longer letting his clansmen use the "Senju" surname—having no clans, intermarrying widely, forming family ties, weakening clan-centric thinking in people's hearts, and replacing it with the bonds they shared as members of the same village.

Yet the Uchiha Clan could not see or understand that.

They remained stubbornly closed off, placing importance on the meaningless name of Uchiha.

In his eyes, Xu Fan, who went against Hashirama Senju's final wishes, was no different from those people.

He cared too much about his surname, placing clan ideology above the village.

It had to be said that after this meeting, Itachi Uchiha did not like Xu Fan.

Seeing the hostility radiating from Itachi Uchiha, Xu Fan became even more certain.

At this point in time, Itachi Uchiha stood completely on the village's side. It was only a matter of time before he slaughtered every member of his clan.

However, that was exactly why Xu Fan had come.

Xu Fan shook his head. "You misunderstand me. I'm not emphasizing the identities of the Senju Clan and Uchiha. I'm saying that we're just like Hashirama and Madara back then—we share the ideal of protecting children and everyone else with the village."

"I came to work with you and stop the Uchiha Clan's coup."

Xu Fan spoke with resounding conviction, exuding immense confidence.

Kakashi, hiding in the shadows, was also startled when he heard this shocking information.

The Uchiha Clan was actually plotting a coup?

But how had Xu Fan learned about this?

And Itachi Uchiha—if this intelligence was true, what role was he playing between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha?

Itachi Uchiha was even more shocked.

As far as he knew, very few people knew about this: only himself, the Third Hokage, and Danzo.

Could Xu Fan be one of Danzo's men?

"Looks like I guessed right."

Noticing Itachi Uchiha's expression, Xu Fan muttered, "Can we talk now?"

Itachi Uchiha suppressed his shock and activated his Sharingan in the darkness, intending to cast a genjutsu and directly extract the information Xu Fan possessed.

However, to use the Sharingan's genjutsu, he needed to see the other person's eyes.

What surprised Itachi Uchiha was that the man before him seemed well aware of that. Though he was speaking with him, his gaze was not on him at all.

This guy knew far more than he had imagined.

"What do you want to talk about?"

After a moment of silence, Itachi Uchiha searched for an opportunity to cast his genjutsu while asking his question.

"I told you already. I want to stop the Uchiha Clan's coup with you." Xu Fan could only repeat himself before laying out his plan.

They would use the opportunity to clash with Kumogakure to weaken the Uchiha Clan, leaving them unable to launch a coup.

Though it was only a delaying measure for now, it was the most effective method available.

"You're too naive."

Itachi Uchiha shook his head helplessly, feeling that the man before him was merely an optimistic idealist.

He had no idea how difficult this would be to accomplish.

"Konoha's threat is not limited to the Land of Lightning."

"The village in the desert covets water, the village on the islands covets land, and the village amid barren rock walls covets fertile soil. Your plan will only reignite the war that has finally subsided."

Itachi Uchiha pointed out the flaws in Xu Fan's plan with piercing accuracy.

Once Konoha went to war with the Cloud Shinobi, other forces might join in as well.

And the already weakened Konoha could not afford to fight on two fronts.

If they stubbornly pushed ahead, they would lose everything.

As expected of Itachi Uchiha.

Xu Fan could not help sighing inwardly. They were clearly about the same age, yet after hearing his plan once, Itachi Uchiha had immediately found its flaws.

But that was all.

Xu Fan had not come here on a whim. He had come prepared.

What Itachi Uchiha could see, Hiruzen Sarutobi could see as well, yet he had still chosen to support the plan.

That was because Hiruzen Sarutobi knew information Itachi Uchiha did not.

Xu Fan's strength.

During the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha's Sannin had not participated in the fighting to begin with. The main reason Konoha had weakened was the loss of Minato Namikaze, a Kage-level combatant.

But Xu Fan was stronger than him now.

Thus, Xu Fan briefly explained his plan for dealing with the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.

They would befriend the Sand Ninja Village, then use the Land of Rain to hold back the Earth Ninja Village's offensive.

However, this only made Itachi Uchiha more helpless.

Befriending the Sand Ninja Village would be difficult, but it was not impossible.

The Sand Ninja Village's problems had already been exposed during the last Shinobi World War.

Its barren soil made it difficult to grow towering trees, and the tailed beast it possessed was the weakest among all the villages.

But the Land of Earth was different. It was very powerful.

And Xu Fan's proposed solution was actually to use a small country like the Land of Rain to stall them.

It was simply wishful thinking.

"You actually think the weak Land of Rain can hold back the Land of Earth?"

"Because Hanzō of the Salamander is there? Perhaps he is indeed an extremely powerful ninja, but compared to the Land of Earth—"

However, just as Itachi Uchiha was about to refute Xu Fan's naivety, he was interrupted.

"Hanzō of the Salamander? He's just a punk. What can that trash possibly do?"

Itachi Uchiha: "???"

A legendary figure who had fought the famed Sannin to a draw by himself and shaken the entire shinobi world was being called a punk and trash by Xu Fan?

Wait. If not because of Hanzō of the Salamander, why did he think the weak Land of Rain could hold back the powerful Land of Earth?

Could there possibly be some overpowered ninja there?

"Though I don't know where your confidence comes from, even if the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth choose not to intervene, what makes you think you can control the current Uchiha Clan?"

"And what makes you think you can repel the invading Cloud Shinobi?"

"War is not a children's game."

In Itachi Uchiha's eyes, Xu Fan was no different from a mediocrity who could only theorize on paper and fire sugar-coated shells.

He had neither experienced war nor understood the pain it brought.

But at that moment, Xu Fan pointed at himself with absolute confidence.

"Because I will make Konoha invincible."