Uchiha Integrate into Konoha? Haven't They Always Been? (Please Read On, Monthly Votes, Recommendation Votes)

Uchiha Integrate into Konoha? Haven't They Always Been? (Please Read On, Monthly Votes, Recommendation Votes)

Early the next morning.

Bai Ye had just prepared to head to the clan meeting when two figures blocked his way at the door.

A trace of surprise flashed through Bai Ye's eyes as he looked at the two of them, but he quickly regained his composure.

He had not expected them to come looking for him so soon.

"Clan Head Bai Ye, though this may be presumptuous, could we have a chat?"

Shisui kept his posture very humble.

Though he was worried that Bai Ye might be part of the Radical Faction, and knew that if he was, there would not be much for them to discuss.

Still, he had to try. And now that Bai Ye was the clan head, he naturally had to show respect.

"Clan Head."

Itachi, on the other hand, seemed somewhat awkward. Although he had mentally prepared himself before coming, this was a clan head around his own age—someone he had even met back at the Ninja Academy.

In the blink of an eye, that person had suddenly become his clan head. It left him with a rather strange feeling.

"What is it? I'll be heading to the clan meeting shortly."

After pondering for a moment, Bai Ye stepped aside and let the two enter to talk inside.

"Thank you."

Shisui gave Bai Ye a grateful look, then motioned for Itachi to enter Bai Ye's home with him.

After inviting them to sit and pouring each of them a cup of tea, Bai Ye did not beat around the bush. "What did you come to see me about?"

Though he already knew why they had come, Bai Ye still had to put on an act.

"Clan Head, I want to know how you intend to deal with the issues between the Uchiha clan and Konoha once you take office."

Though Shisui was somewhat surprised, since Bai Ye had asked twice, he naturally did not hide anything.

He directly asked how Bai Ye intended to handle the matter between the Uchiha clan and Konoha.

"Oh? How do you think I should handle it?"

A teasing glint flashed through Bai Ye's eyes as he looked at Shisui and Itachi.

These two really were not trying to hide it at all.

Had they come straight here to gather intelligence for Konoha?

"I think we should show Konoha that the Uchiha clan poses no threat!"

After saying that, Shisui stared intently at Bai Ye, clearly wanting to see his reaction. Itachi beside him was the same.

"How are we supposed to show that the Uchiha clan poses no threat? By digging out every Uchiha's Sharingan, or crippling all our ninja? Then the Uchiha clan truly would pose no threat to Konoha at all."

Bai Ye spoke with a cold smile on his face.

Shisui had even awakened the Mangekyo, yet his thinking was unexpectedly so simplistic.

"This..."

Shisui was stunned. That was right—he had only ever thought that the Uchiha clan needed to pose no threat to Konoha, but how could they possibly do that?

It seemed Bai Ye's way was the only way.

"Shisui, you're too naive. Why would the Uchiha clan pose a threat to Konoha? Where did this theory of us being a threat even come from?"

Bai Ye was genuinely curious.

Why did Shisui believe the Uchiha clan was a threat to Konoha?

And who had told him this theory in the first place?

"Shisui, if the strength of a ninja clan can be considered a threat to Konoha, then is the Hyuga clan a threat? Is Ino-Shika-Cho a threat? Are the Sarutobi clan and Shimura clan threats?"

"Also, Shisui, there's something else I want to tell you. Do you know why the clan members want to resist?"

Bai Ye shook his head. Looking at the speechless Shisui, he posed a question.

Shisui raised his head in confusion, then shook it. Deep down, he roughly knew the answer, but he could not say it aloud.

"You know the clan members have suffered injustice. Why do they resist? Isn't it because they feel threatened? Back then, Madara Uchiha wanted to take the clan away, but the clan members were unwilling to leave. Why? Because peace had not come easily. Unless they felt threatened, they would have to be insane to think of resisting!"

It was simply absurd!

Even when Madara Uchiha returned to Konoha, he had not taken the Uchiha clan away.

And now someone was saying the Uchiha clan had merely overthought things? That was clearly impossible!

If there was no threat, why the hell would they resist? Who did not want peace?

"Bai Ye, clan, clan—why do all Uchiha think the clan is the most important thing? Can't you look at this from the Hokage's perspective, from a higher perspective? If we integrated into Konoha, why would Konoha target the Uchiha? Why doesn't Konoha target the other ninja clans?"

Itachi raised his head to look at Bai Ye, his eyes full of disappointment.

He had originally thought that, as a genius like himself, Bai Ye would surely think from the same level.

Yet Bai Ye was still trapped within the confines of the clan.

Could it be that Bai Ye, too, was limited by the clan?

"Heh. Itachi, why do you say I'm limited by the clan?"

"That's right!"

Shisui tugged at Itachi, but failed to stop him.

Hearing his words, Bai Ye's cold smile deepened.

"Then why do you limit your vision to a single village? Why not look at the entire ninja continent? Sand Village lacks water all year round, so why don't you deliver water to them? Iwagakure has always wanted Konoha's land, so why doesn't Konoha give them land? Kumogakure wants Konoha's bloodlines, so we can give them bloodlines too. Kirigakure is economically impoverished, so why doesn't Konoha send them money? Why do the other ninja villages target Konoha and wage war against us?"

Holy shit!?

That worked too?

Shisui's eyes widened, utterly dumbfounded.

And there was nothing wrong with what Bai Ye had said!

"Itachi, first of all, you need to understand that you are a member of the Uchiha clan before you are a ninja of Konoha. By your logic, are the Hyuga Branch House and Main House also meant to fight against Konoha?

"Also, you said we should understand matters from the Hokage's perspective. Sorry, but why should we stand in their shoes? Why don't you stand in the Uchiha clan's shoes? Why don't you think from the perspective of those disadvantaged people within the clan? Do they want to be targeted by Konoha?

"And integrate into Konoha? Itachi... that is the funniest joke I have ever heard.

"Why should the Uchiha clan integrate into Konoha? Hasn't the Uchiha clan always been part of Konoha? Wasn't Konoha founded by the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan? How else are we supposed to integrate? Are we supposed to disband like the Senju? If we still don't count as integrated, then why doesn't the Hyuga clan integrate into Konoha? And after the Nine-Tails' Rampage, the Sarutobi clan and Shimura clan took the central district that originally belonged to the Uchiha clan.

"I really want to ask you: why were they allowed to take it? Was it because they had a Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and a Hokage advisor, Shimura Danzō? Their greed is shameless, Itachi. We Uchiha have always been part of Konoha. It's just that certain people in Konoha cannot tolerate the Uchiha!"

After saying that, Bai Ye looked coldly at the pale-faced Itachi. At that moment, Itachi felt as though his worldview was gradually collapsing.