Uchiha Great Relocation, Mixed Reactions from the Village!

Early the next morning.

Groups of Uchiha set out from their clan territory, bringing their families and all their belongings with them. They made their way to the village's busiest district and headed straight for the former Uchiha Ancestral Land.

The villagers on the streets were horrified!

Ever since the Nine-Tails' Rampage, the Uchiha had been branded as the culprits, though no evidence had been found for the time being.

But even so.

The Uchiha had been driven out of the village's bustling districts and forced to huddle in a corner at the edge of the village. From that day onward, aside from members of the Police Force, people had barely seen any Uchiha.

Who would have thought.

The Uchiha had returned now?

"What's going on?"

"Why would the village do this? I don't want to live so close to the Uchiha!"

"The Bulletin Board in front of the Hokage Building said this morning that, after an investigation over this period, the village believed the possibility of the Uchiha causing the Nine-Tails' Rampage was very low. Combined with the Uchiha's good behavior lately, the village decided to return their ancestral land to them."

"The village has lost its mind!"

"Even without the Nine-Tails' Rampage, I don't want to live next to the Uchiha!"

"We finally got rid of those damned Uchiha, but I never expected them to be allowed back like this."

"..."

The streets buzzed with discussion.

Every villager wore an unhappy expression, and ordinary shinobi were much the same.

Only the members of the various shinobi clans and Civilian Ninja with some standing had particularly complicated looks in their eyes.

Clearly.

Those who knew some of the inside story understood that, despite the village announcement's lofty words, this was actually a Power Struggle between the Uchiha and the Village Higher-ups. This time, the Uchiha had gained the upper hand.

With no other choice, the village had backed down!

Among the crowd stood a white-haired Anbu, watching the Uchiha with utmost vigilance to prevent any conflict between them and the villagers.

But at that moment.

The energetic Bowl-cut Might Guy ran over. "Kakashi, are you here just to watch the show too?"

"But today really is a day worth celebrating. The facts have proven that the Uchiha are still everyone's companions. On such a happy day, how about a contest of youth?"

The white-haired Anbu's face darkened.

Looking at this hot-blooded, youthful idiot before him, he had no idea what to say for a moment.

This was worth celebrating?

Knowing the truth, he only felt a headache coming on. This newly emerged Uchiha leader was obviously no harmless figure!

Now that the Uchiha had moved into the village center, one could imagine there would definitely be even more trouble in the future.

Still...

He could not be bothered to argue with Might Guy about it. He merely said coldly, "I'm Anbu right now and carrying out a mission. You can't just talk to me whenever you want."

"Uh, fine." Might Guy scratched his head. "I'll wait until you get off work."

Kakashi: "..."

The corner of his mouth twitched. No need for that.

He was already busy enough every day. He truly had no interest in competing with him.

At a Teahouse along the street, on the second floor by the window.

The current Ino-Shika-Cho sat there drinking tea and making Idle Chat. Watching the Uchiha pass by, Yamanaka Inoichi could not help letting out a Sighed.

"Troubled times indeed!"

As for that.

Nara Shikaku's expression did not change. He simply stared blankly at the Uchiha, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

Akimichi Choza could not be bothered to think so much. He could not even be bothered to drink the tea on the table, merely stuffing pastries into his mouth one bite after another.

"Choza, stop eating!"

Yamanaka Inoichi spoke helplessly.

His mood was already poor, and the sound of Akimichi Choza eating pastries only made him even more irritated.

As for that.

Akimichi Choza Shrugged. "Why not eat?"

"Forget it, there's no getting through to you." Yamanaka Inoichi looked helpless. "Shikaku, what do you think?"

After pondering for a moment, Nara Shikaku helplessly set down his teacup. "This is a matter between the Uchiha and the Village Higher-ups. It has nothing to do with us Ino-Shika-Cho. In any case, I don't want to get involved in this mess."

Yamanaka Inoichi found that hard to understand.

He gave Nara Shikaku a deep look. "That's not what you used to say."

"The situation has changed." Nara Shikaku's tone remained calm. "Naturally, my attitude has to change as well."

Yamanaka Inoichi was somewhat surprised. "Is that Uchiha Jin really that formidable?"

Nara Shikaku nodded.

Especially when he recalled that brief clash with Uchiha Jin last time, his scalp still tingled even now.

Immediately afterward.

He did not intend to hide anything and briefly described their previous confrontation.

"That was roughly how it went."

"It was clearly an attempt to hold Uchiha Jin accountable, yet he not only handled it with ease, but even dragged us Ino-Shika-Cho into it and casually drove a wedge between us and the Hokage."

"His thinking is unconstrained, and his reaction speed is horrifying. He can instantly find your weakness and strike back."

"More importantly, he is strong enough!"

"He dared to kill Danzo in the Hokage Office without giving Sarutobi Hiruzen the slightest respect, and he even managed to fight without completely breaking things apart in the end."

"Facing an Uchiha who can think and possesses such formidable strength, I truly do not want to go against him. I even suggest that neither of your clans get involved in this matter."

"If it were Fugaku instead, I would definitely support the Hokage Higher-ups!"

"Because even an idiot knows the Konoha Higher-ups would definitely win."

"But now, things are different!"

"Jin now holds power over the Uchiha. The Konoha Higher-ups have acted recklessly for years, so how many shinobi clans would fully support them?"

"Who wins and who loses is still uncertain!"

Nara Shikaku's voice was faint. Upon hearing this, Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza also fell into deep thought.

Because after hearing Nara Shikaku put it that way, the two of them also realized just how frightening Uchiha Jin was!

After a long while.

Yamanaka Inoichi spoke. "If the Uchiha win, will they make a move against Ino-Shika-Cho?"

"That's what worries me too." Akimichi Choza turned serious as well. "Ino-Shika-Cho belongs to the Hokage Faction. I'm afraid that once the Uchiha Ascend to the position, they'll purge our three clans."

As for that.

Nara Shikaku's eyes flickered.

After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke solemnly.

"I cannot guarantee it for the other Uchiha, but if Uchiha Jin Ascends to the position, I believe he will not purge us."

"He is a very rational Uchiha. As long as he is not insane, everything can be negotiated."

"And haven't you noticed? The Uchiha's methods have changed!"

"Under Uchiha Jin's leadership, the Uchiha have only targeted the Sarutobi Four Clans, the Anbu, and Root. Not once have their actions targeted any other shinobi clan. That alone says enough."

"So, wait."

"The situation before us is still unclear. There is no need for Ino-Shika-Cho to panic. We only need to sit back and watch the tigers fight!"

After thinking it over for a moment, Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza nodded.

Indeed!

Nara Shikaku's words had struck straight at their hearts.

In the end, the two decided to listen to Shikaku!