The Helpless Ino-Shika-Cho, Shikaku's Next Plan!

Nara Shikaku's gaze was profound.

After hearing this, Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza both wore expressions of utter shock.

That was right—the Konoha Military Police Force!

It had started with the Konoha Military Police Force's drastic change in conduct, which had sparked widespread resentment throughout the village. Countless villagers had lodged complaints against the Konoha Military Police Force, leading Sarutobi Hiruzen to question the Uchiha, and ultimately triggering this war of public opinion.

The problem was...

Both sides were now embroiled in a war of public opinion, yet no one was paying attention to the core of the matter—the Konoha Military Police Force!

So, here was the question.

The villagers' problems had not been resolved. The Konoha Military Police Force was still doing whatever it pleased, and it even had a perfectly legitimate reason.

That was—searching for evidence!

Never mind whether they could ultimately find any evidence or whether the case could be solved. In any case, the Uchiha had shifted the blame away, while the Konoha Higher-ups had become the ones left holding the bag.

The Konoha Villagers had already filed complaints against the village!

Were they going to deal with it or not? How were they going to deal with it? Damn it, at least give them a response!

But the problem was...

The Konoha Higher-ups were currently locked in a struggle with the Uchiha and had long since shoved this matter to the back of their minds.

The longer this dragged on, the greater the villagers' resentment toward the Konoha Higher-ups would become!

Therefore...

This so-called war of public opinion by the Uchiha was merely a way to buy time.

"So that's how it is!"

"That Uchiha Jin really is difficult to deal with."

"If you hadn't pointed it out, Shikaku, I still wouldn't have realized it."

Yamanaka Inoichi's expression was complicated.

Only after hearing Nara Shikaku's analysis did he understand the Uchiha's insidiousness. Fortunately, they had Nara Shikaku on their side. Otherwise, he would still have been kept in the dark.

As for that...

Nara Shikaku sighed helplessly before speaking with a bitter expression. "I can only see it clearly because I'm standing outside the situation. If I were truly caught up in it, I might not be able to see through these things either."

On the other side.

Akimichi Choza, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke for the first time. "Should we help the Konoha Higher-ups?"

"You decide, Shikaku." Yamanaka Inoichi's tone was solemn. "Ino-Shika-Cho stands together. We'll all follow your decision!"

Nara Shikaku's eyes flickered.

After pondering for a long time...

He ultimately made his decision. "We will help neither side. Let them fight it out themselves."

"The Konoha Higher-ups are no good, but we cannot help the Uchiha either. If a bloodline clan that has endured for a thousand years truly takes power, then secret technique clans like ours will never have a chance to rise again."

"Of course."

"If the Uchiha truly gain the upper hand, Ino-Shika-Cho cannot remain without any response. Otherwise, once the Uchiha ascend to power, they will definitely make Ino-Shika-Cho their first target."

"Honestly, Uchiha Jin is far too difficult to deal with!"

"I believe there's a high chance the Konoha Higher-ups are no match for him, because he is currently only engaging in a Power Struggle within the rules. He has yet to truly use the Uchiha's military strength."

"Never forget—that is the Uchiha!"

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza could not help but shudder in alarm.

That was right!

They had nearly forgotten!

Uchiha Jin's actions during this period had created an illusion, making them think he was similar to Shikaku.

Only now did they realize that he was a Mangekyo powerhouse.

Moreover, he had already unified the entire Uchiha clan and held the strongest military force in his hands!

Akimichi Choza was somewhat puzzled. "Why not help the Konoha Higher-ups?"

"That's right, Shikaku!" Yamanaka Inoichi hurriedly said. "If the Uchiha ascend to the position, it won't benefit anyone."

"Although the Konoha Higher-ups have terrible character, surely they're still better than letting the Uchiha take power?"

As for that...

Looking at his two old friends, Nara Shikaku sighed.

They were still too naive!

Shaking his head helplessly, he gave a simple explanation.

"You must remember: development comes second. Survival comes first!"

"Given how troublesome Uchiha Jin is, are you sure the Konoha Higher-ups can win?"

"Even if they really can win, what price will they have to pay?"

"After the war, what will that battered Konoha have left to fight the other shinobi villages with?"

The two men's expressions turned grim at those words.

They had to admit that Nara Shikaku was right!

The Uchiha's strength was right there for all to see, and Uchiha Jin was even a Mangekyo powerhouse. If they truly fought the Uchiha head-on, then even if they won, it would only be a pyrrhic victory.

Therefore.

From this perspective, the Uchiha could not be said to have won, but they absolutely could not be allowed to lose.

No one could bear the cost of that!

In the original story.

If not for Uchiha Itachi, that exceedingly filial son, the Uchiha might have been framed and ostracized, but there was no way they would have been exterminated so easily.

The Uchiha had fallen to internal conflict, not because the Konoha Higher-ups were particularly powerful!

The current Uchiha were willing to struggle within the rules only because Uchiha Jin was a smart man and did not want to take over a broken Konoha.

Ino-Shika-Cho and the other Shinobi Clans could sit back and watch the tigers fight, could temporarily remain neutral...

But likewise.

If their Shinobi Clans truly stepped in to help the Konoha Higher-ups, then once the Uchiha Clan was utterly driven to despair, they could drag them down to Hell with them even in death!

"Then we'll remain neutral."

"But this really is despairing. The Senju Clan finally left, yet it seems the Uchiha have benefited from it instead."

"Let's hope the Konoha Higher-ups can win!"

Yamanaka Inoichi's face was full of bitterness.

He still remembered the entire process by which the Senju Clan had been destroyed. After all, no one should think Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others had been all that powerful. Back then, they had only just ascended to the Hokage Position.

At that time, Sarutobi Hiruzen had not yet firmly secured the Hokage Position!

Without the covert push from all of Konoha's Shinobi Clans, could Sarutobi Hiruzen's group alone have killed off the Senju Clan?

Heh, they were dreaming!

But they had never expected that although the Senju Clan was gone, an Uchiha had now emerged.

Still, there was nothing they could do.

Who could have imagined that the Uchiha Clan, a bunch of simple-minded fools, would produce a freak like Uchiha Jin?

If not for Uchiha Jin, the Uchiha would have been played to death by them as well, and the Hyuga Clan would have been next!

Nara Shikaku's eyes flickered.

He did not respond to Yamanaka Inoichi's thoughts. Instead, his mind began racing wildly. Only after a moment did he speak directly. "When you two return, prepare a group of clan members and have them ready to defect at any time."

"The Konoha Higher-ups definitely won't be able to hold back much longer. Next, they'll certainly have Danzo make his move."

"As long as Uchiha Jin gets through this, we'll need to spread out our bets. We'll first have a group of clan members go over and join them."

"The reason will be easy to find!"

"We'll say that the few of us have monopolized the clan's resources, while they have been secretly suppressed. Unwilling to accept that and wanting to advance further, they chose to join the Uchiha."

"Let those defectors take a portion of our clan resources with them!"

"If we want the Uchiha to accept Ino-Shika-Cho, we need to prepare a token of sincerity as best we can."