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 was the drastic change in the Military Police Force's conduct at the very beginning that had sparked widespread resentment throughout the village. Countless villagers had lodged complaints against them, leading Sarutobi Hiruzen to question the Uchiha Clan, which had ultimately triggered this war of public opinion.
The problem was...
Both sides were now locked in a war of public opinion, yet no one was paying attention to the core of the matter—the Military Police Force!
So here was the question.
The villagers' problems had not been resolved. The Military Police Force was still doing whatever it pleased, and they even had a perfectly legitimate reason.
That was—searching for evidence!
Never mind whether they could ultimately find evidence or solve the case. In any event, the Uchiha Clan had shoved the blame aside, leaving the Konoha Higher-ups as the ones stuck holding the bag.
The Konoha Villagers had already filed complaints against the village!
Was the village 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 issue was...
The Konoha Higher-ups were currently locked in a struggle with the Uchiha Clan and had long since tossed 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 launched by the Uchiha Clan was merely meant 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 Clan's insidiousness. Thankfully, they had Nara Shikaku on their side. Otherwise, he would still have been completely in the dark.
As for that.
Nara Shikaku could only sigh 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."
Meanwhile.
Akimichi Choza, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke for the first time. "Should we help the Konoha Higher-ups?"
"Shikaku, you decide." Yamanaka Inoichi's tone was grave. "Ino-Shika-Cho stands together. We'll follow your decision!"
Nara Shikaku's eyes flickered.
After pondering for a long while.
He still 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 Clan either. If a thousand-year Bloodline Limit noble clan like them truly takes power, then secret technique clans like ours will never have a chance to rise again."
"Of course."
"If the Uchiha Clan truly gains the upper hand, our Ino-Shika-Cho cannot remain completely silent. Otherwise, once the Uchiha Clan really takes power, they will definitely target Ino-Shika-Cho first."
"To be honest, Uchiha Jin is too difficult to deal with!"
"I think the Konoha Higher-ups are unlikely to be his match. He is only engaging in a Power Struggle within the rules right now; he has not even truly employed the Uchiha Clan's military strength."
"Never forget—they are the Uchiha Clan!"
Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza shuddered in alarm.
That was right!
They had nearly forgotten!
Uchiha Jin's actions over this period had somehow given them the illusion that he was similar to Shikaku.
Only now did they realize that he was a Mangekyo wielder.
More than that, 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?"
"Yes, Shikaku!" Yamanaka Inoichi hurriedly said. "If the Uchiha Clan takes power, it will benefit no one."
"Although the Konoha Higher-ups have terrible character, wouldn't they still be better than the Uchiha Clan taking power?"
As for that.
Looking at his two old friends, Nara Shikaku sighed.
They were still too inexperienced!
Shaking his head helplessly, he gave them a simple explanation.
"You must remember: development comes second. Survival comes first!"
"Given how difficult Uchiha Jin is to deal with, are you sure the Konoha Higher-ups can win?"
"Even if they truly can win, what price will they have to pay?"
"Afterward, what will that battered Konoha use to fight the other Shinobi Villages?"
The two men's expressions turned ugly.
They had to admit that Nara Shikaku was right!
The Uchiha Clan's strength was right there, and Uchiha Jin was a Mangekyo wielder. If they truly fought the Uchiha Clan head-on, then even if they won, it would only be a pyrrhic victory.
Therefore.
From that perspective, the Uchiha Clan did not necessarily have to win, but they absolutely could not lose.
No one could bear the cost of that!
In the original story.
If not for Uchiha Itachi, that unfilial son, the Uchiha Clan might have been framed and hated, but they could never have been so easily wiped out.
The Uchiha Clan was destroyed by internal conflict, not because the Konoha Higher-ups were so powerful!
The Uchiha Clan was willing to remain entangled within the rules now only because Uchiha Jin was smart and did not want to take over a broken Konoha.
Ino-Shika-Cho and the other shinobi clans could watch the tigers fight from the mountain and remain neutral for the time being...
But likewise.
If their shinobi clans truly entered the fray to help the Konoha Higher-ups, then once the Uchiha Clan was completely driven to despair, they could drag them all down to hell even in death!
"Then let's remain neutral."
"Still, it really is despairing. The Senju Clan finally left, yet it seems the Uchiha Clan is the one benefiting now."
"I hope the Konoha Higher-ups can win!"
Yamanaka Inoichi's face was full of bitterness.
He still remembered the entire process of the Senju Clan's destruction. After all, no one should think Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others had been especially powerful. Back then, they had only just ascended to the position of Hokage.
At that time, Sarutobi Hiruzen had not yet firmly secured the Hokage Position!
Without the secret push from all of Konoha's shinobi clans, did Sarutobi Hiruzen and his group think they could destroy the Senju Clan by themselves?
Heh, they were dreaming!
But they had never expected that although the Senju Clan was gone, an Uchiha Clan had now emerged.
Still, there was truly nothing they could do.
Who could have imagined that the stubborn and foolish Uchiha Clan would produce a freak like Uchiha Jin?
Without Uchiha Jin, they would have played the Uchiha Clan to death as well, and then the Hyuga Clan would have been next!
Nara Shikaku's eyes flickered.
He ignored Yamanaka Inoichi's thoughts as his mind began racing wildly. After a moment, he spoke directly. "When you 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 will surely have Danzo make a move."
"As long as Uchiha Jin can get through this trial, we will need to spread out our investments. At that time, have a group of clan members defect to them first."
"The reason will be easy to find!"
"Say that the few of us monopolized the clan's resources and secretly suppressed them. Unwilling to accept that and wanting to go further, they chose to defect to the Uchiha Clan."
"Let those defectors take away a portion of our clan's resources!"
"If we want the Uchiha Clan to accept Ino-Shika-Cho, we must do our best to prepare a token of sincerity."
Before you continue