Arrangements and New Problems

Minagawa Uchiha said nothing more and waited for the Uchiha Clan members present to state their positions. After all, if one had not suffered another's pain, one had no right to urge them toward forgiveness. He was merely explaining the current situation. Whether Uchiha Itachi should be spared still had to be decided by the families of the victims. He did not like morally coercing others, nor would he accept it himself.

Time ticked by bit by bit. Everyone knew that time could not be wasted in such an emergency, but no one could make the decision for the victims' families. For a moment, the scene fell strangely silent.

Seeing that the clan members present still had nothing to say, Minagawa Uchiha stopped waiting. This was not the time to cater to the feelings of a small minority. He took their silence as consent to spare Uchiha Itachi for the time being and have him join the effort to redeem themselves by punishing the Konoha High Command.

Thus, Minagawa Uchiha wasted no more time and gave his orders directly:

"Enough. Let's proceed. Those of you who are ninja, notify all clan members with Two-Tomoe Sharingan or higher to gather at the Clan Head's home. Ninja below Two-Tomoe should lead the other clan members to take refuge at Naka Shrine. Itachi, come on. We're going to see your father."

Upon hearing the orders, the surrounding clan members no longer dwelled on Uchiha Itachi's matter and began moving at once. After the battle just now, they had all acknowledged Minagawa Uchiha as their clan's genius and naturally trusted his arrangements. Besides, in the midst of a crisis that threatened to destroy the clan, no one had known what to do.

Uchiha Itachi was also decisive. He immediately followed Minagawa Uchiha back to his own home, where Uchiha Fugaku fortunately happened to be.

Yet upon seeing Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Itachi acted like a child who had done something wrong. He stood silently behind Minagawa Uchiha, leaving Minagawa Uchiha no choice but to step forward and briefly explain the situation.

"That's the situation, Clan Head. I have already notified the clan members with Two-Tomoe Sharingan or higher to gather, while the others have gone to take refuge at Naka Shrine. Once you have arranged the clan's affairs, please lead us in defeating the Anbu stationed around the perimeter, then kill Shimura Danzō, the true culprit."

"Given the urgency, Itachi and I could only come up with this plan. Clan Head, do you see any issue with these arrangements?"

Uchiha Fugaku was momentarily unable to process it. A young clansman had suddenly appeared and reported that the Konoha High Command intended to destroy the Uchiha Clan, that barriers had already been set up outside the clan grounds, and that the Anbu had completed their encirclement.

If his son had not been standing beside him without raising any objection—and if he had not known his son's character so well, knowing that he would never allow someone to spout nonsense about such a matter—he would have taken this young man for a lunatic.

Looking at the youth before him, Uchiha Fugaku felt a jumble of emotions. He had never expected this somewhat famous genius to be so monstrously talented. Younger than Itachi, he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and even defeated the son Fugaku had always regarded as his pride.

Not only had he realized the Uchiha Clan's awkward position and deliberately concealed himself, but at this critical moment, he had stepped forward, stopped Itachi, and handled the matters within the clan grounds in an orderly fashion.

This level of talent could no longer be described as merely outstanding. He was practically a monster!

Then Fugaku thought of his own son and Uchiha Shisui. People truly could not be compared. They had put all their talent points into combat, and what made it even more infuriating was that they had still lost in a fight.

Uchiha Fugaku shot a fierce glare at his son, who was hiding behind Minagawa Uchiha, clearly frustrated that he had failed to live up to expectations.

"Mm. Minagawa Uchiha, you handled this very well. You truly are a genius of the Uchiha Clan. Not only did you awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan at such a young age, but you also handled matters flawlessly. Excellent!"

After saying that, he glanced at Uchiha Itachi, giving Itachi the illusion of being compared to someone else's child. Then Uchiha Fugaku's approving smile vanished instantly, and he fixed Minagawa Uchiha and Uchiha Itachi with a grave look.

"However, have you considered what will happen once we strike back? Even if we deal with Shimura Danzō, what will happen when we face the Third Hokage?"

"I'm afraid you have not realized this yet. Our clan is actually divided into many factions. There are Moderate Faction members like Shisui, who seek peaceful coexistence between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. Likewise, there is also the Radical Faction. They were the ones who initiated the Uchiha Clan's conspiracy to seize power through a coup d'état."

"Although I, as Clan Head, have always tried to suppress them and balance the two sides, keeping them evenly matched so they could restrain one another, the Konoha High Command's growing suspicion and surveillance of the Uchiha Clan has caused the Radical Faction to swell in numbers. To keep the Uchiha Clan from falling apart, I too have now been forced into joining their ranks."

"Once we destroy Shimura Danzō and his Root, given the Radical Faction's temperament and the momentum from defeating Root, they certainly will not negotiate properly with the Third Hokage. They will likely choose to attack immediately."

"If that happens, whether we are from the Moderate Faction or simply clan members without strong opinions, we will all be swept into that battle. Likewise, Konoha's other clans and civilian ninja will be stirred up by Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, to join the effort to defend the village and suppress the rebellion."

"You must understand that Shimura Danzō was ruthless and unpopular. Few people in the village would support him, so killing him would naturally bring little backlash."

"But Sarutobi Hiruzen is different. He has been Hokage for so many years. Whether in terms of prestige within the village or the ninja and clans that support him, there are many. If we touch him, we will inevitably face a united assault."

"If this continues, forget taking over an intact village—the Uchiha Clan and the village itself will both suffer severe losses, giving other villages an opportunity to exploit our weakness."

"Wait, Father. Forgive me for interrupting, but Minagawa Uchiha once said that you have also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Is that true?"

Before Uchiha Fugaku could elaborate further on the problems the Uchiha Clan would face after striking back, Uchiha Itachi interrupted him and voiced the question that had long remained buried in his heart.

"Yes. During the Third Shinobi World War, when I saw clan members die to save me, I awakened these cursed eyes. But I do not know how Lord Minagawa learned of it. I believed I had hidden it well and had never revealed it before anyone else."

With that, Uchiha Fugaku activated his Sharingan. As the three Tomoe spun rapidly, a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan appeared before Minagawa Uchiha and Uchiha Itachi.

Seeing the Mangekyō Sharingan in his father's eyes, Uchiha Itachi sucked in a sharp breath. His final concern faded away, and he gained complete confidence in the operation.