Uchiha Fugaku, Your Conspiracy Has Been Exposed!

Was it really destroyed?

Uchiha Kazuto... so you were the one hiding the deepest. What are you all trying to do?

I can't figure it out. I really can't. But... what if everything Uchiha Kazuto said is true?

What if it's all true?

This is all a conspiracy between Shimura Danzō and Uchiha Fugaku.

I can't figure it out. I really can't!

Uchiha Shisui felt like his head was about to explode. Uchiha Kazuto's words were clearly so unconvincing, yet when he applied them to Shimura Danzō, they somehow made perfect sense.

Because Shimura Danzō was truly a bastard. No matter how much Shisui called him "Lord Danzo" or how respectfully he acted toward him, he knew deep down that Shimura Danzō was an out-and-out bastard.

And just now, Shimura Danzō had actually made a move on him, trying to take his eyes.

What if Shimura Danzō's goal in taking his eyes wasn't just because of his paranoia? What if the real purpose was to control the Lord Hokage and become Hokage himself?

A dazed look spread across Uchiha Shisui's face. He couldn't figure it out. He really couldn't!

"Shisui, I know you haven't fully trusted me yet. That's fine. Let's return to the clan. It's time to expose Uchiha Fugaku's conspiracy!"

Uchiha Kazuto said.

Then, carrying Shimura Danzō's corpse, he led Uchiha Shisui and hurried toward the clan grounds.

Slap! Thud!

"Ah, what's going on?"

As the teacup hit the floor, Uchiha Fugaku collapsed weakly to the ground, and around him, the other dove-faction Uchiha clan members also fell.

While confusion filled their hearts, the hawk-faction Uchiha clan members stood up.

"Fugaku, you didn't expect this, did you? Your conspiracy with Shimura Danzō has been exposed!"

Uchiha Setsuna looked at Uchiha Fugaku with a grave expression and spoke slowly.

"Wh...what conspiracy? Did you do this? Elder Setsuna, why?"

Uchiha Fugaku lifted his head with difficulty, staring at Uchiha Setsuna, utter bewilderment flashing in his eyes. He understood now—Uchiha Setsuna and these hawk-faction members had actually poisoned the tea. Damn it, was this something a ninja should do? Who could have imagined that their own people would poison them!

But what he couldn't understand was why. Why poison them? And what conspiracy? What conspiracy between him and Danzō? He didn't know anything about it!

"Heh, Fugaku, even now you still refuse to admit it?"

Uchiha Setsuna sneered, then waved his hand. Several hawk-faction members walked over and bound Uchiha Fugaku tightly with chains.

"Admit what? Elder Setsuna, have you misunderstood something?"

Uchiha Fugaku shook his head, desperately trying to explain. He was starting to grasp the situation—Uchiha Setsuna seemed to suspect that he had some connection with Shimura Danzō, that they had a conspiracy targeting the Uchiha Clan. But he really didn't! He had only sent his son to the Anbu. Based on his understanding of his son, their plan should have already been leaked completely. But he truly had no collusion with Shimura Danzō.

"Heh, conspiring with Shimura Danzō, using us as cannon fodder, employing all kinds of concession tactics to make the clan increasingly dissatisfied with the village, working with Shimura Danzō from the inside and outside, inciting us to launch a coup. Then, when we kill the Lord Hokage, Shimura Danzō will jump out. And you, having long been in cahoots with Shimura Danzō, will claim you were coerced, forced, cut ties with us, become Shimura Danzō's dog at our expense, and push the clan into an abyss of ruin! Fugaku, your conspiracy has been seen through by us!"

Uchiha Setsuna looked at Uchiha Fugaku and spoke slowly. He knew this was something Uchiha Kazuto had fabricated, but... but... the more he thought about it, the more real it seemed. Wait, could this actually be the truth?

He recalled Uchiha Fugaku's past behavior—constant concessions to the village, agreeing to negotiate no matter the demand, even sending his own son into the Anbu, all while Shimura Danzō kept oppressing the clan.

Wait, could this really be the truth? Did those two actually have some conspiracy?

That bastard Shimura Danzō really did seem to have always wanted to become Hokage.

If this coup succeeded, Hiruzen Sarutobi died, Shimura Danzō jumped out, and Uchiha Fugaku suddenly switched sides... The thought sent a chill down Uchiha Setsuna's spine. His gaze toward Uchiha Fugaku instantly changed.

If before he still felt a trace of guilt, now it was shock and fury. What if? What if it was true?

If not for Kazuto, their coup might have ended in total annihilation, letting Shimura Danzō and Uchiha Fugaku carry out their conspiracy and drag the Uchiha Clan into an abyss of ruin.

"..."

Silence!

Everyone fell silent.

The dove-faction Uchiha clan members stared blankly at Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Fugaku.

They had never wanted a coup in the first place, but they had no choice. On one hand, the village was increasingly ostracizing them. On the other, the hawk faction had been pressuring and coercing them, forcing them to participate.

But now...

The situation had suddenly become complicated. Could it be that the hawk faction didn't actually want a coup either? That the ones who truly wanted a coup were Uchiha Fugaku and Shimura Danzō, and it was all their conspiracy?

If they had heard Uchiha Setsuna's words before, they would have thought he had gone mad, spouting nonsense. Uchiha Fugaku, their clan head, colluding with Shimura Danzō and plotting against the Lord Hokage and the Uchiha Clan? Impossible.

But now was a critical moment—they were discussing the coup! And the coup had always been the hawk faction's goal.

They had no reason to poison them and claim everything was a conspiracy by Shimura Danzō and Uchiha Fugaku. Because that would mean the hawk faction never actually wanted a coup, which completely contradicted their past behavior.

The only possibility was that everything Uchiha Setsuna said was true!

"?"

Uchiha Fugaku was completely stunned. Wait, Elder Setsuna, what are you saying? Am I hearing things? Is this some kind of genjutsu world? When did he ever collude with Shimura Danzō? When did he have any conspiracy? This doesn't make sense!

This doesn't make sense!