When the Uchihas Began Their Secret Plot

"Rustle rustle!"

Sunlight shattered the sound of the wind, scattering through the gaps in the leaves and dappling the grass with tiny, fragmented spots of light.

On the treetops, several Anbu members crouched on branches amidst the tranquil spring light. They watched the figures below while lifting their masks to eat the dango in their hands.

"Speaking of which, I've truly never seen such a genius..."

Asuma marveled, looking at the girl before him who had basically mastered the Three Jutsu.

"Naturally. Haku's talent is among the highest I've seen for her age."

A casual agreement drifted from the side, instantly annoying Asuma. He glanced at the guy sitting beside him, who was holding a pile of things as if ready for a picnic, and said helplessly, "That's what you say, but shouldn't you be the one learning the Three Jutsu?"

Qing Xuan leaned lazily against the tree trunk, his listless demeanor strikingly similar to Kakashi's.

"It's all the same whether I learn it or she learns it. The Hokage-sama approved it!"

Asuma had been quite rebellious in the past, but ever since meeting Uchiha Qing Xuan, he felt he finally understood his old-fashioned father.

"This is too reckless! Ninja need to build a foundation when they're young, or they'll regret it later! What kind of example are you setting being so lazy?"

Hearing this, Qing Xuan was no longer sleepy.

"Yo yo yo~"

He drew out his tone, sounding exactly like the gossiping aunties in the clan. "Is this the same Asuma Sarutobi who was once wild and loved freedom? To think I'd hear words like that from you?"

Asuma's expression faltered, and he was momentarily speechless. However, Qing Xuan wasn't about to let him off the hook. He flicked his skewer and pointed at him, saying:

"A mere Orochimaru scared you, Asuma Sarutobi, and you have the nerve to lecture me?"

Attacking weaknesses and kicking a cripple's good leg had always been Qing Xuan's specialty.

As expected, Asuma's face showed shame at the taunt. A mere Orochimaru? You don't even care about the Sannin? he thought.

Of course, he was also quite embarrassed about his actions yesterday.

When Orochimaru had told him to leave, he hadn't thought anything of it. After all, what ill intentions could Orochimaru possibly have?

But halfway back, he remembered Qing Xuan's words. The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong, so he rushed back to report it. Fortunately, it wasn't too late.

It was just that his father's gaze when he saw him was a bit strange...

"Don't say that! You might not know, but if it weren't for me, the Anbu wouldn't have been deployed!"

Asuma scratched his head, feeling a bit lost. He never imagined someone like Orochimaru would defect! Though that guy's constant sinister aura was always unsettling...

The two sat on the grass, chatting idly, and watched Haku diligently training not far away. She was truly working like a beast.

"If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have known. The village's defenses have been getting tighter lately. Is it because of Orochimaru?"

Qing Xuan made small talk, as he was idle anyway. Perhaps he could glean some information from the Hokage's foolish son.

Asuma didn't disappoint. He was never very meticulous in his youth and enjoyed chatting with Qing Xuan about such things. Besides, it wasn't exactly top-secret information. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Peace is about to be thoroughly achieved."

"Oh ho?"

"A representative from Kumogakure is coming to the village in the next few days to forge an alliance..."

That afternoon.

Fugaku Uchiha's study.

"What? A Kumogakure delegation is coming to the village?"

Old man Fugaku slammed the table in shock. As the head of the Konoha Military Police Force, he hadn't known anything about Kumogakure and Konohagakure forging a peace treaty?

The Uchiha members who rushed in for the meeting had various expressions. The most agitated among them was Old Man Setsuna Uchiha.

The old man's Three Tomoe Sharingan immediately activated, and he slammed the table, roaring, "I knew these bastards didn't take the Uchiha seriously! They hide everything from us, don't let us get involved in anything. Whenever something happens in the village, the Uchiha are always the last to know!"

Unable to suppress his rage, his eyes turned bloodshot, as if his Sharingan were about to evolve. "What do they want to do!"

Qing Xuan sat calmly to the side, quietly watching his performance. He knew exactly what this old man was thinking.

But your act is too over the top! Can't you tone it down a bit?

"Ahem!"

With Qing Xuan's interruption, Fugaku coughed lightly, and his anger subsided.

He then surveyed the pillars of the clan and asked, "What should the Uchiha do next?"

As soon as he finished speaking, pairs of Sharingan eyes quickly focused on a small, dango-eating figure.

Fugaku followed their gaze and was instantly infuriated. Eating, eating, eating! All day long, all you do is eat dango! You'll regret it when you get fat!

"Qing Xuan, what do you think we should do?"

The study fell silent.

At this moment, Qing Xuan's current prestige within the Uchiha clan was evident.

The impact of Qing Xuan's recent actions was fully displayed.

The other Uchiha remained silent. Such a position would be unattainable even for the clan head's son.

"Do what?"

Under the watchful eyes of a crowd of Uchiha bigwigs, the unlucky kid slowly chewed and swallowed the last dango, a clear spark of wisdom flashing through his eyes.

"Of course, we're going to take this opportunity to cause a huge ruckus!"

These words undoubtedly struck a chord with the other Uchiha!

"Well done, Qing Xuan!"

Elder Shana was the first to jump out in support.

"I really didn't misjudge you!"

However, a minority, such as the conservative Elder Homen, showed a hint of worry.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Qing Xuan smiled confidently and said in a low voice, "I already have a detailed plan, and..."

As he spoke, his smile grew more sinister, making Fugaku, who was standing nearby, frown.

He remembered that Liu Yun used to smile like this too, and then bad things would always happen...

"I've already found out the time the Kumogakure envoy is arriving in Konoha..."

He said this, accompanied by a wicked grin, making the other Uchiha feel uneasy all over, as if they were plotting something incredible behind closed doors.

Only Elder Shana was like he'd been injected with chicken blood, getting more and more excited as he listened.

"And then?"

The old man's face turned red with excitement. He felt the thrill of leading the radicals to launch a coup years ago returning!

"We're going to secretly go outside the village..."

He sinisterly revealed a smile similar to Qing Xuan's and made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.

Those who understood, understood. Assassinate the envoy, blame the higher-ups, create conflict between the two villages, manufacture disputes, sit back and watch the tigers fight, weaken the higher-ups' combat power, and finally, the Uchiha will be in charge of everything!

Instantly, several radicals' breathing became heavy. Even the few conservatives looked at each other and felt that it seemed... feasible?

Although they were conservative, if the final outcome could truly be achieved, it wasn't impossible to be a bit radical!

Thus, the Uchiha truly began to plot in the study