"The Third won't sit by and let something like this happen."
"If the Uchiha and Konoha come into conflict, Konoha will suffer tremendous losses. The Third will surely find a way to mediate."
As a dove, Shisui hurriedly spoke up.
He didn't want things to escalate. If Tamaharu really planned to lead the Uchiha Clan into exile, even if only part of the clan went with him, it would make the conflict much worse.
He didn't want to see that happen.
"The chances of escaping Konoha are slim. Even if we really get out, there might be barely any Uchiha left. That wouldn't be much different from total annihilation."
Fugaku, for his part, carefully considered the possibility Uchiha Tamaharu had raised.
Then he gave his assessment calmly.
The odds were too low!
With Konoha hunting them down, there would certainly be countless casualties along the way. In the end, perhaps only a few dozen—or even a dozen—would escape.
Would they still be the Uchiha then?
"The one who started all this was the Third."
"If he truly cared about Konoha's stability, then during the Nine-Tails Incident, he should have helped clear the Uchiha of suspicion instead of turning a blind eye while Danzo smeared us."
"He just didn't expect things to turn out this way. There was no suitable successor to take over as Hokage, and Danzo's influence was growing rapidly. For the sake of stability, all he could do was watch Danzo fan the flames and tacitly allow it, preparing to sacrifice the Uchiha to resolve the village's internal tensions."
"The clans are trying to recoup their losses from the Nine-Tails Incident by taking it out on the Uchiha, just as they once sucked the life out of the Senju Clan."
"If the Uchiha don't do anything, we'll meet an even worse end than the Senju Clan!"
Uchiha Tamaharu shattered Shisui's illusions without hesitation.
That was the truth!
The Senju Clan had suffered the most deaths in the wars.
But the clans that had recently grown powerful were the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan, along with their three lackeys, Ino-Shika-Cho.
Konoha had once stood on three pillars: the Senju, the Uchiha, and the Hyuga.
But now the Senju Clan had vanished, the Uchiha were being pushed aside, and the Hyuga had become mere tools.
Meanwhile, several clans that depended on Konoha were growing stronger.
Was it really because their foundations were stronger?
No!
They had simply sucked up enough nourishment from the remains of the Senju Clan.
Otherwise, why would Tsunade have left Konoha in a rage?
"How could this be!"
Shisui's face showed his disbelief.
But he could also tell that Uchiha Tamaharu wasn't making things up.
What he said was indeed happening. The hardest thing for Shisui to accept was that the Third was tacitly allowing it, rather than acting as a mediator trying to ease tensions between the two sides.
"So it's come to this!"
Fugaku had already considered that this might happen.
But now that Uchiha Tamaharu had laid everything out plainly, he knew there was no avoiding it any longer.
Those greedy bastards would never give up on the Uchiha, a piece of prime meat.
If they continued to offer no resistance, the Uchiha would simply be wiped out!
As Clan Leader, he naturally didn't want to see that happen. But if they really fought, it would come down to who was more ruthless and willing to make sacrifices.
"There's no way back."
"The people in the Konoha High Command wanted peace, so they deceived you and made you a spy within the Uchiha Clan, feeding them information."
"But after all this time, have they taken even one step to ease the situation?"
"They're just watching things unfold, while Danzo is secretly stirring up hostility toward the Uchiha throughout the village!"
"Give up those foolish fantasies, Shisui."
Uchiha Tamaharu exposed Shisui's identity without hesitation.
He had come to negotiate, and he had brought Fugaku along to keep Shisui in check.
Still, Uchiha Tamaharu hoped Shisui would stand with the Uchiha. After all, his strength could be a great help to the clan and to Tamaharu himself.
"You knew all along?"
"Tamaharu!"
Shisui looked at Uchiha Tamaharu with a deeply conflicted expression.
But he made no move to attack.
Fugaku, standing nearby, stared at Shisui in shock. He was clearly astonished to learn Shisui's true identity—he had never imagined Shisui was a spy for the Konoha High Command.
"Since you were trying to make the Uchiha and the village coexist, I won't attack you."
"I have no interest in attacking the village. I only want to lead my clansmen away. Will you help me?"
Uchiha Tamaharu stated his position plainly.
If Shisui refused, he would join forces with Fugaku and attack him!
He had a Mangekyō Sharingan too.
But Uchiha Tamaharu knew exactly how strong the Mangekyō was: only Kage Level.
That wasn't nearly enough to change everything!
Escaping on his own would be easy, but taking the entire Uchiha Clan with him was another matter!
"Shisui, you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Fugaku was shocked once again.
He felt as though, as Clan Leader, he knew nothing at all.
These young people were one more impressive than the next.
His feelings were a mess!
"Yes!"
"My Mangekyō Dōjutsu is called Kotoamatsukami. It can alter other people's memories."
"I was planning to use this ability to resolve the conflict between the village and the Uchiha. If I used it on the Third and made him mediate, would that work?"
Shisui nodded, then continued voicing his hopes.
"Foolish!"
"If you tell the Konoha High Command about this ability, they'll be afraid to sleep at night, worried you might use it against them!"
"They'll only feel safe if the ability is completely under their own control. It won't be long before Danzo makes a move against you."
"There's no time left, Shisui. You have to decide today: help the Uchiha leave and avoid a war with Konoha, or keep clinging to that foolish idea and let the Uchiha be destroyed."
Uchiha Tamaharu scolded him without hesitation.
Uchiha Tamaharu wasn't sure of the exact timeline.
He had tried to change things, but being an Uchiha made everything too difficult. He couldn't get close to the Fourth Hokage at all.
He had only awakened the Mangekyō recently. On the night of the Nine-Tails Incident, all he could do was watch.
Now that an opportunity had finally come, he wouldn't let this chance to save the Uchiha slip away!
"I..."
Shisui's face was twisted with indecision.
He still held on to his hopes.
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