This is no longer an ordinary Uchiha

The air stagnated.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, the Professor of Ninjutsu—that title carried immense weight!

Even with their hearts set on rebellion, the young Uchiha present felt a jolt in their chests upon hearing Itachi's words.

"..."

The hawkish jonin stared daggers at Itachi. As the son of the clan head, he actually refused to declare his stance, choosing instead to act as a mouthpiece at such a critical moment.

A traitorous beast!

Fugaku, how did you raise your son? Elder Setsuna shot a sidelong glance at the clan head.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi, clad in his pristine Anbu uniform with his expression hidden behind a fox mask, ignored both Fugaku and Elder Setsuna, staring straight at the variable before him.

Xiu!

I should have killed you sooner.

The existence of the moderate faction had previously served to check the zealots who dominated the clan.

It was like a carriage hurtling toward an abyss; there had been reins to limit its speed, but the moment you appeared, those reins turned into a whip, urging the Uchiha to rush even faster down that path of no return.

To consider only the interests of one's own clan is far too narrow-minded!

Thinking this, the weasel could not help but leak a trace of killing intent. It was precisely because of this perspective, which transcended the clan, that he was recognized by Lord Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had praised him:

At seven years old, he already possessed the mindset of a Hokage.

"Xiu."

In the strange atmosphere, Fugaku's voice was low. "Since the Hokage has summoned you, you should go."

"The time is not yet right."

Saying this, the clan head, fearing he would be misunderstood by the others, quickly added a caveat.

--First, we must clarify Itachi's attitude, force him to lean completely toward the clan, relay the latest intelligence from the higher-ups, and find the perfect moment to strike a decisive blow!

--Second, we must use the Mangekyo Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in advance and utilize the demon fox.

Elder Setsuna wore a gloomy expression.

Tekka and the other hawkish jonin locked their gazes onto Uchiha Xiu, who had once again become the focal point.

"Xiu, I will wait for you to return from the Hokage's office, or let's go together; I'll wait for you downstairs at the building," Shisui said hurriedly.

Are you worried I might assassinate the Hokage?

Vaguely catching the subtext, Uchiha Xiu shook his head:

"I am currently at a bottleneck in my training of an Ultimate Eye Technique and cannot go."

A response beyond everyone's expectations.

"Hahaha, good."

After a brief silence, Elder Setsuna was the first to react, his tone filled with gratification: "The training of an Ultimate Eye Technique truly cannot be delayed. Come, this old man will take you!"

The clansmen straightened their backs one after another.

Everyone had just been cursing the higher-ups, clearly declaring their intent to rebel, and yet if Xiu, who was regarded as a core figure, turned around to obey orders and go to the Hokage's office to call out "Lord Sarutobi"...

Wouldn't that be far too spineless!

This answer was for the best.

"That's right, we cannot follow orders," Uchiha Yashiro agreed coldly.

"Let it be today; let them witness the full fury of the Uchiha clan."

A Police Force jonin clamored.

"The armor I wore in the Second Ninja World War is still at home. I will put it on, take up my blade, and this old man is ready to march at any time!"

Another elder who had long ceased participating in village missions stepped forward, filled with resentment: "When the ancestor Madara left Konoha, I regretted not following in his footsteps."

"We joined the Senju to found Konoha, and to maintain it, how many of our kin died in battle? In the end, this is the outcome we get: pushed to the fringes of power, subjected to malicious slander by the commoners, and our clan grounds moved under the surveillance of other ninja clans."

"Can we endure this?"

"Kill!"

"..."

Amidst the seething public anger, Shisui, who preferred to sit on the fence, panicked.

It's over. The conflict has escalated to this point; how am I supposed to balance both sides?

Subconsciously, the pair of Three Tomoe in his eye sockets flickered, rapidly undergoing a mutation to pull into a shuriken-like shape.

The strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, could directly invade the opponent's brain without them noticing, rewriting their will. He could achieve victory without a conflict breaking out!

At this point, he had no choice but to use it to control Clan Head Fugaku and Elder Setsuna. Once he made the two of them change their minds, the Uchiha would lack a leader and could remain calm for at least another three years.

As for the resentment, if it accumulated to the limit again and erupted once more... No!

During this time, I will persuade the Hokage and Elder Danzo to grant the clan preferential treatment.

As he thought this, Uchiha Fugaku's gaze met his, and his three-tomoe Sharingan instantly rotated into the Mangekyo form.

An invisible pressure left Shisui unable to act rashly.

The Clan Head also possesses these Eyes of God!

What is his ability?

Elder Setsuna, who had been planning to take Uchiha Xiu away, froze in place. After the initial shock, an indescribable ecstasy surged from the depths of his heart.

Two pairs of Mangekyo, appearing all at once.

We've got this!

"I represent only myself and the path I believe is truly beneficial to the future of the Uchiha—peaceful protest, not senseless sacrifice."

Instinctively raising his hand, Shisui blocked Uchiha Xiu's path, saying naively, "Direct confrontation will only weaken the power that originally belongs to Konoha. Both sides will suffer, leaving the other nations surrounding the Land of Fire to covet us once more and ignite another Great Ninja War."

"Just endure it, I beg you, Xiu."

"Everyone must be patient... keep an open mind, and hold on."

The master was still hanging from the tree even after he died.

One couldn't tell which side he was actually sitting on.

Uchiha Xiu, who was inciting a shift in the world line, couldn't help but think of this line from the movie Let the Bullets Fly.

According to the plot, this idiot in front of him chose to hold a secret meeting with that old dog Danzo between the Hokage and the Uchiha, only to be ambushed and have his eye stolen.

After becoming a one-eyed man, he neither went to the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen to complain and seize the moral high ground, nor did he announce the truth to his clansmen to warn them that the situation had become irreconcilable—to the point where even the fence-sitters could no longer tolerate it.

Like a coward, he jumped into a river to commit suicide, forged his own suicide note, and entrusted his last eye to that weasel, Itachi.

Not only did he exit the stage in humiliation, but he also disrupted the established rhythm of the Uchiha clan's resistance, forcing a delay in the plan and indirectly causing the tragedy of the clan's extermination.

And don't even get me started on Itachi; he was a total beast.

At four, he pondered the meaning of life; at seven, he was touted as having the mind of a Hokage. In the end, his world-shaking wisdom told him that killing his father and mother and joining outsiders to wipe out his entire clan was the "big picture."

In short, those with different paths cannot make plans together. I must find an opportunity to kill that weasel, or my thoughts will never be clear.

At any rate, he hasn't awakened his Mangekyo yet; he needs the stimulation of Shisui's death to have the capacity to put his pathological ideology into practice.

Exhaling a long breath, Uchiha Xiu, who would bring change to the clan, said slowly:

"I only practice one principle: if you seek peace through struggle, peace will prevail; if you seek peace through compromise, peace will perish."

Without needing much political wisdom, Uchiha Xiu, who was just an ordinary college student in his past life, would be invincible if he could practice this quote from a great man and use it as his guiding principle.

After all, the Ninja World is a place where illiteracy is rampant!

It is a stretch to say that a Ninja Academy graduate even has an elementary school education.

The six years are mainly spent teaching how to use ninjutsu to kill and the geography of various countries. The only thing related to ideology is the Will of Fire—offering infinite loyalty to the Hokage and the abstract interests of the village.

He had personally experienced this, so he had the right to speak on the matter.

"If you seek peace through struggle, peace will prevail..." The illiterate Uchiha Shisui lowered his raised hand, murmuring to himself as if he had been hit by a dimensional strike.

He began to seriously consider the weight of those words.

"Let me put it more bluntly: was the end of the last Great Ninja War negotiated by the high-level officials of various parties? Never think of obtaining at the negotiating table what you cannot secure on the battlefield."

Elder Setsuna, who was responsible for leading the way for Uchiha Xiu, became increasingly excited.

Wisdom!

Wisdom that even the ancestor Madara did not possess!!

That man was only good at fighting... otherwise, how could he have played such a good hand so poorly?

"Heaven has opened its eyes; my Uchiha clan has finally produced a treasure."

"How could this child have followed that old man Shin and mixed with the moderates before?"

Filled with confusion and gratification, Uchiha Setsuna led the way for Uchiha Xiu while considering the feasibility of taking action tonight.

The Ultimate Eye Technique must be learned.

Every bit of extra top-tier combat power increases the odds of setting things right.

"Even if this old man dies in battle tonight, seeing the Uchiha take back what is rightfully theirs makes it all worth it."

Setsuna turned his head to stare at the calm-faced Uchiha Xiu and confessed, "I will go to the Pure Land and meet our ancestors with a clear conscience."

"Tonight's operation stands."

Watching the backs of the old man and the youth disappear, Clan Head Fugaku, who had intimidated Shisui with his Mangekyo, said firmly:

"Go, prepare for battle."

"Yes!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The jonin belonging to the Police Force scattered, leaving the dark underground plaza.

Once they had a clear goal, each squad would execute their orders well; they were the backbone of the clan.

Just like in every previous ninja war.

It's just that... tonight, the blades are turned inward.

"Boom!"

Just as they stepped out of the shrine, the Uchiha who had attended the clan meeting realized that the clear, sunny sky from earlier that morning had quietly turned gloomy.

"A blade in a rainy night."

"A good omen."

Uchiha Xiu, having decided to walk his own path, paused and looked up at the sky.

Before accepting the invitation from the Main God Space, I was powerless to change the situation; I could only write web novels to make money, try to be a migrant, and keep to myself.

Now that I have become a reincarnator, possess Kage-level strength, and have easily consolidated the power of the Uchiha, should I still be timid, acting like a rat in the gutter, and seeking petty gains without any vision?

If I did that, I would truly be letting down that pop-up window from that morning!

"The Third Hokage summoning me is nothing more than the usual routine: invite, behead, and then take me in as a dog."

"Let's stir things up. Use the momentum to strike; only in chaos can one feast on satisfying meat."

"I can't win in a one-on-one fight, but to fight my entire Uchiha clan? Do you, the decrepit Third Hokage, have the strength for that? Even if you did, you wouldn't be willing to pay the price."

"Tsk, Clan Head Fugaku may be abstract, but at least he isn't muddled when it comes to major issues."

The hero who was once willing to cover the retreat for the Second Hokage has grown old; now, there is only a timid, suspicious monkey who loves using black-gloved hands.

It wouldn't be until a few years later, when facing his rebellious disciple Orochimaru, that he would attempt to show some backbone.

If one judges solely by the results, his record is quite laughable.

Border of the Land of Fire.

On a steep cliff right next to the Land of Fields, a figure leaped into a mountain cave.

"I'll mark this spot."

"I might not use it, but I cannot be without a trump card to prevent extreme situations."

Poof, the Shadow Clone vanished.

The one-time item Negacion from the world of Soul Reaper has a mechanism that can be activated at any time!

Konoha.

Undercurrents were surging.

Uchiha Itachi, who had a bit of cleverness and regretted not changing the "summons" to an "invitation" before coming, left in a dejected state.

"Bang!"

Hokage Office.

Shimura Danzō slammed the door open, the veins on the back of his hand gripping his cane bulging:

"Arrogant! Uchiha Xiu! A brat who suddenly popped out of nowhere dares to defy the authority of the Hokage! Refusing a summons from the high-level officials in public and using training as an excuse? This is a naked provocation!"

His voice was hoarse, making no effort to hide his killing intent: "A naturally evil clan, they truly harbor malicious intentions."

"Hiruzen, this is no longer an ordinary Uchiha; we must slaughter them! Clean them out!"

"Danzō, calm down. Things have not reached that point yet."

After saying this, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in his chair and took a deep drag from his pipe, the embers flickering in the dim office.

The door creaked open, and two more people filed in.

"Homura, Koharu, you're here."

"Hiruzen."

The three stood before the desk.

When there were no outsiders, they called each other by their names rather than titles like the honorable Hokage, advisor, or consultant.

All the shady conspiracies and policies that affected the entire Land of Fire and the Ninja World mostly took shape right here.

"Hiruzen." Shimura Danzō, feeling he had calmed down, spoke first: "Let's strike first. Have the Anbu infiltrate the Uchiha compound and behead the high-ranking members of the Police Force according to the list; my Root will provide support from the outside."

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned. There were no outsiders here, so there was no need to maintain his image of being great, upright, and kind:

"To pacify the entire Uchiha clan, we would have to sacrifice at least a hundred elite ninja, and Fugaku has even awakened those eyes."

"I am reminded of the Valley of the End, the battle between Madara and Lord Hashirama; that was a height only gods could reach."

Even if there were differences between Mangekyo, it would be no problem for Fugaku to drag a Kage-level combatant from the village down with him.

Konoha could not withstand such losses.

Under the gaze of the three, the monkey finally began to reflect on whether he had applied too much pressure in the past and had been too lenient with Danzō's petty schemes.

Suppressing these thoughts, he added:

"My three disciples: one is a Senju, two are commoners."

"Ever since Obito died in battle, there hasn't been an Uchiha among the disciples of my disciples. This is a very bad implication... It sends a wrong signal to the outside world: that this founding clan, which has made great contributions and never missed a single Ninja World War, is being squeezed out of the core succession by us, with no chance at the position of Hokage."

"I am old and lack the energy to train disciples anymore. Tell me, what if we recall Jiraiya or Tsunade and have them select a child from the Uchiha clan to break this misunderstanding?"

"..." Danzo sneered.

Monkey, you truly have grown old.

The two advisors exchanged a glance.

Utatane Koharu, who had been silent, spoke up: "We cannot shrink back at a critical juncture; all the other ninja clans are watching, including spies from the other four great nations."

"Therefore, we must handle this with a hardline approach, demonstrating a willingness to cut off our own flesh if necessary, so that we may intimidate all others and safeguard the peace."

After listening to his old partner's analysis, Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses calm and prudent:

"Exterminating the clan is too radical, but we must at least deal with the ringleaders."

"Furthermore... your proposal is sound. Regardless of anything else, recall Jiraiya and Tsunade immediately. Have them return as soon as possible to oversee the village, but keep the matter of taking on apprentices as a contingency."

"Kakashi has been in the Anbu for a long time; let him out to do some work. He is the Fourth Hokage's student, a powerhouse among Jonin, and possesses a Sharingan. How about selecting Sasuke as his apprentice? He is Fugaku's second son."

"Very well." Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke.

Win over Fugaku, toss him a dog bone.

The other Mangekyo user, Shisui, remains neutral.

By neutralizing threats while simultaneously striking, the crisis seems less daunting.

"Striving for peace through struggle... what an interesting junior. Since he will not come to see this old man, then tonight, this old man shall take the Anbu to see him."

Danzo slammed his cane heavily against the floor: "Hiruzen, your indecisiveness will only nurture a tiger that will eventually devour us. Shisui, that double-dealer, is equally untrustworthy."

No one present echoed his sentiment.

Everyone knew this man was too extreme—more extreme even than Master Tobirama.

Shisui and Itachi, those two fellows are friendly enough.

"Heh, this old man has his own arrangements." His single eye narrowed, and he firmly muttered to himself: "Mangekyo, Kotoamatsukami... hmph, such a sinful thing, only when used by this old man... can Konoha be made great again!"

Outside the office window, raindrops pelted down.

The sky grew even gloomier.

"What about Naruto?"

At this moment, the old woman Koharu seemed to finally react and hurriedly asked.

"Five days ago, I already arranged for the Anbu to relocate him. The Naruto currently attending the academy is a shadow clone."

Hiruzen displayed his seasoned side.

"Very good." Mitokado Homura finally relaxed completely.

"Everyone, return and prepare your elite forces. That phrase, 'striving for peace through struggle,' applies just as well from the village's perspective."

Hiruzen exhaled the final puff of smoke; the mist swirled, blurring his complex gaze.

Do they think this old man can no longer lift the Monkey King Enma Adamantine Staff?

Uchiha Setsuna!

Uchiha Yashiro!

Uchiha Xiu!