Uchiha Itachi's words certainly hadn't come out of nowhere, nor had a pure soul seen through the emperor's new clothes.
The Uchihas had been through life-and-death trials and lived by the blade. They weren't fools, blind to everything right in front of them.
Their hearts were simply full of love. Their love for Konoha had blinded them, keeping them from seeing reality.
Uchiha Itachi loved Konoha, his clan, and his family even more fiercely. He, too, had been blinded by love, and had once regarded the Third Hokage as the guiding light of his life.
Fortunately, Yamanaka Chujiu had polished Itachi's eyes in a dream last night, letting him see Hiruzen Sarutobi for what he truly was: a beacon leading the way to the grave.
The words Uchiha Itachi had spoken sounded somewhat naïve, but were actually full of wisdom. They came from the way of thinking Yamanaka Chujiu had carved into his mind while treating his mental illness today.
There was no helping it. To help Itachi fully straighten out his thought process, Yamanaka Chujiu had no choice but to implant his own way of thinking, using a Thought Seal to keep Itachi from going astray again.
What?
Putting a Thought Seal on someone without their consent was unethical?
Heh. This was Uchiha Itachi, not a naturally good person like Shisui!
Besides, Yamanaka Chujiu's Thought Seal emphasized close relationships. The logic was to love your family first, then your clan, and only after that, your village.
That was Itachi's true nature: emotionally rich, and full of passionate love for his family, his clan, and Konoha.
The only mistake this kid had made was losing his moral compass and getting the order of his love wrong. That had led him down the path of selfless devotion to the greater good.
People had feelings, so the way of humanity was inherently selfish.
Heaven had no feelings, so the way of heaven was utterly impartial.
Uchiha Itachi was human. How could a human devote himself to the greater good above all else?
Forget whether you, Uchiha Itachi, were worthy of it—even the Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, wasn't worthy!
Just look after your family first, then your clan, and only after that, consider the village.
With Yamanaka Chujiu's Thought Seal, at least Itachi wouldn't go astray again, nor would he wipe out his own clan for Konoha.
The closer his family were to him, the less likely they were to notice anything wrong.
Now that he stood on the right side, Uchiha Itachi's eyes were clear and sharp. He saw through the problem with the agreement at a glance.
Uchiha Fugaku and the elders weren't fools. They had simply been blinded by Konoha's peace. Their hearts, clouded by that peace, were unwilling to face the cruel reality of their comrades' betrayal.
Once Uchiha Itachi exposed the deception, Fugaku could see through Hiruzen Sarutobi's scheme.
Regardless of what Hiruzen Sarutobi thought or said, his actions proved that he instinctively regarded the Uchiha Clan as an enemy.
The five Uchihas held back their anger, gritted their teeth, and drew up a new plan for the negotiations.
If the Uchiha had to relocate, fine!
First, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had to give a clear timeline and method for resolving the problem, as well as specify what the solution was meant to achieve.
Second, the Third Hokage had to clearly state how the land and houses in the Uchiha Compound would be handled: would the village buy them out, or guarantee the rent if they were leased to other ninja clans?
Finally, everything had to be put in writing, in black and white, with the Third Hokage signing his promise!
And yet, even after realizing that Hiruzen Sarutobi treated them as enemies, Uchiha Fugaku was still worried about their relationship.
"Would making the Third Hokage sign a promise be going too far?"
Uchiha Fugaku wasn't alone in his concern. Uchiha Yuya felt uneasy, too.
"The clan head's concern isn't unreasonable. The Third Hokage is the Hokage, after all. If we pressure him like this..."
Uchiha Yuichiro furrowed his brows and shook his head repeatedly. "That's right. If we do this, there'll really be no room left to smooth things over..."
Even Uchiha Shiho, an advocate of the hard-line faction, fell silent.
Only Uchiha Setsuna muttered, "We have no choice. Hiruzen Sarutobi keeps breaking his promises..."
Uchiha Itachi said nothing more. He simply watched the expressions of his elders in silence, his thoughts unknowable.
The next morning, Uchiha Itachi ate breakfast, played for a while with his younger brother, who was blowing bubbles, and then went out alone.
He was going to find Yamanaka Chujiu!
With the instincts of the First Believer, Uchiha Itachi found Yamanaka Chujiu without even needing to search.
Fifty-five children followed Yamanaka Chujiu. From a distance, he called out, "Morning, Itachi."
Itachi asked curiously, "Good morning, Chujiu-senpai. What are you all going to do?"
"I borrowed a piece of unused land from the Yamanaka Clan. I'm going to take everyone there to clear it and plant crops."
Uchiha Shisui asked in surprise, "Chujiu-senpai, clearing land is hard work. Can we really manage it?"
Yamanaka Chujiu replied, "Yes. I like that 'we' you said."
"Don't worry. We can do it."
"Farming is hard work for ordinary farmers, of course, but it isn't as hard for ninja. Even children who haven't learned any jutsu yet can work wonders beyond the imagination of ordinary people."
Uchiha Itachi thought for a moment, then looked around at the surroundings and asked, "Chujiu-senpai, it's November now. Even if we clear the land in winter, what can we plant?"
Yamanaka Chujiu smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out when the time comes."
They crossed the Konoha River and headed east. Before long, they reached the plot of land belonging to the Yamanaka family.
This wasteland near the river had a steep slope, shallow, barren soil, and was covered in gravel. Only mugwort, with its shallow roots, could grow there.
Konoha had plenty of good farmland, and the Yamanaka clansmen didn't want to bother cultivating this plot. So Yamanaka Chujiu had managed to rent it for a very low price.
He understood the saying, "No one farms poor fields, but once they're cleared, everyone wants them."
So he had carefully discussed how to divide the profits with his big brother, Inoichi, written it all down in a contract, and obtained the elders' approval.
That couldn't guarantee there would be no disputes in the future, but at least it drew a boundary around their share of the profits, so no one could swallow it all in one bite.
Yamanaka Chujiu stood by the river, raised his hand toward the barren hillside, and shouted, "Everyone, this is the land we're going to clear!"
Chujiu's voice still wasn't very loud, but everyone could hear him clearly over the river breeze. They could also feel the unwavering determination in his words.
"The Yamanaka Clan elder said clearing this land would take three years, a lot of money, and the labor of adults."
"I told him then, 'No! Chakra and jutsu can work miracles!'"
"We're descendants of ninja. We have the talent to become ninja, and we're all destined to become ninja in the future."
"But does becoming a ninja mean we can only kill people?"
"No, it doesn't!"
"Princess Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, is best known not for killing people with her jutsu, but for healing them!"
"If jutsu can save people, then it can also be used to create wealth!"
"We can use our own hands and jutsu to cultivate this abandoned land, transform it into fertile farmland in an impossibly short time, and make it grow grain and vegetables."
"And we can exchange that grain and those vegetables for money, turning them into income to support our families!"
Before you continue