Double-Faced Spy

Itachi Uchiha had lost miserably.

He hung his head low, leaning weakly against Shisui, looking utterly drained.

A trace of sympathy inevitably flickered in the onlookers' eyes; given Akashi's overwhelming dominance, Itachi had already done quite well to hold out for this long.

Still, this would likely be a severe blow to his pride.

A minor interlude had occurred during the clan meeting, and the tense atmosphere had surprisingly diluted, with the conversation gradually shifting toward the prospects of the younger generation of the Uchiha.

Akashi's speech had been brilliant, and his display of extraordinary talent during the fight had drawn many impressed gazes.

A short while later, everyone returned to the Shrine.

Fugaku seized the opportunity to cut through the Gordian knot and make a final decision.

With Akashi's groundwork and the unexpected fight, the attention of the opposition had been divided again and again, causing them to lose their momentum and their voices to grow much quieter.

The policy for relocating the clan grounds was finalized.

Seeing that the Clan Head's stance was unchangeable, the others either shook their heads in sighs or nodded in agreement, ultimately accepting the result.

In the Council Hall, the atmosphere eased.

"Very well, today's clan meeting ends here. Everyone, you may return," Fugaku said, tucking his hands into his sleeves to see them off, before suddenly adding, "Akashi, stay behind."

Akashi, who had been trying to slip away amidst the crowd, was called out, drawing gloating expressions from many.

Hmph, let's see you act arrogant now.

You offended the Clan Head and thought you could just run?

Once the crowd dispersed, Akashi faced Fugaku alone. Seeing that poker face, he felt a twinge of anxiety: He isn't going to settle a personal grudge, is he?

It was your son who started the trouble first.

Fugaku seemed to read Akashi's thoughts and offered a helpless smile: "Let's head to the Rear Hall. We'll talk privately; it's not about Itachi."

"Clan Head, I knew you were magnanimous."

Akashi chuckled sheepishly and followed him into the Rear Hall.

In the vast space, only the two of them remained, sitting face to face.

Fugaku brewed two cups of floral tea, pushed one toward Akashi with a single hand, and said, "Regarding the relocation of the clan grounds, you mentioned earlier that we should demand more compensation from the village. Is there really a price hike of five thousand ryo per square meter?"

"About that..."

"Were you lying?"

"No, no, no. Those were the Hokage's exact words. He said we can add at most five thousand, but when you negotiate, you must demand over ten thousand; otherwise, after they haggle, we won't even get the five thousand."

Fugaku nodded.

He knew this was the village's bottom line and their maximum potential gain.

Furthermore, there was one more thing he wanted to know.

"Akashi, do you think I am doing the right thing?"

"No."

"Hm?"

Fugaku raised an eyebrow. Was he really being that direct?

Akashi spread his hands: "But it's the only way for now. It isn't the right time to have a falling out with the village."

"Not the right time..."

Fugaku's gaze darkened.

Indeed, it was not the right time.

It was the 49th year of Konoha.

The Nine-Tails Incident had only recently passed, and the people were yearning for stability.

Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, was still in the village and had not yet defected. Danzo's Root and the Hokage's Anbu were both formidable forces, and the other clans were full of wariness toward the Uchiha.

If they truly decided to fight to the death, their chances of success were only about fifty percent.

The Uchiha clan were all people who cared deeply about their reputation; unless absolutely forced, they would not willingly rise in rebellion and bear the stigma of being traitors.

Even if they succeeded in a coup, could they command obedience?

Given the Uchiha's temperament, it would be difficult to keep the other clans satisfied. By then, they would inevitably have to deal with endless internal strife, and if other villages took the opportunity to intervene... the consequences would be unimaginable.

As for fleeing, they would inevitably face endless pursuit.

Furthermore, ninjas could run, but what about the elderly, the weak, the women, and the children?

There were too many concerns; they couldn't accomplish anything.

Akashi didn't overthink things the way Fugaku and the others did. All their problems could be boiled down to a single point.

Weakness!

If they possessed the strength of Madara Uchiha, would the Konoha high-ups dare to even let out a peep?

Because one's power is insufficient, one must endure.

This is the root cause of the Uchiha tragedy.

Many members of the Uchiha clan have yet to realize this; they still believe the Uchiha are powerful, unaware that the disaster stems precisely from their own arrogance.

Truly hopeless.

Akashi does not expect them to have an ideological awakening; in all things, one can only rely on oneself.

Fugaku lifted his teacup and blew on it. "You've worked hard during this period. Is there anything else you wish to tell me?"

"Then I shall speak."

Akashi grinned. "The Third Hokage asked me to report the situation within the clan to him, once every three days. He promised me a position in the Anbu in two years with double the salary—though, of course, there is no pay during the internship period."

Fugaku was stunned. "Is this something I am allowed to know?"

"You are the clan head, after all!" Akashi nodded as if it were only natural. "Actually, I was coerced by the Hokage. My heart has always been with the clan, and I haven't betrayed any valuable information. I even went to great lengths to find out the bottom-line price for this relocation. I had intended to have my father suggest it, had he not been home recuperating and happened to be..."

"Alright, alright, I understand."

Fugaku let out a long sigh. This kid was truly long-winded.

Though he sounded impatient, he was inwardly very curious about Akashi's actions. "What exactly are you trying to express?"

Akashi pretended to be embarrassed, rubbing his hands together as he stammered, "I am very willing to serve the clan, but I was wondering if there is any work subsidy for this?"

"Subsidy?" Fugaku was taken aback.

"I mean compensation. This work will definitely affect my daily mission execution, leading to less pay, and then there are household expenses and such..."

Before he could finish, Fugaku interrupted, "I understand. I will allocate funds from the clan's activity budget for you."

The Uchiha are indeed generous; they are far better than the stingy high-ranking officials of Konoha.

Akashi praised him inwardly and smiled again.

"Also, I would like to be reimbursed for the money I spent buying cigarettes for the Hokage the other day."

"Buying cigarettes?"

"To build a relationship. It's the way of the world; my elders taught me that." Akashi gave a naive laugh.

Fugaku took a deep breath and pulled out a stack of banknotes. "You did well to send them, but don't do it again next time. I will reimburse you personally this once."

"And one more thing..."

"There's more?"

Fugaku's brow twitched. He suddenly realized he had lost his composure, so he calmed himself and said with restraint, "Speak."

Akashi took a sip of tea. "Clan Head, I would like to learn a few more ninjutsu for self-defense. Danzo has become suspicious of me lately. You know how insidious he is; it would be quite troublesome if I were targeted by Root ninja."

If one is going to fleece a sheep, one might as well fleece it thoroughly. Who told Fugaku to be such a pushover?

Fugaku truly had no choice. He felt both annoyed and amused as he replied, "What you say makes sense. Come find me at the Police Force office this weekend."

With that, he raised his teacup. "Anything else?"

Akashi knew better than to push his luck. Seeing that he had gained enough, he shook his head repeatedly and finished his tea.

If it weren't for him, Itachi would have walked this path in the future, only to be hoodwinked and eventually massacre the entire clan. In a way, he had blocked Itachi's path to collaborating with the enemy.

By that logic, asking for some compensation was perfectly reasonable.

Across from him, Fugaku seemed to have settled a major concern and said, "Now it is my turn to speak, is it not?"

Akashi nodded obediently toward his benefactor.

Fugaku cleared his throat and began to recount the past, rambling on for two or three hours, mostly about matters related to village policy.

His tone was similar to the Third Hokage's, but his skill level was a cut below.

Akashi forced himself to stay alert and politely chimed in, suddenly feeling that it was almost inevitable for the Uchiha clan to be ruined in the hands of the long-winded Fugaku.

If you can't even beat the Hokage in a speech, what use are you?

If only you could stand tall just once, you wouldn't be so utterly incapable of standing up for yourself!