From the moment Uchiha Fugaku entered the shrine, the entire hall fell silent.
Everyone attending this gathering was an elite of the Uchiha clan.
They held important positions within the clan.
Even the least accomplished clan member was a Special Jōnin.
If anyone launched a surprise attack here, they could wipe out the Uchiha elite in one fell swoop.
That is, if they could handle dozens of Jōnin while facing a large group of Sharingan users.
The only enemies truly capable of wiping out the clan without suffering any losses were the Uchiha themselves.
If Uchiha Itachi hadn't acted, and instead let the Uchiha Jōnin fight the Anbu—
The Sharingan's genjutsu might seem inconsequential in later clashes of ultimate techniques, but in actual warfare, its effects could be magnified beyond measure.
In a crowd of Uchiha, sooner or later, one of them would meet your gaze.
Genjutsu could make someone lose focus for a second—and that could change the outcome.
And with the Sharingan's resistance to genjutsu and ability to reflect it, Uchiha would have the upper hand in any battle involving genjutsu.
Without a Kage Level ninja stepping in, they might not win, but there was no doubt they could cripple the Anbu.
Uchiha Fugaku stood on the platform and glanced over the clan members seated below. A trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
"Did Shisui skip the gathering again?"
Uchiha Shisui hadn't shown up since the second secret Jōnin gathering.
Some of the clan's higher-ups were already beginning to take issue with Shisui.
His strength had kept them from confronting him directly, but all the pressure had fallen on Uchiha Fugaku.
Uchiha Fugaku's gaze landed on a corner of the hall. His pupils contracted. Why is that guy here?
Baiyu noticed Uchiha Fugaku looking his way and offered a polite, graceful smile.
"Last time, while gathering intelligence on Orochimaru, the clan sent five squads on missions. On their way back, they were ambushed by the Anbu. The village has crossed the line! The days ahead will be even harder for the Uchiha. Right now, we have two choices..."
Uchiha Fugaku went over the clan's major recent events.
When he mentioned the Anbu ambush, his expression remained composed, but his words brimmed with killing intent.
"First, we can submit to the village. Accept responsibility for the Nine-Tails Incident, hand over our work in the Konoha Military Police Force, lift the restrictions placed on the clan, and surrender our records of forbidden and ninjutsu techniques... Then, like the First, we can disband the clan..."
The string of humiliating demands stoked the pride of the arrogant people below, step by step.
The clan members in the hall flushed with rage at his words, itching to storm the village and slaughter their way through it.
Once their emotions had risen to the desired pitch, several of the higher-ups below gave a slight nod. Uchiha Fugaku abruptly changed his tone and said:
"Second, we resist! The proud Uchiha will never submit. The whole village is ostracizing us, so let them see the Uchiha's strength. They've gone so long without feeling the terror of the Sharingan that they've grown complacent... They'll learn what happens when they underestimate the Uchiha!"
Listening to Uchiha Fugaku, Baiyu couldn't help but think that he really was an outstanding leader. He knew how to stoke the clan's anger, using pressure from the outside world to strengthen the clan's unity.
If there hadn't been so many traitors among his own people, the Uchiha might have had a chance to turn things around.
"Too bad the three strongest members of the clan are all against him. He trusts his people, but they don't completely trust him."
Baiyu shook his head.
Shisui, Obito, Itachi...
Uchiha Fugaku proposed a plan to strike back at Konoha.
A plan to target the Konoha Village Anbu.
From that moment on, the conflict between the two sides would escalate from verbal clashes to covert physical confrontations.
And two years later, the conflict would reach a boiling point, forcing the village to carry out its plan to eliminate the Uchiha.
The catalyst—the death of Uchiha Shisui.
Now Baiyu understood what the chubby guy had meant by his warning.
This struggle with the village couldn't happen in the open. If the village discovered their identities, the Anbu would hunt them down.
The Anbu had no weaklings. Without intelligence on their identities, it was easy to run into a formidable opponent if they let their guard down.
The danger was immense.
Few Uchiha who had made it to Jōnin were fools, but with their anger roused, clan members signed up in droves.
There was no need for a selection process. The roster filled up in no time.
After the gathering ended, someone from Uchiha Fugaku's entourage suddenly walked over to Baiyu.
"The clan leader wants to see you. Come with me."
Baiyu sneered. The show was about to begin.
He followed the man out of the shrine and turned right, arriving at a small alley.
A hidden door opened. He stepped inside, where Uchiha Fugaku sat at the head of the room.
"I didn't expect you to come in person."
Uchiha Fugaku wore a broad smile. Baiyu had come to the Clan Meeting on his own, without being summoned, proving that he trusted the clan completely. It greatly pleased Uchiha Fugaku.
Baiyu thought, Just as I expected.
Toma hadn't been acting on Fugaku's orders.
The person who had been following him probably wasn't one of Uchiha Fugaku's men.
"Heh. It looks like the clan leader doesn't have such a firm grip on the clan after all!"
Baiyu sneered.
Who would've thought that both he and Fugaku had been played?
Although he didn't know that person's exact motives, it was just as Baiyu had suspected.
He also wanted to find out what Uchiha Fugaku was thinking.
But before they talked, he needed to collect a little interest. The Uchiha had always treated Baiyu differently, and he resented the Uchiha even more than he resented the village.
The village leadership was a threat; the Uchiha leadership was a source of humiliation.
They had never cared about ordinary clan members.
"What do you mean?"
"I'll take care of a problem for you. After that, we can talk... About a hundred-million-ryō deal."
Baiyu gave him a meaningful smile, then gradually disappeared.
A quarter of an hour later, Baiyu reappeared.
He was holding a blood-soaked object.
Uchiha Fugaku's expression changed drastically. His eyes transformed into a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and he stared fixedly at Baiyu, the lines beside his nose and mouth deepening.
"What does this mean? If you don't explain yourself, you're not leaving here!"
His words brimmed with menace, his killing intent unmistakable.
It was all because of the object Baiyu held in his hand.
A severed head...
He recognized its owner.
Uchiha Dojoma!
"This man was the one you assigned to watch me, wasn't he? He told me you wanted to see me, but he never said it was a Clan Meeting. Looks like even you, Clan Leader Fugaku, don't know the Uchiha as well as you think."
Baiyu shrugged, unfazed. Uchiha Fugaku should have the Mangekyō Sharingan by now. He might be able to manifest the giant Susanoo, but Baiyu was confident that he was faster than Susanoo.
Susanoo was said to have the strongest defense.
It wasn't the fastest.
Its cumbersome movements were, in theory, the greatest weakness of an incomplete Susanoo.
Dojoma had earned him ten thousand Draw-Sword Technique rewards, as well as a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Now he was going to help him get ten million more.
"If you need it, I can deal with the voices of dissent within the clan. I can handle it for you. This is the first one. That'll be ten million, please!"
Baiyu's cold voice reached Uchiha Fugaku's ears, as if he were doing something utterly trivial.
"Money?"
At Baiyu's request, a thought that had never crossed Uchiha Fugaku's mind slowly rose to the surface.
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes grew brighter and brighter, until he burst out laughing.
"The perfect candidate for a spy."
In Fugaku's eyes, Baiyu's image gradually aligned with the candidate he had in mind.
Everything was perfect!
"Afterward, I'll have Itachi give you a hundred million."
Uchiha Fugaku waved a hand, immediately agreeing to Baiyu's demand.
He didn't look the least bit concerned, as if money were no object.
"?"
He's that rich?
Baiyu sensed a strong sense of malice.
"The ten million is your payment for this job. The remaining ninety million is an advance."
Uchiha Fugaku explained.
So what if I let you taste a little sweetness first?
Before you continue