24 First, Earn a Hundred Million

From the moment Uchiha Fugaku stepped into the ancestral hall, the entire chamber fell into instant silence.

Those attending this gathering were all elites of the Uchiha clan.

Every one of them held an important position within the family.

Even the lowest-ranking member present was a Special Jonin.

If someone were to launch a surprise attack here, they could theoretically wipe out the Uchiha elite in one fell swoop.

That is, provided they could handle dozens of Jonin while facing a massive group of Sharingan wielders.

The only enemies truly capable of exterminating the clan without suffering losses would be the Uchiha themselves.

If Uchiha Itachi did not act, and instead allowed the Uchiha Jonin to engage in a full-scale war against the Anbu.

While the Sharingan's genjutsu might be overshadowed by flashy, high-level techniques in the later stages, its utility in actual warfare would be magnified infinitely.

In a large crowd of Uchiha, there would always be someone to lock eyes with you.

If a genjutsu causes a person to lose focus for even a second, the outcome of the battle is rewritten.

Furthermore, the Sharingan's resistance to genjutsu and its ability to reflect it would render them practically invincible in any battle involving illusions.

Without the intervention of Kage-level fighters, not to mention winning, the Uchiha would undoubtedly cripple the Anbu.

Uchiha Fugaku stood on the dais, sweeping his gaze over the clansmen sitting below, a flicker of disappointment crossing his eyes.

"Has Shisui not attended the gathering again?"

Ever since the second secret Jonin meeting, Uchiha Shisui had not appeared once.

Some of the clan's higher-ups had already begun to harbor grievances against Shisui.

Out of respect for Shisui's strength, they hadn't confronted him directly, but the pressure had all fallen onto Uchiha Fugaku.

Uchiha Fugaku's gaze touched a corner of the hall, his pupils constricting slightly. How did this guy get here?

Baiyu noticed Uchiha Fugaku's gaze lingering on him and offered a polite, yet graceful smile.

"During the clan's recent efforts to gather intelligence on Orochimaru, we dispatched five squads on missions. On their return, they were ambushed and slaughtered by the Anbu. The village has crossed the line! The days ahead will be even more difficult for the Uchiha. As of now, the Uchiha face two choices..."

Uchiha Fugaku recounted the recent major events involving the clan.

When he mentioned the Anbu ambush, his expression remained calm, yet his words were filled with a murderous chill.

"First, compromise with the village, admit responsibility for the Nine-Tails incident, hand over the operations of the Konoha Military Police Force, lift the clan's restrictions, surrender our forbidden techniques and records of ninjutsu... and finally, like the First Hokage intended, dissolve the clan..."

The string of submissive words incited the proud men in the room step by step.

The clansmen in the hall were flushed with rage, itching to rush into the village and start a massacre.

Seeing that the crowd's emotions had reached the desired level, the high-ranking members below nodded slightly. Uchiha Fugaku's tone suddenly shifted as he said:

"Second, resist! The proud Uchiha will never compromise. If the entire village is ostracizing us, then let them know the power of the Uchiha. It has been too long since they felt the terror of the Sharingan, and they have become arrogant... let them see the consequences of looking down on the Uchiha!"

Listening to Uchiha Fugaku, Baiyu couldn't help but sigh that he was indeed an excellent leader, capable of rationally inciting the anger of his clansmen and continuously using external pressure to increase the clan's cohesion.

If it weren't for the fact that there were too many traitors under his command, the Uchiha might not have lacked a chance to turn the tables.

"Unfortunately, the three strongest people in the clan are not on his side. He trusted his clansmen, but his clansmen did not fully trust him."

Baiyu shook his head.

Shisui, Obito, Itachi...

Uchiha Fugaku proposed a plan, a counterattack specifically targeting Konoha's operations.

A plan to snipe the Anbu of Konoha.

From this moment on, the friction between the two sides escalated from verbal disputes to private armed conflict.

And two years later, the friction would reach a boiling point, forcing the village to initiate the plan to eradicate the Uchiha.

The fuse—the death of Uchiha Shisui.

Now, Baiyu finally understood what the chubby man's warning meant earlier.

This struggle against the village could not be brought into the light; if the village discovered his identity, he would be hunted by the Anbu.

There are no weaklings in the Anbu, and without intelligence on their identities to counter them, one might run into a tough opponent if not careful.

The danger involved was immense.

There were few fools among the Uchiha who had reached the rank of Jonin, but spurred by their rage, clansmen signed up in an endless stream.

There was no need for selection; the spots were filled almost instantly.

As the gathering dispersed, a man beside Uchiha Fugaku suddenly walked toward Baiyu.

"The Clan Head wants to see you. Follow me."

Baiyu sneered. The show is about to begin.

He followed the man, exited the ancestral hall, turned right, and arrived at a small alleyway.

A hidden door opened. Pushing it aside and stepping inside, he found Uchiha Fugaku sitting upright in the main hall.

"I didn't expect you to come here in person."

Uchiha Fugaku's face was full of smiles. Baiyu had attended the Clan Meeting of his own accord without being notified, which showed his absolute trust in the clan, and this brought Uchiha Fugaku great comfort.

Baiyu thought to himself, as expected.

Dojoma was not acting under Fugaku's instructions.

The person tailing him was likely not one of Uchiha Fugaku's subordinates.

"Heh, it seems the Clan Head's grasp on the clan isn't as deep as one might think!"

Baiyu sneered.

Who would have thought that both he and Fugaku had been played by someone else.

Although he didn't know that guy's specific goal, it was exactly as Baiyu had thought.

He also wanted to see what Uchiha Fugaku was thinking.

However, before talking, he had to collect some interest first. Having been treated differently by the Uchiha for so long, the dissatisfaction Baiyu felt toward the Uchiha was even greater than what he felt toward the village.

The village higher-ups were a threat, but the Uchiha higher-ups were an insult.

They had never once looked at the ordinary clansmen with any regard.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Helping you deal with a nuisance. Once it's finished, we can continue our detailed discussion... a one-hundred-million deal."

Baiyu revealed a meaningful smile, his figure gradually fading away.

A quarter of an hour later, Baiyu reappeared.

In his hand, he carried a blood-drenched object.

Uchiha Fugaku's expression changed drastically; his eyes instantly shifted into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, staring fixedly at Baiyu as the lines around his mouth deepened.

"What is the meaning of this? If you don't explain yourself clearly, you can stay here forever!"

His words were filled with threats and chilling killing intent.

This entire shift was caused by the object Baiyu was holding.

A severed head...

He recognized the owner of the head.

Uchiha Dojoma!

"This person was the one you arranged to monitor me, right? He told me you were looking for me, but he never mentioned it was a Clan Meeting. It seems Clan Head Fugaku doesn't know the Uchiha as well as he thinks, does he?"

Baiyu shrugged, fearless. Uchiha Fugaku should possess the Mangekyo Sharingan by now and might be able to manifest the Susanoo, but Baiyu was confident that the Susanoo was not faster than him.

The Susanoo is hailed as the ultimate defense.

It is not the fastest.

Clumsiness is, theoretically, the greatest weakness of an incomplete Susanoo.

Dojoma had brought him a reward of ten thousand sword draws, as well as a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Now, he was going to use him to trade for ten million.

"If you have any need, I can handle the discordant voices in the clan for you! I can do it on your behalf; this is the first one, ten million, please!"

Baiyu's cold voice reached Uchiha Fugaku's ears as if he were doing something trivial.

"You want money??"

Hearing Baiyu's request, a thought that had never crossed Fugaku's mind slowly surfaced.

Uchiha Fugaku's eyes grew brighter and brighter until he finally burst into laughter.

"A perfect candidate for a spy."

In Fugaku's eyes, Baiyu's figure gradually overlapped with the candidate in his heart.

Everything was so perfect!

"After this, I will have Itachi deliver the one hundred million to you."

Uchiha Fugaku waved his hand, directly meeting Baiyu's request.

He didn't care in the slightest, acting as if money were no object.

"?"

Very rich?

Baiyu sensed a thick wave of malice.

"Ten million is the payment for this time, the remaining ninety million is an advance."

Uchiha Fugaku explained.

What does it matter if I let you have a little taste of sweetness?