The Traitor is Dead

Uchiha Izuna watched as the traitor of the Uchiha Clan was executed, his expression remaining entirely unmoved.

He then gouged out the man's eyes, placing them into a specially prepared container, just as three Uchiha jonin arrived on the scene to find three corpses lying on the ground.

Uchiha Izuna stood to the side, his foot resting upon the corpse of his clansman; this was the sight that caused them to frown.

"Lord Zhan, may I ask why you have raised your hand against our own kin? Did he offend you?" One jonin activated his three-tomoe Sharingan in a split second, staring intently at Uchiha Izuna.

Uchiha Izuna looked toward the leader and asked, "What is your name?"

"In reply to Lord Zhan, this one is named Uchiha Feng." Without unnecessary elaboration or excessive introduction, he answered exactly what Uchiha Izuna asked.

Uchiha Izuna nodded: "Go to that Root ninja wearing the wolf mask, take his storage scroll, and inspect the contents."

Uchiha Feng nodded: "Understood!" He moved immediately, retrieving the storage scroll from Gray Wolf.

Upon inspection, Uchiha Feng realized that the clansman who had been killed was actually a traitor! A loud alarm bell rang in his heart; he had not expected that a jonin of the Uchiha Clan would be a spy for Shimura Danzō.

After confirming the news, he intended to report the results to Uchiha Izuna, but Uchiha Izuna shook his head: "The urgent priority now is to inform the clan head. The current situation of the Uchiha Clan is as precarious as a pile of eggs; if we still hope for a compromise, it is a dead end."

Uchiha Izuna's words instantly earned Uchiha Feng's respect; the apt metaphor and clear warning both expressed Uchiha Izuna's resolve.

Thus, the three of them carried the corpse of their clansman and headed toward the Uchiha compound.

After Uchiha Fugaku learned of the incident, he looked at Uchiha Izuna, and Uchiha Izuna looked back at him; neither father nor son spoke a word.

After a while, Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath: "Zhan, this time we owe it to you. Otherwise, once Konoha received the news and launched a war against our clan, the Uchiha would have suffered heavy losses due to our lack of preparation."

"Father, I repeat: we only have one path left, and that is rebellion. Even if we cannot kill Sarutobi Hiruzen, we must force him and the old guard to step down." A fighting spirit flashed in Uchiha Izuna's eyes.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at his son, unable to help but sigh in his heart; the gentle and refined youth of the past had now become so sharp and enterprising.

Perhaps, in such a desperate situation, only a fight to the death offered a glimmer of survival.

"Zhan, when do you think we should act?" Uchiha Fugaku had also made up his mind; this coup must proceed!

Seeing his father had come to terms with it, the corners of Uchiha Izuna's mouth curled upward: "It is still early. If we only want to kill Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō, you and I, father and son, can handle it together."

"But if we want to rule Konoha, having only force without the hearts of the people is like fetching water with a bamboo basket—all for nothing. In the end, we would gain nothing and only invite trouble." Uchiha Izuna's political height and awareness were beyond what Uchiha Fugaku could match.

"This matter shall be left to you to handle. Are you confident?" Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uchiha Izuna solemnly.

Uchiha Izuna held up one hand: "Fifty percent."

"Fifty percent?" Uchiha Fugaku frowned.

"That is correct. Either we succeed or we fail. In the end, everything in this world only has a fifty-fifty chance of success. Success and failure lie in a single thought. As for those who claim seventy or eighty percent, they are merely deceiving themselves." Uchiha Izuna stated.

In his view, it was either success or failure, so every situation was fifty percent.

Hearing Uchiha Izuna's words, Uchiha Fugaku raised an eyebrow; this was the first time he had heard such a perspective.

"Go and do it. If there is anything you need from your father, just say the word." Uchiha Fugaku said.

Uchiha Izuna bowed and turned to leave.

Uchiha Fugaku watched Uchiha Izuna's retreating back, unable to stop himself from sighing.

In the end, the Uchiha Clan still had to rely on Uchiha Izuna for salvation.

He had thought his first son was a failure, and he had assumed his second son was also a failure, but in the end, the second son had delivered something massive!

That violent and profound chakra made him feel like an ant facing a flood, unable to find a place to stand.

Uchiha Izuna returned to his room and drew a diagram. On it, he wrote Konoha, with the Uchiha Clan on the left and the Hyuga Clan on the right.

The two clans were in opposition, yet their relationship was subtle, while the Ino-Shika-Cho trio sat firmly on the sidelines, neither interfering nor participating. Whoever won, they would side with them—a strategy of staying clean.

The remaining small clans were drawn by Uchiha Izuna within Konoha, for they had no way to control the fate of their own families.

It was precisely because they were weak that they were bullied, and why they were easily commanded and manipulated by the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō.

The first step to take now was to unite the major clans. From the last time Hyuga Hiashi took the lead in inviting Uchiha Fugaku to dinner, it was clear that Hyuga Hiashi had long harbored the desire to overthrow the Third Hokage.

However, in terms of combat capability, they were far behind the Uchiha, but they possessed wealth and resources. As the saying goes, before the troops move, the grain and fodder must come first.

Therefore, they needed a clan capable of fighting to act as a sharp blade, piercing into the roots of this rotten regime controlling Konoha, so that the chronic illness could be removed and new life could flourish.

For this blade, no one was more suitable than the Uchiha!

But would Uchiha Izuna be satisfied with being a blade in someone else's hand? No, of course not, because when your strength reaches another stage, when you are capable of flipping the table, the roles of the blade and the wielder will shift.

Therefore, the next step in the plan is...

Uchiha Izuna's eyes transformed into the Mangekyo form, staring at the two characters for Hyuga, the corners of his mouth curling up.

After thinking these things through, Uchiha Izuna returned to his room, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.

Yet, the light in the study remained on from night until dawn.

The next morning.

Uchiha Izuna opened his eyes and rose. He first pushed open the window and took a breath of fresh air.

He then stood up, folded his quilt, and walked toward the courtyard.

Morning training could not be skipped. Although he had integrated the template and combat techniques of Uchiha Madara, he had not yet used them personally, so he still needed to familiarize himself with them for a while.

Thus, he headed to the clan training ground, where Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi had already begun their spar.

Uchiha Izuna watched with interest as Uchiha Itachi threw eight shuriken. They flew out at tricky angles, colliding in mid-air, and finally, as if by some strange fate, they flew toward Uchiha Shisui.

Uchiha Shisui held his katana, twisting his wrist, and with the sound of clashing metal, all the kunai were knocked away.