The Plan Is About to Begin

"It is as I say, Lord Hiashi. Nowadays, the Konoha Hokage and his treacherous aides run rampant, leaving the villagers to live in misery, terrified of being targeted by those in power."

"I must ask, is this how the leadership of a village should behave?"

"Sarutobi Hiruzen strikes hard against his own people while acting spineless toward outsiders. Is this not a betrayal of Konoha, and a betrayal of the original vision Hashirama Senju had when he founded this village?" Uchiha Izuna argued with conviction.

"They rewrite history books to call themselves the strongest, brainwash the masses, and after accomplishing nothing, they pay reparations to other ninja villages, using my money to feed a bunch of bloodthirsty animals!"

"The worst part is that these animals won't be grateful for your kindness; instead, they will only see you as weak and easy to bully!" Uchiha Izuna slammed his hand onto the table.

Bang!

The table shattered instantly, startling Hinata nearby. She looked at Uchiha Izuna with a hint of fear; the gentleness he had shown earlier made her think he was a kind and sunny person.

But at this moment, Uchiha Izuna's aura was like that of a fierce tiger, and sitting beside him, she couldn't help but tremble.

Hyuga Hiashi closed his eyes as he listened to these words. He knew it all, but he had been playing the part of a blind man. Although the Hyuga clan was powerful, a single tree cannot support a crumbling house.

Could Hyuga Hiashi truly endure his own twin brother being sacrificed as a pawn? Impossible.

At the time, he had been desperate for revenge, wanting to unite with the Uchiha, but that coward Uchiha Fugaku had refused to attend the banquet just to avoid suspicion.

He was furious, yet he could say nothing. Now, Uchiha Izuna's attitude gave him hope—the hope of dragging Sarutobi Hiruzen down from the position of Hokage.

"Do you have a specific plan?" Hyuga Hiashi asked in a deep voice.

"I need Clan Leader Hiashi to step in and help us with one thing—a task only you can accomplish." Uchiha Izuna looked at Hyuga Hiashi.

Hyuga Hiashi did not agree immediately, waiting for Uchiha Izuna to continue.

"I need you to join me in an ambush at Naka River. When the time comes, help me observe the chakra nature of the right eye of the Hokage's aide, Shimura Danzō." Uchiha Izuna finished.

Hyuga Hiashi was surprised: "His right eye? Wasn't it said to have been destroyed in the war? How could it have chakra?"

"Clan Leader Hiashi, you only need to describe the color, nature, and characteristics of the chakra when the time comes." Uchiha Izuna smiled lightly.

Hyuga Hiashi was puzzled: "Does this have anything to do with the upcoming coup?"

Uchiha Izuna nodded: "It does, and it has a great deal to do with it. If the result is as I suspect, the success rate is ninety percent. If it is different, there is still a fifty percent chance."

Uchiha Izuna glanced at Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi. If his guess was wrong, he would have Fugaku control the Nine-Tails while he faced Sarutobi Hiruzen, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Shisui himself.

It was no big deal.

Uchiha Madara, at the time of Konoha's founding, possessed strength at the level of a Super Kage, while Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and Sarutobi Hiruzen were merely Kage-level. The advantage was his.

Hyuga Hiashi frowned: "Now?" He looked at Uchiha Izuna, who nodded: "We need to set up an ambush in advance. If we go directly, given Danzō's sensory abilities and the insight of the Root ninjas, there is a high probability we won't have the chance."

Uchiha Shisui felt heavy-hearted. He hoped Uchiha Izuna was lying and that his guess was wrong, so that his desire to be a bridge between the village and the Uchiha would remain valid, allowing him to keep going.

If what Uchiha Izuna said was true, what would his persistence even mean? He had been suppressing the Uchiha clan's coup while the village kept attacking them; by then, the more he loved Konoha, the more he would hate it!

Uchiha Itachi was indifferent; he would do whatever Shisui did.

Hyuga Hiashi pondered for a moment: "Very well, shall we depart now?"

Uchiha Izuna nodded: "No time to lose, we will go ahead." He looked at Uchiha Shisui and said slowly: "Proceed according to the plan."

Uchiha Shisui nodded and looked at Uchiha Itachi: "Itachi, I'm counting on you to deliver this letter to Root."

Uchiha Itachi nodded, his body transforming into a murder of crows and vanishing.

Uchiha Izuna and Hyuga Hiashi rushed toward Naka River; they had to hide themselves in advance.

Uchiha Shisui looked at the sun. It was high in the sky, around noon. In the letter, he had written about his proposed method for handling the Uchiha clan's coup.

He wanted to report to Shimura Danzō, setting the meeting time for 4:00 PM. At that time, he would confess the ability of his Mangekyō Sharingan to him.

Root.

Shimura Danzō's pupils constricted upon receiving Uchiha Shisui's letter! Mangekyō Sharingan! These eyes existed only in legends!

He subconsciously touched his right eye, which was wrapped in bandages, thinking, Kagami, your descendant is even more outstanding than you! He has actually awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan!

This power is too great. I must seize it. Surely, you would agree, right? This is all for the sake of Konoha!

"Tell Uchiha Itachi that I will go, but tell him not to follow. There are some things he is not meant to hear." Shimura Danzō looked at a Root ninja.

The Root ninja nodded and left, heading toward the entrance.

Upon receiving the confirmation, Uchiha Itachi went to report to Uchiha Shisui, who frowned.

Danzō had actually demanded that no one else be brought along. This was procedurally illegal! However, it also sparked a sense of vigilance in Uchiha Shisui.

Could it be that, just as Uchiha Izuna said, Shimura Danzō was planning to make a move on him?

Uchiha Itachi looked at him with concern: "Shisui, that guy Zhan is a bit sinister. Maybe... maybe we shouldn't go this time."

"Knowing it's a trap and jumping in anyway is not rational!" Uchiha Itachi was only ever concerned and cautious when facing Uchiha Shisui.

He did not want his childhood friend, who was both a mentor and a brother to him, to come to harm.

Uchiha Shisui shook his head: "Itachi, you don't understand. There are some things, and some people, that even if you know there is a trap ahead, you must jump in."

"This matter is of vital importance to me; it is merely using myself as bait. If I didn't know about this, perhaps Shimura Danzō would succeed."

"But now that I know he intends to act, his strength is not enough to pose a threat to me." Uchiha Shisui patted Uchiha Itachi's head.

"But..." Uchiha Itachi always had a bad premonition, but seeing the determination in Uchiha Shisui's eyes, he knew he couldn't dissuade him.

"Alright, no more 'buts.' I won't be in danger. Besides, don't forget that Zhan and Clan Leader Hiashi have already gone ahead. Even if something happens to me, they won't stand idly by!" Uchiha Shisui patted Uchiha Itachi's shoulder and said with a smile.