Unwilling to Live in Humiliation

Uchiha Izuna looked over, his mouth twitching. He had long suspected there was something "intimate" between Shisui and Itachi Uchiha. Could those wild rumors actually be true?

He couldn't help but recall a fan-made comic where Shisui pinned Itachi Uchiha against a wall, and his body shuddered.

Uchiha Shisui suddenly felt a chill, but now was not the time to dwell on such things. He looked at Uchiha Izuna and asked, "Fine, let's assume you're right for the sake of argument. How do you explain the Nine-Tails Incident?"

"I think your brain isn't working clearly either. Where were our Uchiha people at that time? We were in the damn clan grounds, and that includes the clan head."

"So what the hell does the Nine-Tails Incident have to do with the clansmen in the Uchiha clan grounds in Konoha?"

"Instead of wondering who the hell was outside of Konoha, they chose to suspect their own people. Is it out of fear of our strength, or is there some ulterior motive?"

"You don't think about that, but instead feel we should just swallow the grievance and endure it. Why should we suffer? Konoha didn't let us help during the Nine-Tails Incident, and in the end, they wanted to move our clan away from the center of political power and marginalize the Uchiha."

"I ask you, why? Ask the Uchiha present here—not just the Hawk Faction, but the Dove Faction—are they satisfied? Aren't they even a little bit heartbroken by Konoha's actions?" Uchiha Izuna's words were incredibly seductive.

The members of the Hawk Faction were practically spitting fire from their eyes. They now revered Uchiha Izuna as their leader; even if Uchiha Izuna were to flip the table right now and tell Uchiha Fugaku to get lost, the crowd would draw their blades in an instant. For years, the Hawk Faction had been too aggrieved—not only squeezed out by Konoha, but also ostracized by their own people upon returning. Weren't they doing this for the Uchiha?

Now that a leader had emerged—one who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, ambition, and strength—how could they not support him!

As for the Dove Faction, they lowered their heads. Although they were members of the Dove Faction, who didn't know how to think? Who didn't have a brain? Even though they hypnotized themselves, saying the village's suspicions were reasonable and legal, and that it was all for Konoha, could they really not feel the pain when their children were isolated by classmates at the Konoha academy?

When they walked the streets to perform missions or even buy groceries, they were talked about because of the "Uchiha" label. Didn't they feel miserable?

Uchiha Izuna's words awakened the scars they didn't want to expose and stirred up the humiliating memories they had been using to deceive themselves.

Many members of the Dove Faction raised their heads again, their eyes firm. Taking a deep breath, the first person walked toward the Hawk Faction. After reaching the Hawk Faction's formation, he turned to face Zongyi Uchiha.

"Leader, I'm sorry. Lord Zhan is right. I don't want to live like this anymore."

With that, he took off his shirt, revealing a body covered in various scars, including one that ran from his left shoulder all the way to his navel.

"My name is Uchiha Hawk, a Jōnin. As you can see, these scars were all earned while performing missions for Konoha and during the Third Shinobi World War."

"I love Konoha, but I love the Uchiha even more. I know everything I did was just so my children wouldn't have to participate in war or struggle so desperately to survive."

"But what did I get in return? Exclusion by the villagers, and my children being isolated by their peers. I told myself it was all for Konoha, but what the hell for?"

"Why should our children be treated unequally? Just because my surname is Uchiha!!!!"

"What's wrong with being an Uchiha? When Konoha was founded, without the Uchiha, could Hashirama Senju have integrated so many clans on his own?"

"We are a clan of heroes, not criminals! Therefore, from today on, I quit the Dove Faction!" Saying this, he tore off his Dove Faction armband and threw it on the ground.

Uchiha Hawk's actions instantly resonated with many. The eyes of the Hawk Faction members turned red, and they gritted their teeth.

Members of the Dove Faction kept walking toward the Hawk Faction. Soon, only three people remained in the Dove Faction: Zongyi Uchiha, Uchiha Shisui, and Itachi Uchiha.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Izuna stood surrounded by the clansmen of the Uchiha.

Zongyi Uchiha lowered his head; he knew that from this day on, the Dove Faction had ceased to exist.

Uchiha Shisui was somewhat shocked. This was the first time since his birth that he had witnessed the unity of the Uchiha. Furthermore, Uchiha Hawk's performance and words kept echoing in his mind.

Uchiha Shisui was also asking himself: "Am I really doing the right thing? Should the Uchiha clan really be treated like that? Aren't we a clan of heroes?"

At this moment, the scales in his heart began to tilt away from the village and toward his clansmen.

Uchiha Izuna walked up to him: "Shisui, before being a villager, don't forget your surname. You are an Uchiha, one of the two great clans that founded Konoha—the Uchiha, alongside the Senju!"

"I don't think Kagami would have wanted the Uchiha to integrate into Konoha by groveling like this, would he? The position of Hokage should have been the Uchiha clan's to begin with." Uchiha Izuna bared his fangs.

Uchiha Shisui froze. He wasn't sure about his grandfather's true intentions anymore, but he was moved. Perhaps the Uchiha clan shouldn't live like this.

Itachi Uchiha spoke up: "Shisui, don't forget that we are Konoha's Uchiha!" His words instantly sparked public outrage.

Uchiha Shisui realized this as well. He looked at Uchiha Izuna and said very seriously, "Zhan, I will consider your words, but only after I find out the truth about my grandfather's death."

Uchiha Izuna understood. He sneered at Itachi Uchiha first, then reached out to Uchiha Shisui: "I'll go with you, because although that guy Shimura Danzō isn't much in terms of strength, when it comes to being cold-hearted, ten of you couldn't compare to him!"

Uchiha Shisui nodded: "Alright." Seeing this, Itachi Uchiha could only sigh.

As for whether he would go and snitch? With Shisui there and the plan to move against Shimura Danzō, Itachi Uchiha and Shisui had an extraordinary bond; how could he do such a thing?

Shisui was wavering, but Itachi Uchiha certainly was not. However, if the Uchiha clan truly rebelled, Itachi Uchiha would definitely go and tell Sarutobi Hiruzen.

In Itachi Uchiha's heart, the village was greater than the personal interests of the Uchiha clan.

The Uchiha could be wiped out, but the village must never be harmed!

If Uchiha Fugaku knew of Itachi Uchiha's mindset, one wonders if he would have just killed him on the spot.

Oh, probably not, because according to the original timeline, Fugaku didn't even resist or put up a show before being cut down by his own beloved son.

Seeing that everything was developing for the better, Uchiha Izuna breathed a sigh of relief.

Uchiha Fugaku stood up: "Since that's the case, let's wait for Shisui. After all, a day or two won't make a difference. Everyone, start training; don't get lazy or slack off!"

Having said that, he walked toward the door. He stopped at the threshold: "Zhan, come to my room in a while."