Uchiha Clan Extermination Plan Leaks

These intelligence reports concerned the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan, the two shinobi clans that had founded Konoha.

They also involved Hatake Sakumo, who had once been the most likely candidate for Fourth Hokage, but had taken his own life.

[PS: Being granted the Hokage Sleeve by the Daimyo meant earning his recognition!]

Any one of these reports would set Konoha ablaze.

Everyone's attention would shift, and no one would care about the rumor-ridden story of the Hyuga Clan's glaring flaws.

Shinichi Hyuga lightly tapped his fingers on the tabletop.

The motion was quiet, yet it was as if he had tapped on everyone's mind. The whole room looked up at him.

"Clan head, is this true?"

As before, Hyuga Hiashi was the first to speak, unable to hold back his question.

These reports had utterly shattered his understanding of Konoha.

If Konoha could treat these clans this way, did that mean it had designs on the Hyuga Clan, too?

The shinobi present, who felt deeply attached to the Hyuga Clan, were now more wary of Konoha than ever.

According to Shinichi Hyuga, deep within Root stood a military base specially designed to block the Byakugan's abilities. Did that mean Konoha had been plotting against the Hyuga Clan all along?

They looked to Shinichi Hyuga, and their trust in him came naturally.

Every piece of intelligence Shinichi Hyuga had provided had been confirmed.

They had no choice but to believe him.

"What do you think? I'll leave it to you to decide how the Uchiha Clan Extermination Plan leaks. I'll keep an eye on things from the shadows.

"The other two plans need an opening. They need time to take root.

"Make sure this report ends up in the hands of the Military Police Force.

"Remember, all three factions must learn that this plan exists."

Shinichi Hyuga asked in return, then gave him his assignment.

The Uchiha Clan was the top priority. Its factions were numerous, and Shinichi Hyuga could hardly wait to see how its three factions would react.

"What do you mean by three factions?" Hyuga Hiashi asked, puzzled. Was the Uchiha Clan even more complicated than their own?

The Hyuga Clan had originally had only the distinction between the Main Branch and the Branch Family, with the Main Branch in charge.

The Uchiha Clan had three?

Under Shinichi Hyuga's influence, they had already come to see the Hyuga Clan's old system as outdated.

Shinichi Hyuga gave a sudden scoff. The Uchiha Clan had brought its fate upon itself.

When Madara Uchiha left Konoha, they had foolishly trusted Hashirama Senju, craving a peaceful life and abandoning Madara Uchiha, the clan head who truly had the power to protect them.

The fate they had met was nothing more than the punishment they deserved.

He fixed Hyuga Hiashi with a grim look. The three factions were Shinichi Hyuga's own labels for them, and he could already imagine the spectacle that would unfold.

He had no intention of letting the Hyuga Clan follow in the Uchiha Clan's footsteps.

The future sacrifice of Hizashi Hyuga was Konoha's true stance.

His voice carried a note of warning as he spoke.

"The Hawk Faction is the hardline group led by the Great Elder. They advocate using force to seize the rights they're owed, and hold the most sway within the Military Police Force.

"The Dove Faction is led by Fugaku Uchiha. They favor appeasement, willing to sacrifice their interests in exchange for understanding from the Third and his followers. Sarutobi Hiruzen had a hand in Fugaku Uchiha becoming clan head this time.

"The Dog Faction is the smallest. It may consist of only Shisui Uchiha. He's powerful, and the faction's teachings come from Kagami Uchiha. But there may be one or two more dogs in the future."

Shinichi Hyuga held nothing back as he laid bare the Uchiha Clan's current power structure.

The others listened, their expressions strange.

What could they say about those labels? They were almost too apt.

They immediately understood the predicament the Uchiha Clan faced.

Hyuga Hiashi was the only one whose heart sank. If Shinichi Hyuga hadn't stopped him, would he have become one of those dogs?

Now that it had been said aloud, the Hyuga Clan members could come to terms with it.

"I've found a spy from Kumogakure. We can eliminate him and use the opportunity to leak that report."

A trace of embarrassment crossed Hyuga Hiashi's face, but he finally spoke with acceptance.

"Work out the details yourself. The most important thing is to make sure none of our clan members get hurt."

Shinichi Hyuga nodded, then offered one last reminder.

His true concern was the Hyuga Clan. The bait they were putting out was merely a way to divert attention.

Once he had dealt with these three major events, he would make every scheme of the Third come to nothing and shatter the halo around him.

Shinnosuke Sarutobi becoming Hokage? Even less likely!

Once everything had settled, Kushina Uzumaki's child—our protagonist—would be born. That would be when the pieces were reshuffled.

Shinichi Hyuga had already made up his mind about whether to save them.

If the Fourth Hokage had been able to stand firm and support him against everyone's objections back then, he would have lent a hand when Naruto Uzumaki was born.

But the Fourth Hokage had deeply disappointed him.

He would gladly let the Fourth Hokage have his way and play the noble hero.

He could only hope Minato Namikaze was truly noble, not a two-faced hypocrite.

His rule remained the same: sincerity for sincerity.

Shinichi Hyuga fell into his memories. Back then, Minato Namikaze had been a reliable comrade. In the end, though, circumstances sent the two of them down different paths.

"Clan head, what about us?"

An aged voice brought him back.

The old members of the Hyuga Clan didn't want to become useless.

"You are the most important of all. Treat others sincerely.

"The Hyuga Clan needs to build new alliances of shared interests. See who might be worth working with."

Shinichi Hyuga's gaze swept across the elders one by one. They had weathered the greatest ups and downs in life. The more someone had experienced, the more they understood.

They knew which people were truly worthy of trust.

The hardships they had endured were the stepping stones that would clear a path for the next generation.

As soon as Shinichi Hyuga finished speaking, the experienced elders' eyes lit up.

Wasn't this exactly the sort of thing they excelled at?

They might not have many allies, but one or two sincere ones who survived would be enough.

They began to consider which clans were worth approaching.

For a while, they named mostly civilian shinobi and small clans, though many of the clans they mentioned had ties to the Sarutobi Clan.

"Clan head, the Aburame Clan isn't trustworthy. They've secretly pledged themselves to the Third."

"The Ino-Shika-Cho Clan has had ties with the Sarutobi Clan for a thousand years."

"The Gekko Clan was a staunch supporter of the Second. They've already joined the Third."

"The clans of the three Shadow Assistants won't be easy to win over, either."

"..."

Every one of them was experienced, with their own network of contacts. The intelligence they'd gathered was unique in its own way.

Before long, a vast Konoha alliance of shared interests took shape in Shinichi Hyuga's mind.

His apprehension grew. No wonder they called him the Strongest Hokage in History. In certain respects, the man truly deserved the title.

An idea came to him, along with a memory.

After the Nine-Tails Rebellion, the clans had redistributed their interests. The Aburame Clan had been among those who benefited from the Uchiha Clan's downfall.

He could draw on his memories of the situation after the Nine-Tails Rebellion.

That would allow him to make a rough assessment, though there were still many uncertainties among these clans.

The Hyuga Clan had once been too closed off. It had never formed a close-knit alliance of shared interests.

In an era when shinobi villages had replaced clans as the centers of power, they needed powerful allies.

"Clan head, the Fuma Clan is worth approaching..."

"..."

Every elder had their own candidates in mind.

The room grew lively again.

Only after that did they start taking stock of the clans worth working with. They might be small, but they were full of vitality.

Hizashi Hyuga and Hyuga Hiashi exchanged a glance. Only after hearing Shinichi Hyuga's arrangements did they realize just how naive they had been.