Naruto: Saving the Uchiha from the Plunder System Chapter 31

Uchiha Mirai nodded. "Groveling and currying favor will only earn you even greater contempt from others."

"If you don't even respect yourself, how can you possibly earn the respect of others?"

Shisui Uchiha fell silent for a while, still somewhat puzzled. "But if we don't take the initiative to change, the rift between the village and the Uchiha Clan will only grow deeper."

"If this continues, the village and the clan may become irreconcilable enemies."

Hearing Shisui Uchiha's concern, Uchiha Mirai was briefly taken aback.

Kids in the world of Naruto really did mature early.

Had Shisui already foreseen what would happen in the future?

"Senior Mirai, what do you think?"

Looking at the hopeful gaze in Shisui Uchiha's eyes, Uchiha Mirai showed a faint smile. "Shisui, why not consider this from another angle?"

"Hm?"

"You keep thinking about changing the Uchiha Clan. Why not think about changing the village instead?"

Hearing Uchiha Mirai's words, Shisui Uchiha froze on the spot.

Change the village?

Shisui Uchiha asked in confusion, "Senior Mirai, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Isn't changing the village a little too radical...?"

"Shisui, do you think the current state of affairs between the village and the Uchiha Clan is entirely the Uchiha Clan's fault?"

Uchiha Mirai said gravely, "In other words, do you think all the blame lies with our clan?"

After hearing Uchiha Mirai's question, Shisui Uchiha pondered for a long while before slowly shaking his head.

"I don't know, but I don't think that's the case."

"Many of the clan's shinobi may seem arrogant, but they're actually kind and outstanding shinobi."

Uchiha Mirai nodded in satisfaction and said calmly, "That's right."

"You're still young, so there are many things you can't make sense of."

"If you're willing to listen, I can tell you why the village and the Uchiha Clan have become what they are today."

His strength had already grown to the point where he no longer needed to be as cautious as he had been in the past.

Since he had decided to take Shisui Uchiha under his wing, he needed to completely reshape the other boy's understanding of things.

Under Uchiha Mirai's gaze, excitement and anticipation appeared on Shisui Uchiha's face.

Perhaps...

This genius shinobi of the clan could give him an answer entirely different from anything he had heard before.

"Senior Mirai, I want to hear it. Please tell me everything you know!"

"Since that's the case, I'll explain it to you."

"But remember, this matter must remain buried in your heart. You absolutely must not tell anyone!"

Uchiha Mirai warned as he looked at Shisui Uchiha.

Seeing the serious look in Uchiha Mirai's eyes, Shisui Uchiha involuntarily grew tense as well. "Please rest assured. Even if it costs me my life, I will keep this secret."

"This starts with the Warring States Period..."

Seeing Shisui Uchiha's rapt attention, Uchiha Mirai organized his thoughts. "During the Warring States Period before Konoha was established, shinobi existed in the form of clans and fought one another over hired missions."

"The Hyuga Clan, the Sarutobi Clan, the Shimura Clan, the Hozuki Clan, the Uzumaki Clan..."

"Among them, the two most powerful shinobi clans were the Senju of the Forest and the Uchiha Clan."

"Whenever someone hired shinobi from one of those clans, the opposing side would inevitably hire shinobi from the other clan to fight them."

"Over time, the two clans became mortal enemies, each wanting to wipe the other out."

"This situation did not improve until Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara each became Clan Head."

"To prevent children only a few years old from having to fight and die, the two joined forces to sweep through the entire Warring States Period and established the system of one country, one village."

"That was how Konoha came into being."

Shisui Uchiha listened intently to Uchiha Mirai's account, his eyes full of astonishment.

Although these matters were recorded in the clan's secret archives, he had not yet come into contact with them.

Uchiha Mirai's words made him feel as though a whole new world had opened before his eyes.

"After Konoha was established, Hashirama Senju was chosen as the First Hokage."

"After living there for some time, Uchiha Madara keenly realized that the system they had created had major flaws. Given enough time, darkness would inevitably fester within it, so he chose to leave Konoha."

"It is worth mentioning that when Uchiha Madara left Konoha, he once called upon the members of the Uchiha Clan to leave with him. However, those who had already grown accustomed to a peaceful life did not follow their former leader."

"Everyone had already come to see themselves as members of the village."

So that was how it was!

Shisui Uchiha was somewhat puzzled. Since all the clansmen had been willing to betray Uchiha Madara in order to remain in the village back then, why had things become like this now?

Seeming to see Shisui Uchiha's confusion, Uchiha Mirai continued, "Later, after Hashirama Senju died, Tobirama Senju, who had the strongest support, became the Second Hokage."

"Unlike Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju was deeply hostile toward the Uchiha Clan."

'Evil Uchiha...' That was a phrase Tobirama Senju often had on his lips.

"Under Tobirama Senju's policies, the Uchiha Clan was gradually pushed out of the village's core circle of power, and the Uchiha compound was relocated to the outskirts of Konoha."

"To prevent future generations of the Uchiha Clan from laying claim to the Hokage's position, Tobirama Senju established the Konoha Military Police Force and handed the village's public security entirely over to the Uchiha Clan."

Hearing this, Shisui Uchiha raised his right hand. "Senior Mirai, entrusting the Uchiha Clan with the village's security... wasn't that a sign of trust in our clan?"

Uchiha Mirai shook his head. "Shisui, you're too naive."

"Most shinobi of our clan aren't good with words. What we think often comes out meaning the complete opposite when we try to express it."

"Tobirama Senju understood that very well. That was why he had the Uchiha Clan establish the Konoha Military Police Force."

"The village's safety was the responsibility of the Anbu directly under the Hokage. So-called public security was mostly just dealing with all sorts of trivial disputes among the villagers."

"No matter how fairly those matters were handled, they would still draw the hostility of some villagers."

"Over time, the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and ordinary villagers only grew worse and worse."

"Tobirama Senju handed the Uchiha Clan a blade, except its edge was pointed at us."

After hearing Uchiha Mirai's explanation, Shisui Uchiha felt as though he had suddenly seen the light.

His mind cleared considerably in an instant.

No wonder the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and the villagers had kept deteriorating, no matter how hard they tried to improve it. So this was where the root of the problem lay!

If that was the truth, then wasn't everything the conspiracy of the Second Hokage?

After silently waiting for Shisui Uchiha to think it over for a while, Uchiha Mirai took a sip of tea and continued his explanation.

"Later... before Tobirama Senju died, he directly appointed Hiruzen Sarutobi as Hokage."

"The so-called Jonin voting system existed in name only. As one of the village's founders, the Uchiha Clan completely lost its voice."

"After Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō, who inherited Tobirama Senju's ideas, came to power, their suppression of the Uchiha Clan became increasingly obvious, eventually creating the situation we have today."

"Shisui, that is the truth. Who do you think is at fault here?"

Hearing Uchiha Mirai's question, Shisui Uchiha fell silent for a while before answering firmly, "The village is at fault!"

The truth was obvious.

The tense situation between the village and the Uchiha Clan had been caused entirely by the prejudice of the Second Hokage and his successors.

"So trying to change the Uchiha Clan is nothing but wasted effort." Uchiha Mirai spoke in a deep voice. "What truly needs to change is Konoha!"

"My eyes have already seen the future. If this continues, the Uchiha Clan will inevitably walk the path of destruction."

"Senior Mirai, then what should we do?"

Shisui Uchiha was somewhat flustered.

All the village's power was now in the hands of the Third Hokage. Changing something as enormous as the village—how could that be easy?

"The method is simple."

"As long as we possess absolute power, everything will naturally change."

Seeing Uchiha Mirai's calm expression, Shisui Uchiha said in alarm, "Senior Mirai, are you planning to... lead the Uchiha in rebellion?"

"Shisui, it's only called rebellion if it fails. If it succeeds, it's called reform."

"But... with our strength, can we really stand against the village?"

"And if we launch a coup, many people will die."

Hearing Shisui Uchiha's concerns, Uchiha Mirai gave a soft snort. "Shisui, you must remember that all the blame lies with them."

"They were the ones who drove us into a corner with their own hands."

"Besides, with me here, things may not be as serious as you imagine. Once we show the Hokage's faction a power strong enough to make them despair, they will naturally collapse."

Watching Uchiha Mirai's confident demeanor, Shisui Uchiha felt himself completely won over by the other's bearing.

He had never imagined that this youth, only a few years older than himself, harbored such a ferocious tiger within his heart!

"Alright, you now know everything. Tell me what you think."

Uchiha Mirai looked at Shisui Uchiha and asked with a smile.

"Senior Mirai, I will work hard to grow stronger, so that the bargaining chips in your hand can become even greater!"

Shisui Uchiha pressed his head to the ground and performed a dogeza before Uchiha Mirai.

Seeing him like this, Uchiha Mirai silently withdrew his hand from his waist.

Shisui Uchiha was only the beginning.

Sooner or later, under his leadership, the entire Uchiha Clan would become a great shinobi clan that the whole Shinobi World looked up to!

Chapter 37: Ambushed by Root Ninja!

Konoha.

Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood alone by the window, puffing on his pipe as a complicated expression crossed his face.

Not long ago, Shinku Yuhi had given him a detailed report on the mission logs from this period.

Combined with the intelligence Shikaku Nara had sent back, he now had a general grasp of what had happened on the front lines.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had never expected Uchiha Mirai's talent to be so extraordinary.

Just one year after graduating from the Ninja Academy, he already possessed the strength to face a Kage-level opponent head-on.

Though according to the reports, Uchiha Mirai had only gained a temporary boost in power through a secret technique like the Eight Gates Formation, and had merely held on desperately under Rasa's attacks, nearly dying at his hands.

Even so, it was enough to demonstrate his talent.

Even Kagami, back in his day, had paled considerably in comparison to Uchiha Mirai.

But unlike how he had always remained wary of Uchiha Clan ninja in the past, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no special thoughts about Uchiha Mirai this time.

When he thought of how, in that moment of crisis, the boy had chosen to sacrifice himself so his teammates could escape safely.

That action greatly pleased Hiruzen Sarutobi.

In his eyes, Uchiha Mirai had fully inherited the Will of Fire.

No matter how powerful a ninja like that became, he was confident he could keep him under his control.