Two-Handed Preparation

No need to overthink it.

The outcome of this event is already crystal clear.

With Tobirama Senju pulling the strings behind the scenes, all he needs to do is eliminate the elder Uchiha Raimon, and he can easily force the Uchiha clan to abandon their independence and become a loyal dog for Konoha.

Even if they remain unruly.

Once they lose their farmlands as a source of supplies, they will have to rely on missions issued by Konoha to survive, no matter how disrespectful they might be in their speech.

In his past life, even the most uneducated person knew that when an army marches, provisions come first.

Food is the lifeblood of an army; it is the foundation of everything.

It is the root of all operations for any organization.

Yet in this life.

The Uchiha clan is surprisingly indifferent when it comes to matters of food.

They have lived a comfortable life for so long that they have forgotten the hardships of the past.

One must remember that during the Warring States period, they fought tooth and nail against other clans every single day just for food.

And now, if not for the strong opposition of Elder Uchiha Raimon, they likely would have sold off their fields long ago to make a quick profit.

Once that happened.

Forget about the Uchiha clan wanting to engage in trade.

Even if they wanted to do anything at all.

The village could use any excuse to impose heavy taxes, grinding the very bones of the Uchiha clan into dust.

They could justify it all in the name of the village's interests.

They could even specifically target the Uchiha clan with restrictions, drafting laws designed solely to constrain them.

In short.

According to Uchiha Tenshu's description, the Uchiha clan would have no farmlands, no food reserves, and would face exorbitant commercial taxes, leaving them with no choice but to risk their lives for Konoha on missions. If they refused to obey Konoha's orders, there would be no missions for them to take.

Such a terrifying prospect!

"What you're saying is too frightening! If they do this, they are effectively trying to destroy our Uchiha clan completely..."

Uchiha Raimon said, shocked. Yet, he recalled how Elder Uchiha Ming had always compromised with Konoha, the various concessions he demanded from the clan, and his behavior during every clan meeting. He usually remained silent, but whenever he did speak, he always stood in direct opposition to Raimon.

And it wasn't just once.

It happened every single time.

It was as if their policies were naturally at odds.

Even if the other party was merely supporting someone else's actions, he always stood on the opposing side. But if one viewed him as a traitor, then all of his actions suddenly made sense.

After all, he is a traitor!

His only goal is to persecute the clan.

He is willing to sacrifice the clan's interests to gain his own benefits.

The man simply opposed Raimon for the sake of opposition, making choices specifically to suppress Raimon's authority.

As someone who had walked the path from the Warring States period to the present.

Raimon's own actions had always been focused on strengthening the Uchiha clan's foundation and making military preparations for the inevitable arrival of war, ensuring that the clan's strength would never wane. But now, in this era of the village, are the interests of his clan and the village truly aligned?

Or perhaps.

To preserve the village, the clan must be sacrificed.

Uchiha Raimon couldn't help but think of the friendship between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, which was ultimately ended by Hashirama's own declaration: "I will not forgive anyone who threatens the village, not even my brother, my friend, or my own child!" and the subsequent killing.

A sharp glint flashed in Uchiha Raimon's eyes as he grasped the underlying meaning, and suddenly, he seemed to understand something.

"I see, I see!" Uchiha Raimon said softly, his entire demeanor shifting as if he had finally figured it all out.

"Alas, if the clan traitor is Uchiha Ming, then this matter will be difficult to handle!"

A look of hesitation appeared on Uchiha Raimon's pale face, unsure of how to deal with the situation reasonably.

Compared to the other elders in the clan.

Raimon could have arranged various methods to catch them off guard and quietly eliminate them.

Afterward, he would only need to report it to the clan.

He wouldn't have to care about Konoha's thoughts at all.

After all, even with the Hyuga Clan's slave-like system, a soft-hearted man like Hashirama Senju never interfered.

This was enough to prove the fundamental nature of clan autonomy.

But now, the Second Elder, Uchiha Ming, was the very person in charge of communicating with the village.

In daily life, he was responsible for liaising with other clans or the village and handling inter-clan interests. Not to mention, he had a son, Kagami Uchiha, who had been sent to study under Tobirama Senju.

If he were to kill him.

This would inevitably draw action from Tobirama Senju.

Given the current strength of the Uchiha clan, they had absolutely no way to contend with Tobirama Senju, who had the backing of Hashirama Senju.

"To demonstrate his stance, Uchiha Ming has even handed his own son, Kagami Uchiha, over to Tobirama Senju. Surely you are aware of Tobirama Senju's attitude toward us! He is a ruthless man who wishes for every last one of us to be dead. If there were an opportunity to exterminate us, someone as filled with hatred as Tobirama Senju would absolutely take it!"

"The only reason he isn't acting now is that he wants to infiltrate our clan and slowly grind us down."

"Once the time is ripe, he will strike!"

Uchiha Tenshu said with absolute conviction.

"Besides, even if you could let go of your hatred, can the members of the Senju clan truly do the same?"

"If they are determined to seek revenge, could our Uchiha clan possibly defend against it forever? I have heard that there is only ever a thousand days of being a thief, never a thousand days of guarding against one. If we don't make certain preparations now, we will surely regret it for the rest of our lives."

Uchiha Tenshu said with deep concern.

This was the first time he had intentionally overstepped his bounds to reveal his inner thoughts in front of someone else.

"Furthermore, we don't necessarily have to kill the traitor Uchiha Ming right now."

Knowing that Uchiha Raimon did not want to cause turmoil within the clan, Uchiha Tenshu continued to incite him.

"On the contrary, keeping this traitor out in the open will allow us to better understand the Senju clan's true intentions toward us."

"It can also lull the Senju clan into a false sense of security. When the time comes, we can turn the tables, test what the Senju clan really thinks of us Uchiha, and allow ourselves to prepare in advance."

Uchiha Tenshu's words caught Uchiha Raimon's attention.

"You mean..."

Uchiha Raimon looked over at him.

"Why don't we prepare for two possibilities!" Uchiha Tenshu held up two fists in front of him.

"Prepare for two possibilities!"

Uchiha Raimon truly did not understand what he meant.

"Yes!" Uchiha Tenshu nodded and said, "If the Senju clan can truly let go of their hatred and is genuinely willing to reconcile with us from the bottom of their hearts, then we indeed have no need to consider leaving Konoha, but the necessary precautions must still be taken. As the saying goes, one should not have the intention to harm others, but one must have the intention to guard against them. Wouldn't you agree, Elder Raimon?"

"Hmm! Well said!" Uchiha Raimon replied in agreement. "Our Uchiha clan should be exactly like that—no intention to harm, but always prepared to guard. Those words align perfectly with my own thoughts! Very well, continue."

"Yes!"

Uchiha Tenshu nodded and continued, "Therefore, regardless of what the Senju clan intends to do to us, we must never abandon our ability to protect ourselves. Whether it is our grain reserves from these fields or our stockpiles of weapons, we must never rely on Konoha's markets as our primary source. We must have our own supply lines to avoid being held hostage by others."

"These are things our Uchiha clan has always done, and we must continue to do them; we must never give them up."