A Test of the Waters

The other black-haired man wore an equally grim expression as he spoke.

"It seems Uchiha Shōji's strength far exceeds our expectations. Even if we can't be one hundred percent certain, we must report this to Lord Dodai immediately!"

"Yeah!"

The two Kumogakure scouts did not linger. After gathering the relevant intelligence, they immediately left the area and raced north toward their village's Southern Fortress.

The death of Toroi, the Magnet Release Ninja, was no minor incident for Kumogakure. They had to report it to their village's Frontline Commander—Dodai—at once.

Shōji, who had already left the area, had no idea that Kumo Ninja had arrived after his departure. Even if he had known, he would not have cared. It had been a minor possibility he could have anticipated. On his way back, Shōji instead calmed himself and considered the choices he needed to make next. With Toroi and so many Kumo Ninja dead by his hand, some of the arrangements in his original plan had to be revised.

Kumogakure could be ruled out as an external force he might need in the worst-case scenario he had previously considered. This was not a matter of possibility; the other side had clearly already regarded him as a "dangerous person" who had to be eliminated.

Under such circumstances, Shōji did not believe that Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage A would trust him should the need arise in the future. Forget about making use of him—he would be lucky if the man did not punch him. Thus, this option in his backup plan had to be abandoned. Fortunately, it was only one of several contingencies. The priority still had to be dealing with the forces within his own village.

Of course, some might worry that the strength Shōji had displayed over the past half year, especially in this battle, would make Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and particularly Konoha High Command members like Shimura Danzō wary of him.

But one had to understand something.

"Reconciliation" also had to be built upon strength.

Shōji had said from the very beginning that peace won through struggle was true peace. Even without this opportunity, he would have tried his best to find one to display his personal strength. While still holding something back, he could make others wary and fearful of him. That was the most realistic principle of negotiation in this world.

Once others believed you were weak and easy to bully, you could face utter destruction at any moment. The destruction of the Uchiha Clan in the Original Work had partly stemmed from this. Though it was not the best possible approach, it was absolutely a feasible plan: the village had to understand that the Uchiha Clan was not to be provoked. If they wished to make a move against them, they had to be prepared to perish together.

That was the first point.

The other point was that Shōji needed to make his presence felt within the clan as much as possible. The ninja world had always been a place where the strong devoured the weak and strength commanded respect, and nowhere was that more vividly reflected than in the Uchiha Clan. Why had Shisui been respected and recognized by so many Uchiha clansmen? The reason lay in Shisui's overwhelming individual strength. The Uchiha Clan was more realistic than any other clan.

Those with great strength could gather followers around them.

After Shisui's death in the Original Work, Uchiha Yashiro and Uchiha Tekka, despite being Fugaku's most trusted subordinates within the clan, had actually gone directly to question Uchiha Itachi, the clan head's son. This alone showed just how high Shisui's standing had been within the clan as the man known as the Uchiha Clan's strongest.

That was Shōji's goal.

He did not necessarily need to completely replace him, but he had to at least reach a level comparable to Shisui's. Only then could he attain the corresponding leadership position within the clan. This was one of the Uchiha Clan's fundamental rules!

Only the strongest had the right to lead the clan. Fugaku himself had risen to the position of clan head because he had been the strongest of his generation, along with the support of the elders. Someone without strength could never lead the clan.

Therefore, no matter which angle he considered it from, Shōji had to display his overwhelming strength on certain occasions. Just like Shisui, the greater his fame, the less he would need to do himself. Clansmen would naturally gather beneath him, heed his advice, and even obey his commands.

Things here are more or less settled. Next, I need to be a little bolder and proceed with the next step of the plan.

Looking at the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost close at hand, a faint chill flashed through Shōji's eyes as he thought to himself.

Having a rough plan did not mean Shōji had every step arranged and planned in advance. After all, he was not someone with an exceptionally high IQ. Sometimes, he too had to take things one step at a time. The difference was that, compared to most people, Shōji had an overarching plan deep in his heart, with everything centered around its core.

Shōji might take a few detours, but he would never go down the wrong path.

Toroi's unexpected appearance had given Shōji his next move. He wanted to use the results of this battle to test the intentions of those village higher-ups in reverse. Besides, if Konoha High Command truly had some designs, half a year had already passed. They should have taken some action by now!

Back at the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost.

Nara Suzaku, who spent nearly all his time in the main camp handling and arranging the various affairs of the front line, was briefly stunned when he learned that Shōji had returned early and had important intelligence to report. Then, his face immediately turned solemn.

Especially when Shōji arrived at the main camp, reported the relevant information to Nara Suzaku, and produced Toroi's corpse from a sealing scroll, Suzaku's pupils abruptly constricted. A rare look of shock appeared on his face.

"That is all the information. I suspect Kumogakure may make other moves, so, Senior Suzaku, you may need to personally seek instructions from the village."

The front line, which had been stable for a full half year, had remained in a state of "harmonious confrontation" between both sides. Kumogakure had suddenly dispatched a Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai ninja who had never appeared before. Though it might seem reasonable by ordinary standards, they were still at war. The most correct choice was to interpret Kumogakure's intentions with the greatest possible malice.

Thus, Nara Suzaku shared Shōji's view. He nodded lightly and said, "Mm, I understand what you mean, Shōji-kun. Leave this matter to me."