The Patriarchs' Shock

The next day, the Uchiha compound.

Uchiha Ao arrived early at the clan's council hall. No sooner had he taken his seat than a clansman reported that the heads of the Hyuga, Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans had already arrived at the gate.

He straightened his clothes and ordered Uchiha Shuanghuo, who stood to the side, to bring them in.

The two men accepted the order with fanatical expressions.

Upon reaching the main gate, Uchiha Inabi cast a disdainful glance at the clan heads and their accompanying guards, though he still did his best to speak in a flat tone: "Everyone, please follow me."

A member of the Hyuga main branch was immediately displeased.

Every one of them was a person of high status; it was one thing that the little Uchiha brat hadn't come to greet them personally, but for a mere gatekeeper to look down on them was intolerable.

"Hmph, unless you have that Uchiha brat come out to greet us himself, our Hyuga clan will not participate in this cooperation!" The main branch member stepped out from the crowd, his face full of arrogance.

Seeing this, Hiashi Hyuga hurriedly offered an apologetic smile to Uchiha Shuanghuo: "My apologies, my apologies. The younger generation in our clan doesn't know the rules; please excuse them."

Having said that, he turned his head and glared fiercely at the main branch member, his eyes filled with warning.

Always causing trouble for me!

Don't you see whose territory this is? I'll deal with you when we get back!

Though the main branch member was unwilling, he ultimately retreated back into the crowd under the pressure of his clan head.

"Heh, Clan Head Hiashi really should discipline his people better," Uchiha Tekka said, squinting his eyes.

He had originally intended to personally teach this Hyuga brat who had insulted their clan head a lesson.

What a pity.

Soon, under the guidance of Shuanghuo, the group arrived at the council hall.

Inside the hall, Uchiha Ao leaned back in the high chair at the head of the table.

In truth, he didn't much care for the feeling of his feet dangling off the ground, but those two fellows had insisted that a standard seat would diminish the dignity of the Uchiha clan head, so they had specifically raised the chair for him.

"Sorry to have kept you all waiting." Uchiha Ao's gaze swept over the arriving clan heads.

The Nara clan head looked over the structure of the council hall with an indifferent expression and was the first to break the stalemate: "Clan Head Uchiha, why don't we get straight to the point."

After all, they were under immense pressure just by stepping onto Uchiha territory.

Uchiha Ao nodded slightly, his right hand resting casually on the armrest, his knuckles tapping rhythmically against the wood with a dull thud: "Clan Head Shikaku is as straightforward as expected."

On the other side, the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned against his desk, the pipe between his fingertips glowing intermittently.

An Anbu member knelt on one knee, his voice muffled by his mask, carrying a hint of anxiety: "Lord Hokage, the heads of the Nara, Akimichi, and Hyuga clans have entered the Uchiha compound."

"As expected." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over the portraits of the past Hokages on the wall; the title of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, felt exceptionally heavy under their gaze.

He felt that he had been a failure as Hokage.

The Sannin he had once taught had left the village one after another, and now, he was being resisted by a coalition of the entire village.

"Xiang, am I a failure as a Hokage?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in a flat tone.

The Anbu member, Xiang, looked up abruptly, his eyes behind the mask filled with resolve: "You have exhausted your heart and soul for Konoha for decades, my Lord. The fact that the village has survived until today in these chaotic times is entirely due to your wisdom and benevolence! As for the Sannin leaving... that is merely them being blinded by their own obsessions!"

He slammed his knee heavily onto the floor, the metal kneepad colliding with the floorboards with a dull thud: "As for the Uchiha... it must be their ambition at work!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the burnt-out pipe in his hand, the embers finally extinguishing in the silence.

Uchiha compound.

"Everyone, are you satisfied with this distribution method?" After several rounds of sparring with these old foxes, Uchiha Ao slammed the drafted alliance scroll onto the long table.

"Naturally, we are satisfied," Shikaku Nara said with a smile.

Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi, standing behind him, nodded in equal satisfaction.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had always been one unit, and with the Nara clan taking the lead, they had secured significant benefits for all three.

This was far better than working under that old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiashi Hyuga was likewise very satisfied with this division of interests.

"Clan Head Ao, the business is concluded, so we should be heading back now." Hiashi Hyuga tucked his clan seal back into his sleeve, his tone carrying a sense of relief.

"No need to rush, Clan Head Hiashi. Since you have taken the risk to join us, we must ensure you feel at ease," Uchiha Ao said with a smile.

"What does Clan Head Ao mean by that?" Hiashi Hyuga asked, puzzled.

Could the Uchiha clan still be hiding other strengths?

Wasn't one Shisui with a Mangekyo enough?

Uchiha Ao smiled and raised a hand, calling softly toward the door: "Fugaku, Itachi, come in."

The doors slowly pushed open, and the two men scanned the people in the hall with calm expressions.

They walked to Uchiha Ao's side and stood in silence.

"Fugaku, Itachi, show them your Mangekyo, and let these clan heads—"

Fugaku and Itachi exchanged a glance, and the chakra in the air suddenly grew heavy.

Two pairs of spinning Mangekyo Sharingan slowly manifested in their eyes.

"This..." The clan heads were instantly shocked.

No, you Uchiha have three pairs of Mangekyo, yet you've remained so docile?

If it were them, they would have already stormed the Hokage's office and seized power for themselves.

Shikaku Nara took a deep breath. "Three pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan... You have hidden yourselves too well!"

Uchiha Ao curled his lips into a meaningful smile. "Only by hiding deep can one live long. The Third Hokage fears our power and has suppressed us openly and covertly all these years. If we hadn't kept a low profile and laid low, we would have become history long ago."

Become history?

It was more likely that Hiruzen Sarutobi would have become history.

Although the clan heads had never witnessed the battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju back in the day.

The long rift at the Valley of the End, the massive stone statues, and the legends passed down by word of mouth all spoke of the terror of the Uchiha clan at its peak.

Now, with three pairs of Mangekyo gathered, this power was enough to rewrite the history of Konoha.

It seemed that joining the Uchiha faction was the right choice.

The clan heads looked at one another, and they all saw anticipation in each other's eyes.

They looked forward to the Uchiha clan leading them to pull Hiruzen Sarutobi down from his position as Hokage.

The current state of Konoha was like a pool of stagnant water; Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and the others held onto power while refusing to innovate, allowing the once-vibrant number one village in the ninja world to gradually decay.

As for their own ninja clans, under the guise of "the greater good," their elites were sent on near-suicidal missions, while their resource allocations grew increasingly meager.

The group left the conference room with smiles on their faces, but once they stepped outside the Uchiha compound, they all put on different expressions.

From time to time, a few clan heads could be heard conversing.

"Sigh, that Uchiha brat truly bullies us too much!" Hiashi Hyuga intentionally raised his voice. "To use the Mangekyo Sharingan to intimidate us during an alliance—what do they take us for?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flickering in the distance—that was an Anbu spy sent by the Third Hokage.

Shikaku Nara sighed in coordination. "Exactly, exactly. It was supposed to be an equal partnership, yet they press us at every turn."

He turned to look at Inoichi Yamanaka. "Inoichi, how much sincerity do you think there is in this alliance?"

Inoichi Yamanaka pretended to ponder for a moment. "In my opinion, the Uchiha have great ambitions. We should prepare early, lest we end up being used as pawns."

The Anbu spy in the shadows held his breath, his fingertips recording every word of the conversation with lightning speed.

Confirming that the group had completely departed, he flashed away, transforming into a dark shadow as he sped toward the Hokage Building.

Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed after hearing the secret report. "I didn't expect them to use the Mangekyo to intimidate these clan heads. How foolish. Hmph, as expected of the naturally evil Uchiha clan."