A crack appeared in the scroll, accompanied by a crisp, strange sound. The Third Raikage immediately came back to his senses.
He hurriedly eased the force in his hand, while an idea formed in his mind.
"This might not be an opportunity after all..."
"Rasa may not be much of a fighter, but he can keep pestering me nonstop. It's truly irritating! It'll be hard to achieve anything on Hidden Sand's battlefield. We might as well concentrate our forces and first work with Hidden Stone and Kirigakure to deal with Hidden Leaf! It'll also be a chance to avenge Dodai!"
The Third Raikage frowned. The more he considered it, the more feasible the idea seemed.
After planning it out in his mind for a while, the Third Raikage suddenly rose to his feet and shouted:
"Someone!"
"Thud, thud, thud, thud!"
After a burst of hurried footsteps, a pale, somewhat skinny young man lifted the flap of the command tent.
"Boss, what is it?"
"Send word back to the village. Have our spies in Hidden Leaf keep a close eye on the Uchiha Clan's movements. The moment anything unusual happens, report back immediately! At the same time, have the army change course. Head north into the Land of Earth and prepare to rendezvous with the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water to the east! Finally, keep the Heavenly Transfer Technique ready at all times these days. If there isn't enough time, I'll move out first!"
"Hehehe~ Thanks to Madara's plan, as long as I use a few tricks... hehehe... Indra, we'll be reunited soon, just like we were a thousand years ago..."
"No... I can't get cocky too early! To avoid what happened last time, I need to change the way I hide. I can't let Indra discover me again..."
The Fluctuating Stability, Uchiha Clan Meeting (3k)
"Damn it! We lost more than a dozen clansmen who had awakened the Sharingan this time!"
"Hidden Leaf can't treat the Uchiha Clan like this!"
"Do the lives our clansmen gave for the village mean nothing at all?!"
"The Military Police Force originally belonged to the Uchiha Clan. What's the point of expanding its size? We only have so many clansmen..."
"I heard that... before this operation, Mo once advised Captain Fugaku to bring the clansmen back..."
Three days had passed since the Battle of Kikyo Pass. During those three days, public sentiment within the Uchiha Clan had grown increasingly heated!
As those who knew the truth revealed the conversation between Uchiha Mo and Fugaku before the battle, many clansmen belatedly realized something.
Thus, while their fury toward Hidden Leaf gradually fermented within the clan, a great many voices expressing extreme dissatisfaction with Fugaku also emerged.
Moreover, the Uchiha Clan had always been a clan that worshipped strength.
And now, despite being under twelve years old, Mo had achieved the most dazzling record in the entire Ninja World during the Third Shinobi World War. His astonishing display when he killed Ebizo and Chiyo that day had also spread from mouth to mouth among the clansmen.
Afterward, with Setsuna secretly fanning the flames, Mo's already considerable prestige soared rapidly within the Uchiha Clan!
In just three days, countless discussions had arisen within the Uchiha Clan about how "the capable should hold the position of clan head."
Fugaku had not slept well these past few days. His heart was filled with torment and conflict.
On one hand, he was furious at the many evaluations within the clan calling him "weak" and claiming he only knew how to wag his tail before Hidden Leaf's higher-ups. On the other hand, he felt that perhaps Mo really was more suited than him to lead the Uchiha Clan...
Under the tangled weight of such conflict and anxiety, in only three days, strands of white had appeared amid the hair of the thirty-year-old man.
But Uchiha Mo was the complete opposite. Faced with this change he had long anticipated, his heart remained utterly calm. Over the past few days, he had stayed at home studying the Yin-Yang Release Secret Technique and the Flying Thunder God he had only recently acquired, quietly waiting for public sentiment to ferment.
And despite how loudly the Uchiha Clan was shouting now, Mo understood that if he suddenly proposed leaving Hidden Leaf at this moment, not even half the clan would support him.
Though dissatisfied, the Uchiha Clan had lived here for decades and had long grown accustomed to this life. If he wanted to lead the clansmen out of Hidden Leaf's shackles completely, he had to present something concrete—something genuinely feasible, with a visible future.
Mo had also considered that, with his current achievements, once Minato became the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails Uprising was resolved, he and the Uchiha Clan could naturally live peacefully and comfortably in Hidden Leaf.
But unfortunately...
Mo's eyes shifted, his gaze settling on the very last line of the panel.
[Current World Stability: 15.26%]
15.26. It had dropped by 0.01...
This change had occurred after the Battle of Kikyo Pass. Mo had pondered it for a long time, yet had never figured out what caused it, for there were simply too few clues.
But he could still clearly identify a general direction. The cause of this change definitely was not Chiyo's death or alterations to the original plot. Otherwise, the number should have dropped even lower by now!
More likely, Hidden Sand would undergo some sort of upheaval because of this battle, which would then impact the world's "stability."
Mo's strength had now completely entered the Kage Level. He possessed enough power to influence the current balance of the Ninja World, and it was time to begin preparing for the final mission ahead.
And this was also one of the reasons Mo had not refused Black Zetsu's approach.
Ninety percent stability and safety... This requirement was clearly extraordinarily harsh. The closest example Mo could think of was probably that place from his previous life.
And even under those circumstances, it might not necessarily reach ninety percent stability. Therefore, Mo had to prepare some extreme plans.
Combined with his need to raise his proficiency as high as possible, the first plan Mo could think of was the Infinite Tsukuyomi!
Considering that the mission specifically mentioned the condition of being "suitable for human habitation," Mo could not place all his hopes on this technique, but it was at least a direction.
However, whether the final method relied on the Infinite Tsukuyomi, used it to bind everyone, reclaimed all chakra to reconstruct human social order, or involved some other plan...
It was destined that Mo would become the absolute enemy of the Ninja World's established upper class! He could not truly belong to any ninja village. Their classes and interests stood in absolute opposition!
While the Seven-Colored Lotus gave Mo immense potential, it also completely bound him to the opposing side of the Ninja World's original beneficiaries of power...
Mo had no other choice. He avoided unnecessary bonds precisely so his future self could be more decisive.
His future was destined to make an enemy of the entire Ninja World!
Of course, though he would leave Hidden Leaf sooner or later, that did not mean Mo could accept the Uchiha Clan and himself working for the village for nothing.
His past achievements and the Uchiha Clan's sacrifices this time had not received the rewards they deserved. Sooner or later, Mo would collect that debt himself.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
The door to the study was suddenly knocked on, followed by Shisui's voice from outside.
"Brother! The clan meeting is about to begin. Elder Setsuna sent someone to call you!"
"..."
Mo closed the black ancient tome, placed it in the desk drawer, and locked it. He then took a sword from the nearby rack before slowly walking to the door.
"Click!"
The door opened. Mo lowered his head to look at Shisui standing outside and slowly said:
"You're coming with me too."
"Huh?"
Shisui tilted his head in confusion. "I'm going too? But the clan meeting..."
Before Shisui could finish speaking, Mo patted his head and strode outside.
"Let's go."
"Ah... okay."
Shisui nodded belatedly and hurried after his older brother.
By the time the two arrived at Naka Shrine, where the clan meeting was being held, nearly all the clansmen attending had gathered.
As the shrine doors opened, pairs of scarlet eyes within the shadows turned toward the two figures—one tall and one short—standing at the entrance.
"Tap..."
Mo's expression was calm as he stepped into the deliberately cleared path before the entrance, with Shisui following closely behind.
"Mo, you've come..."
Setsuna stood on the raised platform at the very front of the shrine and slowly opened his eyes.
As Setsuna spoke, greetings rose from all around. They were not only directed toward Mo; many kind voices also greeted Shisui.
During the Battle of Kikyo Pass, Shisui had saved the lives of quite a few clansmen on the battlefield, causing many people to reassess "Mo's younger brother."
Shisui returned their greetings with smiles and quickly followed Uchiha Mo onto the platform, standing beside Uchiha Setsuna.
"Now that Mo has arrived, let this clan meeting officially begin!"
Setsuna said in a deep voice.
The moment his words fell, the clansmen below began speaking indignantly.
"Hidden Leaf has treated the Uchiha Clan far too unfairly! We should reclaim the rights that belong to us!"
"That's right! Overthrow Hidden Leaf! We were founding elders of Hidden Leaf itself. The position of Hokage should have a place for the Uchiha Clan!"
"Fugaku is weak and incompetent. He is unfit to remain clan head!"
"The Uchiha Clan should be led by the strongest. Mo is our hope for the future!"
"..."
For a moment, emotions ran high, and the entire meeting hall became noisy.
Setsuna frowned and slammed the floor twice with the staff in his hand.
Thump! Thump!
"Silence!"
As soon as those two words fell, the surroundings immediately quieted again. Setsuna's status within the clan was obvious.
Only then did Setsuna continue:
"Matters must be handled one at a time!"
"First, the first matter."
As he spoke, Setsuna looked toward Fugaku on his right, whose expression had stiffened slightly.
"Fugaku has served as clan head for so many years. Though he has indeed made no great contributions, he has at least been diligent. But this time..."
Setsuna returned his gaze forward and continued:
"Fugaku, the clansmen trusted you deeply. That is why they followed you onto the battlefield even without an explicit order from the village. More than a dozen clansmen even gave their lives because of it, yet the Uchiha Clan gained nothing in return... We paid the price but received no compensation... This was a serious failure of duty on your part. Do you admit it?"
As his words fell, Fugaku's expression darkened. Several elders behind him who supported Fugaku immediately spoke up upon hearing this.
"Great Elder, Fugaku truly did not handle this well, but..."
However, before the elder who spoke first could finish, Fugaku directly interrupted him.
"That's enough, Uncle Shuo Zhen..."
"..."
"Ah..."
Uchiha Shuo Zhen paused, looked at Fugaku, and sighed before saying nothing more. Fugaku, meanwhile, let out a long breath, and his expression gradually calmed.
"Great Elder, this truly was my failure of duty. I will not shirk responsibility. My naivety and weakness caused the clansmen to make meaningless sacrifices."
The entire hall fell even quieter after those words. Fugaku seemed as though he had finally laid down some burden, and his whole body suddenly relaxed considerably.
Uchiha Setsuna nodded.
"Good. At the very least, you dare to take responsibility and have not disgraced the Uchiha name."
"We will discuss Fugaku's punishment later. Now, the second matter."
As he spoke, Setsuna slowly turned his head, glanced at Uchiha Mo, then pulled him before himself.
"Uchiha Mo—surely none of you are unfamiliar with him. He is the Uchiha Clan's greatest genius and our pride. His performance in the Third Shinobi World War surpassed the entire Ninja World! And during the Battle of Kikyo Pass, it was Mo who saw through the Hokage's hypocrisy and advised Fugaku in advance. However..."
Setsuna paused as he spoke, his scarlet eyes sweeping across the crowd below.
Among the crowd, dozens of figures immediately lowered their heads in shame.
"Great Elder, we were too naive. We failed to heed Mo's advice..."
Uchiha Hona's tone was full of regret. He glanced at the expressionless Mo, then shamefully looked away.
"That's right... We failed to understand Mo's good intentions..."
Kazuya pressed his lips together, equally full of remorse.
Before you continue