Invitation

After learning that Itachi and Shisui were undercover agents, Fugaku Uchiha took a long time to recover from what felt like a heart attack.

Even his own son did not trust him. He had truly failed somewhat as clan head.

Fugaku Uchiha asked, "Itachi, if the Uchiha Clan really launches a coup, will you choose Konoha or the Uchiha Clan?"

Itachi's expression stiffened, and he stammered for a long time without being able to answer.

But Fugaku Uchiha already knew Itachi's answer.

Fugaku Uchiha looked at Shisui. "If Kagami were still alive, he would surely be very happy to see the Uchiha Clan reintegrate into Konoha."

Shisui replied respectfully, "Yes. Father always wished for the Uchiha Clan to become part of Konoha."

Fugaku Uchiha recalled Danzo's words.

If you want to thank someone, thank yourself for giving birth to that brat Sasuke Uchiha.

Because the situation within the clan had been so dire, Fugaku Uchiha had had no energy to deal with anything else. As a result, he had barely paid any attention to Sasuke lately.

"Itachi, do you know what Sasuke has been doing recently?"

"Sasuke? He should be playing with his friends."

Fugaku Uchiha was extremely surprised. In the past, because of Sasuke's Uchiha identity, none of his peers had been willing to play with him. How had he suddenly made friends—and apparently a whole group of them?

Fugaku Uchiha vaguely sensed that the reason Danzo had suddenly relented might lie among Sasuke's friends.

"Which friends?"

Itachi listed Sasuke's little companions one by one.

When Fugaku Uchiha heard the name Uzumaki Menma, his mind suddenly roared, and he understood everything.

"No wonder... no wonder. So that's how it is!"

Itachi and Shisui exchanged puzzled looks, unable to understand why Fugaku Uchiha had suddenly become so shocked.

Itachi asked, "Father, what is it?"

Fugaku Uchiha asked in return, "You two are only Lord Hokage's undercover agents, correct?"

Itachi and Shisui nodded.

Fugaku Uchiha sighed. "The entire Uchiha Clan should really be thanking Sasuke."

"Sasuke?"

Itachi and Shisui grew even more confused. How had this become about Sasuke again?

"You should know that the greatest obstacle to the Uchiha Clan integrating into Konoha is Lord Danzo of Root, right?"

Itachi and Shisui nodded again in agreement.

Fugaku Uchiha explained, "Although relations between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha had already begun to grow tense, things truly reached the point of irreconcilability during the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Uprising.

Because Lord Danzo believed that the consequences would be unthinkable if the rampaging Nine-Tails came under the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan control, and because he suspected that Uchiha people had been involved behind the scenes, he refused to allow our Uchiha Clan to take part in the rescue.

At the same time, because the Uchiha Clan did not participate in the Nine-Tails incident, it caused Konoha's villagers to misunderstand and resent us. After that day, our position only became more and more difficult.

Lord Hokage wanted to improve the relationship between our Uchiha Clan and Konoha, but Lord Danzo intervened and obstructed it, so nothing ever came of it. Moreover, the Uchiha Clan had always remained under the surveillance of Root shinobi.

I tried many times to meet Lord Danzo and mediate the conflicts and misunderstandings between us, but Lord Danzo had an extreme distrust of the Uchiha Clan. He would not even give me the chance to meet him.

But this time, Lord Hokage and Lord Danzo took the initiative to find me and offered the Uchiha Clan an opportunity to integrate into Konoha, even though they knew that some members of the Uchiha Clan wanted to launch a coup.

Given Lord Danzo's hardline methods, he should have done everything possible to eradicate the Uchiha Clan once and for all, rather than give us a chance to integrate into Konoha."

Itachi and Shisui understood what Fugaku Uchiha meant as well.

Itachi asked doubtfully, "Father, are you saying that some factor caused Lord Danzo to change his mind?"

Fugaku Uchiha nodded. "Yes. That factor is among Sasuke's friends."

Itachi and Shisui suddenly spoke in unison. "Uzumaki Menma?!"

With Fugaku Uchiha having said this much, there was no way they could fail to guess it.

Among those people, only Uzumaki Menma had ties to Root—and extremely close ones at that. He was Danzo's grandson.

Itachi and Shisui found it somewhat hard to believe. "Could Menma alone have caused Lord Danzo to change his mind and give our Uchiha Clan a chance?"

Fugaku Uchiha sighed. "That must be it. Do not underestimate Uzumaki Menma's importance in Lord Danzo's heart. Everyone in Konoha's shinobi circles knows how doting Lord Danzo is toward Uzumaki Menma. He is completely raising Uzumaki Menma as his successor.

Konoha's recent major event—the Hyuga Clan's reforms and the abolition of the main and branch family system—also involved Lord Danzo's assistance.

Given Hyuga Hiashi's cautious nature, the fact that he was willing to seek Lord Danzo's intervention and help means that Lord Danzo made him some kind of promise. I also heard that dozens of Hyuga shinobi have already joined Root for training.

All the signs indicate that Root may no longer be what we imagined it to be, and the reason for that change is very likely Uzumaki Menma."

Itachi and Shisui had a hard time accepting it.

They had worked so hard for so long, yet they were not even as persuasive as a child Sasuke's age?

People really could not be compared.

"This time, our Uchiha Clan owes Uzumaki Menma a debt of gratitude. Itachi, do you know where they are now?"

"They should be playing on the streets of Konoha."

"Invite Uzumaki Menma to the Uchiha Compound as a guest. Oh, and invite Naruto Uzumaki too."

Itachi and Shisui knew that Uzumaki Menma and Naruto Uzumaki were Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, so they worried, "Father, at a time like this, would that really be appropriate?"

Fugaku Uchiha smiled and explained, "You still do not understand. Uzumaki Menma is our only way to establish contact with Lord Danzo. If we invite Uzumaki Menma and Naruto Uzumaki into the Uchiha Compound as guests, Lord Danzo will naturally know about it. I simply want Lord Danzo to know that our Uchiha Clan is very grateful to him and that we have not the slightest designs on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Building a good relationship with Uzumaki Menma is equivalent to building a good relationship with Lord Danzo. It will greatly benefit the Uchiha Clan."

Itachi and Shisui understood Fugaku Uchiha's intentions and wanted to head to the streets of Konoha at once to find Uzumaki Menma and the others.

Fugaku Uchiha stopped Itachi. "Wait, Itachi. Tell Mikoto that the two children are coming to our home as guests. I am sure Mikoto will be very happy."