Discussion

"There is no longer a place for the Uchiha in Konoha, Tiandao. You know this better than I do. Sarutobi Hiruzen's conciliation is poison wrapped in honey, and the Root of Shimura Danzo is an abyss waiting to swallow us whole."

"If we stay, we will either be slowly assimilated and worn away, or uprooted during some accident or rebellion. Shaoyu and the others have spirit and potential; rather than letting them be driven mad or killed here, it is better to let them go and fight for a future."

"The Uchiha's Sharingan should not be used merely to stare at the trivialities of the Police Force and the suspicious gazes of our own kin."

Uchiha Tiandao listened in silence, his face devoid of expression. He showed neither anger at being kept in the dark nor condemnation for the act of defection.

After a long while, he spoke slowly, his voice remaining calm.

"Hedging our bets... that isn't bad."

These few short words made a sharp glint flash in Uchiha Setsuna's eyes. He looked at Tiandao with a hint of understanding.

"The problem now is how to explain this to the Hokage. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo are not easy people to deal with. Especially Danzo; he has never hidden his malice toward the Uchiha."

"Shaoyu's defection, coupled with his assault on an elder, is a matter that can be interpreted as either grave or minor. If we play it up, they could pin a charge of premeditated rebellion on the Uchiha, claiming that after an internal purge, some radicals fled with secrets. That would give the higher-ups an excuse to take harsher measures against the Uchiha, or even launch a full-scale purge."

"If we play it down, it can be characterized as a few young Uchiha disciples being led astray, committing a grave error in a moment of agitation, with the clan having already dealt with them strictly and launched a full-scale pursuit."

Tiandao's gaze sharpened again as he stared at Setsuna.

"Your performance is the key. If you act convincingly enough to nail Shaoyu into the position of a wild, treacherous defector, and frame this incident as much as possible as a matter of individual behavior and an unfortunate internal clan incident, we can secure room to maneuver and prevent the entire clan from being implicated."

"But Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo are both old foxes; they may not believe it entirely."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Setsuna smiled, a smile carrying the seasoned shrewdness and calculation of one who had weathered many storms.

"Whether they believe it or not is unimportant. What matters is that they can only act as if they believe it, or at least, they can only publicly handle it according to the version we have provided."

He gestured to the wound on his forehead and then to the chaotic scene.

"The chain of evidence is complete. An elder of high standing like myself, known for always considering the bigger picture, has been assaulted and left in a comatose, critical state. Shaoyu and his young radical cohorts have gone missing, with signs of a hurried departure at their residences, and a map of the secret passages has been stolen."

"All of this points to a self-consistent story: Uchiha Shaoyu, a young man of extraordinary talent but extreme personality, was deeply dissatisfied with the policies of the clan and the village. He took a desperate gamble, assaulted an elder, stole classified information, incited his accomplices, and defected from the village. As for me..."

Setsuna's smile became somewhat subtle.

"I am the victim, the representative of the moderate faction loyal to the clan and the village, who was even trying to persuade Shaoyu before being attacked."

"They cannot move against this image; at least, not openly."

"To move against me would be to negate their own long-standing narrative that there are rational, loyal members within the Uchiha. It would be an admission that their suppression of the Uchiha has reached the point of driving loyal men to revolt. This does not fit Sarutobi Hiruzen's governing philosophy of maintaining a facade of peace, nor would it serve to add unnecessary resistance to Danzo's extreme operations."

He coughed and continued.

"They might be suspicious, they might investigate in secret, and they might even guess that I was aware or even complicit. But so what? There is no substantive evidence. Every clue points to Shaoyu."

"Even if they guess I am acting, they will have to grit their teeth and play along with me to finish this performance. At the very least, on a public level, they must acknowledge that I am the victim and must direct their primary focus toward the defector, Shaoyu. This is an open conspiracy."

Uchiha Tiandao listened quietly until the end. His face remained expressionless, but the gravity in his eyes seemed to dissipate slightly.

He had to admit that while Setsuna's move was a desperate gamble, it had been calculated with great care.

By using himself as bait to manufacture an irrefutable "fact," he had forcibly framed the response of the Konoha leadership in a direction favorable to the Uchiha as a whole.

"Even if they guess it, there is nothing they can do on the surface..."

Tiandao repeated Setsuna's words in a low voice, effectively acknowledging his judgment.

Indeed, in the absence of evidence, Sarutobi Hiruzen would not easily move against a "victimized" Uchiha elder, as that would shatter the balance he had worked so hard to maintain.

Danzo might want to dig deeper, but lacking the Hokage's explicit support and moral high ground, his Root could not openly take excessive measures against a "victim."

"As expected of Elder Setsuna; when it comes to being deep and calculating, I am still far behind you."

"But to be honest, Uchiha Shaoyu's defection is a good thing for me. Firstly, his defection provides the Uchiha clan with a new path, and secondly, once he defects, the position of clan head is certain to go to my son, Fugaku. So, I don't seem to have any reason to refuse..."

With Uchiha Shaoyu present, it would have been very, very difficult for Uchiha Fugaku to succeed Tiandao as the next clan head. Shaoyu was younger than Fugaku, more talented, and possessed greater strength; no matter how one looked at it, Shaoyu held the greater advantage.

"Next," Tiandao resumed his tone of authority as clan head.

"I will formally submit a report to the Hokage as clan head, with the content written according to the facts you provided."

"At the same time, I will proactively request the assistance of the Konoha Anbu and the Root to pursue the rogue ninja Uchiha Shaoyu and his group, so as to demonstrate that the Uchiha draws a clear line with this matter and is cooperating fully."

"Within the clan, I will conduct a low-profile rectification to soothe hearts, but also take the opportunity to clear out potential hazards that might trigger similar problems. And you..."

He looked at Setsuna.

"Just focus on 'recovering from your injuries.' For the time being, do not make any moves. Be low-key, and then be even lower-key. You are the victim and the warning. Play this role well."

Uchiha Setsuna nodded, leaned back, and closed his eyes, appearing truly exhausted.

"I understand. The rest is up to you, Clan Head Tiandao."

Uchiha Tiandao said nothing more and turned toward the door. Before his hand touched the stone frame, he paused, his back to Setsuna, and asked in a voice so low only the two of them could hear.

"Where do they intend to go?"

"Kumogakure."

"Kumogakure, a not-so-bad choice."

Having said this, he pulled open the stone door and walked out with long strides, facing the suspicious and awestruck gazes of the guards and medical ninjas outside. His figure soon vanished into the shadows of the corridor.

Inside the stone room, Uchiha Setsuna remained alone. Listening to the fading footsteps, the trace of a smile on his lips slowly faded, turning into a barely audible sigh that dissipated into the blood-scented air.