Uchiha Setsuna

When Uchiha Shaoyu had first crossed over, he had already considered the option of defecting.

Anyone who had watched Naruto knew that the Uchiha Clan was practically despised by everyone in Konoha.

Especially by the old fossils in the Konoha High Command. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō were the worst of the lot.

That old bastard Shimura Danzō was always hoping to see the Uchiha Clan dead.

The hatred toward the Uchiha Clan had started with the Second, Senju Tobirama. That old Senju Tobirama had even created the Military Police Force, leaving the Uchiha Clan ostracized throughout Konoha.

But although Senju Tobirama, that naturally wicked little brat from the Senju Clan, hated the Uchiha Clan, he hadn't gone so far as to wipe them out. At most, he'd subjected them to a series of crackdowns.

But after Senju Tobirama died on the Cloud Hidden Battlefield and Sarutobi Hiruzen took office, life for the Uchiha Clan had grown increasingly difficult.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō played good cop and bad cop, constantly suppressing the Uchiha Clan.

As if that weren't enough, the Uchiha Clan had offended the higher-ups and had no good reputation anywhere in Konoha.

Which of the other ninja clans thought well of the Uchiha Clan?

But there was nothing to be done about it.

The Uchiha Clan's powerful talents had given them overwhelming strength, and their natural pride made them stand out like a sore thumb in Konoha.

As for the other villagers of Konoha, there was even less to say.

The villagers of Konoha hadn't earned their reputation as troublemakers for nothing.

Shaoyu figured that if he didn't defect and kept staying here, he'd eventually die of frustration.

With the Uchiha Clan's immense strength, they could have been admired and respected anywhere. Instead, they were ostracized to this miserable extent in Konoha.

His Six Eyes took in the situation outside. Uchiha Shaoyu already knew Danzō had come to kill him, but the clan leader had indeed stopped him. It seemed the clan leader at this point wasn't the spineless Fugaku from later on; he still had some backbone.

However, the clan leader belonged to the Dove Faction. Since Uchiha Shaoyu was preparing to defect, he should go speak with the leader of the Hawk Faction, Uchiha Setsuna.

Uchiha Setsuna was a clever man. He knew what he ought to do.

With the clan leader here, Danzō couldn't get in. That gave Shaoyu some time to prepare.

Danzō felt uneasy as he looked at the red eyes surrounding him.

Although he hated the Uchiha, he had to admit they were exceptional fighters. Ninja of the same rank had a hard time contending with them.

He knew that if he forced his way through, these Uchiha would chop him into mincemeat.

He was still fairly young, and even without using his trump cards, he was undoubtedly Kage Level. But against so many Uchiha, he stood no chance.

"So many Three-Tomoe Sharingan. These damned Uchiha still have so much power. We have to weaken them."

After all, the Root ninja he'd brought along weren't much use.

"Damn it. Once I get back, I'll have Hiruzen approve a requisition for some clan members with bloodline abilities to join Root. Otherwise, I'll have no one to use."

"And what's taking Fox and Bear so long? How can they still not be done? Are you telling me those two can't even capture one badly wounded person?"

After waiting for a long while without his subordinates returning, Danzō realized the useless fools had probably failed and weren't coming back.

"Clan Leader Tiandao, until we meet again."

With a dark, resentful look, Danzō left the Uchiha Compound.

Seeing Danzō leave, Tiandao finally relaxed.

He truly didn't want a confrontation with Danzō. But if Danzō had barged in under his nose and taken a Uchiha prodigy, he wouldn't deserve to remain clan leader.

"Ah, what troubled times these are."

Uchiha Shaoyu walked along the moonlit stone path through the compound, his steps light but steady.

The Hawk Faction's gathering place lay deep within the compound, hidden behind an old pine grove. It was an unremarkable stone house, perpetually steeped in the faint smell of gunpowder.

The scent came from the Hawk Faction members' years of secret training and sparring.

He raised a hand and knocked on the stone door. Three quick knocks followed by two slow ones was the Hawk Faction's secret signal. Soon, steady footsteps sounded from within.

The door was opened by a stooped old man whose back was nevertheless straight. His silver hair was as white as frost, combed neatly into place. Deep wrinkles lined his forehead, marks left by time and the battlefield.

An old scar ran from the corner of his left eye across his brow, looking especially fierce in the dim light. It was Uchiha Setsuna.

He was over seventy years old, dressed in a dark uniform stiff from repeated washing. The clan's Gunbai crest on his collar had faded with age. His withered fingers were knotted with swollen joints, yet he still held his weapon firmly.

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan turned slowly in his cloudy eyes. When he recognized Shaoyu, surprise flashed across his face. He stepped aside to let him in, his voice hoarse with age but still forceful.

"Shaoyu? You've come to see me at this hour. Is something urgent?"

The stone house was sparsely furnished. It contained only a stone table with a broken corner and a few low stools. Bundles of firewood were piled in one corner, and the jutsu charts hanging on the wall had yellowed and curled at the edges.

As soon as Shaoyu sat down, he spoke bluntly.

"Elder Setsuna, I'm here to tell you that I'm going to defect from Konoha."

He said it outright because, in the memories of Uchiha Shaoyu's predecessor, Elder Setsuna was someone he could absolutely trust when it came to defecting.

Uchiha Setsuna was one of the few clever people in the Uchiha Clan. He knew what he ought to choose.

The moment the words fell, the air in the stone house seemed to freeze. Uchiha Setsuna paused with his rough ceramic teacup in hand. His knuckles whitened from the pressure. He didn't immediately object, only looked steadily at Shaoyu, the tomoe in his Sharingan turning slowly as if weighing the gravity of his words.

"Do you know what that means? A defector will be hunted by Konoha. From then on, there will be nowhere in the world to take refuge. I've lived for over seventy years and seen too many defectors meet their ends."

There was something he didn't say.

"The last Uchiha to defect was named Uchiha Madara."

"I know that better than anyone."

Shaoyu met his gaze. His Six Eyes quietly activated, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"But staying in Konoha means certain death. Danzō's Root has already reached the edge of the compound. If the clan leader hadn't stopped him just now, he would probably have broken in."

"You and I both know the High Command's suppression of the Uchiha has never been about maintaining order in Konoha. It's about eliminating their rivals. If we wait any longer, they'll either wear us down or wipe out the clan."

He paused, his tone growing even more resolute.

"Our Uchiha Clan has the finest bloodline and the most powerful Sharingan. Why should we put up with those old fossils in Konoha? Why should the villagers ostracize us as monsters? Rather than die here in misery, we should fight our way out and find somewhere the Uchiha can truly establish themselves."