Kagami Uchiha: Lord Xuan, We'll All Follow You!

"Tomorrow night at midnight, the operation begins."

This secret order was silently delivered to every squad captain within half an hour through the Uchiha clan's special communication method.

The entire Uchiha Clan Grounds were like a mighty bow drawn to its limit, every string trembling, ready to unleash world-shattering power at any moment.

And in this final moment before the storm arrived,

Uchiha Xuan neither inspected supplies nor boosted morale.

Alone, beneath the moonlight, he once again came to the secluded woods behind Naka Shrine.

He knew that as this massive clan machine was about to begin running at full speed, there was still one crucial gear that needed to be moved by his own hand.

"Senior Kagami."

Xuan stopped and looked at the solitary figure ahead, seemingly already fused with the shadows of the trees.

"I knew you would be here tonight."

Beneath the trees, Kagami Uchiha slowly turned around.

Compared to the man from a few days ago, who had been conflicted yet still held a trace of hope in his eyes,

Kagami now seemed to have aged ten years. His eye sockets were sunken and bloodshot, and those once-clear eyes now held nothing but deep exhaustion and despair.

"Xuan..." Kagami's voice was terribly hoarse. "The atmosphere in the village... has changed. ANBU patrols are twice as frequent as usual, and Root's people are running around everywhere like mad dogs."

He closed his eyes in pain. "Lord Tobirama... he truly intends to kill us."

Over the past few days, Kagami Uchiha had used his position to secretly observe the movements of Konoha's upper ranks.

There had been no explanations, no reassurances.

Only an ever-tightening encirclement and increasingly blatant exclusion.

The words Xuan had repeated before gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes day and night, while the actions of the upper ranks over these past few days hammered home the final proof.

The Will of Fire he had once believed in without question had shattered into glass shards before cruel political reality.

"So what are you still hesitating over?"

Xuan stepped before Kagami, his tone calm yet carrying unquestionable force.

"Will you stay here and wait to be purged as traitors, letting the blood of the Uchiha clan stain this land red?"

"Or..."

Xuan paused, and his gaze became unfathomably deep.

"Come with me. Tear apart this hypocritical peace and fight for a future that truly belongs to us."

Kagami suddenly opened his eyes and stared fixedly at the youth before him.

"Leave? How can we leave?" He gave a bitter laugh, his tone filled with helplessness. "Konoha's barrier, ANBU's pursuit, and Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God... where can an entire clan of old, weak, women, and children possibly go?"

"After leaving Konoha, where would we go? Become wandering ninja?"

"No. Not wandering."

Two dazzling golden flames suddenly ignited in Xuan's eyes, shining brilliantly in the darkness.

"We will build a nation."

"Build... build a nation?!"

The two words shocked Kagami into drawing a sharp breath as he stared at Xuan in disbelief.

"That's right." Xuan slightly raised his head and laid out his grand, nearly insane blueprint before this former First Hokage's guard without holding anything back.

"Over the past few days, I've already arranged for all the clan's real estate to be liquidated. The assets have been transferred into secret overseas accounts."

"Our supplies, ninja tools, and Explosive Tags are enough to support a small-scale war."

"Tomorrow night at midnight, Senju Tobirama will leave the village for the front lines. That will be the best time for us to act!"

With every sentence Xuan spoke, Kagami's heart pounded violently.

"The place we're going is an overseas island chain east of the Land of Water."

"It is far from the conflicts of the continent, rich in resources, easy to defend, and difficult to attack."

"There, we will establish an entirely new hidden village, one beyond the control of the Five Great Nations and belonging solely to our Uchiha clan—Whirlpool Hidden Village!"

"We will be the pioneers of that new world! The ones who make its rules!"

"No one will ever dare look at us differently again! No one will ever dare bully our clansmen at will again!"

"This is the future I, Uchiha Xuan, will give the clan!"

Listening to Xuan's earth-shattering plan, Kagami Uchiha was completely stunned.

Liquidating assets? Building a nation overseas?

This was no betrayal of the village!

This was clearly a meticulously planned, exceptionally precise "clan-wide migration"!

He looked at the twelve-year-old boy before him, who radiated the imposing aura of one who ruled the world.

He suddenly realized that he, along with all of Konoha's upper ranks, had severely underestimated this Uchiha prodigy!

Not only did he possess strength comparable to the Kage-level, he also had extraordinary wisdom and ambition vast enough to contain the universe!

"But... but Lord Tobirama's pursuit..." Kagami's Adam's apple bobbed as he voiced the most fatal concern.

No matter how perfect the plan was, once Senju Tobirama discovered it, a large-scale retreat would be nothing but a living target before the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"Pursuit?"

Xuan suddenly laughed, with absolute confidence and even a trace of arrogance.

"Senior Kagami, do you really think I would dare lead the entire clan away without preparing a trump card?"

He leaned close to Kagami's ear and softly whispered a name that only the two of them could hear.

"Lord Madara... has returned."

Boom!

That name was like a nuclear bomb with a ten-thousand-ton yield, exploding directly within Kagami Uchiha's mind!

Madara?!

The man who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with the First Hokage and was known as the Asura of the Ninja World?!

He... hadn't he died in the Valley of the End?!

"Not only is he alive, he has already recovered to his peak." Xuan patted the horrified Kagami. "With him here, let alone one Senju Tobirama, what could Konoha possibly do even if it mobilized its entire army?"

At that moment, the last trace of concern in Kagami Uchiha's heart was completely crushed.

A perfect plan, sufficient funds, precise timing, and... ultimate force capable of crushing everything!

This was not a journey to their deaths.

This was a broad road that could truly allow the Uchiha clan to be reborn from the ashes!

He looked at Uchiha Xuan before him and recalled the cold cruelty Konoha's upper ranks had shown these past days.

The heart that had once been willing to sacrifice everything for Konoha finally died completely.

In its place came a resolve to burn everything away for the clan and for their bloodline.

"Senior Kagami."

Seeing the constantly changing expressions on Kagami's face, Xuan's tone became sincere.

"I need your help."

"Although Setsuna and the others have already submitted, there are still many moderates in the clan who, like you, retain feelings for Konoha."

"If Setsuna informs them of the defection, it may very well cause panic and resistance."

"But if you step forward..."

Xuan did not continue. He believed that someone as intelligent as Kagami would naturally understand what he meant.

The woods fell into brief silence.

Only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard.

After a long while,

Kagami Uchiha took a deep breath.

He looked at Uchiha Xuan, his eyes clearer and firmer than ever before.

Then, before Xuan's slightly surprised gaze, this elder held in extremely high regard within the Uchiha clan, even considered a close friend by the Third Hokage,

slowly dropped to one knee.

"Lord Xuan."

Though Kagami's voice was hoarse, it rang with resolute force, carrying the determination to sever the past.

"From this day onward, there will be no more pro-Konoha faction among the Uchiha."

He lowered his head, placed his right hand over his left chest, and performed the most ancient and solemn knight's salute.

"We will all follow Lord Xuan!"

Xuan looked at Kagami Uchiha kneeling before him, and a satisfied smile curved his lips.

He knew that he had finally taken down the toughest bone to chew.

From this moment on, the Uchiha clan could finally be considered truly united as one!

"Good."

Xuan extended a hand and helped Kagami to his feet.

"Go make preparations, Senior Kagami. There isn't much time left."

He turned toward Hokage Rock, killing intent flickering in his eyes.

"Tomorrow night, I'll make all of Konoha see us off!"