Persuading Uchiha Fugaku

The tight lines on Natsu's face finally eased slightly, only to darken again. "Uncle, Aunt, there's something you need to prepare yourselves for. Itachi... we most likely won't be able to take him with us."

The moment he said this, Fugaku and Mikoto's expressions froze.

They recalled what Natsu had just said—that Itachi had decided to join forces with Konoha's higher-ups to purge the entire clan—and their eyes instantly filled with an unbearable struggle.

"If you're worried about his safety, there's no need." Seeing their expressions, Natsu calmly added, "He's already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"What did you say?!" Fugaku shot to his feet, his face filled with disbelief. "Is that true?!"

"He awakened it the day Shisui died." Natsu's voice remained flat, yet he dropped another bombshell.

"Also, Shisui didn't commit suicide. He died at Shimura Danzō's hands. He had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan as well. One of his eyes was forcibly dug out by Danzō, while the other is with Itachi."

Fugaku was completely stunned.

His eldest son had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan without telling him.

Shisui, the clan's once-in-a-century genius, had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan too, only to die at Danzō's hands in the end, with one of his eyes even taken from him.

"Shimura Danzō! How dare he?! I'll kill him!"

The rage that had been building for so long finally erupted. Fugaku slammed his palm against the table, sending the teacup on the low table crashing to the floor. His scarlet Sharingan spun wildly, and killing intent nearly spilled from his body.

"Uncle, calm down."

Natsu's voice was as cold as a bucket of ice water, instantly dousing Fugaku's towering fury. "Shisui's Mangekyō ability was called Kotoamatsukami. It could silently alter a person's thoughts. It was the strongest genjutsu.

"Danzō now has Kotoamatsukami, several Three-Tomoe Sharingan embedded in his arm, and Izanagi on top of that. Do you really think you can kill him? If Kotoamatsukami controls you, then the entire Uchiha Clan will truly be beyond saving."

Fugaku's body stiffened. He stared at him intently, his lips moving for a long while before he finally forced out, "Natsu, you... how do you know so much?"

"My ability lets me glimpse a little of this world's future. Only this world's." Natsu brushed it off calmly.

Fugaku took a deep breath and ultimately did not press further. Every ninja had their own trump cards, and prying into them was a major taboo in the Ninja World.

"When do we begin?" He sat back down, with not a trace of hesitation left in his voice—only the resolve to stake everything on one throw.

"Today." Natsu's expression instantly turned solemn. "Uncle, you must remember every single thing I say next. Not one detail can be wrong."

"First, contact the Ninja Cat Clan. Starting today, every Uchiha business throughout the Land of Fire must be handed over to merchants directly affiliated with the daimyo. Sell everything off cheaply as fast as possible. Turn all proceeds into grain, medicine, Explosive Tags, and ninja tools, then use Summoning Jutsu to stockpile it all in the underground chambers of Naka Shrine."

"Starting tomorrow, announce to the public that Naka Shrine will be closed for expansion. Say that we are holding a grand ancestral rite to pray for blessings, and that the entire clan must participate. Use that as a pretext to bring the clan's core areas under control."

"Immediately issue orders for all clan members currently on missions, regardless of their mission rank, to withdraw to the clan district as quickly as possible. At the same time, have the elders proficient in Sealing Jutsu construct the highest-grade Defense Formation and Enemy-Trapping Formation along the borders of the clan district. The sooner, the better."

"All the clan's Ninjutsu Scrolls, Secret Technique Inheritances, handwritten notes left by past ancestors, and every supply stored in the warehouses must be secretly moved to Naka Shrine. Not a single item can be left behind."

"I also need five Elite Jonin with Three-Tomoe Sharingan, plus ten clan members who are at least Jonin-level. I have other arrangements for them. You choose the candidates. They must be absolutely loyal and tight-lipped."

"Once all the clan members outside have returned, have the Ninja Cat Clan post high-priced bounties in the Underground Exchange. The targets will be our own Uchiha clan members."

"One final matter." Natsu paused. "You must personally go to the Hokage Building and meet Hiruzen Sarutobi. Tell him that the Uchiha are willing to temporarily surrender the authority of the Konoha Police Force.

"Once the mastermind behind Shisui's assassination is found and the heat dies down, we can discuss taking it over again. At the same time, use the safety of the entire clan as a reason to ask him to send Anbu to deploy defenses and stand guard around the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan District."

"Why?"

A flicker of bewilderment crossed Fugaku's face.

He could understand all the other arrangements, but voluntarily surrendering the authority of the Police Force and even inviting Anbu to deploy around the clan district's perimeter—wasn't that like offering up their necks beneath someone else's blade?

"It isn't convenient to explain the specifics right now." Natsu calmly shook his head. "Just do as I say. This may look risky, but in the long run, it will only benefit us. It may even determine whether more Uchiha can awaken the Sharingan in the future, or even the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Fugaku looked into his unwavering eyes. After a long silence, he finally let out a heavy breath and nodded fiercely.

"Fine! Since I've bet the future of the entire clan on you, I'll listen to everything you say!"

That night, the lights throughout the Uchiha Clan District remained lit until dawn.

Fugaku did not waste a moment. As soon as he saw Natsu off, he summoned the clan's seven most senior elders, along with absolutely loyal Elite Jonin such as Uchiha Kei, to hold a secret meeting in the underground chamber of Naka Shrine.

He did not mention any New World, nor did he speak of the impending extermination of the clan. He merely followed the explanation Natsu had taught him, saying only that the village's suspicion of the Uchiha had reached its peak; Shisui's death was no accident; the higher-ups were already sharpening their knives; and the entire clan had to immediately consolidate its strength, use the ancestral rite as a pretext to put the clan in order, and make thorough preparations for any eventuality.

The moment he said this, the underground chamber erupted.

The discrimination the clan members had endured over the years, the comrades who had died without clear cause, Root's pervasive surveillance—all of it had long pushed everyone's resentment to the breaking point.

Fugaku had always kept them restrained before, telling everyone to endure. Now that the clan head had finally given the word, no one voiced the slightest objection.

Orders were issued one after another.

At the first hint of dawn, messengers from the Ninja Cat Clan scattered across the Land of Fire carrying secret letters.

The shops, mines, and farmlands the Uchiha had operated throughout the Land of Fire for decades were all listed for sale overnight. The buyers were exclusively court merchants directly affiliated with the Land of Fire's daimyo. Nothing went through Konoha's channels, and all proceeds were converted into hard currency and scarce supplies, then continuously transported into Naka Shrine's underground storerooms through Summoning Jutsu.