Why Do You Think the Fourth Hokage Would Help You?

With the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice and the Third Hokage returning to power, the Uchiha Clan, which had gone all in on the Fourth Hokage, would become a complete thorn in the Third Hokage's side.

That was also why, only a few years after the Fourth Hokage's death, the Uchiha Clan was exterminated.

Uchiha Shisui's death was merely the fuse.

In truth, Uchiha Kyu could have chosen to keep the Fourth Hokage alive, but the Fourth Hokage himself belonged to the Hokage faction.

After all, Minato Namikaze was the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's grand-disciple and Jiraiya's most valued direct disciple.

It was precisely because of this that Uchiha Kyu scoffed at Fugaku Uchiha's decision.

So why did Fugaku Uchiha naively believe that the direct grand-disciple of the prestigious Hokage faction would wholeheartedly help the Uchiha Clan change its current situation?

In the end, they would only have painstakingly climbed out of one pit, only to jump into another.

Their positions had been set from the very beginning. Even if Minato Namikaze had not died, Fugaku Uchiha's investment had been doomed to fail.

Now that he possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, even if Minato Namikaze personally made a move, he could still remain undefeated.

There were simply too few ways in the ninja world to counter space-time ninjutsu.

Other than space-time ninjutsu itself, only Sealing Jutsu could counter space-time ninjutsu.

The Uzumaki Clan, the most proficient in Sealing Jutsu in the Shinobi World, had already been wiped out. Kushina Uzumaki was also about to enter the Death God's embrace, and the few stragglers left were nothing to worry about.

Once he mastered the Five Elements Seal, even if he completely fell out with Konoha's upper ranks, he would have the ability to flip the board. At worst, he could release the Nine-Tails and purge Konoha once more.

As for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, it was a forbidden Death God sealing technique meant for mutual destruction. Not only did it take far too long to prepare, but it forcibly traded one life for one life. There was no need to learn it.

In the scroll's description, Orochimaru had specifically annotated several important points. The Flying Thunder God placed the greatest emphasis on talent.

It was not difficult to see from the annotations that when Orochimaru had studied the Flying Thunder God, he had discovered his own aptitude was insufficient, leaving him deeply regretful and unwilling to accept it.

But for Uchiha Kyu, there was no such threshold.

He only needed a starting point. After reading the complete version of the Flying Thunder God, he immediately unlocked the Flying Thunder God skill's progress bar and sensed the spatial fluctuations countless people coveted.

With no one disturbing him, Uchiha Kyu trained in the Flying Thunder God Technique as the progress bar slowly increased.

Meanwhile, at the Uchiha Police Force.

The civilians Uchiha Kyu had ordered forcibly locked in the cells were released by Uchiha Kanta, Fugaku Uchiha's confidant.

Fugaku Uchiha was, after all, the clan head. Even though Huo Uchiha wanted to stop it, he could only obey the clan head's authoritative order.

Standing quietly in an unnoticed corner, Huo Uchiha watched Uchiha Kanta politely send off the civilians and promise them compensation, and a sense of helplessness rose in his heart.

Even if those civilians received compensation, they would only be grateful to the Hokage they spoke of, not the Uchiha Clan. On the contrary, their attitude toward the Uchiha would only grow worse.

It was the classic case of a warm face pressed against a cold shoulder—effort with no reward.

The moment Uchiha Kanta arrived, Huo Uchiha had sent someone to notify Uchiha Kyu. The reply he received was four words: do not interfere.

Uchiha Kyu's target had never been these so-called civilians. Releasing them or not releasing them would not affect the bigger picture in the slightest.

Everything Fugaku Uchiha did was completely pointless.

Hokage Office.

Bang!

Danzo Shimura shoved the door open, unable to hide the anger on his face.

"Hiruzen, this matter definitely has something to do with the Uchiha Clan."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat there calmly, smoking with a deeply furrowed brow. The smoke filled the room, concealing the expression on his aged face.

Faced with his close friend Danzo's questioning, Hiruzen Sarutobi chose silence.

In fact, it was not only Danzo Shimura. Quite a few young members of the Ino–Shika–Cho, Hyuga Clan, Aburame Clan, and Inuzuka Clan had also gone missing.

Even the families of the high-ranking advisers Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had not been spared.

It was not hard to see that Konoha's major clans had basically all been targeted. The disappearances from each clan had occurred at roughly the same time, indicating that this was the work of an organized group. This was unquestionably a premeditated and targeted missing-person case.

Who would dare provoke the tiger within Konoha Village? Were they truly unafraid of death?

Could it really be as Elder Danzo had said, the work of the Uchiha Clan? If their own people had also disappeared, why had they not reported it?

The clan heads whose families had suffered misfortune had all arrived. Every one of them wore a worried expression, unsure how they could explain things to the relatives of their missing clansmen.

"Elder Danzo, before the matter has been investigated, please do not casually slander our own people."

Minato Namikaze clasped his hands beneath his chin. Even shadows had fallen over his face, which usually bore such a sunny smile.

Before the matter was investigated, he did not want to accuse anyone, not even the Uchiha Clan.

"Hmph, what is there to investigate? It is obvious that the Uchiha Clan has secretly moved against us."

"Hiruzen, issue the order now and have Fugaku Uchiha brought here."

Danzo Shimura coldly glanced at the Fourth Hokage before turning toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, his voice low and filled with suppressed fury.

In his eyes, the Fourth Hokage was nothing more than a puppet Hiruzen Sarutobi had put forward.

If not for the Third Shinobi World War severely damaging the village's fighting strength, and if not for him and Orochimaru fanning the flames in secret, Hiruzen Sarutobi would probably still be sitting in the Hokage's seat. He would never have stepped down.

The Fourth Hokage had only been able to sit in the Hokage's position thanks to him, yet he repeatedly opposed him instead.

Although the clan heads of the other ninja clans did not openly declare that the Uchiha were responsible, someone had taken the lead, and so everyone's gazes silently turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Danzo, the Uchiha Clan is still Konoha's foremost clan. Do not casually suspect our own companions."

"How about this? Minato, issue the order and have the Anbu invite Fugaku Uchiha here."

Seeing everyone's silent attitude, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke.

If the Uchiha Clan had truly done this, did it mean they had already resolved to break with the village?

It was as though an unseen mastermind loomed over all of Konoha, manipulating everything that was happening.

Minato Namikaze obediently acknowledged the order and instructed Anbu members to deliver it.

Even at this point, the foolish Fugaku Uchiha was still fantasizing about easing the relationship between himself and Konoha's upper ranks, unaware that their relationship could never be reconciled.

The Uchiha wanted to reclaim the status and power that originally belonged to them, while Konoha's upper ranks were unwilling to relinquish the power in their hands and feared that the Uchiha wanted even more—enough to threaten them.

In a vast courtyard beneath a cherry blossom tree, a respectful figure reported the situation at the Hokage Building to the calm young man before him.

When Uchiha Kyu heard that Fugaku Uchiha had obediently been invited to the Hokage Building, a hint of a triumphant smile appeared on his face.

"Pass down my order. Have them all make their preparations. The plan we have prepared for so long can now be carried out."

"Understood."

A trace of excitement that he could not suppress appeared in Uchiha Ying's respectful eyes.

Sitting cross-legged, Uchiha Kyu dipped a brush in ink and slowly set it to the blank paper, pouring his restless emotions into his writing and making himself calmer and more composed.

Since arriving in this world, he had never worried about his own strength. Whenever he had free and idle time, he used it to cultivate his character.

To deal with external threats, one must first settle internal affairs. Fugaku Uchiha had occupied the clan head's position for long enough. He was unworthy of the role, so it was time to replace him.

Beneath the cherry blossom tree, the dancing petals swayed and rose with the wind.

As time passed, one Uchiha clansman after another appeared here. They stood respectfully in place, their Sharingan filled with fervent, worshipful gazes as they looked at the figure before them.