Seizing Power
Setsuna Uchiha successfully seized power, but it doesn't seem to be a complete success. Fugaku Uchiha remains the clan head, but he has been completely sidelined. All major clan affairs are now decided by Setsuna Uchiha.
At this gathering, which could be described as a 'coup' within the Uchiha Clan, Itachi Uchiha was still absent. Fugaku Uchiha seemed to have understood something, and also seemed to no longer want to deal with these disturbances. As soon as the voices of impeachment appeared, Fugaku Uchiha prepared to abdicate and hand over the reins to a more capable person.
On the contrary, Setsuna Uchiha felt that such an easy 'victory' seemed too simple, and feeling uneasy, she had no intention of continuing to attack Fugaku Uchiha. Instead, she smoothed things over, keeping Fugaku Uchiha in the position of clan head, but he retained sole control over all the clan's powers...
"Is there anything I haven't considered?" After the gathering, Setsuna Uchiha, who had practically become the de facto ruler of the Uchiha Clan, showed no sign of happiness. Instead, he frowned, pondering whether there were any oversights...
"Fugaku Uchiha so easily relinquished his position as clan leader... and Itachi Uchiha didn't show up... What are they plotting?"
Sometimes, things going too smoothly can be unsettling. Only after experiencing twists and turns, or even facing certain death, can one truly feel exhilarated and convinced of the truth.
Setsuna Uchiha was now caught in this self-doubt, feeling that things couldn't be so simple, and the fact that Konoha hadn't made any move only made him more suspicious...
The Uchiha Clan had been infiltrated by Konoha for so many years; Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't possibly have been unaware of this. How could he allow the Uchiha Clan?
Inside Setsuna Uchiha's residence, everyone stood outside the door, leaving him alone in his room deep in thought. He seemed to vaguely sense a conspiracy brewing...
"It seems you're not happy about gaining power in the clan..."
"Who!" The door was tightly shut, and the entire courtyard was silent. He had already given orders that no one was allowed to enter, but at this moment a voice suddenly came from inside the room, which made Setsuna Uchiha.
"It seems Elder Setsuna has forgotten me..." Suddenly, a twisted black object appeared in the shadows of the room, as if it had been peeled away from the shadows. In no time, it appeared in the light. The blackness gradually faded, and a large bluish-purple snake appeared in Setsuna Uchiha's eyes.
"Snake... Orochimaru! You've actually returned to Konoha..." Upon seeing the bluish-purple snake, Setsuna Uchiha recognized who it was. He just hadn't expected that Orochimaru, who had disappeared for many years, would appear in his residence at such a time.
"It seems Elder Setsuna isn't senile Setsuna..." Orochimaru's bluish-purple eyes suddenly gleamed with a human-like light, and after a series of twists and turns, Orochimaru's figure appeared before Setsuna Uchiha...
"You did this...?" After a moment's thought, Setsuna Uchiha understood something. Although he didn't know how Orochimaru had done it, the only reason someone would come to him at this time was for this matter. He and Orochimaru had no personal relationship whatsoever...
"Setsuna truly lives up to his reputation as a clan elder of the Uchiha Clan. But unfortunately, this matter is none of my concern. I've come here to seek a way out for the Uchiha Clan..."
Orochimaru quietly sat down opposite Setsuna Uchiha, but his sinister smile sent a chill down Setsuna Uchiha, making him feel as if he were dealing with a tiger...
"There's no need for my Uchiha Clan to..." As he spoke, a sudden thought flashed through his mind, causing Setsuna Uchiha to abruptly stop speaking. He vaguely understood the meaning of Orochimaru's "path to survival"—continuing like this would lead to certain death...
"You mean... could it be that Konoha did this on purpose... what are they planning to do!"
"To destroy something, you must first make it mad... I don't need to describe what will happen to the Uchiha Clan after you take power..." Orochimaru's gaze swept slightly towards the entrance, and the faint noise coming from there made the Setsuna Uchiha understand.
On his very first day in power, so many hawks came to him to discuss important matters. The Uchiha Clan's coup was already an inevitable trend. Even if he wanted to stop it now, it was probably impossible. Konoha, going with the flow, had only one explanation: they were confident they could handle this military coup and even completely eradicate this 'malign tumor' from the Uchiha Clan...
Otherwise, they would never have allowed the Uchiha Clan to behave like this...
"So, Itachi Uchiha already knew about this plan, and that's why he cooperated with Fugaku Uchiha..."
"He has already sided with Konoha! Fugaku Uchiha must have made some kind of deal with the Third in private..."
In that instant, Setsuna Uchiha's eyes were filled with rage. Itachi Uchiha and Fugaku Uchiha were, in his eyes, the greatest traitors...
He couldn't help but overthink. Having figured everything out, Setsuna Uchiha realized that at this point, Konoha had already launched a calculated attack. The only variable was when the Uchiha Clan bomb would explode. Without external intervention, the outcome seemed predetermined...
"Now, do you understand, Elder Setsuna...? The life and death of the Uchiha Clan rests in your hands..."
"Now that you're here, the Uchiha Clan has become part of your scheme, hasn't it...? So, what is your plan?" Forcing himself to calm down, Setsuna Uchiha silently looked at Orochimaru. Whether Orochimaru was trustworthy was no longer important. Under pressure from Konoha, the Uchiha Clan had no other choice but to bring in powerful reinforcements...
"It seems Elder Setsuna Uchiha has calmed down..." Orochimaru smiled slightly, then remained silent for a moment, staring at Setsuna Uchiha with a scrutinizing expression...
"If we fail, the Uchiha Clan will be completely wiped out from this world..."
"I wonder if Elder Setsuna has the courage..."
The Uchiha Clan is known for producing individuals with erratic thought processes. If certain things are leaked beforehand, the surprise factor is lost. Orochimaru didn't want his carefully prepared gift for Teacher Sarutobi to become meaningless...
"Only I will know about this, and given the current situation of the Uchiha Clan, is there any possibility of giving up... Are we just going to offer our necks to be slaughtered?"
Unbeknownst to Setsuna Uchiha, in a different timeline, Fugaku Uchiha was already planning to do just that...
"Of course I would believe that someone who has lived from the Second Uchiha Clan's era to the present is old..."
"I will name this plan -- the Konoha Crush Plan!"
Orochimaru's soft laughter echoed throughout the room. As Orochimaru explained the details of the plan, a glint suddenly flashed in Setsuna Uchiha's eyes. It seemed that the Uchiha Clan now had a glimmer of hope for a successful coup...