"Exactly! Shinhiko Kōzuki is a great Nobles with his own fief. Why should we fight Konoha to the bitter end? Why don't we swear allegiance to Lord Shinhiko and move to his lands?"
When the Third Hokage and the others in the Hokage Office heard an Uchiha make that suggestion through the crystal ball, even the Third Hokage, who trusted Uchiha Fugaku the most, broke out in a cold sweat.
To the Third Hokage, having the entire Uchiha Clan die in Konoha was preferable to seeing them pledge allegiance to a noble. Once one ninja clan set that precedent, other clans could follow suit whenever they suffered injustice. The roots of the towering tree that was Konoha would rot away completely.
Fortunately, Madara Uchiha did not let that fright last long.
Bang!
The suggestion to defect to Shinhiko Kōzuki had barely been voiced inside the room when Madara Uchiha kicked the door open.
Dozens of pairs of Sharingan lit up inside the room in an instant.
"I refuse."
Under the scrutiny of dozens of pairs of Sharingan, Madara Uchiha stood outside in the sunlight, looking like a god.
With Madara Uchiha's answer, the Third Hokage's anxious, agitated heart settled at once.
Having Uchiha Itachi in the Uchiha Clan is truly a blessing for me, and for Konoha.
"Itachi, what brings you here?"
Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha Clan, was naturally among those in the room. When the Hardliners suggested having Itachi lead everyone in pledging allegiance to Shinhiko Kōzuki, even Fugaku had wavered slightly. Madara Uchiha's refusal, however, firmly cemented Uchiha Fugaku's resolve to stay in the village.
"Hmph, I wondered who it was. So it's Konoha's golden boy, Uchiha Itachi. Get this straight, Itachi: before you're a ninja of Konoha, you're a member of our Uchiha Clan.