Leaving Konoha

The Third Hokage looked gravely at Qiu Shan Uchiha and the Uchiha behind him. "Qiu Shan Uchiha, is your Uchiha Clan planning to betray the village?"

At the Third Hokage's challenge, the Anbu members behind him quietly readied themselves, and the atmosphere grew tense once more.

But Qiu Shan Uchiha shook his head at the accusation, making no aggressive move whatsoever. Instead, he deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan and gazed calmly at the Third Hokage with black eyes. The Third Hokage could even see his own reflection in Qiushan's clear eyes.

"You must be joking, Lord Hokage. The Uchiha Clan has lived in Konoha since its founding. By now, we have long since become one with the village. The Uchiha are part of Konoha. How could we possibly betray it?"

Qiu Shan Uchiha paused, then looked earnestly at the Third Hokage and continued:

"It's just that relations between the village and the Uchiha Clan have been rather strained lately. On top of that, Shisui Uchiha of our clan died unexpectedly. You may not know this, Lord Hokage, but Shisui was very well liked within our clan. His unexpected death might drive some of our clansmen to extremes, so we decided to move some of them out of Konoha."

When the Third Hokage heard Qiushan mention Shisui and the reason for the move, he said nothing, but his expression softened considerably.

Seeing his expression, Qiu Shan Uchiha struck while the iron was hot. "Besides, only some of the Uchiha will be moving away, not all of us. Our children will still attend the village's Ninja Academy and be taught by its instructors."

Upon hearing that only some of the Uchiha would leave and that the clan's children would still attend school in the village, the Third Hokage's expression settled completely. Still, he remained silent, waiting to hear what else there was.

Qiu Shan Uchiha continued, "Furthermore, even after we move out, the Uchiha Clan will remain part of Konoha. We absolutely will not take missions as ninja outside the village."

After saying this, Qiu Shan Uchiha fell silent, his eyes fixed on the Third Hokage. Although he was fairly confident in the terms he had offered, he still feared that the Third Hokage would refuse.

The Third Hokage had already been tempted by Qiu Shan Uchiha's second condition. After hearing the final one, he had effectively agreed in his heart.

Not only would the Uchiha Clan's children have to study in Konoha, but the clan would also be barred from taking missions elsewhere. In other words, they were placing both their children and their economic lifeline in the village's hands.

Even without Shisui Uchiha's death prompting them to offer these terms, the Third Hokage might well have accepted such an arrangement under ordinary circumstances.

Moreover, the current conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village residents had given the Third Hokage quite a headache. Hearing that the Uchiha were voluntarily relinquishing their duties in the police force, directly removing the root of that conflict, was very appealing to him.

The Third Hokage had already decided to agree. After weighing things up and confirming there were no major problems, he pretended to hesitate a little longer before nodding. "I understand the Uchiha's concerns. I approve of the Uchiha Clan's proposal to move some of its members away. However, you must remember that the Uchiha will always be part of Konoha. If life outside proves uncomfortable, you are welcome to return at any time. Konoha's gates will always be open to you."

Hearing the Third Hokage agree, Qiu Shan Uchiha finally breathed a sigh of relief. Through his efforts, he had at last pulled the Uchiha Clan out of the pit that was Konoha. Once he had settled the clan properly, he would have no lingering worries and could roam wherever he pleased.

Even if Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki came back to life, weren't there heavy hitters like Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha to shoulder the burden? All he would have to do was coast along on the sidelines and shout some cheers, and he could get through it just fine.

Thinking of the wonderful days ahead, Qiu Shan Uchiha was so happy that his eyes nearly narrowed into slits. He hurriedly thanked the Third Hokage.

With the serious business concluded, the Third Hokage showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he began making small talk with Qiu Shan Uchiha.

"Come to think of it, Qiushan," the Third Hokage asked with a genial smile, "I don't see you very often. Is that because you're usually helping out in the police force?"

Qiu Shan Uchiha bore the Third Hokage no great hostility, so he answered respectfully. "Yes, Lord Hokage. The Clan Leader places some trust in me, and I was fortunate enough to secure a squad leader position in the police force."

Seeing how reserved Qiu Shan Uchiha was, the Third Hokage smiled and patted his shoulder. "Heh, relax, relax. We're just chatting. Now that the Uchiha Clan has withdrawn from the police force, do you have any plans for the future?"

Naturally, Qiu Shan Uchiha could not answer honestly and say that he planned to roam around having fun. Instead, he gave a noncommittal reply. "I haven't decided yet. Once I've helped the clan relocate, I'll think about what to do next."

At this point, the Third Hokage revealed his true intent, smiling as he said, "Since you have nothing else to do, come help me once you've finished handling your clan's affairs. I'll make you an Anbu Captain, reporting directly to the Hokage. Don't worry, you'll have far more authority than you did in the police force. What do you say?"

The Third Hokage was an old fox. He had long since realized that the young man before him, whose answers left no opening whatsoever, was a central figure in the Uchiha Clan-perhaps even its future Clan Leader. As long as he kept him close, the Uchiha Clan would remain under his control, no matter how unruly it became.

Qiu Shan Uchiha was left utterly dumbfounded by the Third Hokage's words. Wait, what are you doing?

Weren't the Uchiha barred from joining the Anbu? When Uchiha Itachi joined later, who knew how much effort Uchiha Fugaku had put into making it happen?

I was just getting ready to leave Konoha and roam wherever I pleased. With my current strength, I could go anywhere.

I treated you as an elder, and you're scheming to get your hands on me? Have you no shame?

While Qiu Shan Uchiha inwardly ranted, his face showing his predicament, the Third Hokage seemed to notice his reluctance. His expression darkened. "What, are you unwilling to help me? Or does your Uchiha Clan have something else in mind?"

Hearing the threat in the Third Hokage's words, Qiu Shan Uchiha inwardly rolled his eyes, but a delighted smile appeared on his face:

"Of course not. I was simply stunned by such a wonderful surprise. I, Qiu Shan Uchiha, have always dreamed of joining the Anbu and serving the village. How could I possibly be unwilling?"