"The current Uchiha Clan Head has been confirmed killed in action!"
"Before his death, he ordered that Uchiha Fugaku serve as acting clan head."
"His body is currently being transported back to Konoha."
Shock crossed the faces of Konoha High Command.
Following the death of Hyuga Hideshu, a member of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family, another important figure from a major shinobi clan had fallen in battle.
And this time, the fallen was the head of the Uchiha Clan.
It seemed the fighting was about to intensify further.
For the first time, unconcealable grief appeared on Uchiha Somen's usually rigid face.
Unlike the others' horror, Xuandou, who had originally intended to coast through the meeting, brightened at the news.
The Uchiha Clan Head died?
That's good news!
The position of clan head was vacant.
Didn't that mean he had a chance too?
He had to compete for that position!
According to the original plot, Fugaku would formally succeed as Uchiha Clan Head after the war.
But Fugaku's political skills left much to be desired.
Despite possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan and having geniuses like Shisui and Itachi in his clan, he had ultimately ended up with his entire clan wiped out.
Even outright rebellion should not have ended in the clan's extermination.
All one could say was that even a Ninja Dog tethered to the clan head's seat would have done a better job than Fugaku!
Now that he was bound to the Clan System, rather than let Fugaku lead the Uchiha to their doom, he might as well compete for the position himself!
Meanwhile, the meeting continued.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe, slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and said gravely:
"Given the current situation, as pillars of Konoha, what are your views?"
Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, his tone solemn:
"The Uchiha Clan Head's death likely means the war will escalate further..."
"Exactly!"
Danzo immediately picked up the thread.
"We should immediately draw personnel from the village's shinobi clans and send them to the front! We must not let the enemy villages seize the initiative!"
Hyuga Hiashi immediately countered coldly:
"Our shinobi clans have already deployed almost all our fighting strength. Those remaining are barely enough to keep the village running. Who else can we spare?"
Utatane Koharu spoke unhurriedly:
"Not necessarily. Doesn't the Ninja Academy have a group of children about to graduate? Letting them graduate early could fill the gaps at the front."
"Well said! I completely agree!"
Mitokado Homura immediately echoed her.
"What does age matter? Didn't Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Shisui both make names for themselves at a young age during this war?"
Hiruzen did not state his position. Instead, he looked toward Uchiha Somen, who had remained silent since the meeting began.
"What is the Uchiha Clan's view?"
Faced with the Hokage's sudden question, Zongyan seemed still immersed in grief over the clan head's death.
As a result, he froze for a moment upon hearing Hiruzen's question.
But Xuandou, sitting beside him, knew his chance had come!
To compete for the position of Uchiha Clan Head, he first had to demonstrate his political ability.
He possessed memories of Blue Star and knew the course of the Hokage World's plot inside out.
He was therefore fully confident that he could use this information advantage to overawe everyone present.
He immediately turned toward Zongyan and said quietly:
"Grand Elder, may I speak on behalf of the Uchiha?"
Beside him, Uchiha Somen was already too unsettled by the clan head's death to know how to respond.
He considered that Xuandou was now a Jōnin with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and was indeed qualified to represent the Uchiha Clan.
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
Xuandou stood.
Gazes converged on him from across the meeting room, some curious, some scrutinizing, and some indifferent.
He met those gazes and spoke steadily:
"The Uchiha's assessment is completely different from the views just expressed. The Uchiha believe that not only will the war not expand, it will end this year!"
Of course, Xuandou was not making baseless claims.
It was currently Year 50 of Konoha.
According to the original storyline, the Third Shinobi World War ended in Year 50 of Konoha!
As soon as Xuandou finished speaking, a few faint snickers sounded in the meeting room.
The expression on Hiruzen's aged face remained unchanged as he asked directly:
"What is the basis for the Uchiha's assessment?"
Xuandou showed no stage fright at the Hokage's question and continued his analysis:
"First, Minato successfully destroyed Kannabi Bridge during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. Iwagakure's vital supply line was severed, so we can already declare the war between Konoha and Iwagakure over."
The eyes of Konoha High Command flickered at his words.
Xuandou was right.
Since the Battle of Kannabi Bridge ended, Iwagakure and Konoha had gradually begun withdrawing the shinobi stationed along the two countries' border.
A ceasefire between the two countries was all but settled.
Seeing the looks in their eyes, Xuandou knew he had gotten it right, so he pressed his advantage:
"Second, Iwagakure is fighting on two fronts against Konoha and Kumogakure. Once we reach a ceasefire with Iwagakure, they can free up large numbers of shinobi to send into the Land of Lightning. I am certain the Third Raikage will suffer a major setback, and may even lose his life!"
"After losing its Raikage, Kumogakure will find it even harder to continue the war."
The Third Raikage's death was also one of the defining events of the Third Shinobi World War, and Xuandou remembered it quite clearly.
But several members of Konoha High Command beside him laughed aloud at Xuandou's remarks.
A few even began whispering directly to one another.
"Did I hear that right? Did he just say the Third Raikage would die in battle?"
"He's the strongest Raikage in history. How could he possibly die so easily?"
Danzo went so far as to reprimand him aloud:
"Hmph, ignorant brat! What do you know?"
"The current Third Raikage holds the titles of both Strongest Spear and Strongest Shield. How many people in Iwagakure could threaten him?"
"He couldn't possibly lose his life so easily!"
Then several more mocking gazes fell on Zongyan, as though saying:
This was the younger generation of the Uchiha Clan?
The Uchiha Clan's political judgment was as poor as ever.
Under those gazes, Elder Zongyan's cheeks reddened slightly.
He felt some regret. Letting Xuandou speak had indeed been too rash.
Even he found such an exaggerated prediction somewhat absurd.
He tugged Xuandou's sleeve beneath the table, signaling for him to sit down quickly and stop embarrassing himself.
Just then, a Root shinobi suddenly appeared behind Danzo.
The shinobi leaned in and whispered in Danzo's ear for a while.
Danzo's initially composed expression gave way to shock in his eyes.
The knuckles of the hand gripping his cane had begun to turn slightly white.
Noticing something was amiss, Hiruzen immediately asked:
"Danzo, what happened?"
Danzo fell silent for a moment, cast a complicated glance at Xuandou, and finally said stiffly:
"Urgent news from the front... Iwagakure sent ten thousand shinobi in a surprise attack on Kumogakure. The Third Raikage faced them alone and fought for three days and nights... He died of exhaustion."
Dead silence.
Danzo's words froze the expressions on the faces of Konoha High Command.
Their mocking gazes gradually shifted to stunned disbelief, before finally turning to bewilderment and suspicion.
Gazes once again converged on Xuandou.
He... had actually been right?
Were these still the same politically inept Uchiha?
In past meetings of Konoha High Command, Uchiha clan members had only sat there putting on a cold, aloof air.
Even when they spoke, they had nothing of substance to say.
When had the Uchiha become so perceptive about the political situation?
And his words had been verified almost immediately after he spoke!
No wonder Danzo's expression had turned ugly upon receiving the intelligence. The Uchiha brat had just made a fool of him on the spot.
Danzo's face alternated between pale and livid, but he still forced out a cold snort:
"Hmph! The Uchiha must have obtained the intelligence in advance!"
At his words, realization dawned on quite a few people: Yes, that had to be it!
The Uchiha must have obtained the intelligence beforehand, then deliberately come to the high command meeting to show off.
They all looked toward Zongyan, only to discover in surprise that the Uchiha Grand Elder looked equally bewildered, even more confused than they were.
Zongyan truly was dumbfounded.
The Uchiha had obtained the intelligence in advance?
Then why hadn't he, the grand elder in charge of clan affairs, known about it?
Hiruzen took in Zongyan's expression.
He gave Xuandou a searching look, then arrived at a conclusion:
Could he truly be a genius?
After taking a deep drag on his pipe, he said to Xuandou:
"Please continue your analysis."