The Third Hokage Was Fooled

The other Uchiha clansmen also began shouting rebukes:

"With the Blaze Sword in hand, burn away all darkness in the world! You bastard, how dare you casually change the Uchiha's ancestral teachings? Do you want to make an enemy of the entire Uchiha Clan?"

"Insect! You dare try to change the very roots of the Uchiha legacy? You deserve to be burned in the flames!"

"Insect! Today, the Uchiha's flames will dispel the darkness for the Land of Rain and teach you what it means to wield a sharp blade and bring judgment in every direction, saving the Land of Rain in the light!"

"..."

Seeing the Uchiha Clan members so agitated, Zetsu was not afraid at all. Instead, his face filled with excitement.

"Pain! Look, it's true. They all know about it.

If it were false, the Uchiha Clan couldn't have kept teaching it to their children, passing it down generation after generation.

The two sisters were real! Then the secret technique is very likely real too."

Pain nodded slightly, then turned to leave.

Before he reached the door, a young Uchiha suddenly asked:

"We haven't said any of those things these past few days. How did you find out?"

"From Uchiha Yan!"

"Wasn't he going to find the commander-in-chief? Where did you find him?"

Pain turned his gaze toward Zetsu. He was also rather curious why Yan would bring these things up out of nowhere, and whether Zetsu had contacted Yan behind his back.

Looking relaxed, Zetsu recounted what Uchiha Yan had encountered over the past few days:

"That's how it happened! He's telling stories to those Kirigakure ninja in the Land of Sea now. He brought up the two Uchiha sisters himself too."

"What?!"

Uchiha Jinyan cried out, "Yan was captured by Kirigakure ninja? And Kirigakure is preparing to ally with Kumogakure?

No! I have to tell the clan head!"

"Don't you go doing anything reckless!"

In a rare move, Zetsu spoke up to warn him. "If Uchiha Yan can tell stories while facing certain death, that means he already has a plan.

If you cause complications like last time and provoke him into awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, you're finished."

"But..."

"Jinyan, that insect just said Kirigakure is already preparing for peace talks with Konoha. Konoha will learn about this whether we tell them or not.

We should just tell the clan head that Yan is in the Land of Sea and have the ninja cats go there to help him."

"That's right, Jinyan! Kirigakure, Konoha, Kumogakure-we can't make sense of a war situation like this. We'd better not say anything carelessly, in case it affects Yan's plan."

"True!"

Uchiha Jinyan nodded firmly. "Have the clan head send two of our clan's jonin and bring the ninja cats along to the Land of Sea. We'll get Yan out first and talk about the rest afterward."

Had Uchiha Yan learned of their decision, he would probably have coughed up blood in fury.

If they told Konoha this intelligence and the Uchiha Clan publicized it, Konoha would have to get Uchiha Yan back in an exchange, no matter what.

He had burned through tens of thousands of pounds of brain cells, yet these fellows had skipped over the most important intelligence.

What Uchiha Yan had least expected was that Black Zetsu would actually tell Jinyan everything.

If he had only told Jinyan that Yan was in the Land of Sea, Jinyan would certainly have sent word to Fugaku. Given Fugaku's nature, the secret dealings between Kirigakure and Kumogakure would inevitably have been discovered.

The Uchiha Clan and Yan would have made the greatest contributions in this war. With some publicity, it would also become much harder for Danzo to have him killed.

Uchiha Yan knew nothing of what was happening outside. He simply kept telling stories, not only to the Kirigakure ninja, but also to ordinary people in the Land of Sea.

He believed that one day, these stories would reach the ears of the Uchiha clansmen.

During the days he spent telling stories, three merchants also arrived in Konoha. In a rare occurrence, these merchants were granted an audience with the Third Hokage.

"Hozuki Yae, head of the Hozuki Clan. I never expected to see you in Konoha at a time like this."

Hozuki Yae spoke with a smile. "Lord Hokage, are you unhappy to see me in Konoha?"

"Speak! During wartime, we'd better get straight to the point!"

"Give Kirigakure the former territory of the Land of Whirlpools, and allow Kirigakure to build a bridge at Jinghai Town in the Land of Fire. From then on, the Land of Water and the Land of Fire can trade what each needs."

"Impossible!"

The Third Hokage refused decisively. "Withdraw your troops immediately, and you can still save the lives of your Kirigakure ninja."

"Then there's nothing to discuss!"

Hozuki Yae shrugged. "Then we'll go talk to the Land of Wind. The Land of Water's resources may not compare to the Land of Fire's, but we can still give the Land of Wind some support.

Our two countries only ended their war a little while ago, so opening trade now would be perfectly normal.

Oh! That's right! We could also cooperate with Kumogakure. They're preparing to launch a war against Konoha too."

"Heh!"

The Third Hokage scoffed. "Cooperate across the entire Land of Fire? Do you think Konoha's sensory ninja are all useless?

Don't forget where the strongest sensory ninja in the shinobi world are!"

"I advise you to think carefully, Lord Hokage. Minato Namikaze only just died, the Sannin have left, and there was the Nine-Tails' Attack. With all of that together, can Konoha really hold out?

Admit it! Konoha isn't what it once was. Kirigakure can't destroy Konoha, but we can certainly leave you with no one to carry on after the old generation.

Even nine-year-old children are being sent to the battlefield. With Konoha in this state, are you really prepared to hold out to the bitter end?"

At that, Hozuki Yae turned to leave.

"Lord Hokage, I hear Danzo and the Uchiha won't rest until one side is dead. A twelve-year-old Uchiha died protecting his clansmen and Konoha. You old people really have no shame!"

Bang!

The Third Hokage slammed the desk and abruptly rose to his feet.

"What did you just say? What happened to Uchiha Yan?"

"He died, of course!"

The corners of Hozuki Yae's mouth slowly lifted. "Kirigakure didn't do it. He'd already found the intelligence and was halfway through his escape.

If Konoha ninja hadn't helped us, he would almost have gotten away.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Coming and going freely through Kirigakure's main camp-he certainly lived up to his reputation as a genius.

Guess what we got from his memories? A complete plan to lead Konoha to victory. What a shame!"

"Get out!"

The Third Hokage unleashed his full presence. He was like an enraged beast, ready to devour someone at any moment.

Watching his reaction, Yae's heart sank, but she let none of it show on her face.

Bringing up Uchiha Yan this time had merely been a probe to see whether the Third Hokage valued him at all.

His reaction showed that he valued Uchiha Yan greatly. But why had he made him a one-man team and placed him under Danzo? She could not understand it.

Genji, what is it about this Uchiha Yan that makes both you and the Third Hokage value him so much? Are you really going to release Uchiha Yan back to Konoha?

After Hozuki Yae left, Utatane Koharu let out a long sigh.

"Hiruzen, now that things have come to this, there's no need to grieve too much. This is the Uchiha's fate!"

"Heh, heh, heh!"

The Third Hokage laughed in his fury. "Didn't you hear her? He came and went freely through Kirigakure's main camp, collected the intelligence, and had already escaped the camp, only to be killed by his own people.

Hahahahaha... Someone willing to die for his clansmen, someone who ventured into danger alone for Konoha, actually died.

I sent him to Amegakure hoping he would stay there and never return. Even if he became a rogue ninja, I didn't want him to die.

He was so clever. Even Shikaku wasn't as clever as him, and someone like that was killed by his own people."

"But everyone knows you assigned him to the Land of Water battlefield because you wanted him to die."

"Enough!"

The Third Hokage's face grew dull and bleak, and he slumped into his chair.

"It's my fault! If I'd been a little firmer, he wouldn't have died.

I thought Danzo would only send him on dangerous missions, not take action himself. Who knew..."

"Coo, coo..."

A hawk suddenly called at the window. Utatane Koharu slowly rose, walked to the window, and took the letter from the messenger hawk's leg.

"Hiruzen, it's a letter from Fugaku."