Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 172: Resolving the conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konoha is actually quite simple.

Zhi Shui's heart sank heavily.

This Star Country has become a sanctuary for these bloodline orphans abandoned by the mainstream of the ninja world.

He suppressed his turbulent thoughts and fixed his gaze on Kimimaro: "So, those Byakugan eyes are for..."

"To balance the Kaguya clan's excessively violent bloodline disease," Vanilla Uzumaki said frankly.

“When Yang Release is excessive, Yin Release is needed to balance it. The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan is the perfect medium.” Her words were casual, yet they stirred up a storm in Shisui’s heart.

Steal the Byakugan from the Hyuga main family!
This horrific event was presented to the other party as if it were as natural as mixing medicine.

The actions of the Star Country have long exceeded the scope of "heretical" and are practically a declaration of war against the entire ninja world order!
"Lord Shura has taken us all in." Kimimaro spoke for the first time, his voice cold yet carrying an undeniable firmness.

"It gave us strength and gave us a reason to exist."

Seeing the complex expression on Shisui's face, Vanilla Uzumaki sighed softly, "Shisui-kun, I know what you're thinking. The Uchiha of Konoha, and the Hyuga of Konoha. But please think about it,"

Her gaze became deep and sharp.

"In Konoha, has your Uchiha clan truly found a place to settle down and make a living? Or, like our Uzumaki clan back then, are you merely regarded as a 'useful force,' shrouded in the name of an ally, yet always separated by an invisible barrier?"

These words were like a cold awl, precisely piercing the deepest, most hidden pain in Shisui's heart, a pain he himself was unwilling to delve into.

The isolation of the police force, the suspicion of higher-ups, and the escalating resentment within the clan...

The past flashed through my mind like shattered glass.

He subconsciously took the teacup from Xiangcao, the scalding tea burning his palm through the cup, but he was completely unaware.

"Konoha... was founded by the First Hokage and the Uchiha ancestors together," Shisui's voice was low and hoarse, as if he were trying to convince himself.

"It should be the best destination for all ninja clans."

"Ha, a final destination?" Whirlpool Vanilla's lips curved into a smile, a smile devoid of mockery, but filled with a compassionate and desolate understanding of the ways of the world, like faded ink on an ancient scroll.

"Back then, our Uzumaki clan also firmly believed in this. The Land of Whirlpools and Konoha were allies for generations, unbreakable? But when disaster truly struck, when the Land of Whirlpools was besieged and annihilated by other nations, where were Konoha's reinforcements?"

Her voice remained steady, but each word was like a heavy stone thrown into a still lake, stirring up a cold echo.

"The promises of allies are fragile and vulnerable in the face of real interests and calculations. The destruction of the Uzumaki clan is the most bloody reality of this cruel rule. Uchiha, the suspicion and exclusion you are experiencing now is just another version of the Uzumaki predicament back then."

Shisui tightened his grip on the teacup, and a faint but clear "crack" sound came from the cup wall as a thin crack silently spread out.

The scalding hot tea seeped out from the crack, burning his skin, but he was completely unaware.

Vanilla's words are peeling away layer by layer the bloody reality he's trying to conceal with "the Will of Fire" and "family responsibility."

Konoha's hesitation, procrastination, and scheming...

A cold-blooded choice in the face of genocide.

Could the Uchiha clan be the next Uzumaki?
This thought, like a venomous snake, gnawed at his reason.

"No...no way!" Shisui suddenly looked up, his newly formed three-tomoe Sharingan trembling slightly.

"The Third Hokage promised that as long as we communicate, as long as we find a way..."

"The method?" Whirlpool Vanilla interrupted him, her tone carrying an almost cruel calm.

"It's actually very simple, Shisui. Your predecessor, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, already gave the answer."

The second generation?
Uchiha Shisui was puzzled; how did this involve the Second Hokage?

“Recently, I’ve been researching the advantages and disadvantages of the ninja village system, especially the history of Konoha’s founding. I have a certain understanding of the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and the history of Konoha over the past fifty years,” Uzumaki Vanilla said slowly, looking at Shisui’s puzzled expression.

"Although the Second Hokage was most wary of the Uchiha, he was also the outsider who understood the Uchiha clan best. Faced with the restlessness of the Uchiha clan, he established the Konoha Police Department, giving the Uchiha people dignity and respect. The Ninja Academy he founded not only accepted students from various ninja clans, but also commoner ninjas, giving young Uchiha people an opportunity to integrate into the village."

"As a result, the Konoha Police Department has become so powerful that it even threatens the power of the Third Hokage during peacetime."

"But the Second Hokage's greatest effort was taking on a disciple from the Uchiha clan, your ancestor Uchiha Kagami. The master-disciple relationship may be different in terms of bloodline, but their will and path can be connected. This was originally a clear path to resolve the barriers."

She paused, her gaze seemingly piercing through time and space, landing in the shadows of Konoha's power center: "Then may I ask, after the Second Hokage, did the Third Hokage take on any Uchiha disciples?"

"Or, which Konoha high-ranking official truly regarded Itachi Uchiha, the genius on whom your Uchiha clan placed such high hopes, as his successor and imparted all his knowledge to him?" A series of rhetorical questions, like cold iron hammers, shattered the last remaining hope in Shisui's heart.

“They would rather watch the cracks of suspicion widen, watch the Uchiha sink deeper and deeper on the isolated island, watch the flames of resentment burn fiercely within your clan…” Vanilla’s voice lowered, carrying an all-knowing understanding.

"They are also unwilling to truly extend their hands, like the Second Hokage accepted Uchiha Kagami back then, to bring an Uchiha boy into the 'Hokage' succession system."

"why?"

"Because the power of the Sharingan is both coveted and terrifying. What they need is never Uchiha who are 'integrated' into Konoha, but rather Uchiha who are 'controlled' and 'exploited.' Just like..."

Her gaze swept over Kimimaro, over Haku and Yukimi, and finally settled on Shisui, her expression meaningful.

"Like dealing with a powerful and dangerous ninja tool."

boom!
It felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in Shisui's mind!

The teacup finally gave way and shattered completely in his palm!
The scalding tea mixed with porcelain shards pierced the flesh, and blood gushed out instantly, staining the broken white porcelain and the boiling tea red. The blood dripped onto the clean gravel ground of the courtyard, blooming into several striking dark red plum blossoms.

He felt no pain whatsoever, only a bone-chilling cold that spread from his spine to every part of his body.

His guiding principle has always been to change his family's situation and maintain peace in the village through hard work and communication.

It collapsed at that moment.

Vanilla's words ruthlessly exposed the cold scheming beneath the warm mask of Konoha's higher-ups.

The isolated case of Uchiha Kagami's ancestor was not the beginning of a solution, but rather became a lost cause!
An answer that has been deliberately ignored and shelved!
The distance behind the Third Hokage's gentle smile, Danzo's relentless pressure from Root, the angry roars of radicals at the clan meeting, Itachi's increasingly heavy struggle between the Anbu and his clan...

At this moment, all the clues were strung together by Vanilla's words into a cold and clear chain!

It turns out that the so-called "capacity" and "will of fire" are so pale and powerless in the face of deep-rooted vigilance and power balance!
In Konoha's game of chess, the Uchiha were, from beginning to end, merely pawns to be guarded against, used, and sacrificed when necessary!
They were never truly regarded as "one of their own" who could be entrusted with the inheritance!
Cold sweat instantly soaked through Shisui's back. His newly formed three-tomoe Sharingan eyes spun wildly, trying to comprehend this disruptive impact, but he only felt a chilling bewilderment and a despair that penetrated to the bone.

"Imagine if the Third Hokage had taken in Itachi Uchiha or you, Shisui Uchiha, as disciples of the 'Hokage lineage,' then the rebellious voices within the Uchiha clan would have been easily resolved, and might even have become a driving force. The resources and expectations of the entire Uchiha clan would have been placed on you, striving to become the Fifth Hokage."

"Even if the Fifth Hokage doesn't become the Hokage, we can still look forward to the Sixth Hokage, because both you and Itachi Uchiha are very young, much younger than those in Konoha who are qualified to compete for the Hokage position."

"As long as you live, you are the 'direct descendants of the Hokage,' which will at least keep the Uchiha clan stable for about thirty to fifty years."

"But why didn't the Third Hokage do that?"

"Shisui!" Vanilla Uzumaki frowned slightly, took a step forward, and instantly enveloped his bleeding palm with pale green medical chakra.

Gentle life energy seeps into the wound, quickly stopping the bleeding and repairing the injury. The shattered porcelain shards are gently pushed out by chakra, and the wound heals at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"I'm sorry... I... lost my composure," Shisui's voice was hoarse, carrying the weakness of a broken heart and immense mental exhaustion.

Vanilla shook her head, withdrew her chakra, and her gaze was calm as still water: "Pain can make people clear-headed, but more importantly, it can help them see the road ahead. The Land of Stars may not be heaven, but here, power will not be suspected, bloodlines will not be coveted, and choices will not be predetermined." "What Lord Shura seeks is to completely end this old order that has lasted for thousands of years and is built on fear and greed."

Her gaze swept over the boys in the courtyard.

"We, the Uzumaki clan, the Kaguya clan, the Yuki clan... were all victims of the old order. Now, we choose to take up arms to fight for a different future for ourselves and for all those who, like us, have been rejected and oppressed."

She looked into Shisui's eyes, her voice carrying a strange weight: "Shisui, you lost the eyes you were so proud of, but fate gave you a new pair of eyes, and a chance to see the world anew. The shackles of Konoha, the vortex of Uchiha's destiny... Do you really want to go back and jump into that predetermined ending?"

"Why not consider relocating the entire Uchiha clan to the Land of Stars?"

Migration?

The entire Uchiha clan?
Leaving Konoha?

The impact of these words combined is even greater than the previous subversive statement!
Shisui suddenly looked up, his newly formed three-tomoe Sharingan staring intently at Uzumaki Kaoru, trying to find a trace of a joke or probing on her gentle and calm face.

No.

Her eyes held only a calm seriousness and a profound expectation.

The thought itself was enough to horrify any Uchiha clansman!
Leaving Konoha?

Leave the village that was founded by Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju?
Leave the burial place of our ancestors?
This is simply... betrayal!
“This… is impossible!” Shisui blurted out, his voice trembling with extreme shock.

"The Uchiha are the founding clan of Konoha! Our roots..."

“The roots are rotten, Still Water.” Vanilla’s voice was calm, yet carried the power to sever everything.

"Forcing them to stay will only cause the whole tree to wither and collapse. Look at your current situation, doesn't it resemble the Land of Whirlpools that was besieged back then? The barriers of suspicion are higher than the city walls, and the internal cracks are more deadly than the enemy's blade."

"Danzo taking your eyes is just the beginning, a clear signal that some people in Konoha's upper echelons can't wait any longer, and they're about to make their move."

"You should know yourself that even if you go back to Konoha and tell the Third Hokage that you were ambushed by Danzo, do you think you can make Danzo pay the price?"

Danzo!

Shizuku's eyes seemed to be filled with another phantom pain.

Vanilla's words were like a cold scalpel, precisely dissecting the naked malice behind the attack.

Danzo's sneak attack was not the end, but the prelude to the elimination plan!
“Here.” Vanilla pointed to the ground beneath her feet, then to Kimimaro, Haku, and Yukimi, and finally to the faintly visible direction of the Star Ninja Academy in the distance.

"Power is the cornerstone of survival, the tool for creating the future, not the original sin of being feared and plundered. Bloodline Limits are not a curse, but a talent. Lord Shura needs all the power that dares to break the old cage, the power of the Uchiha, especially the Sharingan's power to see the truth and control the mind, which is of utmost importance."

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice even further, with the solemnity of sharing a core secret: "Telling you is fine, Shisui. The enemies we face are far more than just the ninja villages of the five great nations and those corrupt daimyo."

She paused slightly, a hint of solemnity about the unknown flashing in her eyes.

“There are even more distant and terrifying threats lurking in the ninja world. The old ninja village structure is nothing more than a fragile fortress on the beach in the face of this all-encompassing giant wave.”

They don't even respect the Five Great Ninja Villages?
A threat even greater than the Five Great Ninja Villages?
Each piece of information, more alarming than the last, struck Zhi Shui's already crumbling mental defenses like a hammer blow.

He felt like a small boat adrift in a raging storm, the familiar world map beneath his feet being completely overturned, shattered, and reassembled through Vanilla's words!
"The Star Kingdom is the ark that Lord Shura forged to fight against all of this, and it is also a sharp sword." Vanilla's voice was filled with unwavering conviction.

"We need like-minded partners. The Uchiha clan possesses the wisdom and power of the Sharingan. If they can break free from the shackles of Konoha and join us, they will be like a tiger with wings."

"Zhishui, you have eyes that see the truth and a heart that yearns for peace. Your choice may change the fate of countless people, including your beloved clansmen."

She said no more, but simply watched Zhi Shui quietly, giving him time to process this massive flood of information.

As the last rays of the setting sun sank into the distant mountains, dusk enveloped the city, bathing it in a tranquil blue-purple hue.

A heavy silence fell over the courtyard, broken only by the soft rustling of the wind through the maple leaves.

Kimimaro had already stopped practicing and retreated to the corridor with Haku and Yukimi, but their eyes were all fixed on the dejected Uchiha in the center of the courtyard.

Zhi Shui stood there, like a petrified statue.

In the newborn's eyes, three tomoe slowly rotated, each rotation seemingly bearing an immense burden.

The words of the swirling vanilla swirled and collided repeatedly in his mind.

Konoha's suspicions and cold-blooded scheming... Danzo's naked purge behind his dazzling eyes... and the mysterious mastermind behind the Nine-Tails' night... an unknown threat even stronger than the Five Great Shinobi Villages...

And, "Shura" Menmana's astonishing ambition to use the Land of Stars as a foundation to break the thousand-year-old pattern of the ninja world and even fight against the cataclysmic disaster!

Each new understanding was enough to overturn his previous worldview.

When these realizations came crashing down on him like a tsunami, Zhishui felt a pang of guilt for everything he had believed in, protected, and fought for over the past twenty years.

The Will of Fire, the bonds of the village, the honor of the clan...

Everything became incredibly fragile in the face of these towering waves, crumbling as quickly as a sandcastle.

A profound sense of confusion and inner turmoil nearly consumed him.

After an unknown amount of time, a cool night breeze swept through the courtyard, carrying the faint sound of bells from the distant Star Ninja Academy.

Shisui finally struggled out of that out-of-body state.

He raised his head extremely slowly, his newly formed three-tomoe Sharingan gleaming with a complex and enigmatic light in the twilight, a mixture of weariness, shock, wavering, and a sharp, inquisitive gaze that seemed to find a new path in the face of despair.

“I need…time.” His voice was dry and hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time.

“A lot of… time…” He didn’t directly respond to Vanilla’s suggestion, but this was no longer a firm rejection.

Vanilla Uzumaki nodded understandingly, her face showing no disappointment, but rather a calm acceptance: "Of course, Shisui. Seeing the true nature of the world takes time. The Land of Stars is right here, the lights of the Star Capital—"

She raised her hand and pointed out the window. In the distance, the lights of countless homes in the town lit up one by one like stars falling to earth, outlining the vibrant silhouette of this newly born nation as the night deepened.

"It will stay lit. When you have the answer, you can come to me or Lord Shura at any time."

She said no more and turned to gesture to the young men and women under the eaves.

Kimimaro, Haku, and Yukimi silently retreated back into the house, leaving Shisui standing alone in the center of the courtyard.

The night breeze grew cooler, carrying the unique, free, and wild atmosphere of the Star Kingdom.

Zhishui slowly raised the hand that had just been healed by the herbs; the newly grown skin was smooth and no longer showed any signs of injury.

He clenched his fist, then slowly released it, feeling the power flowing through his veins.

He raised his newly formed Sharingan and gazed at the vast night sky.

In the sky, a full moon shines brightly, hanging there eternally.

Beneath it, the spark of the Star Capital dares to ignite the entire ninja world!
(End of this chapter)