I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 18 The Arrival of Uchiha Fugaku

Leaf Border.

On his way back, Uchiha Yoru met with the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku. This time, the clan head came with two reasons: first, he brought his eldest son to experience the war; second, he brought the elites of his clan.

Inside the dimly lit tent, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Yoru sat facing each other in the main hall. In Japan, the rules of hierarchy and etiquette were practically ingrained in the very bones of the people.

The various etiquettes have reached a very strict standard, especially in wealthy families where everything is done meticulously and no mistakes are allowed.

The proper sitting posture involves kneeling on the floor with your buttocks resting on your heels, then extending your legs straight out and moving your heels down towards your buttocks. Place your hands on your knees or thighs, and keep your back straight. Men kneel with their knees slightly apart, while women kneel with their knees together.

To put it simply, it's what's called kneeling.

"Chieftain."

In the dim candlelight, Uchiha Yoru deliberately feigned exhaustion, trying to appear energetic. Upon seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Yoru, any progress?"

In just three months, the Uchiha clan had already spent a considerable amount of money. Although things were going well, especially after Orochimaru took Uchiha Yoru as his disciple, which represented a certain trend, there had been no other developments recently. He couldn't help but wonder what the future Hokage was thinking.

Seeing Fugaku's solemn expression, Uchiha Yoru sighed softly, "Orochimaru-sensei may be the commander-in-chief on the front lines, but secretly he's carrying out clandestine human experimentation research. This is practically a top-secret mission, and more importantly!"

Seeing Uchiha Yoru's hesitant expression, Uchiha Fugaku said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, the clan has no intention of interfering in this top-secret mission of the village. You know that, and so far only the elders, you and me, and Shisui and a few others in the clan know about it. It is also a top secret within the clan."

That's true. The Uchiha clan doesn't care about top-secret missions anymore. What they care about most is the hope that the Uchiha can return to the center of power in Konoha.

Seeing the clan leader's expression, Uchiha Yoru hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply and said, "Clan leader, according to the clues revealed by Orochimaru, the village's higher-ups are extremely wary of the Uchiha clan, especially Danzo, the leader of Root, and the Third Hokage."

"Orochimaru said that because he was afraid of a second Nine-Tails attack, the Third Hokage was now openly appeasing the Uchiha clan, while Danzo was secretly wary of and ostracizing them. In fact, to prevent the Sharingan from controlling the Nine-Tails again, the village had secretly planned to restart the Wood Release ninja program."

"What?!" Upon hearing this, Fugaku Uchiha was shocked, and a hint of anger appeared between his brows. Damn it! They still don't trust the Uchiha clan? Even at this time, they are still thinking about guarding against the Uchiha.

The Wood Release plan was to guard against the Uchiha clan, since everyone knows that the Sharingan and Wood Release are the strongest counters to tailed beasts, and while the Sharingan is powerful, it has always been countered by Wood Release.

It's obvious that the village restarted its Wood Release research in order to counter and defend against the Uchiha clan.

Seeing Fugaku's anger, Yoru secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had been deceiving both sides, his intentions were good; it was all for the sake of the clan.

"Recently, because I have become Orochimaru's disciple, it seems that the village's higher-ups have put a lot of pressure on Orochimaru and issued him warnings. Even the research funding has been reduced again."

Upon hearing this, Fugaku Uchiha nodded solemnly. He believed this. He couldn't understand what the Third Hokage was thinking, but Danzo would definitely do it.

Danzo's favorite thing is to blackmail people, especially now that someone from the Uchiha clan has become Orochimaru's disciple. Under these circumstances, how could he possibly like it? He would definitely try to trip up Orochimaru.

Having thought of this, Fugaku Uchiha said in a deep voice, "Go back and tell Lord Orochimaru that you can rest assured about the funds; the Uchiha clan is willing to triple the amount they provide!"

Upon hearing that the price had tripled, Uchiha Yoru was immediately thrilled. He had taken such a huge risk to profit from both sides, all for this very reason.

"Don't worry, clan leader. Orochimaru-sensei said he believes in the Uchiha clan."

Despite saying things against his conscience, Uchiha Yoru showed no shame whatsoever. Instead, he revealed a frank expression. All of this was for the sake of saving the clan. In the end, it would just benefit the village for nothing. It would be better to spend the money now.

There's an old saying: "The person is gone, but the money remains!" Isn't that the greatest tragedy? More importantly, it represents the future of the Uchiha clan.

Having obtained the information he wanted, Fugaku Uchiha immediately revealed a satisfied smile. This was a good start; all that was left was to wait for Orochimaru to take over.

"Yoru, the clan will remember everything you've done. This time, the clan's elites have joined the front lines and are all willing to follow Lord Orochimaru's orders. Also, Tetsuka is here. If you have any problems in the future, remember to contact Tetsuka and Shisui secretly."

Uchiha Tekka! He can be considered an elite Jonin in the clan. More importantly, he seems to be related to the clan head, since they both have square faces.

Upon seeing Uchiha Tekka's image in his mind, Uchiha Yoru immediately showed a respectful expression and nodded solemnly, saying, "Clan Chief, rest assured, for the sake of the clan!"

After saying this, Uchiha Yoru's expression became serious. He then lowered his voice and said in a deep voice, "Clan leader, I heard from Orochimaru that Danzo, the leader of Root, seems to be very unhappy that the Uchiha, Hyuga and Orochimaru are getting too close. It seems that he is doing something in secret."

Upon hearing this, Fugaku simply snorted coldly, "A mouse that likes to lurk in the dark will always be like that."

There are quite a few clans in Konoha that are close to Orochimaru, with the Hyuga and Uchiha being the most prominent.

After all, Orochimaru was born into a commoner family, and the supporters behind him were the result of his accumulation over the years. However, after the Fourth Hokage failed to be elected a year ago, many of his former clans began to gradually distance themselves. As a result, less than a year later, no one expected this to happen, and no one thought that the Fourth Hokage would be a short-lived man.

"By the way, I brought the clan's elite troops with me this time, and I plan to return in a few days. I'll leave Itachi in your care, Yoru and Shisui."

"Yes, clan leader, rest assured!" Upon hearing this, Uchiha Yoru patted his chest earnestly, his eyes filled with determination.

This time, he wasn't just fooling the clan leader; he was genuinely sincere.

How old is Itachi now? Five years old? No! He was five years old during the Nine-Tails' rampage last year, so he's six this year.

He clearly remembered that in the original work, Itachi Uchiha's information was that he had witnessed the horrors of the battlefield at the age of four, experienced the Nine-Tails' rampage at the age of five, and only entered the Ninja Academy at the age of six.

Since Itachi hasn't gone to school yet, he hasn't become a fanatical follower of the Will of Fire. At this young age, Itachi should still be in a confused stage, which is a good opportunity to correct him and at least steer him onto the right path of values.

Seeing his clansman Uchiha Yoru working so hard for the clan, Fugaku Uchiha was deeply moved. "Yoru, don't worry, the clan won't treat you unfairly. Whether this succeeds or fails, you'll be there for us."

It was clear that whether as a father or as the clan head, Fugaku Uchiha still hoped that his eldest son would become a disciple of the future Hokage.

Even if it doesn't succeed, at least he'll get to know the future elites of the clan, like him and Shisui. Uchiha Yoru thought to himself, "You really can't underestimate anyone. This clan head has really made a good plan; no matter what, he won't lose out."

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(End of this chapter)