I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 212 The Open Clash

The Hokage's office building was brightly lit under the night sky. All combat members of the Anbu and Root had made the worst-case scenario plan. At the same time, all the Jonin of Konoha had also received orders to be transferred. The Konoha leadership had made the worst-case scenario plan.

However, as long as there is room for maneuver, no one wants to stand by and watch a terrible incident happen. The Konoha leadership doesn't want to, and neither does the Uchiha clan.

The warmongers who destroy their own homes are always a minority.

Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane, having weathered many storms, were all waiting patiently.

Inside the meeting room, Danzo was presiding over the meeting, with only the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans below him.

"Itachi Uchiha's team members leaked information, as did Neda Uchiha. Although all of this was done for the sake of the village's peace, the information was transmitted through the village's intelligence department."

Danzo Shimura had no regrets about anything he had done. If he regretted anything, it was that he had underestimated Uchiha Yoru. He hadn't expected that this kid had the potential to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan. If he had known, he would have taken care of the two of them together, and there wouldn't have been so much trouble.

At this moment, Danzo Shimura coldly stared at the head of the Ino-Shika clan with his one exposed eye. "As the number one clan in Konoha and even the ninja world, the Uchiha would never allow such a disgrace. And this time, the leaked information is the source of their venting."

Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza exchanged unpleasant glances, while Shimura Danzo slowly rose, left a single sentence, and walked out the door without looking back.

"I'll be waiting for your reply in the Hokage's office."

As the conference room door closed, the three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio could no longer maintain their composure.

Yamanaka Inoichi, in particular, slammed his fist hard on the floor with a frustrated expression, and said angrily, "Damn it, it was clearly his Root that used the intelligence department's channels, but now we're the ones taking the blame."

Even the obese Akimichi Choza looked worried; this was the first time in so many years that their three clans had encountered such a thorny problem.

"Shikaku, do you have any solutions?"

Nara Shikaku, who is known as the Hokage's strategist and advisor, looked at the two with a worried expression and shook his head dejectedly, saying, "Once the Uchiha seized the opportunity, there has been no room for maneuver."

"The new clan leader, Uchiha Yoru, has just taken office. This operation has not only united the Uchiha clan but also given them hope under his leadership. Therefore, the Uchiha will never give up."

Nara Shikaku rubbed his temples, quite troubled by the Uchiha's methods this time. "After the Uchiha were isolated, there has been internal controversy. Some people want to resolve things peacefully, while others want to use their power to talk to the village's higher-ups. But this time, Fugaku's death has provided an opportunity, a chance to unify the entire clan's thinking against external forces."

"If successful, the Uchiha clan will see hope for a counterattack, and all internal conflicts will be transferred to the outside. The leadership of the new clan leader, Uchiha Yoru, combined with his Mangekyou Sharingan, will be impeccable."

"The most important point is timing! Now is also the best time for the Uchiha clan." Nara Shikaku shook his head as he said this, as the Uchiha had the advantage of timing, location, and popular support.

"The border unrest has already caused widespread anxiety. The incident involving the Twelve Guardian Ninjas of the Daimyo's Prefecture and the Fire Temple all happened at the same time. If this had happened a month earlier, the Uchiha wouldn't have dared to be so reckless."

To put it bluntly, the Uchiha clan seized the opportunity. You don't want the village to become more unstable, and neither do I, but you have been oppressing the Uchiha clan. Now that we have a chance to fight back, you have to give us an explanation.

Finally, Yamanaka Inoichi gave a disappointed and forced smile as he looked at the two of them. "As the head of the intelligence department, I will take full responsibility for all of this and will not let our three clans be implicated."

"Inoichi, you!" Akimichi Choza said with unbearable worry, but Nara Shikaku remained silent, which was unusual for him.

It's true that the three of them are sworn brothers, but at the same time, they all bear the weight of their family's rise and fall. The pressure on them is so great that they cannot act according to their own whims when it comes to matters concerning the family's fate.

For some unknown reason, Yamanaka Inoichi took a deep breath, concealing all his emotions, and instead gave the two a carefree smile, his golden ponytail fluttering in the wind.

"I'm leaving now. I'm going home for a bit. Don't worry about the rest."

As the head of the intelligence department, Yamanaka Inoichi is the primary person in charge, and they are indeed close friends who have been through thick and thin together. In their youth, they could impulsively give their lives for each other, but now it is clearly an unnecessary sacrifice.

More importantly, they not only have their own families but also their own relatives. Nara Shikaku has his own young son, and so does Akimichi Choza. People will have their own selfish desires at the last moment.

Inside the Hokage's office building, four pairs of eyes looked through the windows and saw the blond figure leaving in a daze. The four of them breathed a sigh of relief.

They knew that the three races—the pig, the deer, and the butterfly—had made their own choice.

Would the Pig, Deer, and Butterfly tribes blame them? They had never considered that. Political alliances are essentially alliances of interests. If the Pig, Deer, and Butterfly tribes were truly that naive, there would be another option.

The three clans were willing to bleed heavily to appease the Uchiha clan, but the price was undoubtedly enormous. By doing so, they would lose the trust of their superiors. Furthermore, given the immense losses, the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, who had worked so hard to catch up over the years, were now being asked to give up?

How is that possible!

Faced with the choice between family interests and personal interests, they, as clan leaders, resolutely shouldered their responsibilities.

……

Uchiha clan.

This was an eventful night. Driven to the outskirts of Konoha, the Uchiha, who had endured for so many years, revealed their true colors, causing Konoha to have a sleepless night.

Previously, the Uchiha clan, led by Fugaku, was plagued by internal discord and frequent external oppression. They displayed an aura of forbearance and a desire to prove their innocence, which gradually diminished the fear many people had of the Uchiha.

As soon as Uchiha Yoru took office, he showed his fangs, seized the opportunity and clung to it, revealing his fearless courage and the powerful confidence of his Mangekyou Sharingan, which instantly made everyone wary of him.

This is the difference between the two, not a huge difference in their leadership abilities, but rather their differences in understanding information gaps and timing.

If Fugaku Uchiha had known from the beginning that he was doomed, he certainly wouldn't have acted so gently. Since he was going to die anyway, it would be strange if he didn't act more drastically.

Moreover, Fugaku's timing was also unfavorable at the time. On the contrary, Konoha was extremely weak, and there was turmoil on the border and in the Land of Fire, which led to this situation.

Uchiha Yoru had the advantage of timing, location, and popular support, while Uchiha Fugaku had none of these advantages.

"Clan leader, the Aburame clan has moved here overnight, and the Hyuga branch family has also joined the defense force."

The Uchiha clan elites inside the room had never been so excited. They had been suppressed for too long, and today's sudden release filled them with fervor for this shrewd and resourceful young new clan leader.

However, Uchiha Yoru, who was sitting in the high seat, held a red book in one hand and sipped tea calmly in the other. He nodded slightly at the report from his subordinate.

"Continue to strengthen security, and at the same time notify the entire village, so that the village is not affected by the affairs of our Uchiha clan."

After such casual words came out of his mouth, all the Uchiha Jonin in the room looked at each other with strange expressions.

If this gets out, will anyone believe it?

Some people were completely baffled, but Elder Sha Na, who sat calmly to the side, had a glint of light flash in his cloudy eyes. He coughed hoarsely and glanced at everyone.

"The clan leader has given the order, why isn't anyone carrying it out yet?"

Upon hearing this, some people scratched the back of their heads, confused, and went to carry it out. The others, however, wore relaxed smiles.

Having witnessed Uchiha Yoru's methods, Elder Setsuna has calmed down and has even begun to decide to hand over all power.

As Uchiha Yoru said, special circumstances call for special treatment. The Uchiha clan can no longer withstand turmoil. At the same time, this incident also showed him the terrifying power that a united clan can unleash, a power that even Konoha would have to take seriously.

"Clan leader, the Third Hokage has arrived."

Suddenly, a cry of alarm rang out, and dark shadows flickered within the Uchiha clan's territory.

A light, gloomy rain began to fall from the sky, adding to the already oppressive atmosphere of the village.

Inside the Uchiha clan compound, the short and thin figure of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, walked to the front. His Hokage hat was pulled low, making it impossible to see his expression, but the suppressed aura made everyone dare not underestimate this figure.

Following behind were the Jonin of the Ino-Shika-Cho clan, numbering only a dozen or so. However, there was a stretcher covered with a white cloth in the crowd, and the outline of the figure on the stretcher could be vaguely seen.

A strand of golden hair was revealed, and with one of the three clan leaders of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio missing, even the Uchiha clan ninjas were shocked by what they saw.

The cold winter had just passed, and the light drizzle added to the chill. The figure stopped in the courtyard of the mansion.

Uchiha Yoru and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, reunited in the courtyard of Fugaku's mansion. This time, under the light drizzle, the two calmly gazed at each other.

"The intelligence department leaked secrets and was even used by enemy countries. I am deeply saddened by what happened to Fugaku Uchiha. But this is not just a pain for the Uchiha. I also lost my eldest son, Shinnosuke, and I am equally heartbroken."

"This is also a pain for Konoha. The head of the intelligence department, Yamanaka Inoichi, committed seppuku at home out of shame."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's calm tone made it impossible to discern the old man's emotions or thoughts. As his voice slowly echoed around, everyone's gaze instantly turned to the white stretcher.

Even the Uchiha clan's Jonin who had initially been so vocal were now stunned, a chill running through them. The fact that they had forced the head of a major clan to his death made them realize that things had spiraled out of control.

If this gets out, the Uchiha clan's reputation will suffer even more.

Despite his calm demeanor, Uchiha Yoru was inwardly turmoil. What a Third Hokage! With such ruthless counterattacks, the Uchiha clan would have to bear a bad reputation from this day forward.

"This child is Aburame Torune, and he is currently the only ninja in the Aburame clan of the village who can control nano-poisonous insects."

Then a seven or eight-year-old boy stepped forward, wearing a pair of close-fitting leather goggles.

At this moment, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio all glared angrily at Uchiha Yoru, while the rest of the Uchiha clan members blushed with embarrassment.

If word gets out that the Uchiha clan forced the Yamanaka clan chief to his death and then bullied the child, wouldn't it be a case of them having such a big child?

As for information leaks? Who in the ninja world dares to say that information is completely foolproof? Even the information of the five great ninja villages is constantly being stolen from each other.

Just because your Uchiha clan is powerful? You insist on pursuing this to the very end?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's counterattack directly shook the prestige that Yoru Uchiha had just established, making him seem like an evil person.

Looking at the thin old man in front of him, Uchiha Yoru took a deep breath and coldly stared at the Ino-Shika-Cho trio with a disdainful expression.

"If you make a mistake, admit it; if you know you're wrong, correct it; if you get hit, stand up straight; be brave and take responsibility. If you disregard the rules and regulations of Konoha Village, then what's the point of having these ninja rules and regulations? The so-called Six Divisions of Konoha should just be disbanded."

Things had come to this point, and whoever backed down would lose. Uchiha Yoru refused to yield an inch, coldly watching everyone before finally fixing his gaze on the Third Hokage. His veiled warnings were not spared from anyone.

"Third Hokage, don't you agree! Wasn't White Fang's contribution significant enough? Wasn't Orochimaru's contribution significant enough? Wasn't Madara Uchiha's contribution in founding Konoha significant enough?"

With three consecutive soul-searching questions, Uchiha Yoru's expression grew even colder, causing the Jonin of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans to look him in the eye with a gaze that dared not be met.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep look at the young man. He had really misjudged him. Orochimaru had actually raised such a scourge for the village. He was truly causing great harm.

"That's right, the Uchiha clan head is right. Mistakes must be admitted and corrected! No one can violate Konoha's rules, not even Madara Uchiha, the founder of Konoha!"

The confrontation between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Yoru Uchiha was open and blatant, made no attempt to conceal it, and was laid bare in front of everyone.

Since things have come to this point, Madara Uchiha's secrets will inevitably be exposed sooner or later. It's better to let Yoru Uchiha use it to expose the secret himself, so he can also gain the moral high ground.

Uchiha Yoru's three soul-searching questions directly reduced the death of a mere mountain clan chief to an insignificant matter. If you still want to argue, then please tell me, can your entire mountain clan compare to the top three?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's stern shout was a warning to everyone that within Konoha, rules must be followed, and anyone who dared to break them would be severely punished.

At that moment, the Uchiha's morale, which had been somewhat low, instantly stabilized, and even the surrounding Uchiha clan members showed firmer eyes after hearing this.

Yeah, did they force them to their deaths? If you really want to know, what do you say about White Fang and Orochimaru? You've even dragged out their own ancestors to whip their corpses. What are you three clans, Ino-Shika-Cho, still complaining about? If you dare to glare at me again, I'll kill you all.

Everyone's following the rules, so who's afraid of whom?

As for infamy? Let's talk about White Fang first.

To put it bluntly, this is a clash between Uchiha Yoru and the Third Hokage. If you continue to smear the Uchiha clan on this issue, then the Uchiha clan is not to be trifled with either. We are evenly matched, so neither of us should laugh at the other. The White Fang and Orochimaru incidents are still fresh in our minds.

Please support me.

(End of this chapter)