"I am certain of it," Inoichi Yamanaka said, his tone absolute. "The Aburame Clan will be the first to break."
He leaned back, analyzing the board. "The Aburame are a mid-sized clan. Their numbers don't rival our three clans combined, and due to their reclusive nature, they have zero political allies. However, their insect-based jutsu is incredibly versatile for tracking, assassination, and defense. Facing Danzo's extortion, they have no political shield to hide behind. Their only avenue for survival is to throw themselves at Jin Uchiha's mercy."
Shikaku Nara's eyes narrowed, his brilliant mind connecting a series of previously isolated facts. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Inoichi. Choza," Shikaku said quietly. "Have either of you considered a much more terrifying question? Why is Danzo Shimura still alive?"
The room fell dead silent.
"Think about it," Shikaku pressed. "Danzo kidnapped Jin Uchiha's parents. The blood feud is absolute. Yet, despite multiple encounters, Danzo breathes. Do you truly believe Jin lacks the power to kill him? We all heard the reports from the Forest of Death a few nights ago. Jin manifested a thirty-meter-tall giant of pure chakra. He could have crushed Danzo like an insect."
Inoichi and Choza's faces darkened instantly. They weren't fools. Shikaku had led them right to the edge of the truth.
"Are you saying..." Choza began, his eyes wide.
"Jin Uchiha intentionally kept Danzo alive," Inoichi finished, his voice laced with dread as the realization hit him. "He left the old dog off the leash specifically so Danzo would do exactly what he is doing right now—terrorizing the neutral clans. Jin is using Danzo to drive all of us directly into the Uchiha's open arms!"
Choza let out a heavy, defeated sigh. "Even knowing this, what can we do? We can't accuse Jin. Danzo is the one holding the blade to our throats."
Shikaku shook his head, a bitter smile touching his lips. "We do nothing. But it proves one thing: Jin Uchiha possesses terrifying patience and ruthlessness. The true chaos in Konoha is just beginning."
The three clan heads fell silent. Despite their status, they realized they were no longer players in this political game. They were merely pieces on the board, fighting just to keep their families alive.
***
The Uchiha Compound - Jin's Residence
Tsuki Uchiha gracefully poured a cup of steaming tea, bowed slightly, and retreated from the reception room, closing the sliding doors behind her.
Jin Uchiha sat across from his guest, genuinely intrigued.
"Clan Head Shibi," Jin smiled warmly. "It is an honor. I anticipated that several clans would eventually seek our protection, but I admit, I did not expect the Aburame Clan to be the first to arrive at my door."
Jin was telling the truth. He knew Danzo's extortion tour would drive people to him, but he had assumed smaller, weaker clans like the Kurama or Mitarashi would crack first. The Aburame were a foundational pillar of the village. For Shibi to arrive literally minutes after Danzo left his compound meant the situation was dire.
Jin decided to probe. "If you don't mind me asking, how many of your shinobi did Danzo demand for his Root division?"
Shibi Aburame sat rigidly. True to his clan's nature, he wore a high-collared trench coat and dark, round sunglasses that obscured his face. He picked up the teacup, drained it in one silent gulp, and set it down.
"All of them," Shibi said. His voice was a heavy, suffocating baritone.
Jin blinked, momentarily derailed. "I'm sorry... what?"
He waited for Shibi to elaborate, but the man remained completely silent. Jin mentally sighed. The Aburame were notoriously terrible at conversation.
Realizing that a formal tea setting wouldn't pry the details out of the stoic man, Jin called out to the hallway. "Tsuki! Bring us hot food and three jars of sake."
When the alcohol arrived, Jin aggressively filled Shibi's cup. Shibi hesitated—alcohol was generally avoided by his clan because it disrupted their internal chakra pathways—but given that he was here to beg for asylum, he couldn't refuse his host.
After three cups of strong sake, the rigid Aburame leader finally relaxed. The alcohol disrupted his chakra control, causing a faint, restless buzzing sound to echo from beneath his coat as his parasitic insects twitched in agitation.
System Explanation: The Aburame Clan houses thousands of microscopic, chakra-feeding insects inside their own bodies. In exchange for feeding on the host's chakra, the insects obey the host's commands.
"Yes. All of them," Shibi repeated, the alcohol bringing a flush of genuine anger to his usually pale face. "Danzo is entirely consumed by greed."
Shibi gripped his cup tightly. "In the past, he would demand one or two of our brightest prodigies. We swallowed the pain and gave them up. Our clan lacks the political armor of the Senju or the Uchiha. We saw what happened when Hiruzen took power—clans like the Fuma and the Senju simply vanished from the village over the decades. We survived by keeping our heads down and making sacrifices."
He looked up, his dark glasses reflecting the room's light. "The village is not the sanctuary the First Hokage built. It has changed. But this time... Danzo went too far. He demanded that I, as the Clan Head, surrender the entirety of the Aburame Clan into Root. He wants us assimilated."
Shibi's voice trembled with suppressed rage. "Root conditions its members to strip away all emotion and identity. Assimilation is extermination. There is no difference."
Jin sat back, his mind processing the sheer absurdity of the information.
Jin's Internal Monologue: Danzo is insane. I kept him alive because I knew his paranoia would cause him to bite the other clans. I expected him to demand a heavy toll—maybe half their fighting force. But demanding an entire clan? That isn't politics. That's political suicide.
Jin had overestimated Danzo's intelligence. The old man wasn't just a useful idiot; he was a rabid dog biting everything in sight.