"I'm sorry, Captain..."
Yashiro knelt on the ground, his head pressed against the floor, his voice full of apology.
The other Uchiha members threw out questions. "Yashiro, what's going on?"
He finally confessed after all this roundabout talk. Tōshirō raised his chin. "Tell me. What's going on?"
Yashiro raised his face, tears of regret flowing from his eyes. He told everyone about his contact with the masked man and how he incited him to launch a coup.
Although everyone was dissatisfied with the village, and a coup was a natural course of action, being deliberately manipulated was still very unpleasant.
Fugaku frowned and rebuked him, "Yashiro, you fool..."
Yashiro felt deeply guilty. He was almost fifty years old, and he was crying. "I'm sorry, Captain. I was foolish for a moment and listened to his slander. Please punish me. I will gladly accept death."
Tōshirō scoffed. "What a great plan. If our Uchiha clan really fell for his trick and went against a village like this, we would have been completely wiped out and submerged in the river of history. At that time, what would have happened to the eyes we left behind after our deaths?"
Tōshirō didn't say the last part, but everyone knew what would happen to their eyes after they died. Their bodies trembled involuntarily.
The Uchiha were a proud ninja clan and did not fear any challenges, but this didn't mean they were fools. After learning that their two top masters were both treacherous traitors, it would have been no different from courting death for them to challenge the village.
"How dare you set your sights on the Uchiha clan? You're asking for death."
His furious voice was laced with a strong murderous aura. Tōshirō's crimson eyes were filled with a cold light that would make anyone shudder just by looking at them.
But at this moment, they felt incredibly warm in the eyes of the Uchiha members, giving them a strong sense of security.
After learning the truth behind the clan's extermination, the Uchiha clan was now tightly united around Tōshirō, reaching an unprecedented level of cohesion that even Uchiha Madara at his peak could not compare to.
"Don't worry. As long as I, Tōshirō, am here, anyone who wants to harm my clan members will have to get through me first."
He was as cold and ruthless as winter to his enemies, and as warm and gentle as spring to his clan members. The Uchiha members were deeply moved by his words and swore to be loyal to the great Tōshirō, even if it meant risking their lives.
After swearing an oath to his clan members, Tōshirō concluded, "No one is allowed to talk about what happened today, except for the few who went out to keep watch."
"Understood."
"Very good. Dismissed."
"Yes."
Everyone responded in unison and stood up.
Under normal circumstances, for safety reasons, the great Tōshirō didn't have to tell them about this.
But he still told them, which showed that Tōshirō didn't see them as outsiders. Everyone secretly swore to keep their mouths shut until death.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing."
"Yes, what is it, Tōshirō-sama?"
"I'll have Fugaku hold a meeting soon. At that meeting, I plan to disband the Konoha Military Police Force. I'm just letting you know beforehand."
"Ah, Tōshirō-sama, I thought it was something important. Don't worry, about that... wait, what did you say!?"
"Disband the Konoha Military Police Force."
"...Wh-what!?"
...
...
In the room of the mansion.
Tōshirō and Fugaku sat facing each other on the floor.
Fugaku said apologetically, "I'm sorry about Itachi. I've caused you so much trouble..."
Tōshirō gave him a reassuring smile. "Itachi has just gone down the wrong path. I will make him turn back."
"I was too lax in my discipline..."
Fugaku sighed with shame. "As expected, you should be the clan leader."
This time, Tōshirō didn't refuse and agreed readily. "Alright..."
His own son was a traitor and even planned to kill his own people. Even if everyone still agreed, Fugaku had no face to continue being the clan leader.
Moreover, the clan members were all looking to Tōshirō now. Fugaku's influence was not what it used to be. It would be a hassle to let him continue to be the leader.
Fugaku was a bit surprised. "I thought you would still refuse this time."
"I wanted to, but if I let you continue, you'd probably be under a lot of pressure."
Fugaku sighed in relief. "In that case, I can finally step down from the position of clan leader."
Tōshirō smiled wryly. "You're at ease, but I'll be suffering."
Fugaku said impatiently, "Then let's have the handover at this meeting."
"You're really in a hurry."
"This position was always yours. I've been a substitute for long enough. It's time for me to rest."
"There's nothing I can do about it..."
"Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?"
"Maybe next time. The mother and daughter from the Uzumaki clan just arrived in the village. They must be having a hard time adjusting. I'll help them settle in first."
"You're really putting a lot of effort into it."
"After all, I was taken care of by Grandma Mito a lot in the past. I wanted to take good care of her, but who knew this would happen. All I can do now is give that filial piety to her clan members who are scattered all over the world."
"Alright then..."
Fugaku said with some regret.
"I'll be going now..." Tōshirō stood up, ready to leave. Before he left, he added, "Oh, right, let me ask you something."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Who is the Five-Tails Jinchūriki now?"
"...Han from the Hidden Stone Village."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you..."
"Tōshirō, you're not..."
Tōshirō smiled slightly. "I'm just going to slowly take back what I've lost..."
After saying goodbye to Fugaku, Tōshirō planned to go to Karin's place. It wasn't good to keep using a Shadow Clone to accompany them.
As he passed by a park, he happened to see a little boy sitting alone on a swing. Because he had blond hair, Tōshirō took an extra look. The boy was looking down, looking a bit lonely.
Huh?
Tōshirō noticed that there were six faint whisker marks on his face.
There was only one person in the entire village with this kind of feature. With a little guess, he could figure out the person's name—Uzumaki Naruto.
The corner of Tōshirō's mouth turned up. He slowly walked toward him.
Naruto, who was sitting on the swing and looking down, noticed that someone was walking toward him. He was slightly stunned. He looked up and saw a white-haired, blue-eyed boy walking toward him with a gentle smile on his face.
"Little brother, what are you doing here? Aren't you going to the Ninja Academy?"
Tōshirō remembered that at this time, the children should still be in school. Naruto was also old enough to go to school. The only reason he would be here was that...
This guy was skipping school.
Naruto looked at the older boy in front of him curiously. It was the first time he had ever seen someone smile at him like this.
Is it because he doesn't know me?
No, that's impossible.
In a way, his fame in the village was no less than the Hokage's. It was impossible for anyone in the village not to know him.
Tōshirō asked, "What's your name?"
Naruto: ...
So he really doesn't know me.
Naruto hesitated for a moment and answered truthfully, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto."
After he finished speaking, he secretly sized up the other person. He was probably thinking of something after hearing his name. The older boy in front of him was now putting on a pensive look.
Sigh. When he remembers who I am, he'll probably look at me with disgust.
Naruto thought sadly.
He was already used to this kind of thing.
Since he could remember, he had been ostracized by the villagers, who saw him as the incarnation of the Nine-Tails that destroyed the village six years ago.
Tōshirō seemed to have remembered something. He clenched his hand into a fist and gently tapped it on his open palm. "Oh, I knew that last name sounded familiar. It's the same last name as that girl from my house, Uzumaki."
"What a coincidence. How about you come over to my house as a guest?"
"Wh-what?"
This answer was far beyond Naruto's imagination.
For a moment, he was dumbfounded.
What? This person isn't afraid of me?
And he's even inviting me to his house?
This must be a dream.
Naruto's face showed a look of incomprehension.
Suddenly, he seemed to have remembered something.
Wait. Did he just say 'Uzumaki'?
Is there someone else in this village with the same last name as me?
Naruto was filled with curiosity. "What did you mean when you said 'Uzumaki' just now?"
Tōshirō looked confused. "What's wrong? Is it strange to have the last name Uzumaki?"
"No... it's just..."
Naruto started to stammer.
He craved to be accepted so much, so when he heard that there was someone else in the village with the same last name as him, he was overjoyed. But at the same time, he was afraid that the person with the same last name as him would start to hate him like everyone else once they learned his identity.
Thinking of this, Naruto decided to just drop it. He shook his head and refused. At least that way, he could hold on to a shred of hope.
"Why not?"
"My mom said not to go to strangers' houses."
After saying this, a bitter feeling welled up in Naruto's heart.
Tōshirō asked, "How old are you?"
"Six."
"Do you go to the Ninja Academy?"
"Yes."
"Oh, then we're not strangers anymore."
"???"
Tōshirō smiled. "In a few days, I'll be sending my daughter to the Ninja Academy. Maybe you two will be classmates."
Naruto was stunned.
Wait, daughter???
Naruto looked at Tōshirō's young face, and his confused eyes almost popped out.
The other person looked at most twelve or thirteen years old. How could he have a daughter who was the same age as him?
Naruto thought, I may be young and don't understand a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I'm an idiot.
Please, if you're going to make up a reason, at least make it a believable one.
Does this person think I'm an idiot with no brains?
Suddenly, Naruto seemed to have realized something, and his heart sank.
He understood.
The other person was just making fun of him.
Naruto's expression was exactly what Tōshirō had expected. He smiled and said, "Naruto, can you look me in the eyes for a moment?"
Naruto couldn't keep up with Tōshirō's rhythm. He was very confused and looked bewildered.
At that moment, he suddenly noticed that the other person's eyes had changed. They turned a blood-red color, and three tomoe appeared distorted around the pupils.
He didn't understand what was happening, and his eyes immediately became listless.
Tap, tap, tap...
His feet stepped on the water, creating a faint ripple.
Tōshirō raised his head and looked at the huge cage in front of him. He could see a giant orange beast the size of a mountain sealed inside.
"It's been a while, Nine-Tails."
As if it had heard his voice, the orange beast that was sleeping reacted. It slowly opened its eyes and looked through the bars. It saw a white-haired, red-eyed boy looking at it with a mocking, half-smile.
(End of Chapter)
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