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At the border of Konoha.
On his way back, Uchiha Yoru met the clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku. This time, the clan leader's arrival had two purposes: one was to bring his eldest son to experience war, and the other was to bring the clan's elite members.
In the dimly lit tent, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Yoru sat facing each other, embodying the strict hierarchy and etiquette deeply ingrained in the clan's culture.
The etiquette was stringent, especially in noble families, where every detail had to be precise and without error.
Seiza, the formal sitting posture, involves kneeling on the floor with the buttocks resting on the heels, the feet stretched out flat, and the heels moved under the buttocks. The hands are placed on the knees or thighs, and the back is straight. Men sit with their knees slightly apart, while women sit with their knees together.
In simple terms, it is the traditional kneeling posture.
"Clan Leader."
Under the dim light of the candle, Uchiha Yoru deliberately feigned a tired and strained expression. Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku furrowed his brow and asked in a solemn voice, "Yoru, has there been any progress?"
In just three months, their Uchiha clan had invested a significant amount of funds. While things were going well, especially after Orochimaru took Uchiha Yoru as his disciple, signaling a certain trend, there had been no other developments recently. Fugaku couldn't help but want to know what the future Hokage was thinking.
Seeing Fugaku's serious expression, Uchiha Yoru sighed deeply, "Orochimaru-sensei is nominally the commander of the front lines, but secretly he is conducting secret human experimentation. This is an almost top-secret mission, and more importantly!"
Seeing Uchiha Yoru's hesitation, Uchiha Fugaku said sternly, "Don't worry. The clan has no intention of interfering with the village's top-secret mission. You know this, and only a few of us, including the elders and Shisui, are aware of it. It is also a top secret within the clan."
This was the truth. The Uchiha clan was not concerned with any top-secret mission; their primary concern was the hope of regaining their place in Konoha's power center.
Seeing the clan leader's expression, Uchiha Yoru hesitated for a moment and then sighed deeply, "Clan Leader, according to the clues provided by Orochimaru-sensei, the village's higher-ups are extremely wary of the Uchiha clan, especially the leader of the Root, Danzo, and the Third Hokage."
"Orochimaru-sensei says that because they fear a second Nine-Tails Incident, the Third Hokage is openly appeasing us, while Danzo is secretly wary and even planning to restart the Wood Release ninja program to prevent the Sharingan from controlling the Nine-Tails again."
"What!" Hearing this, Uchiha Fugaku looked shocked, and his brows furrowed with anger. Damn! They still don't trust the Uchiha clan. Even now, they are still thinking of ways to guard against us.
The Wood Release program was designed to guard against the Uchiha. After all, who doesn't know that the Sharingan and Wood Release are the strongest in controlling tailed beasts, and while the Sharingan is powerful, it has always been restrained by Wood Release.
Clearly, the village's restart of Wood Release research is aimed at guarding against the Uchiha.
Seeing Uchiha Fugaku's anger, Uchiha Yoru secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was manipulating both sides, his intentions were good, all for the sake of the clan.
"Recently, because I have become Orochimaru-sensei's disciple, it seems the village's higher-ups have put a lot of pressure and warnings on Orochimaru-sensei, even cutting research funds again."
Hearing this, Uchiha Fugaku nodded solemnly. He believed this; while the Third Hokage's intentions were unclear, Danzo would definitely act this way.
Danzo loved to threaten people, especially now that someone from the Uchiha clan has become Orochimaru's disciple. In this situation, how could he be happy? He would definitely try to trip Orochimaru up.
Thinking of this, Uchiha Fugaku said sternly, "When you return, tell Lord Orochimaru not to worry about the funds. The Uchiha clan is willing to triple the funding!"
Hearing that the funds would be tripled, Uchiha Yoru was overjoyed. He took such a big risk to benefit both sides, wasn't it for this?
"Clan Leader, rest assured, Orochimaru-sensei believes in the Uchiha clan."
Saying these insincere words, Uchiha Yoru felt no shame, only a calm expression. All of this was for the sake of saving the clan. It would be better to spend the money now than to let it go to waste in the village later.
As the old saying goes, if a person is gone, the money is still there! Isn't that the greatest sorrow? More importantly, this is the future of the Uchiha.
Satisfied with the information he wanted, Uchiha Fugaku smiled. This was a good start; they just needed to wait for Orochimaru to rise to power.
"Yoru, the clan will remember everything you have done. This time, the clan's elite members will join the front lines and are willing to follow Lord Orochimaru's command. Additionally, Tetsuka and Shisui are there. If you have any problems, remember to contact Tetsuka and Shisui secretly."
Uchiha Tetsuka! He can be considered one of the elite jōnin of the clan. More importantly, he seems to have a familial relationship with the clan leader, as both have square faces.
Thinking of Uchiha Tetsuka's appearance, Uchiha Yoru immediately showed a respectful expression and nodded solemnly, "Clan Leader, rest assured, for the clan!"
After saying this, Uchiha Yoru's expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice, "Clan Leader, according to Orochimaru-sensei, it seems that the leader of the Root, Danzo, is very unhappy with the Uchiha, the Hyuga, and Orochimaru-sensei getting too close, and he seems to be planning something in secret."
Hearing this, Fugaku snorted coldly, "Rats who like to hide in the shadows are always like this."
Many families in Konoha are close to Orochimaru, with the Hyuga and Uchiha being the most prominent.
After all, Orochimaru is from a civilian background, and his supporters are the result of years of accumulation. However, after the Fourth Hokage's election failure a year ago, many families began to distance themselves. Within a year, no one expected this to happen, and no one thought the Fourth Hokage would be a short-lived leader.
"By the way, this time I brought the clan's elite members here and plan to return in a few days. I entrust you and Shisui to take good care of Uchiha Itachi."
"Yes, Clan Leader, rest assured!" Hearing this, Uchiha Yoru immediately nodded seriously, his eyes filled with determination.
This time, he was not deceiving the clan leader but was genuinely sincere.
How old is Uchiha Itachi now? Five years old? No! He was five during the Nine-Tails incident last year, and this year he is six.
He clearly remembered that in the original story, Uchiha Itachi saw the horrors of war at the age of four, experienced the Nine-Tails incident at five, and entered the ninja academy at six.
Uchiha Itachi hasn't started school yet, so he hasn't become a fervent believer in the Will of Fire. At this young age, Uchiha Itachi should still be in a state of confusion, making it the perfect time to guide him onto the right path of values.
Seeing Uchiha Yoru, who was working so hard for the clan, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but show a moved expression, "Yoru, rest assured, the clan will not treat you unfairly. If this succeeds, it will be a success; if not, you will still be recognized."
Clearly, whether as a father or a clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku hoped his eldest son would become a disciple of the future Hokage.
Even if it doesn't succeed, this will connect him with future clan elites, such as himself and Shisui. Uchiha Yoru secretly thought that no one should be underestimated; the clan leader really had a good plan, and no matter what, it wouldn't be a loss.
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Seeking support.
(End of Chapter)