Lord Fugaku!
Elder Setsuna and the Konoha Military Police Force are already arguing with Root; please go there quickly!
Uchiha Izumi, wearing a Konoha Military Police Force uniform vest, knelt in the hall, her tone anxious.
Uchiha Fugaku remained seated in his Konoha Military Police Force office, located in the center of the Uchiha Clan Compound, calmly reading documents on his desk.
Only when he heard the voice of the young girl in front of him did he look up at her.
Uchiha Izumi is the same age as Itachi.
Although she was young and didn't show outstanding talent during her time at the Ninja Academy, and was also a mixed-blood from the clan and an outsider, she displayed extraordinary talent in Bloodline Limit.
After only a few missions, she awakened a three-tomoe Sharingan.
She was also one of the few children Itachi was close to within the clan.
Thinking of this, he, known as Fugaku of the Evil Eye, seemed to soften his expression a bit:
"Izumi, your mission should be to stay at the headquarters building."
"Leave the matters outside to Elder Setsuna and the others."
Uchiha Izumi's expression grew more anxious: "But, but... Lord Clan Head."
Just as Uchiha Itachi's self-perception was that of a Konoha Ninja, not an Uchiha Ninja, young people like them, who had lived in Konoha since birth, had a stronger allegiance to Konoha than to their bloodline.
If anyone least wanted conflict between the Village and the clan, it was probably these people.
Therefore, even though Clan Head Fugaku had ordered a group of young people to remain in the Uchiha Clan Compound, she couldn't help but glance towards the main gate.
"Alright."
Seeing her anxious look, Uchiha Fugaku said no more.
He put down the documents in his hand, stood up from behind his desk, and walked out the door.
Everything that was happening now was within his expectations... or rather, within Third Hokage's plan.
Cursing, shoving, confrontation, fighting.
The group, led by the hawk faction within the Uchiha Clan who desired a coup, had all been assigned to Uchiha Setsuna's command in advance, and they were the main force of this coup.
As for young people like Uchiha Izumi, and a portion of the dove faction within the Uchiha, he had dispersed them to various locations within the Uchiha Clan Compound to stand guard, strictly forbidding any conflict with the Konoha side.
After receiving the Third Hokage's reply, Uchiha Fugaku had already made up his mind.
He would use the blood of these hawk faction coup plotters, and his own blood as clan head, to pave a path to survival for the Uchiha Clan.
At the same time, as he and the Third Hokage had discussed, Itachi, who was a hostage in the Anbu, and Shisui, had all left the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Now, only he, as clan head and father, needed to make his necessary sacrifice.
That would be enough.
Uchiha Fugaku thought calmly, walking out of his office.
It wasn't until he reached the door that he seemed to suddenly remember something, turned to face the young girl behind him, and showed a natural smile:
"Izumi."
"Yes!"
Uchiha Izumi immediately stood up, preparing to follow.
Then, she heard Uchiha Fugaku say gently: "From now on, I'll trouble you with Itachi-kun."
"..."
Uchiha Izumi was startled, looking blankly at the clan head who had turned and left.
Once outside the door, Uchiha Fugaku shed his previous gentle demeanor, his expression stern as he arrived at the front line.
The Root Ninja who had originally blocked the entrance to the Uchiha Clan Compound had now been driven back by a large number of Uchiha coup plotters.
In a direct assault, Root Ninja were no match for them.
Even though the Uchiha Clan had declined compared to the Sengoku period, its population had increased rather than decreased, and while the number of people with awakened Sharingan was small, the total number of Ninja reached several hundred, and they were all at least Chunin level.
After the recent skirmish, many Uchiha were covered in large patches of blood.
Seeing Uchiha Fugaku arrive at the front line, many of them were visibly shaken, their spirits roused as they shouted:
"Clan Head Fugaku!"
"The Root scoundrels have been scattered by us! Please give your orders immediately!"
As they spoke, there was an incredibly fervent light in the eyes of everyone present.
Those crimson Sharingan shone even more brightly against the cool moonlight.
And among the crowd, the staunch hawk faction, led by Uchiha Setsuna and others, also stared intently at him.
With the situation having developed to this point, the Uchiha coup was unstoppable!
Even he, the clan head, could not stop it.
Uchiha Fugaku also activated his Sharingan, aweing all with his unparalleled powerful ocular jutsu, his expression calm, and he spoke loudly:
"Eight years have passed since the Nine-Tailed attack!
"Because of some baseless suspicions during the Nine-Tailed incident, all of us clan members have been questioned in the Village! For the peace of the Village and the hard-won tranquility of our clan, amidst those accusations, we chose to retreat again and again."
"But my brethren, what did these repeated retreats and weaknesses gain us?"
"First, our Uchiha Clan Compound was relocated, then our businesses were suppressed, then our clan members sent out on missions for Konoha died inexplicably one by one, and even the noble bloodline of the Uchiha was coveted and stolen by others."
"Until today, those scoundrels in the Konoha Leadership finally lost their patience and pushed Root in front of our clan, wanting to force us to accept one baseless accusation after another!"
"My brethren!"
Uchiha Fugaku stood on the high wall, looking down at those crimson eyes, and questioned sharply in an impassioned and stirring voice:
"Will you plead guilty?"
Amidst Uchiha Fugaku's brief and sharp questioning, there was a momentary silence among the clan members present.
Not to mention these clan members who sought to change everything, even Uchiha Setsuna and the hawk faction standing in the crowd hadn't expected their usually silent and repressed clan head to issue such a rallying question at a time like this.
But what followed was a thunderous roar, like a mountain torrent.
"No!"
In these long eight years, they had suffered enough.
All Uchiha who desired a coup wanted to return to that era when they controlled Konoha's economic lifeline, were proud to be the Village's number one Ninja Clans, and were respected wherever they went.
And to return to that era, there was only one path they could take.
"Very good."
The eyes of the clan members below grew more fervent as they looked at him, but Uchiha Fugaku's heart remained unmoved.
He raised his hand to everyone present, clenching it into a fist.
"Konoha's hypocrisy has touched the Uchiha's bottom line!"
"We are unwilling to listen to those boring lies any longer; now, what we must protect is the clan's dignity and a glorious future!"
"Tonight, I ask you all to join me in killing the corrupt Konoha Leadership and ending all this oppression!"
"Seize the Hokage position!"
As his voice grew more impassioned, the hearts of the Uchiha Ninja below burned even brighter, and they all let out roars like wild beasts:
"Seize the Hokage position!!!"
They didn't care if there were enough people beside them, nor did they care if the man giving the speech on the stage was of the same mind as them.
What they craved now was only change.
Now, it was another group of people whose hearts began to falter.
Uchiha Setsuna looked at the man standing on the high wall, his brows furrowing unconsciously.
Was this still the Fugaku he knew?
However, the current situation no longer allowed him to continue thinking.
Soon, everyone present was organized into two large teams, led by Fugaku and Setsuna respectively, and began to advance in a pincer movement towards the center of Konoha... At the same time, the center of Konoha was also a scene of alarm and suspicion, with every bush and tree seeming like an enemy.
The usually bustling night streets had been temporarily sealed by Hokage's orders, large numbers of Konoha Ninja were rapidly mobilized by Anbu commands, and every major Ninja Clans had received direct instructions from the Hokage's Office Building.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for many.
Hyuga Compound.
"Father?"
Young Hinata, in her pajamas, had just gotten up and returned to her room, only to see Hyuga Hiashi dressed in his rare Konoha vest, hurrying out the door.
Hyuga Hiashi heard his daughter's call but ignored it, walking straight into the clan meeting hall.
When he appeared, all the elders of the household were already present, and his first words were:
"The Uchiha have rebelled."
None of the elders present were surprised by this news.
The current situation of the Uchiha Clan was inherently a result of the Hokage's Office Building's step-by-step oppression, and coupled with their complete lack of concealment regarding their disagreements with the Hokage's Office Building, anyone with eyes knew that their rebellion was only a matter of time.
The real problem now was another one.
"The Hokage's Office Building requires the Hyuga Clan to immediately dispatch over a hundred Chunin and Jonin to assemble at the Hokage's Office Building."
"What do we do?"
"What is there to say?" one of the elders spoke coldly, "The Hyuga are Konoha's Hyuga, and we must immediately sever ties with the Uchiha Clan."
"You should know, if Konoha loses the Uchiha, the largest Ninja Clans will be us."
When saying this, there was no hint of relief in this elder's tone, but rather a sense of solemnity.
The number one Ninja Clans, in today's Ninja World, could that still be a good title?
"Precisely why we cannot so easily declare our stance! Otherwise, what will the Hokage's Office Building think of us?"
Another elder spoke with dissatisfaction.
As he spoke, he glanced towards Hyuga Hiashi.
How many years had it been since the head of the branch family was forced to die?
The power of the Konoha Leadership was too great, which was also bad for them.
"Then what? Are we to disobey orders?"
"Delay, don't you understand what delay means? We must make Konoha recognize the Hyuga's value; only then will we have room to negotiate later!"
"Yes, without the Uchiha madmen at the forefront, the future days will likely..."
With these two starting, the surrounding Hyuga elders all began to speak.
As they spoke, someone suddenly asked: "For such a large-scale operation, how many main family members should be sent to lead?"
"..."
The entire hall suddenly fell silent.
Everyone looked silently at the foolish person who had spoken.
Compared to some external threats, internal power was what they valued most.
Such a dangerous task, and you want to send main family members?
In the end, it was Hyuga Hiashi who made the decision, saying calmly:
"This operation will be led by the new head of the branch family."
"We must both show the Third Hokage the Hyuga's stance, and not get too deeply involved, understand?"
As his voice fell.
The elders' gazes gradually shifted to the middle-aged man at the very end of the hall.
He was the new head of the branch family after Hyuga Hizashi.
"Yes, Lord Clan Head."
... Not just the Hyuga Clan.
All the Ninja Clans, big and small, throughout Konoha, were busy holding meetings and discussions.
After another while, scattered figures gradually gathered, converging towards the Hokage's Office Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood in the Hokage's Office, looking out at the figures through the window, his gaze showing no abnormality.
He knew very well that at a time like this, these people would be of no use.
The only ones who could truly deliver a fatal blow to the Uchiha Clan were the Uchiha themselves.
Thinking this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze gradually extended, looking towards the outskirts of the Village.
Danzo, Shisui.
No matter who had lied, as long as they could still prove their loyalty to him, the Hokage, that was enough.
As for the threat of the Uchiha Clan?
He didn't take it to heart.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was confident of victory.
He didn't know that while he believed he was in complete control, also within the Hokage's Office Building, another person was quietly watching his performance.