Chapter 501: The Uchiha Clan's Last Day
Ōnoki shook his head. "I don't have a good method. If I did, I would have done it long ago. We can either make a big deal of it and let everyone know, or we can secretly send people here to train. There's no other way."
Ishiro thought for a moment. "What about a summoning jutsu? The kind we developed to prevent the Byakugan from being lost. We dig up the lake bed, draw the fuinjutsu, and then summon it to the Land of Earth."
"How big of a summoning jutsu would that take?" Ōnoki said. "This lake is many times larger than our entire village. Even with the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique, the weight would be enough to kill the caster hundreds of times over."
Ishiro sighed. Indeed, the sheer size meant that any unconventional method was impossible.
"In that case," he said, "since the clever way won't work, let's use the stupidest way. We'll go by sea. We'll just move it."
"Just the two of us isn't enough. Let's call for more people. Bring Han, too. With two Tailed Beasts and the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique, we should have a chance."
"By sea?"
"That's right," Ishiro nodded. "Even if we sent all the Kage from the village, we couldn't fly something this big back to the Land of Earth. The journey is too far; we'd run out of chakra. But by sea is different. The water itself provides buoyancy. Combined with the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique, it won't be too strenuous. And we have the sharks to help. Those big guys are strong. With the entire shark clan, it should be theoretically possible."
Ōnoki's eyes lit up. "Let's do it. Come on, let's find the lake closest to the sea."
The two of them flew a circle around the Land of the Moon. With Ishiro's current perception, he didn't even need to finish the circle to have a clear picture of the entire country's terrain.
In the end, they chose a lake whose straight-line distance to the sea was just over a kilometer.
Both of them were very satisfied with it.
They then split up. Ōnoki went back to bring Shinya and the others to begin the preparatory work, while Ishiro returned to the village to rally more people.
Two days later, Ishiro, Ōnoki, Ikura, Kitsuchi, Han, Rōshi, and Shinya Matsutani gathered in the Land of the Moon. Of all of Iwagakure's many Kage-level fighters, Ishiro had left only Kawakita to guard the village.
"Are you ready?" Ishiro asked Ōnoki.
Ōnoki nodded. "Rōshi, Shinya, and I have already separated the dense soil layer at the bottom of the lake from the earth. We're ready to move."
Ishiro nodded, looked at the dark night sky, then at Ikura.
Ikura nodded, and the two of them simultaneously began to cast Water Release jutsu, pumping the water out of the lake.
In a short time, the massive lake was drained dry.
Then, Ishiro and Ōnoki went to the bottom and cast the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique.
After they had reduced the weight of the entire lake bed, Han and Rōshi both transformed into their Tailed Beast forms and lifted it up.
With them, Han and Ikura also cast an S-rank Earth Release, summoning giant stone golems. The two golems and the two Tailed Beasts stood at the four corners, and together, they began to carry the lake bed toward the sea.
Shinya did not participate. He was responsible for security and for getting rid of anyone who noticed the commotion. There were not many people along this one-kilometer path to begin with, and everyone in the only village along the way had already been put under a genjutsu by the Iwa Anbu. Shinya just needed to watch out for any passing ninja. He also had to cover their tracks, using Earth Release to smooth over the giant footprints and refilling the drained lake with water.
Although the four behemoths carrying the giant "black pot" did not move quickly, because of their size, it only took them a few minutes to reach the coast.
What happened next was unexpected. When the giant black pot was placed in the sea, it did not sink but floated directly on the surface.
Ishiro and the others looked at each other, a bit embarrassed. The sharks also emerged from the surrounding sea, as if to say, "Why isn't it sinking yet? We're all waiting to tow it."
Although it was embarrassing, it was a good thing. The rest of the operation was simpler than planned. Ishiro and Ōnoki just needed to maintain the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique. The four behemoths were no longer needed; the sharks could easily tow the massive floating object to the Land of Earth.
On the way, Ishiro said to Ōnoki, "How about this? Let's just leave this thing on the coast, find a place to hide it, and not move it onto land. We'll go back and get another one later; it's not much trouble. This can be a secret weapon. Maybe we can use it as a warship to attack the Land of Lightning in the future."
Ōnoki was stunned. He looked at the giant warship beneath his feet and nodded numbly. Sometimes, he also couldn't keep up with Ishiro's bizarre train of thought.
Two days later, they had hidden the warship. Then, under the cover of night, they went back to the Land of the Moon and brought back another one. This one, they placed directly inside the Land of Earth, a few kilometers from the coastline. Ishiro had dug a large pit there beforehand. After bringing the lake bed back, they simply dropped it in. The whole operation left very few traces.
Then, he established a camp there, ostensibly as a frontline command post to guard against an attack from Kumo. This matter once caused a high degree of alert from the Fourth Raikage, who thought Ishiro was up to something again. Kumo also responded in kind, building a base of a similar scale in their own country.
But these were all later events. After handling these matters, Ishiro quickly brought everyone back to Iwagakure.
After returning, they immediately held a high-level meeting. This meeting was not called by Ishiro, nor was its purpose to discuss the two "things" they had dug up.
This meeting was initiated by Saka, to discuss how to respond to the recent changes in Konoha Village.
Saka first briefed Ishiro and Ōnoki. "Konoha is in chaos. The Uchiha clan has clashed with Root and the Anbu many times. Both sides have suffered casualties. It's clear that both sides are serious this time. If there are no surprises, a great battle is about to break out."
"The cause was Danzō taking Shisui Uchiha's Sharingan. Now, besides Shisui and Itachi, there should be no more pro-peace or neutral factions in the Uchiha clan; they are all pro-war."
"As per your instructions, Ishiro, we spread the news that it was Tsunade who took the Sharingan. Her reputation in Konoha is not very good right now. According to Kajiyama Ri's reports, after learning of our actions, Danzō added more fuel to the fire. Now many villagers are saying that Tsunade plans to avenge her grandfather and completely eradicate the Uchiha."
"However, Danzō can only incite the lower-class populace. The real upper echelon of Konoha does not suspect Tsunade. Everyone knows that she is taking the blame for him."
Ishiro chuckled. "Oh? So Danzō has a day where he can shift the blame to others? He's made progress!"
"We know the general direction of public opinion in Konoha. What about the rest? The movements of the powerful and the major clans?"
Saka said, "If we divide Konoha into two camps now, the high command has the absolute advantage. The Uchiha clan really only has Fugaku and Izumi. But on the high command's side, there are Tsunade, Hiruzen, Danzō, Kakashi, Shisui, and Itachi. Other elite jonin like Might Guy are also on their side. As for the major clans, the Hyuga have already publicly expressed their support for Tsunade. If there are no surprises, the Sarutobi, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Aburame, and the Inuzuka are all also supporters of Hiruzen and Tsunade."
"There's just one thing: the high command is not united. Because of Danzō, the relationship between at least Shisui, Itachi, and him is a bit delicate. Also, the most surprising is Kakashi Hatake. He is the only Kage-level expert on the high command's side who has publicly opposed using force to solve the Uchiha problem. He is the son of the White Fang, and his own strength is great. He has many supporters in Konoha. It is because of his opposition that the high command has not yet moved against the Uchiha."
Hearing this, Ikura looked at Ishiro. He knew that Ishiro had once brainwashed Kakashi. It was because of the seeds he had planted that Konoha's leadership was now facing this awkward situation of wanting to act but being unable to.
Ishiro thought for a moment. "The general situation is quite clear. The Uchiha clan is finished. Can we determine what method Konoha will use? Do they plan to directly brand the Uchiha as traitors and kill them all, or will they deal with them silently and then arrange for a scapegoat?"
Saka said, "That's why I called this meeting. According to Kajiyama Ri's reports, the latter is more likely."
Ishiro was surprised. "Kajiyama Ri can even get that kind of intelligence? Is it reliable? Could it be that Konoha deliberately leaked it to mislead him?"
Saka gave a wry smile. "I thought so too at first, but then I was wrong. Kajiyama Ri didn't find this out himself. Danzō told him directly. Konoha's high command may be planning to make Danzō the scapegoat. He might be pushed out to take the blame afterward. He found that he couldn't find enough allies among the high command, so he hopes that we can give him a hand."
Ishiro and the others looked at each other. They hadn't expected Danzō's situation to be so dire, nor that he would directly tell them such a confidential matter.
Ishiro said, "Danzō has always been the vanguard in dealing with the Uchiha. And he moved against Shisui this time. It wouldn't be wrong for Tsunade to do this. However, he is the key figure we've chosen to keep Tsunade in check after the Uchiha are gone. If we can help him, we should."
"How about this? Tell Danzō to publicly state that he is unwilling to use force to solve the Uchiha problem. Then, have him take his Root and leave Konoha. We can give him an excuse. Ikura and Kawakita will go to the Fire-Earth border and create some friction, giving him a reason to leave the village. As for what price he has to pay, let Kajiyama Ri decide. He has performed well in the last few negotiations."
Saka thought for a moment. "Will Danzō be willing to leave Konoha at this time? Didn't you say he is also coveting the Uchiha's Sharingan? Will he give them up and obediently come to the border?"
Ishiro smiled. "We are just giving him an excuse to leave the center of the whirlpool. If he wants to have an alibi and also participate in the extermination of the Uchiha, that's also simple. He just has to bleed a little more. Tell him that we are willing to support him in becoming Hokage, and we will do our utmost to help him."
Saka nodded. "Good. I'll go arrange it immediately."
He immediately went to relay the order to Kajiyama Ri.
Ishiro said, "Ikura, Kawakita, make a big commotion when you move your troops. It's best to give Danzō a reason to act first and report later. When you get to the border, put on a few shows. Create the impression that the two of you combined can't even beat him alone."
Ikura was speechless but nodded.
Soon, Kajiyama Ri in Konoha received the instructions. Time was tight, and he immediately contacted Danzō.
Danzō reacted quickly. He had already sensed the crisis and was making multiple preparations. He did not want to give up Iwagakure's support.
Kajiyama Ri met with him. "Advisor Danzō, my teacher asked me to convey his goodwill. He still says that he is willing to support you in becoming Hokage. This policy of ours has never changed."
Danzō ignored his high-sounding words and asked directly, "How does the Tsuchikage intend to help me?"
Kajiyama Ri knew his state of mind and didn't beat around the bush. He directly stated Ishiro's plan and his own proposed price.
After some discussion and haggling, Danzō agreed. In exchange, he would have to provide the Yamanaka clan's secret mental techniques, the creation method for large-scale storage scrolls and five finished products, plus a complete copy of the Konoha-Style Kenjutsu.
And, he also demanded to sign a treaty of equal cooperation between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth on behalf of the former. This was another backup plan he had thought of, to increase his own importance through a treaty.
Kajiyama Ri agreed on the spot. He also took the opportunity to extort three more masks from the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple.
To get out of this mess, Danzō had paid a lot this time. But the losses were the village's, not his. He was about to be treated as a scapegoat by Tsunade; what wasn't he willing to sell?
The two sides quickly reached an agreement.
Ishiro kept his word. After receiving the items from Kajiyama Ri, he immediately had Ikura and Kawakita go and cooperate with Danzō.
And Danzō was even more direct. Before they had even moved, he claimed to have received intelligence of an Iwa invasion and, without reporting to Tsunade, led his Root out of the village in a grand display.
This move caught Tsunade completely off guard. The original plan had to be adjusted, and she was forced to choose a new scapegoat.
At the same time, because of Iwagakure's interference, her sense of urgency was heightened. She decided to act ahead of schedule.
Konoha Village. The Hatake clan compound.
The Hatake clan was not large. Due to casualties from war, each generation had only a few members. For example, this generation had only Kakashi and two other clansmen. Unlike the genius Kakashi, the other two were just ordinary chunin. They were older than him but couldn't even make special jonin.
When something happened, Kakashi didn't even have anyone to discuss it with.
For example, now. He had just received a mission notice from the high command, ordering him to take an Anbu squad to Kumogakure. The mission content was to find a Kumo intelligence ninja and safely bring back the top-secret intelligence he was holding.
But Kakashi knew that this so-called mission was meaningless. The high command's purpose was simple: to get him out of the village temporarily, so he wouldn't be involved in the coming turmoil.
Kakashi thought of what Ishiro had told him in Iwagakure.
"As long as Hiruzen Sarutobi is alive, the Uchiha clan can never exist safely in Konoha."
"The Uchiha clan and Konoha are incompatible. The root of the problem lies with Konoha's high command, with Hiruzen, not with the Uchiha."
Kakashi knew Ishiro had bad intentions, that he was trying to sow discord between him and the high command.
But over the years, faced with one incident after another, he still couldn't help but think along the lines Ishiro had set for him.
The more he thought, the more he felt Ishiro was right. Konoha's leadership had had opportunities to reconcile with the Uchiha. Even Fugaku was pro-peace. But the facts proved that it wasn't the Uchiha who didn't want to integrate, but Konoha's leadership who was ostracizing them.
And the root of this behavior was actually the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. And the one who had carried out his policy was Hiruzen, who considered himself Tobirama's right-hand man.
Even though Hiruzen had completely retired, the various policies he had enacted while in office were still directly or indirectly affecting the relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi," Kakashi murmured to himself.
He did not, as Ishiro had expected, have any thoughts of killing him. He knew that at this point, the high command's action to exterminate the Uchiha was an arrow that had been loosed from the bow and could not be stopped. Even if Hiruzen suddenly disappeared, it would not change the outcome.
What made him sad was, why did the entire clan have to be eradicated? Why couldn't the old and the young be left behind? The old could be killed; they all thought in terms of the Uchiha's interests. But why couldn't the children be left?
"Lord Kakashi, Lady Hokage has ordered that we must depart immediately," the leader of the Anbu squad that was to accompany him said.
Kakashi looked at him. He knew this person had no ill will toward him, and even admired him. But he also knew that his orders must include a clause to monitor him, to ensure he left Konoha and did not participate in the extermination.
He had no other choice. He nodded, and just as he was about to speak, his gaze suddenly hardened. He looked toward the door.
The Anbu squad also turned to look.
At that moment, two people walked in slowly. One was tall, the other short. Neither wore a mask.
Seeing the tall figure, everyone in the room, including Kakashi, held their breath.
The Anbu squad leader even cried out in alarm, "The Tsuchikage!"
That's right. The newcomers were Ishiro and Uchiha Sōkai.
Because Konoha was dealing with an internal threat, the external barrier was not fully active. And since the Uchiha compound was on the edge of the village, the high command had no way to stop people from coming and going from there. So, they had simply given up on external defense and focused their attention on the Uchiha.
And so, the two of them had easily entered.
The reason they hadn't alerted the high command was that they had used Root's tunnels.
Ishiro had practically forced his way through. With Danzō and his most elite subordinates gone, Root's defenses were very weak. When the remaining members discovered him, he had simply said he was there to meet with Danzō. They knew Danzō was cooperating with Iwa, so they didn't dare to stop him.
And so, without alerting Konoha's leadership, Ishiro and Sōkai had silently infiltrated the village.
The Anbu squad leader, recognizing Ishiro, was about to move, but Sōkai was faster. The three tomoe in his eyes spun, and a genjutsu was activated.
The squad leader hadn't expected to be facing an Uchiha and was caught off guard. But he was experienced. Although he was caught, he didn't move rashly. With the help of a subordinate, he quickly broke the genjutsu. But in that time, Sōkai had already subdued his other two men.
The moment he broke free, Sōkai's taijutsu attack arrived.
Although it was one against two, Sōkai was stronger, had the Sharingan, and had the initiative. The outcome was predictable. In a few moves, the remaining two followed the fate of the first two.
Ishiro did not act. It was just a regular jonin leading an Anbu squad. He didn't need to get involved. If Sōkai couldn't even handle this, he wouldn't have made a special trip to the Land of Bears to bring him to Konoha.
Kakashi also didn't move. First, with Ishiro present, there was no point. Second, he could see that Sōkai was holding back. He had only subdued them, not killed them. The four Anbu were not even injured, just unconscious.
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