"You really deserve to be called an old fox."
Even Fugaku could understand the deeper meaning behind Xu Fan's words.
Maybe one day, the Uchiha clan will truly find a sense of belonging in this village.
But right now, unless they deal with the radical faction within the clan determined to stage a coup…
That day would never come.
On the surface, Xu Fan appeared to be merely requesting a list of suspects. In reality, he was forcing Fugaku to betray his own people—handing over those most loyal to the clan in exchange for maintaining his position as patriarch.
Some of those on the list had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan. They weren't just elites—they were the very backbone of the Uchiha.
To give them up meant to cripple the clan's power.
Even now, Fugaku couldn't bring himself to make that decision.
His gaze drifted to the kunai lying beside him.
"Father… even if you choose to die, it will be like throwing a pebble into a lake," Uchiha Itachi said calmly, sensing his father's hesitation. "It won't change anything."
He had noticed Fugaku's glance. His father still couldn't bring himself to betray the Uchiha—no matter how far things had progressed.
But there was no turning back. Not for Xu Fan, and not for the village.
Even so, Xu Fan wasn't demanding execution.
Instead, he proposed a brutal but effective compromise: use the upcoming conflict between Konoha and Kumogakure as a pretext to send the radicals to the front lines. Let them die fighting for the village.
Perhaps, in death, they might rekindle a sense of loyalty to Konoha.
And even if they didn't, their deaths in battle would prevent the rest of the clan from resenting the village for an internal purge. The anger would be redirected—toward Kumogakure.
At least in Itachi's eyes, it was a workable plan.
Before Fugaku could respond, however, the tension in the air shifted.
Sarutobi Hiruzen arrived, flanked by a squad of ANBU.
Xu Fan sensed his arrival through the flow of chakra and opened his eyes slowly.
Hiruzen no longer wore his Hokage robes. He stood clad in the black armor of his war days—an ominous sign.
"What happened here?" Hiruzen asked coldly.
The ANBU scanned the scene and saw the ruins surrounding them. The destruction was immense—far beyond what a single ninja should be capable of.
It was the kind of devastation one might expect from a Tailed Beast.
On the way here, they'd even feared that Naruto Uzumaki had lost control of the Nine-Tails.
"Fugaku..." Hiruzen's eyes quickly fell on the Uchiha patriarch lying injured on the ground. Xu Fan, by contrast, stood tall—his clothing unscathed.
Earlier, Hiruzen had witnessed the fight through his crystal ball technique. When he saw Fugaku summon a complete Susanoo, his heart had nearly stopped.
He had thought Xu Fan would be overwhelmed.
But now, seeing the battlefield and the victor, Hiruzen was stunned.
Xu Fan had defeated Fugaku Uchiha.
Hiruzen swallowed hard. Fugaku, fully unleashed, was powerful—perhaps even comparable to the Nine-Tails in raw might.
That Xu Fan had managed to overcome him without apparent injury…
It was both terrifying and relieving.
"What happened here?" he repeated, approaching Xu Fan directly.
"Lord Hokage."
Uchiha Itachi immediately dropped to one knee and lowered his head in respect.
To him, now was the time to tell the truth.
"It's like this…"
In a few clear sentences, Itachi explained the situation. His voice was calm, but heavy.
Xu Fan watched him quietly. In terms of raw ability, Itachi might surpass even the Third Hokage. If he had sided with Fugaku, the coup might very well have succeeded.
But Itachi loved the village more than anyone.
His respect for Hiruzen was absolute.
That, to Xu Fan, made him the most valuable piece on the board.
As long as Itachi remained loyal, Xu Fan could act with confidence. When the time came for him to ascend to Hokage, and Konoha basked in the sun, Itachi would be his blade in the shadows.
"Fugaku…" Hiruzen said after hearing everything, stunned by the implications.
The Uchiha hadn't just planned a coup. They had even considered kidnapping Naruto Uzumaki to use the Nine-Tails' power.
"Lord Third..." Fugaku met Hiruzen's gaze and tried to rise, but his strength failed him.
He made three attempts—and failed all three times.
He looked toward the kunai again.
This time, he didn't hesitate.
Whoosh—
He grabbed the weapon and thrust it toward his own chest without hesitation.
But before it could pierce his heart, a black shuriken whistled through the air and struck the kunai cleanly.
Fugaku's weakened grip couldn't resist the force—the weapon was knocked from his hands.
The shuriken's thrower? None other than Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
"Take Fugaku into custody," he said quietly, turning to the ANBU behind him.
Despite everything Fugaku had done, Hiruzen had no intention of executing him.
Fugaku was nearly forty, and no match for Xu Fan anymore. The gap would only widen over time.
If Fugaku died, the clan might simply produce another leader like him—or worse.
Better to keep him alive. Let him remain patriarch.
Let him witness how Konoha could embrace the Uchiha.
Let him become the village's tether to the rest of the clan.
As the ANBU carried Fugaku away, Hiruzen said in a low voice:
"Such a crime… by tradition, it could implicate your entire family."
Fugaku's face turned deathly pale.
He didn't care for his own life. But Itachi and Sasuke—he couldn't bear the thought of them paying the price for his actions.
"No shinobi is more loyal than Uchiha Itachi," Hiruzen added, his voice softer. "For his sake alone, I hope you reconsider your path."
"Take him away."
With a wave of his hand, the ANBU vanished with the wounded patriarch.
The Third Hokage… truly lives up to his name.
Xu Fan remained silent, watching it all unfold.
On the surface, Hiruzen had shown mercy.
But in truth, he was manipulating Fugaku.
His message had been clear: If you want to die, go ahead—but know this: if you do, the consequences will fall on your sons and your clan.
Old fox.
Xu Fan smirked inwardly.
"Xu Fan, Itachi," Hiruzen said, exhaling deeply. "Where is Naruto Uzumaki now?"
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