While Kuugetsu, Itachi, and the others finished their discussion and were preparing to head toward the Hokage's office, the Uchiha clansmen gathered inside the Naka Shrine were also holding a tense, secret meeting of their own.
The trembling Uchiha Yamashiro felt a slight sense of comfort looking at the familiar Uchiha faces below. Fortunately, the number of Uchiha who had defected to the Dove faction wasn't too large, and most of the clansmen with considerable strength had gathered at the shrine.
This indicated that the Hawk Faction still held leadership within the Uchiha.
With that realization, a flicker of ambition reignited in the old man's heart. Everyone knew that among the Uchiha, awakening the three-tomoe Sharingan usually meant one had reached jōnin-level strength.
And now, here inside Naka Shrine, there were no fewer than fifty such three-tomoe users gathered and ready to obey his command. That — that was the true heritage and power of the Uchiha, Konoha's mightiest clan.
Even though they had lost many shinobi to the ongoing war, the Uchiha still possessed a terrifying level of strength.
With so many elite shinobi under his command, if they launched a surprise attack on the Hokage Building, even the ANBU would have no time to react.
It was, Yamashiro believed, a feasible plan. And with a few additional elements he had in mind… this coup could very well succeed.
As that thought took hold, a flush of color returned to the old man's withered cheeks — a rare sight for someone already halfway into his grave. His once-hunched back even straightened slightly.
He cleared his throat, then raised his voice:
"Clansmen, listen to me."
Hearing the former Clan Head speak, the slightly noisy shrine immediately fell silent. Everyone looked intently at Uchiha Yamashiro.
Standing behind Yamashiro, Fugaku couldn't help but clench his fists, a deep sense of frustration in his eyes.
He was the new Clan head of the Uchiha — and yet, everyone still looked only to his father. He had ideas of his own, plans to lead the Uchiha out of their predicament, but under the shadow of this domineering old man, he had no chance to speak, no room to act.
The frustration burned in his chest.
But it was too late now — things had gone too far. Fugaku could only lower his head and bury his resentment deep inside.
Meanwhile, on the platform, Yamashiro began his fiery speech.
He spoke of the Uchiha's ancient glory in the Warring States Era, of the clan's valor and pride, and of the humiliation they had suffered in recent years. As his voice rose, the crowd's emotions began to boil — anger, resentment, and despair all mixing together.
Sensing the mood reach its peak, Yamashiro finally raised the ultimate question:
"Now — our Uchiha have been driven to the edge of a cliff!
If we take even one step back, the Konoha leadership will grind our clan's bones to dust!
Can you accept such an ending?!"
The shrine erupted.
The clansmen roared in fury, teeth clenched and eyes blazing with hatred — as if they could tear the Konoha elders apart with their bare hands.
Seeing this, Yamashiro pressed on:
"Since there's no road left behind us, the only way is forward!
Right now, during the Third Ninja War, Konoha's defenses are at their weakest!
And I've just received new information —"
He paused for effect, letting the silence stretch.
"Gekko Hoshiyomi and the others have just finished their campaign against Iwagakure and are about to return to the village. That means — if we, the Uchiha, wish to change our fate, these next few days are our last opportunity!
Once Hoshiyomi and the others return, if we still want to resist, it will be far too late!"
At that, murmurs rippled through the crowd — a mix of disbelief and excitement.
Many were shocked at how quickly Hoshiyomi had managed to subdue Iwagakure's forces…
And yet, amid that shock, the first sparks of open rebellion had already been lit.
As the discussion deepened, the looks in the clansmen's eyes grew sharper and more feral.
Those who had come to the meeting were, of course, all members of the Hawk Faction — and none of them were fools. Everyone knew the old Clan Head was right.
Gekko Hoshiyomi had crushed Iwagakure's forces in record time. If he returned to Konoha with an army under his command, what chance would the Uchiha have left to fight back?
That meant, if they wanted to improve their clan's position by taking control of Konoha, they had to act before Hoshiyomi returned to the village.
Seeing the resolve building in the eyes of his clansmen, Uchiha Yamashiro rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"There's no time to waste. I'll now present our battle plan,"
he said, his voice booming through the shrine.
"If we are to seize control of Konoha, then tonight we will split into two groups.
One group will launch a surprise attack on the Hokage Building — the goal is to capture the Fourth Hokage, Tsunade, as quickly as possible, so she cannot organize a defense.
The other group will come with me — we will strike the Uzumaki compound and seize the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Controlling the Nine-Tails is the key to this entire plan.
Once we have the Nine-Tails' power, even if we cannot immediately subdue Konoha's leadership, we can use it to negotiate with Gekko Hoshiyomi and the others.
With the Nine-Tails in our hands, even Hoshiyomi won't dare to make reckless moves.
As long as we hold that power, no one will be able to push the Uchiha aside ever again!"
When the old clan head finished, the clansmen erupted in cheers — as if victory were already within reach.
Behind him, however, Fugaku stood frozen, staring in disbelief at his father.
So that's why he's so confident… He's been planning to target the Nine-Tails all along.
Until now, Fugaku had assumed his father's plan to storm the Hokage Building was reckless — suicidal even. But hearing how thorough the scheme was, panic welled up inside him.
His mind raced, and he quickly spoke up:
"Father, I believe there are some flaws in this plan."
"Oh?"
Yamashiro turned his sharp gaze toward him, and Fugaku involuntarily shuddered. For a moment, he could almost see the shadow of the terrifyingly powerful clan head his father had once been — the man who had ruled the Uchiha with an iron hand.
But it was too late to back down now.
Swallowing his fear, Fugaku forced himself to continue:
"Father, you said we'd attack the Uzumaki compound and seize the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki — but the Uzumaki are masters of sealing and sensory techniques.
Even setting aside whether we can break through their defenses and kidnap Kushi— the jinchūriki…
Even if we manage to subdue the Nine-Tails, with the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, it would still be extremely difficult to make the Nine-Tails truly ours."
At first, the surrounding clansmen glared at Fugaku for daring to interrupt, but as they listened, their expressions softened.
He had a point — the Uzumaki were indeed an enormous obstacle. Controlling the Nine-Tails wouldn't be as easy as the patriarch made it sound.
Yamashiro stared at his son in silence. The look in his eyes was deep, almost unreadable — and under that gaze, cold sweat ran down Fugaku's back.
The old man was near the end of his life, and yet at that moment, the oppressive aura he gave off was terrifying — as though his strength had surged to a new level in an instant.
After a long, tense pause, Yamashiro suddenly smiled.
He rose to his feet, gently patted Fugaku's shoulder, and said warmly:
"I didn't choose you as the new clan head for nothing. The fact that you can raise such concerns shows that you truly think for the good of our clan."
Hearing his father's praise, Fugaku's tense expression gradually relaxed. He thought his father might abandon the plan, but the words spoken the next second plunged him into an ice-cold abyss:
"However, my good son, have you forgotten one thing? Your wife, Mikoto, has been close friends with Kushina for many years."
...
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