Inside the Uchiha Clan reception hall, the atmosphere was tense.
Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head, stood at the center, meeting with Kakashi Hatake—now donning his mask and uniform as a member of the Anbu, sent directly by the Third Hokage.
The message he brought was both urgent and concerning:
Kumogakure (the Village Hidden in the Clouds) was preparing to invade Konohagakure.
In response, the Third Hokage had ordered only two clans—the Uchiha and the Hyuga—to form a joint force and repel the invasion.
Fugaku narrowed his eyes, sensing an unsettling implication in Kakashi's words.
He couldn't help but ask sharply:
"What do you mean? Are you saying only the Uchiha and Hyuga clans are to be deployed? Has the Hokage not notified any of the other clans to support us?"
Kakashi didn't dodge the question. He spoke plainly:
"As far as I know, the Hokage gave no such orders. I was only instructed to deliver this message to you."
Though Kakashi didn't personally agree with the Hokage's strategy, he wasn't in a position to question it—only carry it out.
With his duty fulfilled, he gave a respectful nod and turned to leave, vanishing from the room.
Fugaku stood there in silence, his face darkening.
Only the Uchiha and Hyuga?
Against an entire hidden village?
It wasn't just unwise—it was suicidal.
Even if the two great clans worked in perfect sync, they could not match the sheer numbers and power of Kumogakure. A hidden village could mobilize thousands—possibly over ten thousand—trained shinobi. Their jonin-level combatants alone could number in the hundreds.
By contrast, the combined jonin forces of the Uchiha and Hyuga numbered fewer than 50.
Even if Kumogakure didn't deploy its entire force, the balance was hopelessly tilted.
Fugaku clenched his fists.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this was deliberate.
The Hokage was trying to exhaust the Uchiha.
Let them take the brunt of the attack, burn through their strength, and when the dust settled—who would remain?
It wasn't just about war—it was about political elimination.
He considered requesting reinforcements from the Third Hokage… but quickly dismissed it.
What if the response was:
"This conflict began because of the Uchiha. You should resolve it yourselves."
That would only disgrace the clan further and confirm their isolation. The more Fugaku thought about it, the more he realized—
This was a trap.
A slow, systemic attempt to grind the Uchiha down, to use this war to bury them in blood and sacrifice.
Their clan had no allies in the Konoha hierarchy. None of the other noble families had sided with them. They were politically cornered.
Now he understood what Ryosuke meant when he spoke about "a war of public opinion."
If the Uchiha had a better reputation among the populace—perhaps even within other clans—they might have found allies willing to intervene or speak out.
But now? They stood alone.
There was only one person Fugaku could turn to: Uchiha Ryosuke.
A prodigy who had already shaken the foundations of the clan, someone who'd taken bold moves others wouldn't even consider.
Fugaku didn't have a solution.
He couldn't send the entire clan to war—not without a real strategy.
He immediately sent a message to summon Ryosuke to the meeting room.
Minutes Later…
Ryosuke arrived, his face calm, his movements sharp.
"Clan Leader Fugaku, you asked for me?"
Fugaku quickly relayed everything:
Kakashi's message, the impending war with Kumogakure, the fact that only the Uchiha and Hyuga would be deployed—and the Hokage's insistence that Ryosuke must join the battlefield.
Upon hearing it all, Ryosuke was briefly stunned.
Of course, he expected retaliation after imprisoning the Raikage's son in Uchiha custody—but this?
They were risking the entire future of the village.
A wrong step here, and not just the Uchiha, but Konohagakure itself could suffer enormous losses.
Ryosuke couldn't help but shake his head.
"Still the same Third Hokage," he thought. "Always pretending to balance the scales, while quietly letting others bleed for it."
Even if the village's leadership had its grievances with the Uchiha, to act like this in the middle of a war was insanity. If the clans failed, Kumogakure would overrun the Fire Country's borders.
He turned to Fugaku.
"What do you plan to do?"
Fugaku gave a bitter smile.
"That's why I called you. I don't have a plan."
Ryosuke sighed. The clan head should've had answers—but now the burden had fallen to him.
Very well.
"Then let's not overthink this," Ryosuke said. "If they want war, let's give them one."
Fugaku was taken aback by Ryosuke's confidence.
But Ryosuke had reason to be confident.
He had opened the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates technique. That already put him above even peak Might Guy with six gates active.
According to Ryosuke's own estimates, he had now stepped into the realm of the Super-Kage, a level of strength no current village leader had yet achieved.
Even the so-called "Strongest Hokage," Hiruzen, had struggled against Orochimaru. How could he possibly qualify as super-Kage level?
The true top-tier shinobi—Hashirama Senju, Uchiha Madara, Naruto, Sasuke, Obito—were on a completely different level. But none of those were active threats right now.
Against any ordinary Kage-level opponent, Ryosuke could confidently say:
He had no equal.
The Fourth Raikage? He broke his own arm trying to hit Sasuke. Powerful, yes—but not beyond Ryosuke.
The current Mizukage? Likely still under Tobi's control—not a real threat.
"I'm strong enough to defeat any two high-level Kage-tier shinobi," Ryosuke thought. "If I eliminate their strongest fighters, the rest will crumble."
The war would be over before it began.
Uchiha would triumph.
Fugaku looked at Ryosuke, surprised by how composed he was—even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Only one possibility came to mind:
"His power… must already be unfathomable."
There was a time, in the age of Madara Uchiha, when even the power of an entire nation did not intimidate the clan. They had stood tall against any enemy.
Now, Ryosuke brought back that spirit.
Madara had betrayed the clan and left, but perhaps Ryosuke would be the one to lead them forward again.
Just then, a messenger entered the room, bowing quickly.
"Clan Leader! The head of the Hyuga Clan is requesting an audience."
Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
That was quick.
The Hyuga must have received the same message from the Hokage and were now scrambling for coordination.
"Bring him to the reception hall," Fugaku said calmly.
The real battle was about to begin—not just on the field, but in alliances, planning, and survival.
And Ryosuke… was at the center of it all.
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