"Cloud Hidden Village sent a reply?"
At the Anbu's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado all raised their brows in unison.
Each of them was curious to see what Cloud Hidden Village would decide.
Would they choose to reconcile with Konoha—or sacrifice the reputation of both the Uchiha clan and their entire village?
Hiruzen smiled as he took the scroll from the Anbu's hands.
He was in a good mood. After all, no matter how Cloud chose—whether they abandoned the war or their honor—it would benefit him either way.
In fact, part of him even hoped they would continue their attack.
That way, both Cloud Hidden Village and the Uchiha clan's reputations would be utterly ruined throughout the ninja world.
"This is what you call an open scheme," Hiruzen murmured smugly.
When Cloud used an open scheme to swindle Konoha's money, they probably never expected they'd be cornered like this someday.
But the smile on his face vanished the instant he opened the scroll.
His complexion turned ghostly pale, and the pipe slipped from his fingers onto the desk.
Hiruzen's lips trembled as he muttered, "Those bastards… they're too cunning!"
Then his pale face suddenly flushed red—and with a violent cough, he spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing onto the desk unconscious.
The sudden scene left Koharu, Homura, and Danzō completely stunned.
What on earth could the scroll possibly say to make the ever-calm Hiruzen lose control like this?
By their earlier logic, Cloud's response—no matter what it was—should have been something they could handle.
Thinking that, Koharu hurriedly snatched the scroll from Hiruzen's limp hand.
The next second, the world spun around her, and she dropped straight to the floor with a thud.
"Those naturally evil Uchihas… they were plotting against us from the very start!" she wailed. "We've been utterly fooled!"
Seeing her fall apart, Homura and Danzō could no longer stay calm.
They leaned in and unrolled the scroll themselves.
The contents were simple.
First came a polite statement reaffirming that Cloud Hidden Village had always been a land of honesty and integrity, never once guilty of breaking faith or betraying its promises.
Then came their explanation for participating in the war.
According to the scroll, the current state of the ninja world was a three-against-one.
If Konoha wanted Cloud Hidden Village to withdraw, they'd need to purchase more weapons and tools than the combined total of Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure.
At the end of the scroll, Yuzuru Uchiha also attached his "kind regards" to the four of them.
After reading it, Danzō and Homura finally understood why Hiruzen and Koharu had been so furious.
Cloud and Yuzuru had planned this from the start. The so-called agreement had only ever been a convenient excuse to squeeze every last coin from them.
After all, no matter how wealthy the Land of Fire was, it was impossible for Konoha to buy more than the three great villages combined while fighting all of them at once.
They'd been treated as fat prey from the very beginning!
A chilling realization crept up their spines.
Yuzuru Uchiha…
"That guy is far too scheming!"
Remembering how smug they'd been just moments ago, Danzō and the others felt their faces burn with humiliation.
They'd talked about ruining the Uchiha clan's reputation—
But the real clowns were themselves!
Compared to Yuzuru, they were nothing but naïve children.
Even if the whole ninja world heard about this, everyone would just laugh at how foolish and incompetent they'd been.
Koharu was still sobbing on the floor. Homura leaned weakly against the wall, his soul nearly leaving his body. Danzō stood in silence, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles whitened.
As for Hiruzen—he was still slumped over the desk, unmoving—and none of them bothered to check if he was even alive.
After all, this time was different. The losses they'd suffered weren't state funds. They were losses from their own pockets.
No. They couldn't just let it go.
They had to find some way to make up for this!
——
——
Cloud Hidden Village.
Uchiha Compound.
In the courtyard, Karura, Kushina Uzumaki, and Mikoto Uchiha were playing with little Itachi.
Yuzuru lounged lazily on a rocking chair nearby, basking in the sunlight.
Itachi was over three years old now—his skin pale and delicate, his features a perfect blend of Yuzuru and Mikoto's. Bright eyes, red lips, and a gentle, lively expression.
Kushina smiled, holding up a stick of tri-colored dango. "Itachi, do you want some?"
"I do, Mom!" the boy nodded eagerly.
"Then peel a grape for your father first," Kushina teased.
At once, Itachi ran over, peeled a grape with nimble fingers, and popped it into Yuzuru's mouth.
Watching his eager little face, Karura chuckled. "Kids really are adorable."
Kushina agreed. "Yeah—they smell like milk. Every time I see them, I just want to sniff them."
Yuzuru raised an eyebrow. "If you two like children so much, how about I give each of you one?"
Kushina and Karura both shot him a glare. "Yuzuru, Itachi's right here."
Still chewing his dango, Itachi mumbled, "Papa, yes please! I want a little brother!"
Yuzuru ruffled his son's hair. "The world isn't peaceful right now. Once the war is over, I'll grant your wish, all right?"
"Okay, Dad!" Itachi beamed, then asked curiously, "But what is war? Why does it happen?"
Yuzuru pinched his cheek gently. "When you grow up, I'll tell you. For now, just focus on eating, playing, and having fun. Got it?"
"Yes, Dad!"
The boy giggled and ran off again, dango in hand.
Watching him laugh and dart around the courtyard, Yuzuru stretched lazily.
By now, Hiruzen should've seen his reply.
The thought of Hiruzen, Danzō, and the others fuming and coughing up blood made him grin.
In the original history, those men loved their schemes and moral lectures. Now that they were the ones being schemed against—well, it served them right.
A moment later, Obito Uchiha's voice came from outside the gate.
"Big Brother Yuzuru, are you home?"
"Kakashi and I want to discuss something with you!"