Compared to the Hyuuga compound, where everyone was grinding their teeth in rage, the Uchiha district looked like it was celebrating a holiday.
Lanterns were up. The whole place was bright, loud, and downright cheerful.
The young-blood faction and the dove faction had basically merged into one happy mob. They stood together, chests out, voices high, deliberately glancing toward the small cluster of hawks off to the side as they shouted with pointed meaning.
"Look! Look!! This is the responsibility a Uchiha clan head is supposed to have!"
"Stealing meat right out of the Hyuuga's mouth! Can certain people do that? Huh?!"
"A bunch of old fossils! You kept yapping about how the Uchiha were so poor we had to sell ancestral property. Now look at Clan Head Itachi and Clan Head Shisui!"
"You know the Hyuuga, right? Our two clan heads weren't scared at all!"
This was a decisive win for the young-bloods and the doves.
The festive mood, mixed with all that snide sarcasm, made the hawks flush red, and also made them secretly jealous.
Crap.
They actually let those "radicals" eat.
Back when they refused to stand on the other side, it was because they didn't want the label of "troublemakers."
But now the so-called troublemakers were the ones getting a cut…
That made the few hawks left feel itchy in the worst way.
I mean… I didn't understand before. If you'd just try persuading me again, maybe I'd listen this time?
"Hmph. Crying poor to Hokage-sama? You've completely disgraced the Uchiha!" the senior elder snapped after getting needled for far too long.
Yashiro's eyes lit up immediately.
Oh, good.
The old fossil finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
Today, he was going to hoist the two vice clan heads up as high as possible.
And completely hollow out Fugaku's authority.
"Heh. Crying poor gets you money? Fine, old man!"
"If you've got the guts, go cry a river yourself and see what you get!"
"Hahahahaha! Crying poor? Like you old guys haven't done that before!"
"Know where this money came from? We snatched it from the Hyuuga!"
That single line sent a good chunk of the Uchiha into a collective rush.
Because stealing meat from the Hyuuga's mouth was just so perfectly, violently Uchiha.
If they were going to take money, they'd take it from someone tough.
Fugaku heard all of it and felt exhausted down to the marrow.
He'd already been sidelined.
His rebellious son wouldn't let him touch any of the clan's real levers of power anymore.
All he could do was bark at a few elders like a useless guard dog.
Most of the clan had already pledged themselves under the brat's banner.
How was he supposed to play this game?
Before, Itachi and Shisui were the "troublemakers."
Now Fugaku and his people were the "troublemakers."
Right then, Itachi and Shisui returned to the district.
The compound exploded into roaring cheers on the spot.
Itachi and Shisui looked at each other, both of them grinning so hard they could barely close their mouths.
This was the Uchiha they wanted…
Stable. Safe.
"Everyone! I'm sure you've all heard the news!" Itachi lifted his voice.
"The slots on my roster aren't few. Each household recommend one person!"
"Every family gets a share!"
The entire clan immediately went feral with excitement.
Pairs of Sharingan-like "red-eye syndrome" flared up everywhere as people surged forward.
"Me! Clan Head Itachi, pick me!"
"Look at me! I've contributed to the district!"
"Me too! Clan Head Shisui! I kicked the senior elder!"
…Huh?
That one not-so-harmonious sentence made the whole compound go dead silent for a beat.
And then the mood somehow got even more explosive.
"Me, me, me! I did too! I kicked the second elder!"
"I cracked Fugaku over the head from behind!"
"Come on, come on, old man! Let me kick you once!"
Fugaku's face turned green.
What the hell were these people?
The Uchiha weren't like this before…
Seeing the chaos, Itachi didn't stop it.
He only thought about his mother's safety and decided she needed to move.
But if she left the district… where could she go?
Ah. He had it. He'd ask Kangetsu to look after her. (Zaelum: He just gave his mother away... xD)
Itachi silently congratulated himself on his own brilliance.
Kangetsu was Konoha's universally recognized nice guy, after all.
As for his old man?
Itachi flicked his eyes toward Shisui.
Shisui instantly understood.
That old fossil was clan head. There was no way he wasn't sitting on a pile of money. They needed to squeeze him.
Which, sure.
But Shisui still really wanted to say one thing.
Itachi, you're so damn filial it's insane…
The Uchiha's celebration inevitably leaked out.
And honestly?
It was weird.
The Uchiha… stood up.
That miserable "selling ancestral property" vibe was gone.
And they'd done it by stealing meat from the Hyuuga.
People couldn't quite wrap their heads around it.
You two are Konoha's only two real pillars. Is this kind of all-out brawl a good idea?
Of course it was.
Itachi admired Kangetsu's judgment more and more.
The Uchiha had improved their dangerously shaky situation, but it still wasn't enough.
So the Uchiha needed a rival strong enough to match them.
The Hyuuga.
An Uchiha with someone to check them was a good Uchiha.
An Uchiha that ran wild like an unbridled horse?
That was when you hit them with a heavy fist.
Sure enough, Konoha's upper ranks, especially Hokage-sama, had absolutely no visible reaction to the Uchiha stealing meat.
If anything, it was basically one sentence—
Good job.
From the upper ranks' perspective, the Hyuuga and Uchiha restraining each other was the most ideal political landscape imaginable.
So not only did Hokage-sama not criticize the Uchiha, he even fanned the flames in private.
Nice.
Perk up.
Don't lose face.
And you too, Hyuuga.
Hit back.
Show them some color.
Of course.
While Hokage-sama was busy stirring the pot out front, the back yard was damn near catching fire too.
Because Sasuke had started picking fights with the Shimura clan.
For now, it wasn't a huge problem.
The Shimura knew he was Hokage-sama's eldest son. They didn't dare snap back, only swallowed it down.
But Danzo saw it.
And Danzo remembered it.
Good. Great.
So this is how it is, Hiruzen.
When your door got blocked back then, it wasn't just me doing it.
And now you're taking it out on me because I'm the "easy one," huh?
Yes.
Danzo slapped the "mastermind" label straight onto Hokage-sama's forehead with zero hesitation.
Just you wait.
When I take the seat of Deputy Hokage, we'll settle this account properly.
Meanwhile, Ino-Shika-Cho basically didn't want to leave their houses at all.
Why go anywhere?
Sitting at home and waiting for money was great.
They had zero interest in the political undercurrents up top.
All they wanted was to rack their brains and leave a few more good impressions with the god of wealth.
Because the tobacco business was about to officially set sail.
"Achoo…"
Kangetsu couldn't hold back a sneeze.
Because the woman in front of him was far too fragrant.
Mikoto. Itachi's mother.
Kangetsu raised a hand and politely invited her inside.
"Mikoto-san… would you be willing to share a bed with me tonight?"
(End of Chapter)
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