Yōkō glanced behind Uchiha Kane. Over a dozen Uchiha had activated their Three Tomoe Sharingan.
You people... you're still unconvinced in your hearts, unable to hide your feelings at all. That pain and hatred are written all over your faces.
Does bringing back the body of one Uchiha clan shinobi anger you this much?
If you have the ability, awaken the Mangekyō. If you don't, then endure it quietly.
If you lack the ability but aren't willing to endure, aren't you just seeking death?
Look at Uchiha Kane. As the clan head, facing this situation, he doesn't even activate his Sharingan, keeping his eyelids lowered. Such composure.
Yōkō spoke, as if channeling Danzo:
"Anyone who dares to destroy Konoha will inevitably die by Konoha's pursuit.
Since the village's founding, it has suffered from the threat of rogue ninja from the Uchiha clan.
It's the year 41 of Konoha, and Uchiha Madara still vainly attempts to destroy Konoha.
He has made contact with certain individuals within your Uchiha clan.
Aligning with Uchiha Madara leads only to death.
No matter who it is, the fate of a rogue ninja will be the same as Uchiha Kirika's.
Uchiha Madara is not someone worth following; all he wants is your Uchiha clan's Sharingan.
The bodies of Uchiha Mahiru and Uchiha Kirika are clear proof.
Uchiha clansmen, you wouldn't want to die without even leaving a whole corpse, would you?"
Seeing the Uchiha shinobi breathing rapidly, their expressions ferocious, Yōkō hurriedly added:
"The village is watching you. Do not disappoint Lord Hokage."
A reminder: although I, Fox, am the one delivering the message, the orders were given by Lord Hokage.
Good luck and take care!
After speaking, Yōkō led the Leaf Monkey Squad away from the Uchiha compound.
Being the higher-ups' black glove isn't easy. Act tough and run fast.
After leaving the Uchiha compound, Leaf Monkey approached Yōkō and said quietly, "Sir, the tone of your speech was a bit like Lord Danzo's."
"Was it? Good if it was. Understanding one's superiors is also a required course for ANBU shinobi. Just keep learning."
Leaf Monkey said with concern, "Sir, what if the Uchiha clan holds a grudge against our ANBU?"
Yōkō snorted and said, "Remember, Leaf Monkey, the ferocious-looking Uchiha are all useless. Besides shouting a bit and making fierce poses with their Sharingan, they can't do anything.
Those Uchiha who are kind-hearted or value their family above all else are the dangerous ones."
As he spoke, Obito, returning from school, was leading a lost child, going door to door to find the child's home.
The child cried out, "My home has a little yellow dog! It's not here!"
Obito was getting a headache: "We just came from the Inuzuka clan area; your home isn't there."
"Big brother, I know my house number! It has a 1, a 2, a 3, a 4..."
Obito was sweating profusely, not knowing where to take the child.
Leaf Monkey looked at the helpful Uchiha child, then looked back towards the Uchiha compound, not understanding why this child was more dangerous than the group of Three Tomoe Uchiha inside.
In front of the meeting hall, the Uchiha shinobi watched the ANBU leave, their expressions complex.
Uchiha Fugaku frowned deeply, the corners of his mouth turned down.
Despite his young age, around sixteen or seventeen, he already had deep nasolabial folds.
The future of the Uchiha clan was worrisome.
Rogue ninja or not, the Uchiha clan had just produced two Mangekyō wielders, yet both died tragic deaths within a month.
The feeling was too painful, too humiliating.
They say the Mangekyō Sharingan is the eye that reflects the heart, each pair having unique abilities, unique dōjutsu.
However, the Uchiha clan still didn't know what the Mangekyō abilities of the Uchiha Mahiru brothers were.
How powerful were the four eyes exactly? What were their abilities? Only the ANBU who fought them and the higher-ups knew.
The village wasn't even willing to let the Uchiha clan see the mission report.
At this moment, Fugaku understood his father's forbearance.
The malice towards the Uchiha clan, both inside and outside Konoha, was too great.
Uchiha Kane said in a pained voice, "Dispose of Uchiha Kirika's body according to the treatment for rogue ninja. Scatter his ashes in the Nakano River."
Uchiha Tōka hurriedly dealt with the body, making it disappear as quickly as possible.
Uchiha Fugaku followed his father away from the meeting hall entrance and into the study of their residence.
Fugaku couldn't help but ask, "Father, so many people want to seize the Mangekyō Sharingan. If the Mangekyō is taken, can others use it too?"
Uchiha Kane said, "There are historical cases of outsiders seizing and using the Sharingan. As for Uchiha Madara, there's no barrier at all. He can use the Mangekyō Sharingan whenever he gets it."
"Father, why didn't the Uchiha clan fear others taking our eyes before?"
"Because..." Uchiha Kane said:
"During the Warring States Period, the Uchiha clan fought fiercely with enemies in blood and fire.
Our characteristic is that we grow stronger the more we fight. Death stimulates the emergence of batches of Uchiha powerhouses.
Over thousands of years of battle, the Uchiha clan experienced several low points.
Each low point represented huge casualties for the Uchiha clan, but also represented terrifying rebounds and outbursts.
Those who coveted the Sharingan simply couldn't withstand the Uchiha clan's retaliation.
Within a three-hundred-kilometer radius of our Uchiha clan, there used to be not a single other shinobi clan.
Any shinobi clan that held a grudge against our Uchiha clan was exterminated by our ancestors.
In those days, the Uchiha clan mostly didn't need to worry about losing their Sharingan.
All the nobles in that area hired the Uchiha clan.
However..."
Uchiha Kane sighed and said:
"However, the Second Hokage understood the Uchiha too well.
He pinned us down with the daily guard duties of the Police Force, where the most dangerous enemy is a thief.
Hah, at most, a thief who knows a little taijutsu and is nimble-handed.
Without the stimulation of death, the Uchiha clan grew weaker and weaker.
Perhaps in another ten-plus years, the Three Tomoe shinobi of the Uchiha clan will be so weak they can't even defeat an ordinary jōnin.
The shinobi world legend, the rule that one must flee when facing an Uchiha one-on-one, will become a distant legend, a tall tale met with skepticism."
Uchiha Fugaku left home, walking through the compound with a heavy heart.
A girl ran over, almost bumping into Fugaku.
Fugaku sidestepped, catching sight of a bright face.
The young girls of the clan don't yet understand the clan's pain and difficulties.
But seeing her delicate and beautiful face made Fugaku feel a bit better.
"Mikoto!" Fugaku recognized this girl, a newly graduated Genin this year. "It's almost dark, where are you going?"
"Young Master!" Uchiha Mikoto said, "I just got off work at the Police Force and went to play with a friend."
Fugaku thought, Mikoto just got off work, so she didn't see the scene of the ANBU pressuring the clan.
"Oh, go ahead then."
Fugaku watched Mikoto run off. Not wanting to stay in the oppressive compound himself, he also left.
Leaving the compound, one could see the Senju clan compound opposite.
If the Uchiha clan risked decline, the Senju clan had already declined.
The sky was growing dim, making the spacious Senju compound appear even more desolate.
This former premier shinobi clan of the Warring States Period, which once had over three thousand shinobi, was reduced to just over a thousand after the First Shinobi World War, and further to just over two hundred after the Second Shinobi World War.
He heard that Clan Head Senju Hanaki had taken in some orphans with Senju bloodlines, whose mothers were from the Senju clan, adding several dozen orphans to the compound.
However, that was the extent of it. The Senju clan could hardly restore its former glory.
Fugaku thought of Senju Nawaki again.
Once, after school, Senju Nawaki, across Konoha's central avenue, told Fugaku they would be rivals for life, achieving greatness together.
At that time, Senju Nawaki was brimming with ambition.
Senju Nawaki broke his promise; he died early in the Second Shinobi World War.
Fugaku sighed, walking aimlessly.
After walking west a few blocks, Fugaku suddenly sensed intense chakra fluctuations.
Following the source, he saw two girls sparring with a blond boy.
All three looked like they had recently graduated from the Ninja Academy. Uchiha Mikoto was actually there.
Fugaku knew that blond boy; he was the student of Konoha's White Fang, the already-promoted Chūnin, Namikaze Minato.
The other red-haired girl was the orphan of the Uzumaki clan, Uzumaki Kushina.
Namikaze Minato's movements were extremely swift, his eyes constantly tracking Mikoto and Uzumaki Kushina's punches and kicks, blocking them casually.
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes changed slightly. Namikaze Minato is blocking both girls' attacks with one hand. His strength far exceeds that of a Chūnin.
Uchiha Fugaku shook his head. Namikaze Minato is too gentle, just playing with the girls.
Mikoto, seeing the Young Master Fugaku, was startled.
The Uchiha and Senju clans had always been rivals. Kushina was considered part of the Senju clan. She thought the clan had discovered her friendship with Kushina and sent the Young Master to stop her.
Forgetting the spar, Mikoto hurried to Young Master Fugaku's side, bowing her head ready for a scolding.
"Mikoto, the strength gap between you two and Namikaze Minato is too large. Sparring like this is ineffective," Fugaku said.
"Your sparring can, at most, improve proficiency; it cannot stimulate growth in your upper limits."
Fugaku looked at Namikaze Minato in the distance and remembered Senju Nawaki.
His old competitive spirit rose again. He asked Mikoto to discuss with Namikaze Minato: Minato and Kushina as one team, and he and Mikoto as the other, to see if Minato was willing.
Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, seeing Mikoto flee in a panic, initially thought something major had happened. Hearing Mikoto's proposal upon her return, they quickly agreed.
They also didn't want to lose Mikoto as a friend over those boring clan reasons.
Kushina didn't have many friends; Mikoto was the closest among her classmates.
The intensity of the spar instantly jumped a level.
Condensed Wind Attribute Chakra appeared at Namikaze Minato's feet as he used exaggerated Body Flickers to skirmish with Uchiha Fugaku.
Uchiha Fugaku activated his Three Tomoe Sharingan, fighting Minato to a draw.
Like a mixed doubles match, Fugaku occasionally exchanged blows with Uzumaki Kushina, channeling the force from his clashes with Minato towards Kushina, who defended with difficulty.
Minato would also use the residual momentum of certain movements to launch attacks at Uchiha Mikoto.
The four of them fought in a melee, and the training intensity instantly skyrocketed.
Uchiha Fugaku was shocked by Namikaze Minato's Body Flicker Technique.
So fast! As expected of a Konoha White Fang student. The White Fang's sword style is unique in the shinobi world, and his Body Flicker is also top-tier.
Making two new friends improved his mood.
However, fighting a thirteen-year-old Minato to a draw gave Uchiha Fugaku a sense of urgency.
Perhaps soon, he would be surpassed by Namikaze Minato.
To solve the clan's predicament, my strength is still too weak.
Just as Uchiha Fugaku was pondering how to increase his strength, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
A Body Flicker even faster than Namikaze Minato's!
That familiar voice sounded!
"Young Master Fugaku..."
Fox's voice sounded from behind, making the hairs on Uchiha Fugaku's neck stand on end.
"Uzumaki Kushina has a special status. I will only warn you once: do not use genjutsu on Uzumaki Kushina. Otherwise, neither your father nor the Uchiha clan will be able to save you."
Fugaku quickly turned his head, only to find no one behind him.
The ANBU Vice Minister had long since vanished, not giving him a chance to explain.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Uchiha Fugaku's forehead.
Just who is Uzumaki Kushina? A mere Uzumaki orphan, yet the ANBU Vice Minister personally monitors her and came to warn me?
Uchiha Fugaku sighed. The Uchiha clan is isolated, suppressed. The intelligence I possess is too limited.
I don't even know Uzumaki Kushina's identity.
Should I ask Mikoto?... Forget it, better not cause trouble for Mikoto.
Returning to the compound, he asked his father, who told him his guess: the Uzumaki orphan, like Uzumaki Mito, was likely the village's Jinchūriki.
It was just a guess; his father Uchiha Kane had no proof. The village had not made the Jinchūriki's identity public.
That night, stimulated, Uchiha Fugaku picked up his ninja sword and kunai and went to the training ground for extra practice.
Awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan required opportunity. He needed to improve his foundational strength, otherwise he couldn't handle the increasing crises.
--
Jōnin Platoon Meeting Room.
Konoha's jōnin arrived one after another.
This was Yōkō's first time attending a Jōnin Platoon meeting since his promotion to ANBU Vice Minister.
His seat was arranged by Nara Umeka in the first row.
Logically, Yōkō should be happy, should thank the higher-ups for their regard.
The first row was reserved for either high-status clan heads or famous elite jōnin like Orochimaru and Tsunade, even Kage-level shinobi.
ANBU Fox, despite his youth, sat in the first row, a meteoric rise.
However, Yōkō felt a twinge of displeasure.
In this meeting, Yellow Dog sat on the podium.
Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to elevate his son's status.
Previously, Danzo was the ANBU Chief, so he naturally sat on the podium. Now Yellow Dog, as ANBU Chief, sat alongside the higher-up advisors.
The first row felt good, but why did Yōkō feel that the ANBU Chief's seat on the podium was more enticing?
The jōnin quietly inquired amongst themselves, unsure why this Jōnin Platoon meeting was called.
Through internal ANBU channels, Yōkō knew this meeting's main topic wasn't the rampant Konoha rogue ninjas, but the Land of Grass mission share.
The Land of Grass Daimyō had tentatively released feelers, expressing great concern for his safety and no longer fully trusting Konoha's Guardian Ninja.
The meeting room suddenly fell silent as the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, abruptly stood up.
Nara Rokaku, the Jōnin Platoon Leader, did not speak first as per convention. The Third Hokage walked to the speaker's podium.
The jōnin all straightened up, wondering what major event had occurred in the village.
You could hear a pin drop. Matters announced directly by the Third Hokage were always extremely important.
Yōkō felt a bit nostalgic for the days when he sat in the second or third row during Jōnin Platoon meetings.
Sitting in the first row elevated his status, but from there, he couldn't see the states of the others.
He really wanted to know what expression Uchiha Kane had now, and what his state of mind was.
Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat, uncomfortable from smoking too much, and said:
"This Jōnin Platoon meeting primarily concerns two matters.
The first matter involves the lives of all jōnin present. Pay attention. The village will centrally report intelligence on Uchiha Madara's rogue ninja organization."
Hearing it involved their lives, all jōnin stared at the Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued:
"I think you've all heard the rumors. Konoha's most vicious rogue ninja since its founding, Uchiha Madara, is still alive.
Not only is he alive, but he has also cultivated many subordinates.
I'm not afraid of airing our dirty laundry. Sarutobi Kanenosuke, originally named Sarutobi Hōng, is an important subordinate of Uchiha Madara.
Furthermore, just over ten days ago, Uchiha Madara nearly cultivated Uchiha Kirika as a subordinate.
Uchiha Kirika awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan, killed his brother Uchiha Mahiru, and stole his Sharingan.
However, under the efforts of Advisor Danzo and the ANBU, Uchiha Kirika was killed, and Uchiha Madara's plan was thwarted by Konoha.
But Uchiha Mahiru's Mangekyō Sharingan was bestowed by Uchiha Madara upon a subordinate named Tobi.
After the meeting, all jōnin can go to the Jōnin Platoon office to review the ability intelligence of Uchiha Madara's rogue ninja organization members.
What I want to say is, any jōnin who encounters Uchiha Madara on a mission must not engage him head-on!"
The jōnin broke into an uproar.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's words were euphemistic. "Must not engage head-on" meant "run if you can."
Konoha had a face to save; it wouldn't outright say "flee immediately upon encountering so-and-so on a mission."
Fearing he wasn't clear enough, Sarutobi Hiruzen added:
"ANBU Vice Minister Fox has repeatedly returned defeated after facing Uchiha Madara."
His meaning was: Gauge your own strength. If you think you're not as strong as Fox, run when you see Uchiha Madara.
Yōkō was taken aback. Wait, what? What does that mean?
Danzo was also beaten badly by Uchiha Madara, why not mention him?
Is Danzo's face worth saving, but mine isn't?
Making it seem like I'm weak and incompetent.
If you want to big up Uchiha Madara, just big him up. Why the comparison? Why step on me?
The many jōnin didn't see it as a slight; they actually thought Fox was really strong.
"Repeatedly returned defeated after facing Uchiha Madara" meant Uchiha Madara failed to kill Fox in several encounters.
Fox was truly worthy of being the ANBU's top expert.
They all looked towards the podium.
If Fox is this strong, who knows how powerful ANBU Chief Yellow Dog must be.
Probably on par with the Third Hokage in his youth.
Even more displeased than Yōkō were the Uchiha clansmen.
In the recent turmoil, superficially the Uchiha clan lost a few Special Jōnin, but in reality, they lost two pairs of Mangekyō and bore the reputation of being a rogue ninja clan.
Having one Uchiha Madara was headache enough; one could use the excuse that even the First Hokage failed to kill him.
Now there was Uchiha Madara's rogue ninja organization.
Was it really true, as the village rumors said, that the Uchiha clan was inherently bad?
Why was there little discussion in the village when the Sarutobi clan produced the rogue ninja Sarutobi Kanenosuke, but when the Uchiha clan produced rogue ninja, gossip was everywhere?
Uchiha Kane's heart was bitter, but he knew there was no way to explain anything in the Jōnin Platoon meeting.
Endure it. I am still young. Once I outlive these higher-ups on the podium who are full of hostility towards the Uchiha clan, perhaps the Uchiha clan can turn danger into safety.
These people on the podium can't all live to sixty or seventy, can they?
If I can't outlive them, let my son Fugaku continue. Fugaku is only 15. Surely Fugaku can outlive them?
"The second matter!" Sarutobi Hiruzen continued:
"During the Second Shinobi World War, we successively fought against Iwagakure and Amegakure, defeated both villages, and finally secured the Land of Grass mission share.
However, the consecutive sacrifices of the Land of Grass Guardian Ninja have greatly reduced Konoha's credibility with the Land of Grass Daimyō.
The Land of Grass mission share, won with countless sacrifices, is at risk of being lost."
The jōnin looked at Danzo, then at the area where the Shimura clan sat.
The Shimura clan, which once boasted up to 13 jōnin, now gave a feeling of declining talent.
The Shimura clan now had only 7 jōnin left.
It felt a bit targeted.
Three consecutive Land of Grass Daimyō Guardian Ninja Captains were from the Shimura clan: Shimura Kōhi, Shimura Heiya, Shimura Kōrin. All were now dead.
The Land of Grass bordered the Land of Earth and the Land of Rain. Ōnoki of the Land of Earth was alwa
***
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