At the residence of Uchiha Kaede. Ever since his mother "passed away from illness" over a year ago, Kaede had lived in this estate alone.
Though he resided by himself, the courtyard was constantly bustling with people coming and going.
A massive number of young Uchiha clansmen frequently gathered here to discuss the future of the Uchiha clan.
Over drinks, these youths spoke their minds freely, laying bare their ambitions and grand designs, with Kaede naturally emerging as the leader of this faction.
Although the Konoha higher-ups deliberately tried to suppress Kaede's growth and influence, his status within the clan was virtually unshakeable, owing to the fact that he possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan—just like Uchiha Itachi.
Against this backdrop, the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the Konoha higher-ups had degenerated into absolute incompatibility.
This was especially true in the 55th year of Konoha; following the conclusion of the border negotiations between Sunagakure and Konoha regarding the Land of Bears, Konoha's external pressures had significantly lessened.
But now that a faction of Uchiha youths had rallied under Kaede's banner, forming a force that bred immense wariness, the Konoha higher-ups finally forced themselves to confront the issue.
"Uchiha Kaede is a dangerous character. He continuously incites the younger generation of the Uchiha, manufacturing conflict between both sides and rendering the current situation in Konoha highly unstable."
Shimura Danzo's stance was clear. The Uchiha clan's recent movements were becoming increasingly frequent, showing signs that they could launch a violent uprising at any moment.
This time, he made a special trip to warn the Third Hokage that they could no longer afford to indulge the Uchiha.
The Third naturally understood the underlying meaning in Danzo's words, but he remained hesitant, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. "What does Itachi say on his end?"
At the mention of Itachi, Danzo stated with absolute certainty, "His judgment aligns perfectly with mine."
Seeing Danzo's absolute confidence, the Third Hokage instinctively sensed that something was amiss, yet he still voiced his own perspective: "When necessary, we still need to engage in dialogue and communication with the Uchiha clan."
Uchiha Shisui's suicide had severely crippled the Uchiha's vitality and shattered their morale. However, because of Kaede's presence, a portion of the clan stubbornly persisted with their original strategy.
Consequently, during this recent period, the irregular movements within the Uchiha clan were, in reality, continuously reported to the Konoha higher-ups by Itachi. This, in turn, drove the situation toward an uncontrollable, worst-case scenario.
Even though the Third Hokage adamantly wished to resolve the Uchiha coup through negotiations, all other factions believed there was no longer any point in talking.
Both the Uchiha clan and the Konoha higher-ups were sharpening their blades.
"Hiruzen, abandon your meaningless illusions. At this point, this can only end when one side falls."
Having reached this impasse, the various Hokage advisors voiced their opinions. "However, to deal with Uchiha Kaede, relying on Uchiha Itachi alone is not enough.
We need more forces to intervene. Furthermore, we must thoroughly wipe out the Uchiha clan without alerting Sunagakure."
"You mean?"
Danzo cut in, continuing, "Pin down Uchiha Kaede, and let Itachi handle the extermination of the entire Uchiha clan by himself."
"Uchiha Sasuke's life is the ultimate bargaining chip to control Itachi."
Every member of the Konoha higher-ups had their own calculations. To eradicate the Uchiha clan as swiftly and effectively as possible, Shimura Danzo specifically sought out Uchiha Itachi.
Using the life of Itachi's younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, as leverage, he demanded that Itachi slaughter the entire clan while keeping Sasuke in the dark.
In exchange, Itachi would adopt the identity of a rogue ninja to gather intelligence on organizations hostile to Konoha.
To protect the village and prevent other nations from capitalizing on an internal vulnerability—as well as to honor Shisui's will and preserve his brother's life—Itachi was ultimately forced to accept the clan-extermination mission amidst agonizing torment.
However, within the blueprint for the Uchiha's destruction, another critical figure existed: Uchiha Obito.
Although Obito had rarely interfered in Konoha's affairs over the years, Itachi had used his own methods to unearth traces of his existence.
The meeting between the two used the imminent destruction of the Uchiha clan as the catalyst for negotiation.
Obito still held a grudge over Itachi selling him out previously, which had exposed him to the scrutiny of the Konoha higher-ups. Nonetheless, he agreed to continue cooperating with Itachi.
Under the strict condition that Obito was forbidden from making a move against Konoha or his younger brother Sasuke, Itachi commissioned him. Together, the two would join forces to thoroughly wipe out the Uchiha clan.
Faced with the impending crisis looming over the Uchiha, Fugaku appeared completely indifferent. In truth, he had long since silently perceived everything, yet he refrained from taking any action whatsoever.
The clansmen had long ceased to be under his control; Kaede was now leading the entire Uchiha clan down a path of direct confrontation with Konoha. Fugaku had already done what he could, leaving the rest to fate.
Therefore, on this very night, Kaede's residence was scheduled to receive special care from the Konoha higher-ups.
Approximately a dozen elite members of the Foundation (Root), spearheaded by several Jonin, were tasked with surrounding and containing Uchiha Kaede.
As long as they severed the connection between Kaede and the rest of the Uchiha, the execution of the entire clan-extermination plan would proceed far more smoothly.
For over a year, ever since the missions in the Land of Bears and the Land of Hot Water encountered severe complications, the Uchiha clan had basically been branded by Konoha as conspirators colluding with Sunagakure to sell out the village's interests.
This continuous string of events directly resulted in the Uchiha clan's situation becoming entirely isolated.
Even if they successfully launched a coup and seized control of Konoha, the truth was that very few native Konoha villagers would be willing to follow the Uchiha.
This was precisely the outcome engineered single-handedly by the Konoha higher-ups. The Third Hokage standardly appeared reluctant, but for the sake of Konoha's century-long grand design and to root out the internal threat of the Uchiha, he had no choice but to act.
"I only hope that there will be no more bloodshed in the future..."
Knowing deeply that tonight would be a restless night, the Third Hokage let out a long sigh. He gazed out the window, a trace of reminiscence surface in his eyes.
He reminisced about Uchiha Kagami and the Uchiha clan's contributions to the entirety of Konoha since the founding of the village.
Yet, just as he was lamenting the sorrowful and tragic fate binding the Uchiha and Konoha, he suddenly noticed that Konoha tonight was exceptionally bright.
Bright?
No... that's not right.
The Third Hokage was shocked to discover a blinding, blood-red sun hovering directly over Konoha Village. It generated a scorching, high-temperature atmospheric energy wave, instantly drawing the attention of nearly the entire village.
Hovering directly above that blood-red sun was Uchiha Kaede, clad in traditional Uchiha samurai attire. Gripping a katana, his gaze was piercingly cold as he stood suspended in mid-air, his expression remarkably grave.
Why is Uchiha Kaede appearing here?
Didn't Danzo send men to his residence to eliminate him?
As if providing a prompt validation to the Third Hokage's deduction, over a dozen burning, fiery human heads were hurled from Kaede's hand.
They crashed directly into the plaza right outside the Hokage's office, leaving behind nothing but a scene of absolute shock and horror.
This...
"The Uchiha clan, since the founding of Konoha, has worked diligently and tirelessly, leaving behind countless contributions to the construction of this village.
Yet, the disciples and descendants of the Senju clan have never been able to tolerate the Uchiha's presence.
They have gone so far as to claim that the Uchiha possess an inherent rebellious streak, asserting that we are destined to betray Konoha..."
Kaede's words were infused with a powerful, echoing resonance that reverberated throughout the entire Konoha Village.
In an instant, the faces of the Third Hokage and the higher-ups turned completely livid.
"Quickly, go stop him!"
Several surrounding Anbu operators transformed into blurs of movement, launching themselves toward Kaede high up in the sky.
However, Kaede paid them no mind. His right eye shifted, his Sharingan morphing into its Mangekyo form. Before the astonished eyes of the masses, his signature ability—the traits of the Ending Earth—fully unleashed.
At this exact moment, the entire Konoha Village below was illuminated by the blinding, solar brilliance generated by the Ending Earth.
Even Uchiha Itachi and Obito, who were just preparing to make their move within the Uchiha compound, were thoroughly staggered by the terrifying sun and the piercing light dominating the sky.
"Therefore, we might as well just rebel..."
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