Simu was naturally happy to see internal division within the Hidden Leaf Village. In fact, the more chaos the Uchiha caused, the better, and it would be ideal if both sides actually came to blows.
Although he felt the Uchiha did not have a high chance of winning, the title of the Hidden Leaf's number one ninja clan was not just for show. If the Uchiha truly made up their minds to launch a coup, no matter who ultimately emerged victorious, it would inevitably weaken the Hidden Leaf's strength significantly. It was even highly possible that this internal strife would cause the Hidden Leaf to fall from its throne as the number one power in the shinobi world.
After all, the neighboring Hidden Cloud Village was currently united and watching with predatory eyes. Their military and financial status was second only to the Hidden Leaf. Once the Hidden Leaf experienced major turmoil, the Hidden Cloud Village, with the full support of the Land of Lightning's Daimyo, would surely surpass them.
Therefore, what Simu had to do now was support the Uchiha Clan's rebellion at all costs. Every bit stronger the Uchiha became now meant the future Hidden Leaf would be a bit weaker. Even if the Uchiha coup failed, Simu could use their hands to weaken the village and, in the process, fish in troubled waters to grab some Uchiha clansmen for research.
Conversely, if the Uchiha pulled off an upset and produced the first Hokage in the history of their clan, Simu wouldn't lose out either. The Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce would enter the Hidden Leaf as a reliable ally of the Uchiha, allowing Simu to exert influence over the village through the organization.
After all, who would refuse a friend who offers help in their time of need? It could only be described as a win-win situation. No matter what happened, Simu would not lose. The only question was whether his gains would be large or small.
After Simu left, Fugaku Uchiha went without pause to the Uchiha Shrine. The Uchiha Clan Elder, Uchiha Taka, resided there. According to Taka, although he was old, he still wanted to use his aging body to serve the ancestors and the glory of the Uchiha Clan.
"Elder Taka," Fugaku addressed him with considerable respect.
Although he was the Clan Head, the Uchiha Clan was not Fugaku's personal autocracy. Among the leadership, this elder serving at the shrine held a very large share of the decision-making power. This was why Fugaku had come to consult him immediately. With this elder's prestige and his own status as Clan Head, the two of them could essentially represent the will of the entire Uchiha.
"It is the Clan Head. It is so late, is something the matter?"
Uchiha Taka climbed up from his sleeping mat, wearing only his inner robes, and walked out leaning on a cane. Fugaku hurried forward to drape a coat over the old man's shoulders.
"Don't worry. At a critical juncture like this, this old man won't die easily," Taka said, though he did not reject Fugaku's gesture. Once the coat was on, he asked unhurriedly, "Have you reached a decision?"
Ever since the conflict with the village higher-ups became public, the Uchiha clansmen had been arguing incessantly over whether or not to launch a coup. A small minority believed they should communicate with the village leadership to resolve the conflict. However, the majority disagreed, believing that they needed to pursue their rights through violence.
This majority was further split into two groups. Some wanted to use force to leave the village and establish a ninja village belonging solely to the Uchiha. Others believed that since the Uchiha were among the original founders of the Hidden Leaf and the Senju Clan was now gone, it was only right for the Uchiha to inherit the village. Why should they be the ones to leave?
Clearly, the latter group was the majority. If it weren't for Fugaku's hesitation as Clan Head, the coup would likely have started long ago.
Facing this elder who had remained since the time of Madara Uchiha, Fugaku spoke without concealment, "Tonight, someone from the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce came to see me."
Taka's aged eyes instantly became sharp. Although he already had one foot in the grave, he was still quite keen regarding such matters. It was not hard to guess why the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce would take the initiative to contact the Uchiha Clan.
Fugaku did not hide anything and directly informed the elder of all the conditions Kimura had offered. After listening, Taka's eyes flickered with a light that didn't belong to a typical cloudy-eyed old man. He did not state his own thoughts, but instead looked at Fugaku.
"What are your thoughts?"
Hearing the elder's question, Fugaku answered seriously, "I have tried the Food Pills from the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce. They are much better than those from the Akimichi Clan. If they are willing to provide us with supplies, it will be a huge help to the Uchiha. Furthermore, regarding letting a portion of the Uchiha evacuate the village, I believe it is feasible."
"If we truly fail when the time comes, we can at least leave a spark of hope for the Uchiha. It would give them a chance to survive, even if it is in another... village."
After Fugaku finished speaking, he felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body. It was almost foreseeable that once the Uchiha coup failed, those sent out would only have two paths left. First, they could be eliminated by the Hidden Leaf's pursuit squads. Second, they could join another ninja village and seek asylum.
Since they would be sent away by the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce, whose headquarters was in the Hidden Sand Village, these surviving Uchiha would most likely take the second path. They would join the Hidden Sand Village and enjoy its protection. In the entire shinobi world, except for the Hidden Mist, no one would refuse a powerful Kekkei Genkai clan that could be stably inherited. Not to mention that the Uchiha were famous throughout the world.
The only thing that made Fugaku feel ashamed was that sending his clansmen to another village for protection was undoubtedly trampling upon the Uchiha's long-standing honor. And family honor was precisely what every Uchiha clansman valued most.
To Fugaku's surprise, his words did not make the elder angry. Instead, he sensed a trace of desolation from the old man. It was the helplessness that comes from being unable to fight against fate.
Elder Taka leaned on his cane and looked toward the Naka River outside the shrine. His gaze became incredibly bright, piercing through the deep darkness as if trying to encompass the entire village within it.
As an old man who had participated in the founding of the Hidden Leaf, Taka had always been a hawk within the clan who advocated for armed resistance. However, his feelings for the Hidden Leaf were no less than anyone else's, perhaps even no less than Hiruzen Sarutobi's. Now that a civil war in the village was about to be triggered by his hand, this old man felt a rare moment of confusion.
But things had reached this point, and there was no turning back.
"Let's do it then. It is time for a Hokage to appear from the Uchiha."
His voice, weathered by time, fell into Fugaku's ears, and the latter's body trembled slightly. Fugaku knew that the will of the Uchiha was about to be unified. This meant that the moment that would decide the fate of the Uchiha was coming very soon.