Chapter 8: Joining the Hawk Faction
After leaving the command tent, Uchiha Sanpō deliberately took a detour past the supply warehouse.
The empty storage room held only a pitiful amount of remaining stock.
Uchiha Sanpō walked inside and saw two clansmen counting the few soldier pills and ninja tools left.
He lowered his voice and asked: "Has higher-ups said anything about when the supplies will arrive?"
One Uchiha clansman gave a bitter smile: "The Clan Head said... just wait a bit longer. The Hokage promised replenishments... they'll arrive soon. But we've heard Danzō Shimura intercepted our second batch of supplies and redirected them to the Kirigakure front... Clan Head Fugaku sent people back to protest... but nothing came of it!"
Protest? In wartime, such weakness was practically sentencing the entire clan to death!
Thinking back to the original history, it was precisely Uchiha Fugaku's weakness and compromise that led the Uchiha clan into the abyss of extermination.
The future... seemed rather grim!
A wave of melancholy suddenly rose in Uchiha Sanpō's heart. It looked like this spineless Clan Head couldn't be relied on at all.
Since the dove faction Clan Head was unreliable, for the future of the Uchiha clan, they had to find another path.
Thus, he thought of Uchiha Hachidai, the famous hawk faction elder in the clan.
The hawk faction advocated tough measures to protect clan interests, standing in stark contrast to Uchiha Fugaku's dove faction.
Moreover, in wartime, with over 1,100 Uchiha clansmen already fallen, death and hatred naturally made people more radical. Currently, the hawk faction's influence within the Uchiha was steadily growing.
Decision made, Uchiha Sanpō straightened his attire and strode toward Uchiha Hachidai's office area.
Uchiha Hachidai looked up slightly. Upon recognizing the visitor, a trace of surprise crossed his face.
He knew this junior was named Uchiha Sanpō and had previously been part of the dove faction.
Now, arriving with Three Tomoe Sharingan active and seeking him out—clearly something was up.
"You came looking for me—do you have something to discuss?"
Uchiha Sanpō skipped the pleasantries and laid everything out directly, emphasizing Clan Head Fugaku's hesitation and the schemes of Konoha's higher-ups.
After listening, Uchiha Hachidai remained silent for a moment without immediately responding.
His fingers lightly tapped the desk, carrying a hint of scrutiny: "Since you've guessed the village is sending Namikaze Minato to steal the credit, do you have any way to resolve this?"
Uchiha Sanpō didn't avoid the scrutiny, meeting it with firm eyes: "The solution is simple, but I need your support—and some authority. In exchange, I'm willing to join the hawk faction and work全力 for the clan's future."
Seeing this junior with potential, ambition, and drive,
Uchiha Hachidai raised an eyebrow, quite interested: "First tell me your solution."
Uchiha Sanpō took a deep breath and began outlining his plan.
"Namikaze Minato is the overall commander of the eastern front. In the war against Kumogakure, he's already built massive achievements and prestige. Sending him to Shinobazu Bridge is nothing but a staged performance. Once he completes the mission, village higher-ups will package him as the hero who saved the entire village and smoothly install him as the Fourth Hokage! Of course, letting Minato steal our credit is also Konoha's higher-ups' way of suppressing the Uchiha."
Hearing this, Uchiha Hachidai was clearly surprised and interrupted: "I'm not surprised that Konoha's higher-ups suppress the Uchiha. But why are you so certain Minato will become the Fourth Hokage instead of Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru was a legendary hero of the Second Great Ninja War and served as overall commander on the Sunagakure front in the Third War.
To many, Orochimaru was the obvious choice for Fourth Hokage in terms of seniority, achievements, and strength.
Uchiha Sanpō explained: "Orochimaru's merits overshadow the leader—his faction is vast. If he ascends, he'll inevitably threaten the vested interests of certain higher-ups. Namikaze Minato, though exceptionally talented, is too young, born a commoner, and has shallow roots. Even if he becomes Hokage, he'll have to rely heavily on those advisor elders to govern Konoha."
Uchiha Hachidai nodded silently—this analysis hit the nail on the head. The higher-ups favored Minato precisely because he was easy to control and posed no threat to their power.
"After the war, to prop Minato up as Hokage, Konoha's higher-ups will inevitably launch a massive propaganda campaign, portraying him as the savior. At that time, we publish some manga—realistically depicting the brutality and hardship of the battlefield, along with the silent sacrifices of countless ninjas. At the same time, the manga exposes the truth of Shinobazu Bridge: that village higher-ups, in order to let Minato steal northern front credit, deliberately sent 100 civilian ninjas to die at Shinobazu Bridge!"
"Once this lie is exposed, it will cause an uproar in the village! Furious civilians and questioning eyes will turn toward Minato and the hidden higher-ups. At that point, Minato's heroic halo will completely shatter."
After hearing this, approval flashed in Uchiha Hachidai's eyes.
He clapped his hands and laughed: "Excellent! This move of using their own strength against them is truly brilliant. Using public opinion to strike back at the higher-ups—let them lift a rock only to drop it on their own feet. But I still have one question: do you think our Clan Head Fugaku has any chance of becoming the Fourth Hokage?"
Uchiha Sanpō pondered for a long while before slowly replying: "In over a year of fighting Iwagakure, our 8,000 held our own against their 11,000 ninjas—no disadvantage. That alone proves Clan Head Fugaku's achievements. If we publicize the casualty list of thousands of Uchiha clansmen, it should win him some sympathy and supporters. The only problem is that the Clan Head's personal combat record is far inferior to Orochimaru's or Minato's."
Hearing this, Uchiha Hachidai fell silent. In this war, though Clan Head Fugaku had earned the title "Fierce Eye," compared to those two's feats, it indeed paled.
Seeing the atmosphere grow heavy, Uchiha Sanpō suddenly lowered his voice: "Actually... the Clan Head has the Mangekyō."
These words hit like thunder from a clear sky. Uchiha Hachidai's head snapped up,狂喜 flashing in his eyes: "You... are you telling the truth? The Clan Head really awakened the Mangekyō?"
If Fugaku truly possessed the Mangekyō, his strength would reach Kage-level—fully qualified to contend for Hokage!
Uchiha Sanpō nodded solemnly: "Absolutely true. Each Mangekyō's pupil pattern is unique. If you want to know the Clan Head's Mangekyō pattern, I can draw it for you."
At this, Uchiha Hachidai stood up and paced back and forth in the room, unusually excited.
He clenched his fist: "Good! This is truly heaven helping the Uchiha. With the Mangekyō, Fugaku's strength can intimidate everyone. Combined with our public opinion weapon, we can finally stand up to the higher-ups. This time, the Hokage position should belong to us Uchiha!"
After the shock passed, as an old hawk faction veteran who had rolled in blood and fire his whole life, Uchiha Hachidai's expression suddenly shifted slightly.
He re-examined the earlier point: "Why has Fugaku hidden the Mangekyō? The war has lasted this long—1,132 clansmen dead. If the Clan Head had used Mangekyō power earlier, far fewer would have died."
Thinking this, Uchiha Hachidai lost the drive to continue the conversation.
He now urgently wanted to confront Fugaku for answers. So he took out two scrolls and handed them over.
"This is your reward for the intelligence you provided. From today onward, you're a member of my hawk faction. I can fight for a chūnin squad leader position for you, but we Uchiha revere the strong—so you must quickly raise your own strength."
Uchiha Sanpō solemnly accepted the scrolls. Just as he was about to use his Three Tomoe Sharingan to copy the ninjutsu inside,
Suddenly, two electronic voices rang in his mind!
"Ding! Obtained B-rank ninjutsu: Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation. Current status: Not mastered!"
"Ding! Obtained A-rank ninjutsu: Transcription Seal. Current status: Not mastered..."
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