Chapter 27: The Position of Fourth Hokage Must Belong to Clan Head Fugaku
"Our Uchiha Sharingan usually only awakens when life is in danger, or when one feels extreme sorrow and despair."
Uchiha Sanpō's voice echoed in the meeting room, each word like a poisoned senbon stabbing deep into the hearts of everyone present.
He paused for a moment, letting the weight of the sentence fully sink in, then continued: "Just how much sorrow and despair must an 8-year-old child experience to awaken the Three Tomoe Sharingan?"
Uchiha Fugaku's voice was so low it was almost inaudible; the wrinkles between his brows were deep enough to crush a fly: "Eight years old… Three Tomoe… yes… just what kind of torment…"
Clan Head Kurama's fists clenched with cracking sounds; his nails dug deep into his palms, drawing thin lines of blood.
Clan Head Kazami's face was ashen, his lips trembling as if he wanted to speak but couldn't force the words out.
Even the usually steady Uchiha Hachidai looked like a volcano about to erupt; the fury in his eyes seemed ready to materialize. He slammed the table hard enough to crack the solid wood.
His voice was cold as ice: "Sanpō, say everything you're thinking. If you keep beating around the bush, I'll beat you myself."
Uchiha Sanpō scanned the room calmly and walked to the ninja world map on the wall.
His slender finger precisely pointed at Kirigakure's location.
"Kirigakure is the weakest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, with roughly 10,000 ninjas. Kurosuki Yagura, dissatisfied with the Blood Mist policy, launched a coup and killed the Third Mizukage, becoming the Fourth Mizukage. The internal conflict between new and old factions in Kirigakure has already cost them conservatively over 2,000 lives. Then Sunagakure attacked Kirigakure, costing another roughly 2,000. That means Kirigakure is left with only about 6,000 ninjas."
Clan Head Kurama impatiently interrupted: "Sanpō, we already know this—get to the point."
"Because of these events, Kirigakure could only send 3,000 to attack the Land of Fire. Hiruzen Sarutobi seems to have underestimated them, so he appointed Hyūga clan elder Hyūga Hiyori as overall commander of the Kirigakure front. I've heard this commander had his right eye stolen by Kirigakure jōnin Ao. As a result, the Hyūga clan issued a gold-level bounty on Ao."
Cold snorts echoed through the high-level meeting room.
Uchiha Hachidai cursed furiously: "Those useless Hyūga main family members—raised in luxury, only to lose face abroad in wartime!"
Uchiha Sanpō remained unhurried; his finger moved to the area near the Kumogakure front.
"The Kumogakure front is very close to the Kirigakure front. Konoha's higher-ups signed a peace agreement with Kumogakure, so the Konoha ninjas withdrawn from the Kumo front should now be heading to reinforce the Kiri front. I've also heard that on the Sunagakure front, Orochimaru has encountered difficulties and has retreated to Kikyō Mountain inside the Land of Fire."
Clan Head Kazami was silent for a moment before speaking: "Since the Konoha ninjas from the Kumo front are already going to support the Kiri front… why don't we go reinforce Kikyō Mountain instead? We can earn more merit there—it would help Clan Head Fugaku in his bid for Fourth Hokage."
All eyes turned toward Uchiha Fugaku, the overall commander.
Uchiha Fugaku raised his hand for silence: "Sanpō, your intelligence is very detailed. Clan Head Kazami suggests reinforcing Kikyō Mountain—what do you think?"
Uchiha Sanpō's finger swiftly moved to Kikyō Mountain.
"No. Namikaze Minato can use Flying Thunder God—he could very well return to Konoha Village ahead of time using it. By now he has probably already headed to Kikyō Mountain. Once Sunagakure sees Namikaze Minato, they'll know the Kumo front has ended and may choose to retreat. If we rush to Kikyō Mountain, it will be very hard to earn any real merit."
Clan Head Kurama asked unwillingly: "So we just sit here and wait?"
Uchiha Sanpō suddenly smiled—the smile of a hunter watching his prey fall into the trap.
He raised three fingers and spoke in a strong, forceful voice: "No. We do three things. First: withdraw all four thousand ninjas from the outpost back to Konoha. Second: distribute full compensation payments. Third: massively publicize our achievements on the Iwagakure front."
Uchiha Hachidai immediately understood; he narrowed his eyes: "You're buying hearts and minds!"
Uchiha Sanpō deliberately lowered his voice, sounding like a devil's whisper: "Not only that. When our four thousand return to Konoha Village, they will naturally learn that Hiruzen Sarutobi accelerated ninja academy graduation and conscripted the elderly and children to scrape together three thousand to face Kirigakure. Then we can 'accidentally' leak some details—like the heavy casualties on the Kiri front, or how the Hyūga commander had his right eye stolen…"
Clan Head Kurama sucked in a cold breath: "That's ruthless. The people of Konoha will riot."
Uchiha Sanpō's gaze turned to Fugaku: "At that moment, Clan Head can step forward and volunteer to reinforce the Kirigakure front. With your current war achievements, the higher-ups can either refuse or delay—either choice will dig their own grave and lose the people's trust."
The meeting room fell into dead silence; even breathing sounds were clear.
All eyes focused on Uchiha Sanpō, as if truly seeing the terrifying nature of this young Uchiha for the first time.
Uchiha Fugaku was silent for a long time before finally speaking: "And then?"
Uchiha Sanpō's smile gradually widened; his finger shifted to the Kirigakure front.
"Then, Clan Head Fugaku raises his arm in a call to arms—followers will gather like clouds. We lead the troops straight to the Kirigakure front. After we defeat Kirigakure, the position of Fourth Hokage will inevitably belong to Clan Head Fugaku!"
(In truth, Uchiha Sanpō's real thought: Push Uchiha Fugaku to Fourth Hokage to act as a shield for me. While I develop in secret and grow until I'm invincible.)
Clan Head Kazami shot to his feet so fast his chair toppled with a clatter: "Brilliant plan! This way we don't openly defy orders, yet we make Hiruzen Sarutobi reap what he sows. Sanpō, how does your brain even come up with such a good idea?"
Once they reinforce the Kirigakure front, clan casualties will be inevitable. As Clan Head, Uchiha Fugaku did not immediately agree. He walked to the window and gazed at the Uchiha clansmen training in the distant training ground.
"Sanpō, on the Iwagakure front we lost 1,227 clansmen. If we fight on the Kirigakure front, how many clansmen do you think we will lose?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Sanpō inwardly grumbled.
Back then, Hiruzen Sarutobi had used the widely circulated saying in the ninja world: "When facing Uchiha with Sharingan, the usual tactic is two-on-one ambush from behind, one-on-one must flee." (In other words, very low chance of victory—escape is priority.) This was blatant flattery and provocation. The proud Uchiha Fugaku naturally fell for it.
So he accepted the arduous mission of leading 8,000 Konoha ninjas against 11,000 Iwagakure ninjas. After more than a year of war, 8,000 ninjas suffered 3,226 deaths, and Uchiha Fugaku had been beaten into a timid fool who feared taking risks.
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