In Konoha, the Ninja army from Kirigakure front returned to the Village.
Many Ninjas were puzzled.
Even if the Village higher-ups were stupid, they wouldn't decide to abandon Kirigakure front. If Konoha Ninjas weren't there to block the coast of the Land of Fire, Kirigakure Ninjas would harass coastal cities and plunder wealth.
But the Village higher-ups insisted on giving the front-line commander such treasonous orders.
Uchiha Shisui and the Uchiha Clan Ninjas walked together towards Naka Shrine, talking about the strange orders from the Konoha higher-ups along the way.
The Village higher-ups were selling out the country.
But Uchiha Shisui clearly had a different view. After returning to the Village, Shisui had been observing the situation and found that at least a hundred Ninjas were patrolling the Village entrance.
Every department looked tense, as if facing a great enemy. Even ordinary villagers felt a sense of oppression in the Village.
This atmosphere was like "The rising wind forebodes a storm" and "dark clouds weigh down on the city, threatening to crush it."
Furthermore, the Uchiha receptionists for Shisui and the others returning to the Village told them to gather at Naka Shrine.
Naka Shrine was the secret meeting place of the Uchiha Clan. Generally, when everyone gathered, they were discussing how to launch a major undertaking.
Just returned to the Village, and without even changing out of their front-line uniforms, they had to attend a secret meeting.
This clearly meant something big was happening!
Shisui was somewhat worried about the conflict between the Uchiha and the Village, but he also felt that such a conflict couldn't make the higher-ups give up the Land of Fire's coastline.
When Shisui walked into the Uchiha Clan compound, he noticed a small figure on a utility pole. Looking closely, he realized it was Itachi.
Shisui greeted Itachi, and Itachi responded with a smile.
If he had time, Shisui would definitely go chat with Itachi, but the clan was busy with the meeting, so Shisui didn't have time to accompany Itachi now.
He could only find him after the meeting.
Itachi watched Shisui and his companions head to Naka Shrine. Itachi wasn't a Ninja yet and hadn't worn a headband, so he had no chance to enter Naka Shrine to participate in the Uchiha's secret meeting.
At this moment, he really wanted to enter the Ninja Academy soon and graduate quickly to become a Ninja!
He glanced outside the Uchiha Clan compound and quietly activated his Sharingan; countless Anbu were secretly surrounding the entire Uchiha Clan compound.
Naka Shrine.
All Uchiha Ninjas were present, even retired Jonin like Mikoto entered.
About two hundred people in total, all kneeling on cushions, looking at the person in the lead—the Head of the Konoha Military Police Force, Uchiha Fugaku.
The Uchiha were proud and orderly; so many people weren't noisy like a vegetable market, maintaining the Uchiha's usual cool demeanor.
Everyone was waiting for Fugaku to speak.
Uchiha Fugaku didn't waste words. His first sentence threw the entire Naka Shrine into an uproar.
"Uchiha Madara... has been resurrected!"
The Uchiha crowd: "(°ヘ°)."
Except for a few Jonin who knew the truth, everyone else was bewildered.
It was like hearing that a hundred-year-old ancestor had kicked off their coffin lid and come out to box.
Even someone with a strong heart like Uchiha Shisui was stunned.
Everyone present was an elite of the Uchiha, Ninjas who had worn headbands and cut people down. They all knew what the name "Uchiha Madara" meant.
It meant bloody slaughter!
The crowd was in an uproar.
"Impossible, how could Madara be resurrected? There is no Ninjutsu in this world that can resurrect a dead person!"
"That's right, Madara's body was disposed of by Tobirama. He couldn't still be alive."
Fugaku then explained: "I'm not lying to you. Madara is indeed still alive. Ryou resurrected him with a forbidden jutsu."
Fugaku got the news from the Ninja Cats in Sora-ku. The Ninja Cats in Sora-ku just heard a few words from Ryou.
The information Fugaku and the others received was incomplete, but that was the general idea.
Ryou resurrected Madara, and the Konoha higher-ups, worried that the Uchiha would defect, surrounded them.
The Uchiha people were finally no longer cool and began to discuss fervently.
"Ryou?! Didn't that guy commit seppuku because he knew his sins were heavy? How did he rise from the grave too?"
"I knew such a scourge wouldn't die so easily. It's good he's alive; he hasn't paid back the money he borrowed from me!"
Shisui and the other Ninjas on Kirigakure front were not aware of Ryou's defection. After asking for clarification, they sighed. That thick-browed, big-eyed fellow Ryou actually toyed with human body forbidden jutsu?
Shisui couldn't believe it. That elder who cared so much about his eyes and often showed him warmth was actually toying with life?
This, this was too crazy!
Yashiro shouted: "Quiet!"
Instantly, all the chattering voices in Naka Shrine vanished.
Fugaku continued: "Because Madara is still alive, the higher-ups are very wary of our Uchiha Clan's stance. Where should our Uchiha clan go in the coming storm?"
Should they continue to stay loyal to Konoha, or defect to Madara? This was undoubtedly a difficult choice.
Such a choice had actually happened once before.
When Konoha was first established, Madara said he would lead everyone away, but the Uchiha at that time chose Konoha because no one wanted to fight anymore.
During the Sengoku period, the Senju and Uchiha had already decided the winner, and the Uchiha were beaten so badly they defected.
Furthermore, the Uchiha Clan members all believed in Hashirama's character.
The Uchiha had already betrayed Madara once.
Of course, how could a group of people betray one person? The Uchiha Clan claimed to the outside world that Madara had betrayed the Uchiha Clan.
Therefore, Fugaku and the others didn't refer to Madara as "Lord," but called him by his name directly.
If Madara had stayed, the Village's Second Hokage couldn't have been Tobirama. The battle between Madara and the First Hokage at the Valley of the End had once again put the Uchiha on the spot.
It was Madara who put the Uchiha in such an awkward position.
It was Madara who betrayed the Uchiha, not the Uchiha who betrayed him.
Everyone began to discuss.
"The Senju faction has been marginalizing us. Let's just go and join Lord Madara!"
"Yes, without Hashirama, no one in the Ninja World will be a match for Lord Madara. We are already disheartened by Konoha's actions."
"Join Lord Madara!"
The voices began to buzz. Among them, the hawkish faction like Yashiro, Inabi, and Tekka shouted the loudest.
These people were the pillars of the future Uchiha coup, and they had been dissatisfied with the Konoha higher-ups for a long time.
Shisui quickly stood up to stop them: "No, we have already betrayed Uchiha Madara once. Uchiha Madara cannot possibly accept us again."
"..."
Everyone fell silent. Everyone knew that piece of history.
The Uchiha Clan did not follow Madara when he left; they chose Hashirama.
Madara hated traitors most in his life.
The Uchiha doves began to speak up.
"Calm down, everyone calm down. Don't act on impulse. Uchiha Madara's goal is to rule the Five Great Ninja Nations."
"His goal is too crazy. How can one person deal with Five Great Nations? The Uchiha cannot become his sacrificial lambs again."
"That's right. Besides, with so many Ninjas watching outside, if we Uchiha defect, everyone will probably know."
"At this time, it's not our Uchiha who are anxious, but the higher-ups and the Third Hokage."