Uchiha Ran watched as the traitor of the Uchiha Clan was executed, his heart completely unmoved.
After that, he gouged out the man's eyes and placed them into a specially prepared container.
Soon, three Uchiha jōnin arrived at the scene. When they saw the three corpses lying on the ground, their expressions immediately turned grim.
What truly made them frown, however, was Uchiha Ran standing calmly to the side, one foot pressing down on the body of a fellow clansman.
"Lord Ran," one of the jōnin said, instantly activating his three-tomoe Sharingan as he stared at Ran. "May I ask why you attacked a member of our clan? Did he offend you in some way?"
Ran looked at him calmly and asked, "What is your name?"
"In response to Lord Ran, my name is Uchiha Kaze," the jōnin replied without hesitation, giving no unnecessary explanation.
Ran nodded. "Go to the Root ninja wearing the wolf-head mask. Take his storage scroll and check what's inside."
"Yes!" Uchiha Kaze answered immediately. He moved at once, retrieved Gray Wolf's storage scroll, and examined its contents.
The moment he finished checking, his expression changed.
This fallen clansman… was actually a traitor!
A chill ran down Uchiha Kaze's spine. He never imagined that a jōnin of the Uchiha Clan could be a spy planted by Danzo Shimura.
After confirming everything, he was about to report his findings to Ran, but Ran shook his head.
"There's no need to tell me. Report this directly to the Clan Head," Ran said calmly. "The Uchiha Clan is already like eggs stacked in a basket—one wrong move and everything shatters. If we still think about playing both sides, it'll only lead us to a dead end."
Ran's words immediately earned Uchiha Kaze's respect. The metaphor was precise, and the warning unmistakable—it showed Ran's absolute resolve.
Without further delay, the three of them carried the corpse back toward the Uchiha Clan compound.
---
After learning the full story, Uchiha Fugaku looked at Ran.
Ran looked back at him.
Father and son stood facing each other in silence.
After a long moment, Uchiha Fugaku let out a deep breath.
"Ran… this time, it was thanks to you. Otherwise, if Konoha had received the intelligence and launched a surprise attack while we were unprepared, the Uchiha Clan would have suffered devastating losses."
"Father," Ran replied calmly, "it's exactly what I said before. We only have one path left now—rebellion. Even if we can't kill Hiruzen Sarutobi, we must at least force him and the old establishment to step down."
A flash of battle intent passed through Ran's eyes.
Looking at his son, Uchiha Fugaku felt a wave of emotion. The once gentle and reserved youth had become sharp, decisive, and fearless.
Perhaps, in such a desperate situation, only a desperate struggle could offer even a sliver of survival.
"Ran… when do you think we should act?" Uchiha Fugaku asked quietly.
He had finally made up his mind.
This coup had to happen.
Seeing his father's resolve, the corners of Ran's mouth curved upward.
"It's still too early. If our goal were only to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, the two of us—father and son—could accomplish that alone."
"But if we want to truly take control of Konoha, relying solely on force without winning people's hearts is like drawing water with a wicker basket. It's meaningless and will only bring us endless trouble."
Ran's political insight and strategic depth were clearly beyond Uchiha Fugaku's.
Uchiha Fugaku studied him seriously. "I'll leave this matter entirely to you. Do you have confidence?"
Ran raised one hand.
"Fifty percent."
"Fifty percent?" Uchiha Fugaku frowned.
"That's right," Ran said calmly. "Either we succeed or we fail. In this world, everything ultimately boils down to a fifty-fifty chance. Success or failure depends on a single thought. As for seventy or eighty percent—those are just lies people tell themselves."
In Ran's eyes, there was only victory or defeat.
Hearing this, Uchiha Fugaku's eyebrows twitched. This was the first time he had ever heard such a perspective.
"Go ahead," he finally said. "If you need anything from me, just say the word."
Ran cupped his hands in acknowledgment and turned to leave.
Uchiha Fugaku watched his son's retreating figure and sighed silently.
In the end, the Uchiha Clan still had to rely on Uchiha Ran for salvation.
He had thought the main path was blocked and that the alternate path was also a dead end—yet it was this so-called "alt path" that had produced a monster.
That vast, violent chakra made him feel like an ant standing before a raging flood, unable to find any foothold.
---
Back in his room, Ran spread out a diagram.
At the center, he wrote "Konoha."
On the left, "Uchiha Clan."
On the right, "Hyuga Clan."
The two great clans stood in opposition, yet shared a subtle, unspoken connection.
Off to the side sat the Ino–Shika–Chō trio—firmly neutral, neither interfering nor participating. Whoever won in the end, they would follow, perfectly content to keep their hands clean.
As for the remaining small clans, Ran grouped them under "Konoha."
They had no power to decide their own fate.
Because they were weak, they were easily bullied, commanded, and manipulated by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura.
The first step was clear: unite the great clans.
From the time Hyuga Hiashi had personally invited Uchiha Fugaku for a meeting, it was obvious that the Hyuga Clan had long harbored thoughts of overthrowing the Third Hokage.
However, compared to the Uchiha, their combat strength was lacking.
What they did have was money and resources.
As the saying went—before soldiers move, provisions must come first.
What they needed was a clan capable of fighting, a sharp blade to pierce deep into Konoha's rotten roots and cut away the festering disease.
And no blade was more suitable than the Uchiha.
But would Ran be satisfied with merely being a blade in someone else's hand?
Of course not.
When one's strength reaches a certain level—when one can flip the table outright—the roles of "blade" and "wielder" naturally reverse.
The next step of the plan was already clear.
Ran's eyes shifted into their Mangekyō form as he stared at the word "Hyuga," a faint smile forming at the corners of his mouth.
After organizing his thoughts, Ran returned to his room, extinguished the light, and went to sleep.
That night, however, the light in the study remained on—from dusk until dawn.
---
Early the next morning.
Ran opened his eyes and rose from bed. He pushed open the window and took a deep breath of fresh air.
After folding his quilt, he walked out into the courtyard.
Morning training was indispensable.
Although he had merged with Uchiha Madara's template and inherited countless combat techniques, he hadn't personally practiced them much yet. He still needed time to familiarize himself.
With that in mind, he headed toward the clan training ground.
At that moment, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi were already sparring.
Ran watched with great interest.
He saw Itachi throw eight shuriken, each flying at an extremely tricky angle. They collided repeatedly in mid-air, changing trajectories, and finally shot toward Shisui as if guided by fate itself.
Shisui, however, calmly held his tachi and rotated his wrist.
Clink, clink, clink.
All the weapons were cleanly knocked aside.