It was decided the elites of the Uchiha would gather at the Naka shrine. and Anbu was sparse, everything screamed war. Earth Daimyō pleased with the Third's Raikage's death doubled Iwagakure's funding. The newly crowned Lightning Daimyo ecstatic from hearing 10,000 of Iwagakure's shinobi had perished promised the same treatment and even publicly demanded for Onoki to 'Leave only dust of where Iwagakure stood'. The Fire daimyo not wanting to look lesser followed the trend.
NakaShrine
Dust colonized Fugaku's nose. The place had been left to rot since the 15 years war. A faint smile found Fugaku's face remembering the festivals. The constant bell ringing the that drove his mother mad, his little sister smile when she was picked to be the Shrine Maiden. The Dango, his stomach rumbled. There was war, but it never reached here. This was safe. Somewhere where children could laugh and play. Kept in the dark while war raged on.
But now there are no children. Only old men, only fear and anger.
"We are the Police force, we must be reasonable. The village needs us and we'll show that, we won't work a candle until they end this."
"Anbu would replace us," Inabi spat. "Why not." He laughed. "The force is a joke. Has been for decades."
"We are past negotiating! They've taken our homes, cramed us into this district. First they blamed us for the Fifteen-Year War, and now the Kyūbi attack."
"Enough," Fugaku said. "Rising up isn't the answer, sparking a war wouldn't fix this."
The doors flew open. "You're a coward. All of you are!" The man screamed.
"Hatazō, silence yourself before I do." Fugaku said, teeth clenched.
Hatazō dropped to his knees, tears running down. "I can't look. I can't look my daughter in the eye."
"Hatazō, please," Someone begged.
"How can any of you look your children in the eyes!" Hatazō's tomoes spun. "I can't. When she asks, why did we move. Why can't she go to school anymore. Why she can't see her friends anymore."
The village were never fans of them, but this was different. This was hate. Getting blamed for the Nine-tail's rampage, for all those those deaths when they were innocent.
Hatazo's body was shaking now. "Why there's people calling her a monster!"
Nobody said anything, but Fugaku knew the debate was over. The Uchiha weren't blind. That even winning wouldn't meant victory. The Village would be crippled. Vulnerable. But they didn't care anymore. Not after Hatazō. Not after being made into enemies, their own children becoming targets.
After what felt like forever Fuguku broke the silence, "This battle, we can't fight alone."
Fugaku wanted to believe that the Sharingan was invincible. That only the Senju and Uzumaki were their equal. That with the Senju only having Tsunade, and even then she was away. But Orochimaru and Jiraiya. He could maybe tie one of them down himself. A maybe. But the other and Hiruzen. Fugaku didn't have any respect for him, but he knew he wasn't Hokage for nothing. They needed allies. Inside or outside the Village.
Black Zetsu smiled with all teeth. The Uchiha hasn't changed.