Shikaku gave a silent nod.
Though he hated the thought of putting the Ino-Shika-Cho trio at risk, he had no choice.
That was the cruel reality.
The greater the rewards, the greater the price. Since he'd chosen to serve under Hiruzen, then at critical moments he had to step up, no matter the cost.
Still… he couldn't help but envy Nara Hiroshi.
The Uchiha really were much easier to deal with.
That clan might all be hot-headed lunatics, but at least they listened when you spoke to them, and they were surprisingly easy to guide.
And Uchiha Kai?
Sure, he was harder to sway, but Kai was broad-minded, not constantly nitpicking and paranoid like Hiruzen.
But… sigh.
He'd made his choice, and he had to live with it, no matter how bitter.
With a helpless sigh, Shikaku returned to his duties.
Meanwhile—
Within the Uchiha compound, at Kai's courtyard.
A maid was tending to Neji, while Hyuga Aya brewed tea for the others.
Only a few were present: Uchiha Kai, Uchiha Fugaku, and Nara Hiroshi.
Kai leaned lazily back, his eyes half-narrowed.
"You both see it, don't you?"
"Danzō's side is bound to start making moves soon."
"Whether they target the Hokage or our Uchiha, we don't yet know."
"And then there's that one—Orochimaru."
"He's no good either. We'll need to keep a close watch on him."
"I plan to have Shisui spend more time outside the compound in the coming days. That way, if anything breaks out, he can respond immediately."
"But in truth, this is also an opportunity."
"Danzō's schemes will provide us cover."
"Hiroshi-kun, do you remember your suggestion?"
"I think this is the perfect chance. Koharu and Homura… those two old fossils should be sent to the Pure Land."
"Fugaku, this one's yours."
"Myself, Shisui, and Obito—we need solid alibis. I'll be at the Five Kage Summit, Shisui will remain with the ANBU, and Obito will stay with Kushina's household."
"That way, once the strike is done, no one can trace it back to the Uchiha."
"Just remember—hide your identity. Destroy their brains after you're finished, so no one can read their memories and link it to us."
"And don't use any signature Uchiha techniques."
"Danzō and Hiruzen's feud hasn't flared enough. Let's add fuel to that fire, force them to clash as hard as possible."
"Only by tearing each other apart will the Uchiha have the space to grow."
"So… let's trouble them for the sake of our clan."
His voice was calm, almost casual, yet every word carried a chilling edge of killing intent.
He gave clear instructions: guard against Danzō, beware of Orochimaru, and—while everyone was distracted—strike down the elders to deepen the rift between Hiruzen and Danzō.
Unlike the others, Kai had read the original tale. He knew all too well what sort of creature Orochimaru was.
Power? Lacking.
But survival? Unmatched.
A man with no shame, no honor, no rules.
Everything was sacrificed in his pursuit of immortality, even his humanity.
Even now—with Kai's current strength easily capable of crushing him—just one look from those snake-like eyes still made his skin crawl.
Yet fear was unnecessary.
This was no longer the Uchiha clan of canon, reduced to a handful of survivors.
Under his leadership, the clan had grown terrifyingly strong.
Four Mangekyō.
Dozens of allied clans.
More than five hundred Jounin, not even counting the unregistered shinobi under their banner.
Overwhelming power crushed all schemes.
So long as the Uchiha did not blunder, and with Nara Hiroshi guiding strategy, what could Orochimaru do?
He had no qualifications to act arrogant before them.
"Wait, what? Assassinate the elders?" Fugaku was stunned, blurting out, "Why would we do that? Koharu and Homura are annoying, sure—but they're elders! Killing them doesn't benefit us. It only risks exposure. Is this really necessary?"
Of course—last time the topic was discussed, only Kai and Hiroshi were present. Fugaku hadn't been told.
Kai turned to Hiroshi.
"Hiroshi-kun. I'll leave the explanation to you."
Hiroshi nodded and began laying it out in detail.
Half an hour later, Fugaku sat back with a dawning realization.
"…So that's it." He gave a bitter laugh. "You schemers really are filthy."
"We kill the two elders, Danzō suspects it was Hiruzen's revenge. Hiruzen suspects Danzō of framing him. Neither dares confront the other openly, so they keep festering with suspicion."
"Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."
"No wonder I was played like a fool when I was a clan head before. I was too damn naïve."
"I understand now. I'll make sure those two die cleanly, without anyone ever suspecting the Uchiha."
He'd accepted it. A heavy sigh later, Fugaku gave his word.
But Kai and Hiroshi didn't dwell on his enlightenment.
Instead, Hiroshi turned to Kai again, his expression grave.
"Kai-kun… this plan was my idea, but is now really the right time? We still don't know what Danzō's side is plotting. What if we clash with them by accident?"
Clearly—despite Kai's reassurances, unease lingered in his heart.
But Kai only smiled.
"Don't worry. It doesn't matter."
"The Uchiha are strong enough now that no scheme can shake us."
"Protecting ourselves is no issue at all."
"Oh, and one more thing—Fugaku, when you carry out the mission, take a Yamanaka with you."
"After you kill the two elders, extract their memories. As elders, they must have known about Danzō's plans."
"Once you uncover his schemes, Hiroshi-kun can decide how to handle it."
"If you're ever unsure, just have Shisui's crows relay the matter to me."
"Itachi already has Shisui's messenger crows."
Hiroshi nodded. That was enough.
Given the clan's current might, no matter what Danzō schemed, the Uchiha could defend themselves.
With that assurance—there was nothing left to fear.
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