c13: Why the Village Leaders Hate the Uchiha So Much
Why do the village leaders despise the Uchiha clan so deeply?
At its core, the answer is simple, They fear what they cannot control.
The Uchiha were too proud, too powerful, and too unpredictable.
And the village elders Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, Homura, and Koharu lacked both the strength and the confidence to truly keep them in check.
Is the Hyūga clan strong?
Yes undeniably strong.
They even boast of being "Konoha's most prestigious clan," the keepers of the Byakugan.
Yet even the Hyūga, with all their pride, once bowed their heads to political pressure.
Years ago, during the so-called "Hyūga Affair," a delegation from Kumogakure arrived in Konoha under the guise of peace negotiations. But in the dead of night, the Yunyin envoy attempted to kidnap the young Hyūga princess, Hinata Hyūga, hoping to steal the secrets of the Byakugan.
He was caught and killed on the spot by Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyūga.
When Kumo discovered their envoy's death, they did not apologize. Instead, they shamelessly accused Konoha of murder and demanded Hiashi's body as compensation or else they would declare war.
The Konoha Council, fearing another Great Ninja War, sought to placate them.
But how could they simply hand over the head of the Hyūga clan?
So, under Hiruzen's compromise, Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi bound by the Caged Bird Seal was forced to die in his brother's place.
Were the Hyūga content?
Of course not.
They were victims, humiliated into silence.
But did they obey the decision?
Yes because they dared not defy the Hokage and the elders.
Their submission was the price of peace.
But such humiliation…
It could never happen to the Uchiha.
Uchiha Fugaku might not have been the strongest Kage-level shinobi,
But the Uchiha clan's pride burned fiercer than any flame.
Had the village demanded the life of an Uchiha as compensation,
Fugaku would have refused outright.
If he agreed to something so unjust,
His hot-blooded clansmen would have deposed him instantly.
The Uchiha would rather die standing than kneel.
They would have struck down the enemy with overwhelming fire no hesitation, no surrender.
And the village elders knew it.
Even though they publicly praised unity,
In truth, they viewed the Uchiha with fear and resentment.
Each time they sought to restrict the clan,
They needed to invent some excuse, A suspicion, an accusation, a rumor about rebellion.
Because unlike the other clans,
The Uchiha would never quietly accept oppression.
That is the real reason.
Because the Uchiha were uncontrollable and powerful,
They drew the distrust of those in command.
And now, in the aftermath of the Nine-Tails' attack,
That fear had only deepened.
The village believed wrongly but conveniently, That the Sharingan was behind the Kyūbi's rampage.
This shift in public sentiment gave Danzō the opportunity he wanted.
The political wind had changed.
And with it, his ambitions burned hotter.
"Hiruzen!" Danzō hissed.
"Stop hesitating! You know as well as I do
The Uchiha are a threat! If we delay, they'll strike first!
We must act now!"
But Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, his voice steady.
"No, Danzō. The Uchiha are part of this village. They are our comrades."
He looked out the window at the Hokage Monument, his tone heavy.
"If we resort to slaughtering our own…
then we are no longer worthy of being called the village's protectors."
Of course, his words sounded noble, But even the Third Hokage had his calculations.
He knew the Uchiha's current fame among the populace.
If he gave the order to attack now,
public outrage would erupt across Konoha.
The other clans would hesitate to obey,
and the unity of the entire village would fracture.
So Hiruzen chose to delay.
Not out of compassion,
but out of politics.
And once the villagers' hearts become unsettled, his own position will become unstable too.
If that day truly comes, will Danzō stand by idly?
No he will seize the chance to act.
Danzō understands his opponents far too well to be naive about them.
So yes, Danzō likely wants to purge the Uchiha but there is more to it than simple hatred: he wants their place, their influence, their unchecked power in the village hierarchy.
In short, that old schemer is dangerous.
"Hiruzen!" Danzō snapped. "Don't hesitate any longer. If we let them remain unchecked, they'll move first. We must neutralize the threat now!"
Hiruzen's voice cut through the council chamber like a tired wind. "No. The Uchiha are part of this village. They are our comrades. Killing them would make us no better than the enemies we fight."
Danzō bristled. "Your restraint will only endanger Konohagakure in the long run!"
Hiruzen said quietly, "I carry the title and the responsibility of the Hokage. I will not sacrifice the village's soul for the sake of quick reprisal."
The room seethed. Every time Hiruzen invoked the office of the Hokage, it left Danzō cornered because that title carried the moral authority the young Root leader could not publicly claim. It worked every time; it forced careful men to weigh the cost of violence.
"You'll regret this!" Danzō spat as he stormed from the Hokage's chamber.
Outside the office, Danzō's mind was already scheming. Of course he chose to restrain himself he wants me to be the one to dirty my hands, to become the villain who bears blame. Fine. If that must be the story, then so be it. For the village, I will do the dark things others cannot. He straightened his composure and smiled, the plan already forming.
"This is exactly why Root exists," Danzō murmured, his eyes hardening.
Once his group dispersed, Danzō picked up the phone to Root's operatives. "Increase surveillance on the Uchiha clan immediately. No matter what happens inside their compound, report to me directly and without delay. We can no longer treat them as a distant concern."
For Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Fugaku, and the clan as a whole, they could no longer be treated as ordinary citizens; their actions and whispers required scrutiny. Root could no longer afford the old complacency. Ordinary Jonin thoughtless pawns.could not be trusted with such a delicate matter.
"Understood," the Root agent replied.
The order was given; the shadow tightened its grip.
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