After Uchiha Kaede quietly evolved his Sharingan into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he deeply understood that the current situation was like a taut bowstring. To put it plainly, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was not yet enough to resist everything.
Early that morning, sunlight spilled onto the streets and alleys of Konoha Village, seemingly peaceful, but Uchiha Kaede could keenly sense the tension hidden beneath the tranquility.
As usual, he calmly stepped out of his house.
Along the way, he deliberately made his steps appear light and natural, and his eyes were as calm as ever, as if everything was as ordinary as usual.
But in reality, his heart remained highly vigilant, constantly paying attention to any disturbances that might arise around him.
Arriving at the clan training ground, the atmosphere here was even more oppressive and somber than usual.
Clan members either cultivated alone with solemn expressions or conversed in low voices, their words revealing their worry about the Uchiha Clan's current predicament.
Uchiha Kaede silently walked to a more secluded corner at the edge of the training ground, preparing to begin his cultivation for the day.
He understood that during this sensitive period, any conspicuous behavior could become a reason to be targeted, so even though he possessed the powerful Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he had to pretend everything was normal.
Kaede continuously released Fire Release. A nearby Uchiha Clan member, seeing this, said with some surprise, "Kaede, your Great Fireball Technique is becoming more and more proficient."
Uchiha Kaede smiled faintly and replied, "I still need to practice more. Compared to the masters in the clan, I'm still far behind."
He continued to repeat various basic Ninjutsu exercises, from Fire Release to Wind Release, and then to simple taijutsu movements, striving for precision and proficiency in every action.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, with some intelligence files about the Uchiha Clan placed before him. He frowned slightly, a complex expression in his eyes.
Standing beside him were Konoha Village's two senior Advisors, Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu.
Homura Mitokado was the first to speak: "Hiruzen, the situation with the Uchiha Clan is becoming increasingly delicate. Although there's no conclusive evidence yet of any wrongdoing on their part, the matter with Shisui is still unclear, which inevitably raises suspicions. Moreover, the atmosphere within the clan has been very oppressive lately, and conversations among clan members seem to reveal a sense of unease."
Utatane Koharu also chimed in, "Yes, Hiruzen. The Uchiha Clan has always been ambitious. Although they have contributed to Konoha Village in the past, it's hard to guarantee that they won't harbor different intentions now. We must monitor them more closely and not let our guard down."
The Third Hokage sighed softly and said, "I understand your concerns. But the Uchiha Clan has, after all, made many contributions to Konoha Village. We cannot take drastic actions against them without any evidence. That would only escalate the conflict and do no good for the peace and stability of Konoha Village."
Homura Mitokado frowned and said, "Hiruzen, you are too benevolent. Think about it, during the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's attack, there were rumors that the Uchiha Clan was involved. Although nothing conclusive was found in the end, the suspicion has always remained. Now with Shisui's incident, we cannot afford to be careless anymore."
Utatane Koharu continued, "That's right, Hiruzen. It's correct for us to continue monitoring them, but we also need to be prepared for contingencies. If they truly harbor malicious intentions, we cannot just sit idly by."
The Third Hokage pondered for a moment and said, "I know what you mean. We do need to continue closely monitoring every move of the Uchiha Clan, but we also need to be careful with our methods, so they don't feel like we are deliberately targeting them. We should try to maintain a relatively peaceful atmosphere. After all, a peaceful resolution is the outcome we most hope to see."
Homura Mitokado snorted and said, "I hope they are sensible. If they really dare to cause trouble, hmph!"
Utatane Koharu also nodded and said, "Let's hope so, Hiruzen. But we still need to remain vigilant at all times."
The Third Hokage nodded again, but he did not mention Shisui's matter; he knew who was involved.
After Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu exited in unison, the door opened again, and Danzo walked in, leaning on his cane.
"Danzo, hand over Shisui's eyes," the Third Hokage said, lowering his head..
"I didn't take his eyes, Hiruzen. You should know that the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha is irreconcilable now. It's time to make a decision."
"Danzo! Hand over the eyes quickly! Do you really think I don't know your little schemes?" Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his hand on the table and roared..
Danzo's face was grim, but he still insisted he didn't have them, eventually slamming the door shut as he left.
On the other side, back home, Uchiha Kaede closed his room door, sat at his table, and began to deeply consider how to better survive in the increasingly grim situation.
Honestly, he had thought about leaving. After all, there was still some time until the Night of the Clan Massacre. He could just go on a mission and fake his death to escape. But where could he go? Before the Night of the Clan Massacre, was it really safer outside Konoha?
Moreover, leaving Konoha wasn't that easy. It was uncertain if he, a Genin, would even be qualified to take a mission to leave the Village. And he still had his parents within the clan..
Early the next morning, Uchiha Kaede woke up early. After a simple wash, he once again discreetly headed towards the clan training ground.
Along the way, he maintained his usual demeanor, his eyes calm, and his steps steady..
As he walked to a small alley near the training ground, he suddenly felt a familiar aura.
His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stopped, subtly using his surroundings to conceal himself, while quietly activating his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to carefully discern the source of the aura.
Through the keen insight of his Sharingan, he discovered it was Uchiha Itachi.
At this moment, Itachi's face was stern, his eyes deep, and he was quickly walking alone in a certain direction.
Uchiha Kaede secretly wondered what Itachi had been doing since Shisui's death, and he didn't know where Itachi was heading now.
But he knew that Itachi was definitely not a simple person, and it would be best for him to avoid meeting him.
So, Uchiha Kaede quietly waited at the alley entrance until Itachi's figure completely disappeared from his sight before he continued towards the training ground.
Uchiha Kaede walked straight to his training corner. Just as he was about to start training, he heard a few clan members discussing in low voices not far away..
One clan member frowned and said, "You guys, the Village is watching our Uchiha Clan so closely now, do you think they're really going to make a move against us?"
Another clan member sighed and said, "Alas, who knows? The situation now feels like the calm before a storm, making one's heart uneasy.."
Listening to these discussions, Uchiha Kaede's heart grew heavier. The conflict between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha Village had reached a breaking point, to the extent that even these ordinary clan members could feel it. Why then did the high-ranking members of the Uchiha Clan still advocate for peaceful coexistence with Konoha?
He silently lowered his head and continued his training, quickly forming hand signs and softly shouting, "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"