"Aburame Clan… Hyuga Clan… Are you two already so eager to pick a side?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened. Listening to the Aburame and Hyuga clans visiting the Uchiha clan, he could already guess what was happening. It seemed… they were growing impatient.
Did they think the Sarutobi clan was already weak?
How laughable.
He had been Hokage for so many years and experienced far too much. One clan like the Uchiha was nothing to him.
"Heh. Hiruzen, it seems we need to act quickly, or more reckless clans may slip from our control!" Danzo Shimura's eyes narrowed, his tone growing even more serious.
The Hyuga and Aburame clans were among Konoha's top clans. Not long ago, before the main branch of the Hyuga was almost destroyed, the Hyuga had claimed to be the village's strongest clan. Now, these two clans were jumping to pick sides early.
This… could easily provoke other clans to make their own moves.
At the moment, they didn't care too much about this, but if both clans chose to side with the Uchiha, then in terms of reason, their argument would weaken, and even wiping out the Uchiha clan could become difficult.
"I know. The Chunin Exams are just a few days away. Right after the exams, we strike!" Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and announced, "Seal Konoha, and annihilate the Uchiha clan!"
This time, the plan to wipe out the Uchiha clan had to be carried out silently.
By the time the shinobi world realized what had happened, the Uchiha would already be gone.
"Haha… looks like I need to speed up my Reanimation Jutsu!" Danzo suddenly laughed, excitement creeping into his voice. The Uchiha's Sharingan… would all be his!
With the Sharingan in his possession, he would be an unstoppable force.
"Let's begin," Homura nodded seriously, his aged eyes sharp with determination.
As a loyal follower of Hiruzen Sarutobi, it wasn't just that he now confirmed his allegiance to Sarutobi. Even if he hadn't, the Uchiha clan would never take them in.
If someone from the Uchiha clan became Hokage, both of their clans would be left in obscurity.
This choice was final.
"Then let's see… what exactly these people are planning," Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes.
The Nara Clan.
"Is chaos about to break out?"
Shikaku Nara stood in the Nara clan courtyard, gazing at the cherry blossom tree. Yet, there was a hint of helplessness in his tone.
As the Hokage's assistant, he was used to chaos, but today he had been told he didn't need to go to work, and he already knew things would get messy.
Now, upon learning that the Hyuga and Aburame clans had openly sided with the Uchiha, his expression grew even more serious.
Yawn~~
Shikamaru Nara approached, yawning, and looked at his father, who seemed lost in thought. He couldn't help but ask, "Dad, what are you thinking about?"
"Shikamaru, what do you think about the current situation in Konoha?" Shikaku asked, watching his son, who looked lazy as always. His expression was grave.
It was both a teaching moment and a request for Shikamaru's opinion.
"Konoha's situation?" Shikamaru's expression turned serious instantly when he saw his father's solemn gaze. "Dad, what exactly are you trying to say? About Konoha's future—"
"Yes, exactly what you're thinking!" Shikaku nodded.
Shikamaru let out a helpless smile. "Dad, this is grown-up business. I'm just a kid. What could I possibly say?"
And he really did think that. Right now, he didn't want to involve himself in so many matters. Besides, some things his father could handle on his own.
"No, I want you to speak!" This time Shikaku's tone was unusually serious. He looked at his son. "The Nara clan will rely on you in the future. Don't be so lazy!"
He felt some helplessness toward his own son. Shikamaru was smart, but far too lazy.
"Understood, Dad!" Shikamaru said, not daring to refuse. "The tension between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's leadership has always been high. Now, the Uchiha are growing stronger, while Konoha's leadership, especially the major clans led by the Third Hokage, are comparatively weaker. The two sides are bound to clash again."
"Especially when Itachi defected. That incident drove the two sides' relationship to absolute freezing point."
As the future head of the Nara clan, Shikamaru knew some of these secrets.
When Itachi defected from the Uchiha and even massacred his clan, the shadows of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were behind it.
Both sides were aware of each other's schemes.
Therefore, Shikamaru said, a confrontation between the two sides was inevitable and could not be avoided.
Just like the past clash between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju—they were destined to fight because their philosophies for managing the village were so different.
"Go on!" Shikaku Nara looked at his son, who spoke confidently, and nodded in approval, signaling him to continue.
Shikamaru yawned and continued, "Now that the Aburame clan and the Hyuga clan openly visit the Uchiha Merchant Association, this is like a fuse being lit. It shows they've openly aligned with the Uchiha. This is not good news. The balance between the clans… the Uchiha might no longer want to maintain the delicate relations. Conflicts could arise!"
The alignment of major clans could greatly affect Konoha's balance of power.
Especially at such a sensitive time, the tension between the clans could only grow.
"Oh? And how do you think these conflicts will play out?" Shikaku asked, watching his son closely.
"After this Chunin Exam, the two clans might clash. There's even a chance it could trigger another Hokage election," Shikamaru said after a moment of thought.
This was the worst outcome he could imagine.
"Heh… you're thinking too simply!" Shikaku said, looking at his son, who was seriously contemplating the matter. "Restarting the Hokage election is actually the best-case scenario. But with how tense both sides are, it won't end with just an election!"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, and even the two advisors, Koharu and Homura, won't easily give up the power they hold!"
"Both sides might—"
Shikaku had already predicted the worst outcome, but he didn't finish his thought.
He knew very well that if Hiruzen Sarutobi gave up the Hokage seat and an Uchiha took it instead, their clan would be completely suppressed by the Uchiha.
This was not something he wanted to see. After serving as the Hokage's assistant for so many years, Shikaku understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's mindset perfectly.
Shikamaru took a deep breath. He hadn't expected it to come to this. Could Konoha really descend into chaos?
Shikaku watched his son lost in thought and slowly spoke again, "Shikamaru, if you were the clan head, what choice would you make?"
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