Fugaku rubbed his hands nervously.
Even though he was trying hard to appear calm, his voice still trembled uncontrollably as he asked:
"Lord Hoshiyomi… what do you mean by that?"
Hoshiyomi smiled softly and said in a calm tone:
"A mysterious shinobi from another village attacked Konoha and broke the seal on the jinchūriki.
During the crisis, the Uchiha clan bravely assisted the Konoha ANBU in fighting off the enemy.
In the battle, several Uchiha gave their lives without hesitation, buying precious time for reinforcements to arrive."
"That's the official story.
So, Fugaku, my friend—does this version of events sound satisfactory to you?"
Upon hearing those words, Fugaku's whole body began to tremble with excitement.
If Hoshiyomi had been just ten years older, Fugaku might've actually knelt down and bowed to him right then and there.
What a wonderful man.
This "script" Hoshiyomi proposed was perfect — it protected both Konoha and the Uchiha.
Not only did it completely clear the clan's name from rebellion, it would also help change the villagers' negative perception of the Uchiha.
It was, quite literally, a once-in-a-lifetime miracle.
How could Fugaku possibly refuse?
Breathing heavily, he exclaimed:
"Satisfied—! I'm more than satisfied!"
After his excitement settled, Fugaku took a deep breath and said sincerely:
"Lord Hoshiyomi… if I may, how is Kuugetsu's condition?
If she recovers, I would like her to serve as the Uchiha Clan's deputy head."
Hearing that, Hoshiyomi smiled brightly from the heart.
Despite the chaos and unexpected turns, everything regarding the Uchiha had ultimately fallen into place just as he'd hoped.
By suggesting that, Fugaku was clearly signaling his willingness to cooperate with the village.
And once power is shared like that, it's hard to take it back — which meant Fugaku had made up his mind to align the Uchiha with Konoha's leadership.
With that realization, Hoshiyomi finally felt the weight on his chest lift.
Another major problem—resolved.
At this point, the Uchiha clan could no longer stir up any real trouble.
No — with Kuugetsu, Itachi, and Shisui all in the picture, the Uchiha's loyalty to Konoha was practically guaranteed.
If the Uchiha remained loyal, then there would be no clan massacre in the future.
As for whether Itachi and Sasuke would ever awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan like in the original story—
Hoshiyomi honestly didn't care anymore.
His mindset was no longer the same as before.
He no longer intended to rely on the powers of Indra or Ashura.
From now on, he would face every challenge by his own strength.
...
Fugaku eventually left the hospital together with Mikoto, who had just been discharged.
Mikoto had only suffered mental damage from the genjutsu — physically, she was fine and only needed rest.
Looking at his still-weak wife, Fugaku silently cursed his late father.
Why couldn't the old man just trust Hoshiyomi and Konoha's leadership?
He had told him countless times — Konoha was not the same as it once was!
If his father had listened, and if they'd strengthened ties with Hoshiyomi earlier through Mikoto and Kushina's friendship,
none of this tragedy would have ever happened.
Thinking about what the Uchiha had done tonight, Fugaku sighed deeply.
The clan members who joined the rebellion were now beyond saving — and Fugaku had no intention of defending them.
Whether for the future of the Uchiha or for his own position as clan head,
to be honest, Fugaku preferred that they die.
There weren't many left alive anyway — and their deaths would not cause the Uchiha clan any real harm.
And those who dared to take part in such acts were doomed from the start.
Now, using their deaths to cleanse the Uchiha's name could at least be considered making use of waste.
Those who had followed his father into rebellion were precisely the most ill-tempered and troublesome among the clan.
The fact that relations between Konoha and the Uchiha had deteriorated to the point of being almost irreconcilable —
these people were the main reason.
Moreover, they had never shown Fugaku, the new clan head, the slightest bit of respect.
If not for that, his father wouldn't have needed to lead them into such a desperate battle tonight.
Now, Fugaku finally understood what his father had been thinking yesterday.
Without a doubt, his father had loved him — and in his own way, he had done everything he could to clear a path for his son's future.
According to his father's plan, through negotiation, the Uchiha would gain political influence in Konoha.
At the same time, within the clan itself, those arrogant and defiant members who might one day threaten Fugaku's leadership would mostly die in tonight's battle.
Those who survived would be too few and scattered to form any faction capable of challenging his authority.
With that, both the Uchiha clan and Konoha itself would effectively fall under Fugaku's control.
Father, your calculations were brilliant… but you overlooked two things.
First, you failed to realize that Konoha today is not the Konoha of the past.
And second… you never considered my feelings as your son.
As if sensing Fugaku's dejection, the weak Mikito gently squeezed his hand and said:
"Dear… stop thinking about all that.
What's done is done. You should be thinking about the future — that's what a clan head should do."
Feeling the warmth from his wife's palm, Fugaku forced a smile. She was right; it was useless to say these things now. His father was dead, and his plan had failed.
What mattered now was what the Uchiha should do moving forward. Father, watch from the heavens above.
I'll prove to you with my actions that even without following your path, I can still lead the Uchiha to prosperity.
...
The day after Fugaku and Mikoto left the hospital, Fugaku brought what few remaining elders the clan had to meet Hoshiyomi.
This meeting was to formally finalize the official judgment regarding the Uchiha "rebellion."
Not long after they left, Hoshiyomi sent his people to spread the word.
After all, only a small number of residents had actually witnessed the events that night.
With a strong push from Hoshiyomi's subordinates, the once shameful "Uchiha Rebellion" was successfully rewritten into the heroic tale of the Uchiha Redemption Battle.
Public opinion in Konoha quickly shifted —
villagers began viewing the Uchiha in a far more positive light.
Naturally, the Uchiha themselves were pleased with the change.
Everything seemed to be heading in a good direction.
Even Hoshiyomi himself received two pieces of good news.
First, Kuugetsu — who had been gravely injured and on the brink of death — had miraculously survived, thanks to Tsunade's Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique.
After some rest and recovery, she would be discharged soon.
The second bit of good news was that Konoha's expeditionary forces had finally returned after several days of forced marching.
With their arrival, the village's reconstruction efforts would be much smoother.
But that wasn't what Hoshiyomi cared about most.
What truly interested him was that Orochimaru had returned.
And now, Hoshiyomi could finally begin working with Orochimaru…
on their secret research.
...
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