Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and said in a heavy voice, "Do you think the other shinobi villages will just sit by and do nothing?"
"What if the other villages band together to attack Konoha like they did in the first two Great Shinobi Wars? What then?"
"Should we send you and your subordinates to the battlefield?"
Hearing this, Shimura Danzo muttered, "My Root has to protect the village's security—we absolutely cannot go to the battlefield to fight."
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado immediately chimed in: "The explosion at the Uchiha compound caused heavy losses among our clan members. Our two clans may need to rest and recover for a while."
"Then what the hell are you even talking about!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but curse.
Just thinking about the possibility of the Uchiha clan allying with hostile villages made him feel the pressure mounting.
Back when they were around, he hadn't thought the Uchiha clan was worth paying much attention to. So why now, without the Uchiha clan, did he feel so constrained in everything he did?
Shimura Danzo, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and the others were all unwilling to put their own forces at risk, so after discussing for ages they still hadn't reached any conclusion.
In the end, Sarutobi Hiruzen could only give up and send Hatake Sakumo with ANBU to investigate where the Uchiha clan was hiding now and see if they could be persuaded to change their minds.
"Sakumo, tell the Uchiha that as long as they have a change of heart, Konoha is willing to let bygones be bygones!"
————
Paper can't wrap fire.
Especially when the explosion at the Uchiha compound last night had echoed throughout all of Konoha.
In almost no time at all, everyone in Konoha learned a jaw-dropping piece of news—
The entire Uchiha clan had defected!
However, compared to Sarutobi Hiruzen's worry and the greed of Shimura Danzo and the others, most Konoha villagers treated it as a spectacle.
The Uchiha clan didn't have a good reputation in the village—everyone found them difficult to deal with.
So when they learned that the entire Uchiha clan had defected, most villagers just treated it as after-dinner gossip.
"Those Uchiha always acted so arrogant—good riddance that they've left the village. They never contributed anything to it anyway."
"Exactly. Just seeing their smug faces irritated me. Now Konoha can finally have some peace and quiet."
"Letting them run away like that is too easy on them. We should put the whole Uchiha clan on the wanted list as rogue ninja!"
"Konoha doesn't need the Uchiha. I'm drinking tonight to celebrate."
"If those Uchiha think this will make us regret it, they're dead wrong. I'm waiting for the day they come crawling back like dogs begging us to take them in."
For a time, the ruins of the Uchiha compound became a check-in spot for villagers, with sightseers streaming in continuously.
The taverns in Konoha were more packed than ever before.
It was like a village-wide carnival, with everyone celebrating the Uchiha clan's departure.
————
Compared to ordinary villagers, the Shimura, Mitokado, Sarutobi, and other shinobi clans were even more excited.
If Konoha lost villagers, they would feel the pain, because those were people they could exploit.
But if Konoha lost a prestigious clan like the Uchiha, they would only applaud, because it meant they could carve up a bigger slice of the pie.
Apart from the Nara clan, which had always been known for its intelligence, no one else really cared about the Uchiha clan leaving Konoha.
In their eyes, it was mighty Konoha that sheltered the Uchiha, not the Uchiha that protected Konoha.
"Kamui!"
With a ripple in space, Uzumaki Kushina felt a wave of dizziness.
When she came to her senses, she found herself in a completely unfamiliar environment.
Looking around, the area was flat as far as the eye could see.
Slightly yellowed plants of some unknown species stretched into the distance, and occasionally a few people wearing conical hats walked around the area.
"Yuzuru, where is this?"
Looking at scenery completely different from the Land of Fire, Uzumaki Kushina couldn't help but ask.
"The Land of Rice Fields."
Uchiha Yuzuru smiled. "Kushina, this is our temporary base."
"Really?!"
Delight spread across Uzumaki Kushina's face.
She had thought escaping Konoha would be an incredibly difficult ordeal, but all she'd done was sleep a few times and the plan was complete.
"Yuzuru, what do we do now?"
"Meet up with my clan members."
Uzumaki Kushina immediately nodded.
During the journey, she had learned all about Uchiha Yuzuru's plan, so naturally she understood that all the Uchiha clan members were now gathered in the Land of Rice Fields.
Thinking about how the Uchiha clan members had also chosen to leave after becoming completely disillusioned with Konoha, Uzumaki Kushina felt a sense of kinship.
"Yuzuru, what are all these things? Why are there so many?"
"Are those people wearing hats patrolling back and forth?"
Hearing Uzumaki Kushina's questions, Uchiha Yuzuru said calmly, "This is called wheat. The flour we eat is processed from wheat."
"As for those people moving back and forth... autumn harvest season is coming soon, so they need to prevent fires."
Uzumaki Kushina nodded excitedly. "I see."
All along the way, Uzumaki Kushina was like an endlessly curious child, asking about everything.
Uchiha Yuzuru patiently answered all her various questions.
Even though they were all common-sense matters, to Uzumaki Kushina they were full of novelty.
An autumn breeze blew past, and Uzumaki Kushina spread her arms wide, taking a deep breath.
She put her hands to her mouth and shouted toward the open fields, "This is what freedom smells like!"
Ever since being designated as the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she hadn't felt this liberated in a long time.
Watching the lively girl bouncing as she walked, Uchiha Yuzuru couldn't help but smile as well.
This is it—the feeling of an anime.
————
When Uchiha Yuzuru and Uzumaki Kushina arrived at the Uchiha clan's teleportation point, what greeted them was row after row of brand-new wooden houses.
Children played around, women cooked, and men worked with tools in hand.
Elderly people sat together, eyes narrowed as they watched everything before them.
Suddenly, someone cried out, "Lord Yuzuru! Lord Yuzuru is here!"
Instantly, everyone set down what they were doing and gathered around.
"Lord Yuzuru, we were so worried about you. It's wonderful that you're all right."
"Your house has been built—it's a bit simple, but please don't mind."
"Thanks to all the lumber you prepared in advance, we didn't have to sleep on the streets."
"Lord Yuzuru, I'll go notify the clan head right away."
Uchiha Yuzuru had become "Lord Yuzuru" in the mouths of the Uchiha clan members. With his Mangekyo Sharingan and having safely teleported all clan members to the Land of Rice Fields, Uchiha Yuzuru's prestige was now not much less than Uchiha Taro's.
"Yuzuru, you go ahead and take care of things. I'll look around on my own."
"All right. Go find Mikoto—I'll come find you later."
After parting with Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Yuzuru made his way to a building at the center.
Uchiha Taro and Uchiha Fugaku immediately stood up and clapped Uchiha Yuzuru heavily on the shoulder.
"Yuzuru, you're not hurt, are you?"
Uchiha Taro had Uchiha Fugaku pour water, then sat down with Uchiha Yuzuru before continuing, "Thanks to the daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields sending us supplies and tools, and finding many craftsmen to help us build houses."
"Aside from the simple conditions, everything is pretty much on track."
As he spoke, Uchiha Fugaku sat down beside them and said with some emotion, "The daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields is really quite something. Not only did he not blame our Uchiha clan, he even spent a fortune helping us so much."
"Huh?!"
"Cough, cough..."
Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Taro choked on their water, coughing repeatedly.
They had been wondering why the lofty daimyo would show such goodwill toward them as outsiders—turns out it was because of Yuzuru...
After a long moment, Uchiha Taro finally collected himself and said with a bitter smile, "Yuzuru, you really are bold."
The daimyo were the most exalted people in the shinobi world, while shinobi were nothing more than tools at the bottom.
Using Genjutsu to control a daimyo...
It was completely against the natural order.
If this news got out, the Uchiha clan would probably become a target for everyone.
To this, Uchiha Yuzuru remained unconcerned. He took a sip of water and said flatly, "Things like daimyo are parasites. Sooner or later, I'll eliminate every last one of them."
"Gasp!!!"
Uchiha Taro and Uchiha Fugaku both sucked in a sharp breath.
Eliminate the daimyo?
That was too insane, wasn't it?
Seeing their shock, Uchiha Yuzuru smiled. "Don't worry. This will take a very long time to prepare. For now, let's focus on what's right in front of us."
Hearing this, Uchiha Fugaku quietly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked, "Yuzuru, what do you plan to do next?"
"We can't hide our presence in the Land of Rice Fields for long. Someone will definitely come looking for us."
Uchiha Yuzuru smiled slightly. "Whoever offers the best terms—that's where we'll go!"
The situation in the shinobi world was turbulent and ever-changing, and the Uchiha clan possessed the coveted Sharingan.
Without choosing a powerful shinobi village, it would be very difficult for the Uchiha clan to have a chance to develop in peace.
Everything else was secondary—only increasing their population was the true path!
Besides...
Uchiha Yuzuru really wanted to see what kind of expressions those who hated the Uchiha would show when the Uchiha led shinobi from another village to invade Konoha.
After hearing Uchiha Yuzuru's plan, Uchiha Fugaku said somewhat uncertainly, "Yuzuru, will any village really be willing to take us in?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Yuzuru snorted coldly. "Fugaku, as an Uchiha, you must hold your noble head high and puff out your proud chest."
"Remember this: no matter when, our Uchiha clan is an asset that other shinobi villages will compete to win over."
"We... are the noblest clan!"
Looking at Uchiha Yuzuru, Uchiha Fugaku felt an unprecedented emotion rising in his chest.
Pride carved into the very bone, confidence no matter the circumstances.
Especially that aura of looking down on the world...
This is what a true Uchiha should be!
Compared to Yuzuru, he really fell far, far short.
The glow of the setting sun dyed the evening clouds a maple red, like burning clouds spread across the horizon.
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