Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

Konoha Village.

Uchiha headquarters.

Uchiha Itachi returned home dejectedly.

Instead of returning to his room, he pushed open the door to the study.

Fugaku Uchiha was sitting cross-legged on the cushion.

A gleaming ninja sword lay across his knee.

He was wiping the knife.

The movements were extremely slow and steady.

"You came all this way so late, have you forgotten the rules?"

I heard the door open.

Fugaku Uchiha didn't even raise his head.

"Father."

"Danzo gouged out the eyes of his clansmen and used them for live experiments."

"This matter..."

Did the Third Hokage know about this?

Itachi did not back down.

He strode up to his father and looked into Fugaku Uchiha's eyes.

Fugaku stopped wiping his sword.

He finally raised his head.

Looking at his eldest son, who had been exceptionally intelligent since childhood.

If it were in the past...

Fugaku Uchiha might try to gloss over the situation with some high-sounding rhetoric.

But today.

Chiba tore away this fig leaf.

Fugaku Uchiha decided to let his son see the cruelty of the world in advance.

"Itachi".

"The roots of trees are buried deep in the ground."

"The roots are responsible for absorbing nutrients from everything around them, even poison."

"And the leaves, hanging high on the treetops, bask in the sunlight."

"What do you think...?"

"Does the leaf really not know that the nutrients transported by the root are mixed with the flesh and blood of its companions?"

Itachi Uchiha was struck dumb.

He took two steps back, his body trembling slightly.

"You mean...?"

"The Third Hokage... tacitly accepted all of this?"

Fugaku gave a cold laugh.

"Without the Hokage's permission."

"On what basis does Danzo have the authority to mobilize those precious experimental resources?"

"How will he cover up the missing people?"

"They are one!"

"The benevolence of those in power is nothing more than a mask disguised as cruelty."

Itachi fell completely silent.

He lowered his head and looked at his hands.

He always believed that as long as his family and village understood each other, peace would be achieved.

Now it seems...

This is absolutely a huge joke.

Politics is nothing but pure self-interest and bloodshed.

There was not a trace of warmth.

……

The main residence of the Hyuga clan.

Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi sat facing each other.

On the small table between the two people were two cups of tea that had long since gone cold.

Nobody was in the mood to drink.

Rissho raised his hand.

He touched the "Caged Bird" curse mark on his forehead through his headband.

"Big brother."

"Danzo even dared to dig out the Mangekyou Sharingan of the Uchiha clan."

"you guess……"

"Is he interested in the way we Hinata roll our eyes?"

As soon as those words were spoken...

The indoor temperature seemed to drop to freezing point instantly.

Hiashi Hyuga gripped the teacup tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"He wouldn't dare!"

A moment later.

Hiashi Hyuga's voice trembled slightly.

Because this rebuttal seemed so weak.

Why wouldn't he dare?

"We used to think that we had the protection of three generations of adults and the constraints of the Will of Fire."

"And now?"

"Danzo not only dug it up, but he also openly carried it on his arm!"

"Not only did the Third Lord not execute him on the spot, but he also tried to protect him!"

"Big brother."

"The people in Konoha's leadership are no longer the same group who were there when the village was first founded."

"They have become parasites that suck the blood of the major families."

"He dared to touch the Uchiha today."

"Tomorrow, he'll extend his reach to the main branch of the Hyuga clan!"

Hinata Hizashi laughed to himself.

He had always known that Konoha had a dark side.

But he really didn't expect that the higher-ups in Konoha would be so unscrupulous.

Upon hearing this...

Hiashi Hyuga closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently.

He knew his brother was right.

The Hyuga clan, although they used the Caged Bird Seal to protect their Byakugan from being revealed.

But this can keep out outsiders.

Can they prevent the powerful Konoha leadership from taking action?

They could simply find any excuse to send the Hyuga main family on a mission that was destined to end in death.

Rolling your eyes will naturally fall into their pockets!

"Hizashi."

"Pass down the order."

"From today onwards, everyone in the clan shall cancel all unnecessary outings."

For a long time.

Hiashi Hyuga opened his eyes again.

A rare ruthlessness appeared in his eyes.

"Big brother."

"What about the conscription orders for the secret service and the village?"

Hyuga Hizashi was stunned.

"drag!"

"Konoha is about to undergo a major upheaval."

"Until the situation becomes completely clear, the Hyuga clan will never become cannon fodder for anyone!"

"..."

……

The Akimichi family's barbecue restaurant.

Inside the top-floor luxury suite.

Yamanaka Inoichi rubbed his throbbing temples.

Akimichi Choza's enormous body looked quite cramped as he squeezed into a relatively small chair.

Neither of them spoke.

Their eyes all turned to the man beside them.

"Shikaku."

"Say something!"

"What should we, the three races, do next?"

at last.

Yamanaka Inoichi couldn't hold back any longer.

He spoke first, breaking the silence in the private room.

"Yeah, Shikaku."

"Our three clans have always stood together through thick and thin."

"You tell us what to do, and we'll do it!"

Ding Zuo nodded repeatedly in agreement.

His fat jiggled slightly with his movements.

Chiba's stance is very clear!

"He's here specifically to target the higher-ups in Konoha."

"He wants to overturn the table and redo the rules."

"No one can remain uninvolved in this major reshuffling of power."

"We, the pig-deer-butterfly, only have three paths to take."

"..."

Hearing his companion urging him on.

Nara Shikaku slowly opened his eyes.

He took a small sip of tea to moisten his dry, tight throat.

"First."

"We declare that we will remain absolutely neutral and will not take sides."

"Whether the Third Hokage firmly holds the position or Chiba forcefully seizes power."

"Our three clans will all be able to keep their lives safe and sound."

"But the cost was extremely high."

"From then on, Ino-Shika-Cho will be completely marginalized from the village."

"We will never be able to get close to Konoha's core power circle again, and we will be reduced to a second- or even third-rate ninja clan."

Hearing what Nara Shikaku said.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza both looked very unpleasant.

They cannot accept this outcome.

But they didn't speak; instead, they waited for Nara Shikaku to continue.

"second."

"Choose sides with the Konoha leadership."

"But you should also be well aware of this."

"When the game is going well, the Third Hokage is the fastest to claim credit."

"When faced with a losing situation, the Third Hokage's ability to shift blame is also top-notch in the ninja world."

"If we side with the higher-ups in Konoha."

"Our three clans' ninjas will definitely be used as high-level cannon fodder by him!"

"not to mention."

"You've all seen Chiba's strength."

"With the power wielded by the Third Hokage, it's almost impossible for him to defeat Chiba!"

"..."

Speaking of it.

Nara Shikaku paused.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio have always been staunch supporters of the Hokage.

But in Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Nara Shikaku saw absolutely no hope of winning.

"third."

"Stand with Chiba and support the Senju clan!"

"Chiba is not only powerful."

"His style of doing things is also decisive and ruthless."

"What's most remarkable is his extremely clear political mind."

"He seized on Danzo's mistake and killed Danzo on the spot."

"Danzo is dead."

"Many of the Third Hokage's methods can no longer be used."

"This greatly increases Chiba's chances of winning!"

"The most crucial point is..."

"Now, apart from Chiba, the only remaining member of the Senju clan is Tsunade."

"..."

Nara Shikaku had just finished speaking.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza suddenly raised their heads.

A startling light flashed in their eyes simultaneously.

Because they understood Shikaku's subtext!

Chiba was just a lone commander.

Even if he possessed extraordinary strength and successfully seized control of the entire Hidden Leaf Village,

He also needs a large number of trustworthy people to maintain the daily operation of the village.

If the three races of Pig, Deer, and Butterfly choose to join the other side at the most crucial moment.

That would definitely be considered meritorious service in supporting the emperor!