Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Jiang Si slightly raised his eyelids and spoke in a very serious tone.

"elder brother?"

"Brother Si!"

Uchiha Yang and Uchiha Saki, who had appeared outside the living room door at some unknown time, looked at their older brother and grandmother with varying degrees of tension and fear. Although they were only three years old, they could sense the change in the special atmosphere within the clan.

Children may not understand anything, but they can sense certain special changes that adults may not be able to perceive.

"Xiaoyang and Xiaoxiao, stay home for the next two days and listen to your grandma. No matter what happens, don't leave your grandma's side. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Jiang Si approached his younger brother and sister, patted their heads, and spoke slowly with the gentlest smile.

"Yes, I know, Brother Si!"

"Yes, brother!"

Uchiha Yang and Uchiha Saki were both gripping Shoji's sleeves tightly, their pursed lips revealing the extreme tension and even fear deep within the two children. Shoji smiled slightly and gently ruffled his younger brother and sister's soft hair, trying to ease their tension as much as possible.

Afterwards, he spent more time with his younger brother and sister.

Jiang Si left home again. The plan to separate the clan required too many preparations. Even though Jiang Si, Fu Yue, Elder Xuan Lan, Elder Zong Xuan and others had already tried their best to emphasize and simplify some of the preparations.

However, a large-scale relocation plan involving thousands of people in a clan is not so easy to prepare, and the pace and rhythm must be slowed down in order to minimize the disturbance and avoid being discovered by the village.

On the first day, they could only make the bare minimum of preparations. By the time Orochimaru defected from the village at nightfall, the Uchiha clan had barely managed to announce and spread the plan for the clan's separation from the top down, so that all the remaining clan members, except for the truly young ones, could learn about the most basic arrangements of this plan.

Only after this is accomplished can the Uchiha clan truly begin the first phase of their separation plan. The next step, the main event, requires the Uchiha clan members on the surface to operate normally, including the activities of the security forces.

This was used to conceal the departure of the first group of clansmen from the village!

If not a single ANBU member in the village discovers even the slightest trace, and the first batch of clansmen can successfully leave Konoha Village's territory, then the Uchiha clan's escape plan can be declared halfway complete!

to this end.

Generals also need to make some preparations in advance.

To prevent unexpected situations from occurring.

The situation at the Shoji family can only be described as a microcosm of the entire Uchiha clan; almost all clan members felt confused and worried about this sudden decision to leave.

But this is clearly the best option for the clan under the current circumstances.

Those who understand need no further explanation.

Even those who do not understand must obey the common will of the tribe.

101. Shocked and puzzled

Regardless of their personality or emotions, these people are all the same.

However, they all have one thing in common: they all have their closest or most valued relatives and friends. Even for this reason, they would not resist the decision to separate from their clan. In the original story, the entire clan became fanatical and went completely astray. No one really calmed down to see what the coup really meant.

Now, with Shoji's reminder and guidance, everyone in the Uchiha clan, from clan leaders and elders like Fugaku and Genran to every ordinary member, can see that if the clan were to stage a coup, the best outcome would be the same as the rebellion that occurred during the Second Hokage's reign thirty or forty years ago, and the worst outcome could be the complete annihilation of the clan.

This is not unusual in the ninja world. Not to mention the chaotic times before the establishment of the Five Great Ninja Villages, there were ninja clans that were wiped out almost every once in a while. In the years since the Five Great Ninja Villages came to a standoff, similar things have happened. Kirigakure, which is located across the sea to the east, is a prime example.

Under the Blood Mist Policy, Kirigakure loses hundreds of Kirigakure ninja to internal bloodshed every year. Now, under Obito's control, Kirigakure is bound to become even more bloody in the coming years!

It's important to know that Kirigakure has just as many bloodline limit clans as Konoha, but at the point in the original story, many of Kirigakure's bloodline limit clans had already been wiped out. It's unlikely that anyone in the Uchiha clan would know the details about these people.

But they are not stupid either. Some things were limited by their own thinking and perspective before, but now that someone has pointed them out and opened them up, what they see is naturally different.

They could also see that while the risk of a clan leaving Konoha was just as high, it was much better than a coup. The continuation of the clan and the safety of their relatives and companions were the most important things. They could be fearless in the face of death, but they could not so easily give up their elderly relatives, children, and ordinary clan members who were not ninjas at all.

For this reason, they all had to abide by the clan's decision. So, under the separate leadership of the eight elders, all the preparations for the clan's departure were proceeding in an orderly manner. As the clan leader, Fugaku, after arranging the most crucial matters for the clan, also returned to his own home to make arrangements for the evacuation of his family members.

Fugaku is also human, and he has feelings like closeness and distance. He has his wife and two children, and he hopes that the three of them can leave the village safely. This is the third reason that Fugaku did not mention when he talked to Shoji and Shisui: a clan chief who took the initiative to cover the rear and might even die in battle.

He will surely be remembered by the clan. Even if he has made some mistakes in the past, they will be forgotten by all the clan members in the face of such determination. Only in this way can his family members receive better treatment.

His wife, Mikoto, was just a ninja with the strength of an ordinary Chunin. Even if his eldest son, Itachi, was a genius, he was still only a 7-year-old child. It was already quite commendable that he had the strength to surpass that of an ordinary Genin at that age. His youngest son, Sasuke, was only a little over a year old. For the sake of his family, Fugaku had to make this decision.

Therefore, in arranging the evacuation of his own family members.

Fugaku was extremely meticulous and serious, and he told all his thoughts and plans to his wife, Uchiha Mikoto. He believed that his wife, who had gone through thick and thin with him for many years, would understand and appreciate his choice.

"So, Itachi and Sasuke are in your hands now, Mikoto. You've worked so hard all these years, and I'll need you to work even harder from now on!"

Fugaku held his wife's hands and spoke in a slightly low voice, his eyes filled with obvious love and guilt.

It's true that a clan leaving the plan is much simpler and less risky than a coup, but that doesn't mean the clan can actually leave Konoha smoothly. If it weren't for Danzo Shimura, it might have been possible, but the reality is that Danzo Shimura would never let the Uchiha clan go so easily. With the influence of this Root leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and others were either actively or passively drawn into this event.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, a fierce conflict will break out between the Uchiha clan and the village. It is unrealistic to leave without bloodshed. Fugaku is already mentally prepared to die in Konoha, for his own sake and for the sake of his clan.

Mikoto could naturally hear the resolute tone in her husband's words, but no matter how painful or reluctant she felt inside, she still forced herself to accept reality, because she understood that this was her husband's choice and his mission.

All she had to do was silently support her husband.

Raising children to adulthood and helping them succeed!

This is what I should do as a wife and a mother.

"Okay, don't worry, honey, leave everything at home to me!"

Mikoto placed her left hand on top of Fugaku's right hand, a gentle expression on her beautiful face, and spoke softly.

"Ok!"

Fugaku nodded firmly with a resolute expression.

At this moment, Itachi Uchiha, who was standing outside the door holding his younger brother Sasuke, looked completely bewildered.

Huh? What do you mean?

Are we going to leave Konoha? Why is that?

Is it because of the Nine-Tails' attack? But why are they only doing this now?

This?

Uchiha Itachi was confused, puzzled, and shocked. He had been excellent in both theory and practice at the Ninja Academy and intended to finish this year and graduate early next year to become a ninja as good as Shoji and Shisui as soon as possible to help his clan and serve the village. Upon hearing this news, he was immediately...

I was completely stunned.

Although the news of Tsukasa's opening of Susanoo and the conflict between Hiruzen Sarutobi and others spread to a certain extent, it was ultimately limited to those few people. Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted the village to be more stable.

After deciding on the plan for the clan to break away, the leaders of the clan, including Shoji, Fugaku, Shisui, Elder Xuanlan, and Elder Qianhui, focused on this point and did not explain the cause and effect of that matter to everyone in the clan.

Itachi was naturally unaware that the conflict between his clan and the village had become completely public.

She looked at her father, who had somehow walked out from inside and stood before her.

"Father? Why is that?"

Itachi's small face was also filled with confusion as he spoke softly.

102. The curtain is officially raised.

Looking at his eldest son, whom he believed could rival Shisui and Shoji in the future, Fugaku's face softened with an unprecedented gentleness. He patted Itachi's shoulder and said, "Itachi, although you are still young, I believe you can understand the current situation of our clan. Life or death is a choice we cannot refuse."

“The village can no longer accommodate us, but even so, we don’t want to truly become enemies with the village. This is, after all, our clan’s ‘hometown’ where we have lived for decades. There are still some friends from outside the clan here, as well as the vast majority of innocent ordinary people. You should understand that if a clan breaks into a fierce conflict with the village, it can easily cause great damage. This is a situation that neither our clan nor the village wants to see. Therefore, leaving is our best choice!”

"It might seem a bit too early and cruel for you, but I hope you can adapt and get used to it as soon as possible. This is your duty, Itachi!"

Since the moment he took four-year-old Itachi to the battlefield three years ago, Fugaku never treated his eldest son as a child. Or rather, Fugaku respected Itachi's personality and independence. Although this approach led to tragic consequences in the original story, it was not fundamentally wrong in its method.

With a high probability that he would die in Konoha during this clan's plan to break away, Itachi would become the eldest male in the family, and Fugaku hoped that his child could grow up faster.

This is Fugaku's expectation of Itachi.

Itachi could clearly understand the meaning behind his father's words, and most importantly, at this time Itachi had not yet been truly "poisoned" by the so-called "Will of Fire" led by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura!

The previous confusion gradually dissipated after Fugaku's explanation. Itachi seemed to understand these words to some extent. The atmosphere within the clan and the radical ideas of some clan members were something that Itachi, who did not attend the clan meeting, could grasp. If these clan members were to really start a rebellion, it would indeed be a devastating result for the clan and the village.

Breaking away is actually the best option.

Thinking about this.

Itachi's pupils also showed a slight improvement in clarity, but the slight exertion in his hands still revealed the bewilderment of this Uchiha clan genius. Fugaku was not expecting his seven-year-old son to understand and accept reality all at once.

"Itachi, this is life, this is reality!"

Even adults need time to adapt and adjust, let alone children, but Fugaku believed that his eldest son would grow up on his own!

After giving Itachi a final, gentle pat on the shoulder, Fugaku strode away from home. The preparations for the clan's separation were almost complete. Next, he needed to go to the security department to create a smokescreen. He had to act as normally as possible to buy the clan more time.

Itachi watched his father's departing figure, his pupils filled with a complex mix of understanding and bewilderment.

I must say this.

The timing is excellent, especially considering it's within Itachi's 'normal' timeline. If it were the time before or after Shisui's death in the original story, Itachi would have immediately reported to the Third Hokage and others upon learning that his clan had deviated from the plan.

Of course, things would be different then. It can only be said that during this period, Shoji guided the Uchiha clan to make this choice at the best time, and there wouldn't be too many unexpected factors.

The remaining question is how many members of their clan will be able to successfully escape from Konoha!

Hopefully everything goes smoothly...

At this moment, Itachi was only 7 years old. He was extremely powerless in terms of both action and thinking. Passive acceptance was the reality he had to face. He hugged his younger brother tightly and looked at his mother who appeared behind him with a gentle expression.

"Mom, let me help you with some preparations!"

"Ok!"

Mikoto nodded gently.

Then.

The mother and son then stepped back into their bedroom. If nothing unexpected happened, they would be leaving Konoha in just one more day!

This was also at the time when the Uchiha clan had already made initial preparations to leave the village.

the other side.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had waited until dawn without seeing his disciple arrive, now wore a cold and stern expression.

You should know that this disciple of ours is never one to be late without a reason, let alone to be absent outright. Even if there is something important, we will arrange for someone else to communicate with him.

However, this is not the case today.

For a whole night, seven or eight hours, the Third Hokage started at 10 p.m. and waited until 5 or 6 a.m., but still did not see his disciple. This made Hiruzen become alert!

It wasn't that Hiruzen had already suspected Orochimaru at this point, but rather that the situation involving the Uchiha clan and the serious disappearances happening in the village made Hiruzen very worried that something might have happened to his disciples.

Although Orochimaru's personal strength...

In the current ninja world, there is almost no one who can eliminate him silently, but nothing is absolute.