Chapter 100: Taking the Lead

In previous clan meetings, Uchiha Fugaku rarely expressed strong opinions on any matter. He neither explicitly supported nor formally opposed, only devoted himself to reconciling the clan and reducing unnecessary conflicts.
This conciliatory attitude, although earning him the respect of some tribesmen, has also disappointed a considerable number of radical members.
The death of Uchiha Shisui is an irreparable wound that needs an explanation.
The rumor of being drowned and eaten by fish and shrimp is really embarrassing for the Uchiha clan.
It's rare for the clan leader to officially speak out, which has attracted everyone's attention to the gradually discredited Uchiha Fugaku.
"The strength of Mizuho is well known by everyone. There are very few in the ninja world who have the power to kill him, and even fewer who have a chance to lay a hand on him in Konoha. The idea of him accidentally falling into water and being swallowed by a large fish is simply ridiculous. We must petition to the Third Hokage to provide the truth..."
As soon as Uchiha Fugaku finished speaking, the hushed whispers in the room paused for a moment, followed by a louder tumult.
"Elder, do you have any evidence or have you heard something?"
"The third generation is a smiling tiger with a wicked heart. How could he possibly help us Uchiha?"
"If we really catch hold of some leverage, then it would be easy."
……
All kinds of opinions and various factions' venting were expected. Uchiha Fugaku, cleared his throat, gesturing for everyone to be quiet, then proceeded to explain with the reasons he had already prepared:
"Uchiha Kagami was once a confidant of the Second Hokage, and although he died young, he also had contact with some of the village's secrets, including the early research of the Second Hokage and the forbidden techniques recorded in the Sealing Book. Among them is a secret technique that can allow the soul to communicate from the Pure Land to the present world. If Shisui is dead, we can directly ask him how he died, but if he is still alive, the forbidden technique will fail..."
居然还有这样的禁术？
顿时，场中的族人们惊呆了。
至于施术的条件，几乎每个宇智波族人都会留下一部分血液冰冻储存以备用，以及少部分毛发、皮肤以及就医的时候切下来的身体组织。
There must be physical information.
Of course, this is not the point, it's just an excuse for Uchiha Fugue.
"I am prepared to publicly demand from the Third Hokage the practice method for the forbidden jutsu, Impure World Reincarnation, and confront it in public, allowing Shisui to identify the culprit."
Similarly, this is also impossible to achieve. Whether it is Itachi Uchiha or Madara Uchiha, it is impossible to hand them over to the Uchiha clan.
This is just Uchiha Fugaku's firm stance, a means of rallying people's hearts.
The real turning point that made the clan chief decide to take a desperate gamble was when Gushin Booshui finally gave information about the forbidden technique, "Undead Reincarnation."
Even though there is no specific method of practice, and it cannot even be proven true or false, Uchiha Fukue still firmly believes that this is very likely to be true.
The second generation of the Hokage opened up several research directions for forbidden jutsu back in the day, some of which were successful, and some of which have already failed.
Whether it's the founding village elders, the Uchiha clan, or many other sources, the truth is that the Uchiha clan's situation within the village wasn't so bad in the beginning, and they had many good relations with foreign ninja.
After serving as the clan leader for so many years, Uchiha Fugaku didn't really not do anything or know anything.
The Reanimation Jutsu was successful, but it was soon sealed because it was too much of a violation of human ethics; and the Impure World Reincarnation has never been successfully performed, it is just an unfinished product without any further development.
However, it is difficult to guarantee that future generations will be moved and restart the research.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha Village, in the midst of crisis, initiated many unsavory research projects in order to defeat the other ninja villages, with the amphibious shinobi of the Land of the Sea being just a low priority.
If the research of the Forbidden Jutsu: Reanimation is restarted, or even successful, then the idea of Uchiha Fugaku to protect his two sons is questionable, and even the entire family's strategy may need to change for it.
If someone covets the power of the Sharingan, the more talented the surviving Uchiha clan members perform, the more dangerous it becomes.
Maybe someday, they will be targeted and their bodies will be taken away.
Maybe the ancient cypress divination just wanted to scare the Uchiha clan leader, but the person in the middle of the situation can't take it as a joke.
Uchiha Shisui is already dead, who is next?
How many sacrifice victims' Sharingan will become someone else's spoils of war, and survivors will become someone else's vessels for souls.
'We must avoid the worst outcome.'
It was a lesson Uchiha Fukue had long since learned. When reality proved more treacherous than anticipated, certain methods had to adapt accordingly.
There are so many large and small ninja clans, and quite a few have fallen into silence, but it is really rare to see a whole clan being completely wiped out, with all their accumulated strength becoming the nourishment for others to grow stronger.
The proud Uchiha cannot fall to that extent. Inside Uchiha Fugaku, the same blood is also present. In the past, only the dual responsibilities of clan leader and father suppressed the insane instinct. When he truly made up his mind, he also did not lack the courage to make a desperate gamble.
The changes of Uchiha Fugaku have caused concerns for some, while others are pleased, but it has also gained more support from people, stabilizing his reputation and status.
Quickly, the Uchiha family, who had barely reached a consensus, made a decision. That afternoon, Uchiha Fugaku personally went to the house of the Hokage, and stated the pros and cons to Sarutobi Hiruzen, made a request, and submitted a written application.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the leader of the Uchiha clan is flawless, placing himself in the position of a victim, strongly demanding punishment for the perpetrator, and not hesitating to use forbidden techniques to obtain the truth, demonstrating a resolute attitude and fulfilling his duty.
The third generation with a heavy expression on his face, indicating that he needs to consider carefully. After sending Uchiha Tomitake away, he fell into a deep thought.
"After all this time, you suddenly want to find the murderer. Have you discovered something?"
Without any evidence, Sarutobi Hiruzen understood clearly that Uchiha Shisui's death was definitely related to Shimura Danzo.
Investigating the truth is just an attitude.
The tacit understanding between the Uchiha clan and the Leaf Village is about to be broken.
Another puzzling point is that the Uchiha clan actually came up with this method to find the real culprit, indicating that they were really desperate.
"Have Elder Tsurugaku come to see me."
After a moment of contemplation, the order was given to the underground forces.
Before, we could act as if we didn't know, but now we must have a clear response. If the "Root" organization is really involved, no matter what method is used, we must reject the Uchiha clan's demands.
It is not yet known about the discussion between Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo. The old story of Uchiha Shisui was mentioned again by the Uchiha clan, and it has been widely spread in Konoha village.
Some people are worried, while others are indifferent, just watching the excitement.
In the market, all kinds of rumors about the "instant stopping water" are spreading everywhere, even reaching the land of fire, the entire Shinobi world.
Then, the Uchiha clan seemed to have a breakthrough, directly using the clan's secret storage, purchasing a large amount of supplies, especially focusing on explosive tags. Although they didn't publicize it much, they also didn't conceal it much.
It is obvious that even if you can't win, you have to make it known to everyone, so that some people want to quietly annihilate Uchiha without causing any waves or objections to fall through.
If we really want to destroy everything, then we might as well blow up half of Konoha village as a burial.
The Konoha village police station, located in the core area, contains a large number of explosive tags in plain sight, and no one knows how many are hidden in secret.
The Hokage household, once again, the meeting between Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo Shimura has already led to many arguments.
Homura Mitokado insisted, "...
“This is a threat and must be suppressed without hesitation. Now he is demanding forbidden techniques, threatening to kidnap the whole village. Does he want to become the Hokage in the future?”
“Uchiha is also a member of the village and has the qualification to become the Hokage.”
Monkey Flying Hikaku responded with a troubled heart,
"Some things are better said privately, don't let people hear it for real, it's not good for the influence."
"Influence, if you ask me, these rebellions should have been completely eradicated long ago."
As for Mitsuki, he looked at the others present without changing his expression, and calmly said:
"Uchiha should have sensed something. By acting so coyly, he is both avoiding the fate of being killed for no reason by the clan, and also trying to show goodwill."
台面下的隐私手段，有多肮脏都不足为奇，可一旦拿到光天化日下来说，上了台面，众目睽睽之下，很多手段就不能用了。
As for the Hidden Leaf Village, the Uchiha clan is no different.
Speaking of which, it seems that the Hidden Leaf Village harbors evil intentions, and the Uchiha clan is not exactly saintly either.
It's one thing to have a bad relationship, but there is no evidence to support the suspicion that the Uchiha clan orchestrated the Nine-Tails attack on the village and caused destruction.
"The problem now is, Tuan Zang, what have you done to make Uchiha Fugaku, this unpopular clan leader, refuse to let go?"
Xuanzhen Xiaochun looked at Shizumu Tuanzang meaningfully and said in a unfriendly tone,
"If you hide something from us and want the whole village to bear the blame, I can't support you. Of course, forbidden jutsu should never be made public."
"No comment. Everything done by Konoha's 'Root' is to eliminate disasters and contribute to the entire village. Even those who are involved, including myself, are no exception."
Tsunemura Tadakatsu, proud and stubborn, refused to answer.
"As for the Uchiha's demands, there's no need to worry. After all, it's not up to us. Once there's concrete evidence of their rebellion, we'll strike first, won't we?"
"Until now, there has been none."
The monkey flying warned,
"Only the Hokage is qualified to give orders, and that includes you and 'Root.' If you do not obey orders, I don't mind disbanding it again..."
Due to overstepping, the "Root" organization has a history of unauthorized actions being punished, and even being dissolved, but Shikimura Tazō has always stood firm and rebuilt it.
Presumably, Sarutobi Sasuke, who is still in the same position, also tacitly approves.
Some inconvenient things really need a shady organization to handle.
Today's argument hasn't made any progress, but at least we have reached an agreement on rejecting the Uchiha family's demands.
Although the exact results were not obtained due to the unsuitability of the forbidden technique for external dissemination, it is also beneficial for Uchiha Fugaku.
Having achievements, responding to the expectations of the clan, the clan leader will naturally gain more support.
……
The great show that happened in Konoha village made Gushan Busui, who was in a private manor outside the village, greatly amused.
If it weren't for the presence of Uchiha Madara and Kaguya, who incited discord between the two, it is possible that Konoha village and the Uchiha clan could have maintained a tense but unbroken relationship.
The ninja world is not peaceful, with powerful external challenges and constant internal disputes. Normally, now is not the time for purging, as the danger of another great ninja war breaking out is ever-present and external enemies are watching closely. It is indeed somewhat illogical to be eager to cut off one's own arm.
Of course, all of this has little to do with Gushan Boshui. It's just a gentle push that has led to this outcome.
As the year draws to a close, Harumi, who is on vacation, comes here to take a rest. During leisure time, Gushan Boshui will also guide her in practicing ninja techniques.
Unlike her mother, Kushina, who had a unique affinity for water, her daughter, Karin, has a decent talent in both Water Release and Earth Release. Just starting her ninja training, Water Release is more suitable for her to start with.
Standing on the frozen surface of the water, Hinata, exhausted of chakra and physical strength, finally stopped. The faint mist that surrounded her also dissipated.
"Is this the Mist Concealment Technique? It's clearly the lowest level of water release, with the same difficulty as learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I've tried so many times, but it never worked."
Karin grabbed her head, feeling somewhat regretful, saying,
"Sasuke has already learned C-rank Fire Release ninjutsu, and I haven't even mastered D-rank. Maybe I just don't have the talent."
"We've only just started, what's the rush? So what if Sasuke learned C-rank Fire Release, does that mean you've lost?"
Gu Shuibushui grabbed Xianglin's slightly cold hands with a smiling face,
"Take a rest first, have some hot tea to warm up."
"Understood."
Seeing his father talking about something satisfying, Xianglin's eyes lit up involuntarily.
“That's because he's too slow, can't hit anyone, and his ninja skills are useless.”
At this age, kids may know a few ninja skills, but it's likely not an advantage, but rather a weakness that weighs them down.
The Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique has a slow starting posture to begin with, and at the proficiency level of a beginner, one can only hit a fixed target. It is of no use in actual combat, and with limited physical strength and chakra, using powerful ninja techniques would consume a significant amount of chakra and physical stamina, leading to a quick defeat.
Uchiha Sasuke's strength is superior, but his tactics are completely wrong. It's normal to lose to the more pragmatic Haruno Sakura in a evenly matched battle.
After several months, Haruno Sakura, who has regained her position as the top student, can finally enjoy a happy vacation.
Of course, Ninjutsu practice cannot be neglected.
"The water release attacking ninjutsu mainly includes the crashing type such as Water Dragon Bullet technique, Waterfall Basin technique, as well as the high-pressure and reduced output killing type such as Water Severing Wave, Water Blade Slash, and Water Iron Cannon technique. To stand out, rich experience and strong chakra support are needed. Right now, you should focus on practicing the Mist Concealment Technique and Water Clone Technique to play to your strengths. In addition, you should make good use of the Water Strider and Water Mole techniques, which are essential for winning against Uchiha Sasuke. The harassment and restraint from these two little guys are indispensable."