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<<<>>>
"Kumo has finalized peace agreements with both Kirigakure and Takimura. They're assembling a new army and will most likely turn their focus toward Konoha," Kitsuchi said, reading the report aloud. A faint smile crossed his face. "You were right."
Onoki, to whom the words were addressed, didn't react, not even a hint of satisfaction.
"What about Kiri and Takimura? Did our interference have any effect?" he asked calmly, still staring at Kitsuchi.
"We've only confirmed that it was publicly declared that Takimura forced Kumo to retreat. And Kiri has announced that anyone wishing to move to Takimura will be allowed to do so without harm," Kitsuchi replied, the smile slipping from his face.
"That means our plan failed," Onoki muttered, shaking his head.
"I underestimated them again. I assumed Takime Maki would blame Kirigakure for the attack on her brother, and that would shatter any chance of unity. But it seems she's not as gullible as I thought."
He stood up slowly, straightening his back with a crack that echoed through the tent. The sound was a harsh reminder that the Tsuchikage wasn't young anymore.
Leading the frontlines wasn't comfortable, but he couldn't hand over the responsibility. He wanted to make sure that Iwa's casualties were minimal against Sunagakure.
"Old man, why do you think Kiri backed down like that?" Roshi asked from the corner, arms crossed. The Four-Tails' jinchuriki rarely spoke, but when he did, he got straight to the point. "They've practically declared Takimura the rulers of the Land of Water. Does that mean Takimura's stronger?"
Onoki paced slowly, trying to ease the ache in his spine.
"No, not stronger, at least not yet," he said. "It's her. That girl. Yagura's probably still stronger at full strength, but if he's injured... and considering what she did to A... I'm not so sure anymore."
He reached for a cup on the table, sipped, and grimaced.
"This tea's cold. Get me a fresh one," he grumbled.
Kitsuchi handed the old cup off to a nearby aide and hesitated before speaking again.
"Father, Takimura becoming a village sets a dangerous precedent. What if more powerful clans decide they don't need the five great villages anymore? If they don't like how a Kage rules, they might just… break away."
Onoki turned slightly, eyes narrowing with thought.
"It's not a problem for us," he said, waving the concern away. "Iwa was never built on clans. We're mostly a union of civilian shinobi, not a nest of family dynasties. But Konoha... oh, Konoha will be furious."
For the first time that evening, Onoki smiled, genuinely.
It wasn't hatred that drove it. He didn't despise Konoha any more than the others. But he saw the Hidden Leaf as the greatest threat, and he had never truly buried his old rivalry with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"The Uchiha clan has become harder to control with each passing year. And now that they've seen an example of a clan breaking away and forming a recognized village…" Onoki took the fresh cup of tea, sipping it slowly, savoring it like it was the finest brew in the world.
There was something indescribably satisfying about Konoha's inner turmoil. About seeing the cracks deepen.
"Alright, old man," Roshi cut in, "enough gloating. Let's talk strategy. What's the plan for taking down Suna?"
<<<>>>
Shikaku sat across from Hiruzen and Jiraiya inside the dimly lit tent. The other clan heads weren't present - only the Nara, whose insight in matters like this was unmatched.
"You were right," Jiraiya said, crumpling the report in his hand. "Kumo's already retreated and signed a peace agreement with both Takimura and Kiri."
He held the paper over the flame of the nearby candle, watching it catch before tossing the burning scrap aside. They had already discussed Kiri's recent declaration recognizing Takimura as an official village and offering safe passage to any shinobi who wished to relocate there.
"Onoki played this well," Hiruzen muttered from where he stood near the tent's open flap, his eyes on the camp outside. Shinobi moved with discipline, carrying out their duties under the cool light of early dawn. A pipe rested in his hand, and he took a long, deliberate drag, letting the smoke curl from his lips before speaking again.
"We had no real choice. It was either face Suna and Iwa… or Kumo alone."
Hiruzen and Shikaku had understood Onoki's true intention the moment they received the proposal to attack Suna together. It was a calculated trap, one they had no choice but to walk into.
"What about Fugaku?" Hiruzen asked, finally turning from the exit. "Once he hears of Takimura's success, the Uchiha problem will escalate."
Jiraiya, who was half-leaning on the table, didn't look up right away.
"Old man," he said finally, "why don't we just let them go?"
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"I'm serious," Jiraiya continued. "What's left? Either we fight the Uchiha… or we let them leave in peace. I don't see a third option anymore."
His voice was heavier than it had been in his younger days. He was still an idealist at heart, still believed in peace, but he had learned to speak in the language of reality.
Hiruzen opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.
What could he say?
Repeating his ideals wouldn't change the reality staring them down. The choice was painfully clear now: a civil war within Konoha… or an uneasy separation.
"There's a risk, Jiraiya," Hiruzen said at last, finding the words to voice what weighed on him. "If the Uchiha form an alliance with Takimura, and they likely will, we'll have a new, independent village within the Land of Fire. One that could make a move against us."
Jiraiya turned to Shikaku. "What do you think?"
"The way I see it, there are multiple risks," the Nara clan head began. "If the Uchiha leave, we lose our strongest clan. The Senju aren't what they used to be... Along with that, we lose our most powerful kekkei genkai. And worst of all, we set a precedent - if one clan leaves, what stops others from thinking they can do the same?"
He glanced toward Hiruzen, then continued.
"There's also the chance that even after forming their own village, the Uchiha might not cut ties entirely. They were co-founders of Konoha alongside the Senju. That legacy isn't something they'll just forget. They'll always carry a claim to this place, and that makes them a potential threat."
Hiruzen opened his mouth to speak, but Shikaku raised a hand slightly, stopping him.
"And there are logistical concerns. How would we divide shared resources? What about trade routes, shared intelligence, and defensive agreements? There's a lot we'd need to untangle. But..."
He paused.
"If they're willing to leave peacefully, we can make a few modest demands," Shikaku continued. "Nothing too harsh. Require them to help us if we go to war. Have them make a public statement renouncing any claim over Konoha's legacy. We can even include a clause preventing them from forming alliances with other villages."
He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice.
"But it has to be fair. If we make it too restrictive, we'll just feed their resentment. That kind of bitterness… it turns people into enemies. And right now, a peaceful separation is far better than a civil war, especially with the state Konoha's already in."
He finished with a grim expression. The village had barely recovered from one crisis before the next arrived.
"I agree with Shikaku," Jiraiya said, his tone firm but tired. "You can't force someone to stay and fight for a village they no longer believe in. That's not loyalty, it's fear. And no matter how we frame it, we'd be doing it for our pride… nothing more, nothing less."
He exhaled sharply, and his voice dipped into something more personal.
"This isn't the kind of world I want to create."
Hiruzen sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Jiraiya's approach was so different from his own… It was idealistic yet grounded in a harsh truth. Letting the strongest clan in the village walk away? It would deal a massive blow to Konoha's power and prestige.
But a civil war would be far worse. Especially now, with Kumo looming just beyond their borders.
And deep down, Hiruzen had a sinking feeling the Uchiha weren't planning to wait until the war ended to make their move…
<<<>>>
"Even if Shisui is one of the most talented among the new generation, why is he here?" one of the elders asked, his tone sharp as his gaze scanned the room for whoever brought the boy.
"Because I brought him," Fugaku replied evenly, locking eyes with the man. The authority behind his gaze alone was enough to make the elder glance away, lips pressed tight in defeat.
"Very well," the elder muttered, shrinking back into his seat, avoiding the looks from others who were quietly savoring his embarrassment.
"Shisui," Fugaku said in a flad voice as he turned his attention, not to the boy, but to Itachi, "you asked to speak. Say what you came to say."
Shisui took a step forward, his voice rising slowly.
"Elders, Lord Fugaku… please, I beg you - reconsider leaving Konoha."
His plea echoed through the chamber. He was young, still driven by ideals and raw emotion. But that was the curse and blessing of the Uchiha. Their greatest strength was also their deepest flaw: emotion.
The Sharingan thrived on powerful feelings. Love, loss, fear, rage - it all sharpened their perception, awakened tomoe, and unlocked the Mangekyo. But those same emotions often overwhelmed them, clouding judgment, making them volatile. Their fire gave them strength… but it also devoured them from within.
"Shisui, we value you and your strength," one elder said. "That's why you were allowed to speak. But staying in Konoha is no longer an option."
Fugaku also spoke, his voice calm but simmering with restrained anger.
"We are the strongest clan in this village. We've been the backbone of Konoha since the day it was founded. And yet… the Hokage has never been one of us. Not once. We accepted Lord First. We accepted Lord Second. Even Lord Third was tolerable. But it's become clear that they are deliberately choosing anyone but an Uchiha."
His eyes burned, not with recklessness, but with righteous fury.
"Still, we remained loyal. We never rebelled. And how did Konoha repay us?" His voice rose, no longer calm. "They pushed us out of the village. Labeled us as the enemy because of one man's assumption that we caused the Nine-Tails attack."
He paused, letting the silence speak before continuing.
"They stripped us of our place on the council. It was only Jiraiya who reinstated us and even then, it was just a gesture. It changed nothing. Konoha humiliated us and nothing is stopping them from doing it again."
Fugaku's voice dropped to a simmer, each word laced with anger that could no longer be tamed.
"We don't ask for privilege. We demand what is rightfully ours."
Itachi's face fell at his father's words. This wasn't what he had expected. Not at all. And for the briefest moment, he saw the same shock and disappointment reflected in Shisui's eyes.
'This isn't what they said during the last meeting,' Itachi thought, confused. The plan had always been to push for a peaceful separation, to leave Konoha, not to turn against it. But Fugaku's words now made one thing clear, the Uchiha were no longer seeking an exit.
They were preparing for war.
'No... I can't let this happen.' His thoughts intensified. 'I won't let our clan start a civil war, not with Kumogakure already preparing...'
He flicked his tongue in realization, attracting everyones attention. Heads turned. All eyes were on him now.
'That's why they're bold enough to push this now.' Konoha was vulnerable. All its focus was on external threats - on Kumo, on the shifting alliances. The Uchiha were planning to exploit that moment of weakness.
"We can't do this," Itachi said, his voice breaking the silence. "We can't start a rebellion while Kumo is invading our borders."
There was an edge to his tone, more emotion than he usually let show.
"Let's demand a peaceful separation instead," he continued. "Negotiate."
He wasn't the strongest shinobi in the clan, not yet. But at just nine years old, he was already almost a jonin. And everyone in that room knew it wouldn't be long before he reached S-rank. His words carried weight now, and he used every bit of influence he had.
Because he knew what no one else in the room did.
Shisui was moments away from using his Mangekyo Sharingan on the entire council.
But Shisui didn't know the one thing that changed everything.
Fugaku had a Mangekyo too.
**
A/N -
Political tension chapters are always a weird beast to write. on one hand, no explosions, on the other, so much scheming
I had a lot of fun making Onoki a scheming mastermind. He's such a petty old man and I love him for it. The man sips lukewarm tea while dismantling the world order and casually thinking about his rivalry with Hiruzen. How can I not love this character? xD
We wont be looking too much into how war goes. I just showed why the war between Kumo and Takimura ended like this, who schemed again Kaoru and also showed how the legendary Uchiha massacre sidequest is going xD
Character Notes:
Onoki - Petty Grandpa - "I told you Takimura would mess things up. Now fetch me tea that doesn't taste like regret."
Shikaku - Overworked genius - "Just once, I'd like to solve a crisis without a civil war on the table."
Jiraiya - Tired idealist - "Let them go. Clingy ex energy won't save Konoha."
Itachi - Nine-year-old with back pain - "Why do I feel like I'll be the only one cleaning up this mess?"
Reminder - Break Tomorrow
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The link is also in the synopsis