"Time really flies."
Standing at the gate of his home, Yuhara looked up at the clear sky and couldn't help but smile.
It had already been a month since he used Waterfowl Dance to let those Root ninja experience the "blade of Miquella." A lot had happened since then—just as he'd predicted.
After eliminating so many Root operatives—and doing so in such a gruesome manner—Konoha began spreading word of his incredible strength. But beneath the surface, he could tell they were also painting him as "brutal" and "bloodthirsty."
No one had forgotten the Third Hokage's comments that night, especially not the other ninja. And the village was already buzzing with whispers about Yuhara's strange attitude toward "the demon fox."
He didn't need to guess; soon, the old rumors that the Sharingan could control the Nine-Tails would start circulating again.
But Yuhara didn't care. He had been mentally prepared for this. After all, he had sent over a dozen Root ninja to the Pure Land in one go. The fact that Konoha couldn't retaliate and could only vent through rumor-mongering was expected.
This was the "soft knife" of politics—and Uchiha already had a terrible reputation. What was one more stain?
Truthfully, Yuhara didn't like being on the defensive. But since he didn't control the propaganda machine, he couldn't do much about it.
"Not that any of this matters. What really matters is how Shisui has changed… and how the clan has started to change."
Shisui had, at first, been critical of Yuhara's deadly methods. After all, the people killed were still technically Leaf ninja.
But Yuhara had asked him a single question: If someone was coming to kill you, and it was clear they meant it… would you just sit there and let it happen?
Shisui had gone silent. There was no answer to that question—at least, not one he could give while clinging to his idealism.
Yuhara's words forced him to think, and for the past month, he'd been bombarding Shisui with dialectical reasoning like some kind of political tutor.
Then, about a week ago, Shisui had come to visit him late at night.
"I think I finally understand what you meant. If those people had succeeded, the clan would've been outraged. Furious at Konoha's audacity. Furious at its double standards. And Konoha... might've even wanted that to happen, right? To push the Uchiha over the edge. To start a conflict."
Yuhara nodded in approval. It had taken a week, but the fact that Shisui had come to that conclusion on his own meant real progress.
"But what I still don't understand," Shisui said, "is why Konoha would do something like this. Isn't the Uchiha part of Konoha?"
Yuhara could've cheered inside. That was exactly the right question.
He had already explained the tension between the Second and Third Hokage, but some things needed to be investigated firsthand. It looked like Shisui had done his homework.
"I already told you, the roots of this go way back. But let's just focus on the current situation."
"Have you noticed how cold the Hyuga clan has become since they handed over Hiashi's brother five years ago? It's not just them. Many of the major families have grown distant. They're afraid. Afraid they'll be the next target."
"And you've worked in the Anbu. You've met those Root agents—those emotionless puppets. Many of them came from bloodline clans too. Ever wonder how Root got their hands on them?"
Shisui fell silent, the implications dawning on him.
Yuhara didn't press. Everyone had secrets. Shisui wouldn't ask how he knew so much about Root.
"But the core of it is this: resentment is building. The other clans already blame Hiruzen for not stepping down after the Third Shinobi War. Then, when the Fourth died, he just took power again. And now? These recent events…"
"If you were in their position—worried about unrest—wouldn't it be tempting to 'make an example' of someone?"
"And who better than us? The Uchiha are already painted as dangerous, disloyal, and arrogant."
Shisui had gone completely quiet. The logic was ironclad. It wasn't a truth he wanted to accept—but it was the one that made the most sense.
In the days that followed, Yuhara's predictions came true.
Even though he'd survived the attack, the Uchiha clan had sensed that something wasn't right. Discontent grew louder. Rumors spread. And even a misstep like Danzo's could fuel a dangerous fire.
Yuhara kept acting like nothing had happened—still training, still socializing—but Shisui could tell the fuse was burning.
Even Uchiha Fugaku was running out of room to maneuver. As clan head, he tried to maintain balance—but both hardliners and moderates were starting to lose patience.
If one side ever took full control, Fugaku would have no choice but to side with the majority.
"But I can't let that happen," Yuhara thought, steeling his resolve.
If things played out the way they had in the original timeline, then all of this would've been for nothing. He refused to let history repeat itself.
The Uchiha Massacre was still some time away—but Yuhara had no intention of waiting until the last moment.
Some things had to be done gradually. But some things needed to be accelerated.
He couldn't afford to solve everything during the massacre. He had to act before the crisis ever started.
"It's a beautiful day," he murmured, stepping outside. "Let's hope it ends on a good note."
Today, he was going to confront Uchiha Sō and demand a final answer.
Whether or not Sō gave him a satisfying one… Yuhara would make sure he did.
If reason didn't work, then he'd use… "reason." He didn't want to use force—it might hurt his faction's prosperity score—but he'd prepared for this. He had a plan.
Sometimes short pain was better than long pain. If sacrifices had to be made now to secure the future, so be it.
With that thought, Yuhara arrived at Uchiha Sō's residence.
But when he stepped inside, he saw that Sō wasn't alone—there were others waiting as well.
(End of Chapter)