> "Aside from those two options... there's a third."
> "Leave Konoha."
It was true.
They couldn't win in a fight.
They couldn't talk their way out.
Surrendering would only make them sheep waiting for the slaughter.
Then why not… just run?
If the Uchiha clan was truly determined to escape together, their position near the village's edge meant slipping past Konoha's barrier wasn't impossible.
Sure, the non-combatants might not get far… but those with fully developed three-tomoe Sharingan—some of them might survive.
If even a handful lived on in hiding, the Uchiha bloodline would continue.
Who's to say? In a few generations, they might become the greatest clan in the ninja world once again.
But the problem?
> Uchiha pride.
To tell a Uchiha to flee like a dog is like asking them to slit their own throat.
They'd rather die with honor.
They were no different than the war-hungry Kaguya clan of the Mist, arrogant fools unable to see reality for what it was.
Uchiha acted like geniuses, but they were trapped by their own ego.
> "Ninjas don't live by honor," Naruto muttered.
"That's the samurai's game."
The Fourth Hokage, Minato, understood this well.
Before his death, he'd been working with Fugaku on a way to reintegrate the Uchiha into Konoha's system, to de-escalate the rising tensions.
But then the Nine-Tails attacked, and everything fell apart.
Minato died.
Fugaku lost his ally.
And the village's leadership tightened the noose.
---
Now, only two outcomes remained.
Either:
All Uchiha awaken Mangekyō Sharingan en masse and power up like Gundams to wipe the village off the map.
Unlikely. Fantastical.
Or:
Cut off a limb to save the body.
Sacrifice part of the clan, preserve the rest.
> "Give up those too blind to see the truth," Naruto said coldly.
"Save the ones worth saving."
It sounded like running.
But it wasn't.
> This time, Uchiha would hold the initiative.
Not the village.
---
Minato agreed completely.
This was the only viable third path.
> "So, Naruto… do you have a way to extract them?"
"Can you get them out?"
> "Me?" Naruto blinked. "Heck no."
He hadn't learned Instant Transmission from Goku yet.
And besides, Goku didn't even know it during his King Kai training.
> "What am I gonna do? Fire off a Kamehameha and blow the whole village sky-high?" Naruto joked.
> (Although, now that he thought about it… that did sound tempting.)
Minato looked like he wanted to facepalm.
> "You don't have a plan, and yet you're talking like you do?"
> "Not me," Naruto grinned.
"But you do."
Minato raised a brow.
> "You're the man who turned teleportation into a combat style," Naruto said, eyes gleaming.
"The Flash of the Leaf… Flying Thunder God Jutsu!"
But Minato shook his head, expression dim.
> "I'm dead. I can't use it."
> "You are," Naruto admitted. "But that doesn't mean your chakra can't."
That got Minato's attention.
> "Wait… you're not asking me to teach you Flying Thunder God, are you?"
> "Eventually, sure," Naruto said. "But not right now. No time."
> "I have a workaround," Naruto said, lowering his voice.
Behind the seal gate, Kurama the Nine-Tails perked up, curiosity practically dripping from his furry ears.
Naruto leaned in and whispered:
> "Chakra. Ki. Shadow Clones."
---
The Plan:
It was deceptively simple.
Naruto uses Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Minato infuses one of the clones with a portion of his chakra and awareness.
Since clones are chakra projections of the user's will, Minato could remote-pilot it like a drone.
No chakra strings. No sealing rituals.
Just chakra + clone = puppet with Minato's mind.
Only downside?
> Limited range.
The clone couldn't go too far from Naruto's actual body.
Still, Minato admitted—it might work.
---
Later That Night…
Dark clouds drifted over Konoha.
No stars. No moon.
The perfect night for secrets.
Inside the Uchiha compound, Fugaku sat alone in his study, sipping bitter tea.
The weight of his clan's fate pressed down harder than ever.
Earlier that day, the pro-war faction had gained overwhelming support—nearly 70% of the clan now backed rebellion.
Even as the clan head, Fugaku was losing control.
Rumor had it that after the main meeting, a secret group had convened in private.
He didn't even know what was discussed.
And to top it all off, even Itachi, his son and supposed liaison with the village, was starting to hide things from him.
> "He's grown up…" Fugaku thought. "But something's not right."
Suddenly, a soft fragrance tickled his nose, followed by a warm presence at his back.
> "You've worked hard, Fugaku," said a soft, familiar voice.
It was Mikoto, his wife.
Her gentle fingers began to massage his temples.
Fugaku reached up and held her hand, eyes softening.
For the first time in a while… he relaxed.
> "Let's leave," Mikoto whispered.
"Let's just leave Konoha behind."
She'd watched him suffer for years—watched the light fade from his eyes.
Even as a civilian housewife, she felt the storm coming.
> "Foolish," Fugaku murmured. "We have nowhere to go… and Konoha would never let us go."
> "I'm the clan head. I don't have the luxury of choosing peace."
As soon as he said it, his instincts flared.
Someone was here.
He snapped upright, red light flashing in his eyes.
Three tomoe Sharingan activated.
> "Who's there?!"
Across the room, by the window—where no one had stood a moment ago—were two figures, one tall, one short, cloaked in shadow with hoods over their faces.
> "An intruder?" Mikoto's fingers twitched.
From her sleeve, a thin blade slid out—its metal glinting in the moonlight.
She may have been a housewife now, but once upon a time, Mikoto was a top-class kunoichi.
She'd been classmates with Minato and Kushina, and her shuriken skills were still unmatched.
> "To sneak past my senses… who are you?" Fugaku asked warily.
These two weren't from ANBU.
They weren't ROOT either.
He didn't know if they were friend or foe.
> "Apologies for the intrusion," the tall figure said, removing his hood with slow, respectful movements.
And when his face was revealed—
Both Fugaku and Mikoto's eyes widened in disbelief.
> "Fugaku. Mikoto… long time no see."
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