Why did Shimoku defect?
Fundamentally, aside from the threat posed by the "Uchiha Massacre Night" itself...
It was because Konoha was just too oppressive!
He couldn't stand staying there any longer.
Every Uchiha ninja—
Shopping on the street required surveillance.
Eating a bowl of noodles required surveillance.
Buying clothes also needed monitoring.
Not to mention the discrimination and isolation the Uchiha children suffered within the Ninja Academy.
That's exactly why radicals kept emerging within the clan.
Some even banded together, pressuring Clan Head Fugaku into planning a coup.
Human prejudice is a mountain too high to cross.
And this wasn't just prejudice—it was full-blown discrimination!
In Shimoku's previous life, look at that ["Land of the Free"]—after more than a hundred years, countless laws passed and wars fought, racial discrimination still hadn't fully disappeared.
Shimoku had had enough—and so had most of the Uchiha.
That's what led to this defection...
...
As for why Shimoku brought so many clansmen along:
Firstly, many of them had once done him favors.
His parents in this life both died during the Third Great Ninja War. Young Shimoku had practically survived only thanks to the clan's support.
So naturally, he couldn't forget his roots.
Secondly, only by leading enough people away could he gain the human resources needed to establish a new village—and pursue a happy life!
What exactly constitutes a happy life?
A truly blissful lifestyle...
Is freely enjoying various delicacies without restraint while eating!
Purchasing whatever you desire without limits while shopping!
Getting a foot rub from cute girls while soaking in hot springs!
Essentially—a complete, advanced commercial service chain...
That's the reason Shimoku led everyone in defecting!
If it were only himself involved, he could've cut through Konoha's grip and vanished without a trace ages ago.
But what can one accomplish alone?
Live in the forest forever, scrounging for berries and roots?
What kind of life is that for a man?
Therefore, establishing a village became necessary. Developing this settlement was crucial.
He intended to build this place into a beautiful paradise exclusively for himself and the Uchiha clan!
Of course, guarding this paradise would take nothing short of raw, unstoppable power!
...
Shimoku chose a small hill about dozens of miles southwest of the [Land of Rice Fields], right next to [Otogakure].
It was a modest site—not large in area, but surrounded by thick forests with a long, winding river behind the hill, making it quite strategically advantageous with its natural mountains and waterways.
Naturally, within the Ninja World,
An ideal village location mainly makes daily life easier for residents.
As for defense...it's basically negligible.
When real war arrives, if someone launches a [Planetary Devastation] or uses a [Shinra Tensei],
either you withstand it, or you don't.
Not even building your village on a cliff will save you if you can't fight back.
At this moment, as agreed beforehand,
Orochimaru had indeed dispatched personnel early to erect over a hundred simple wooden houses here.
Enough to temporarily accommodate all the defectors.
Of course, this was merely the beginning.
To build a complete village, there were still many infrastructure elements to establish:
1. Energy system;
2. Transportation system;
3. Food and catering supply system;
4. Living environment system;
5. Water resources and drainage system;
6. Disaster prevention and military readiness system;
7. Medical care and education system;
And so on...
Clearly, establishing a complete village was no overnight job, nor something you could simply dream up with a snap of the fingers.
Fortunately, because the Uchiha Clan had long been marginalized to the village's outskirts, they had basically developed their own societal system already.
Although this time, only slightly more than half the Uchiha population had left with them, and among those, the actual combat-capable ninja numbered merely around fifty or sixty,
the remaining members of the clan worked across various trades — each possessing their own special talents and unique crafts.
With just a little effort and careful planning,
gradually building a complete town would be entirely feasible.
As for how exactly to develop these infrastructural elements, Shimoku entrusted such matters to several respected elders within the clan.
These elder leaders were nearing their sixties or seventies, having witnessed Konoha's step-by-step rise and decline firsthand.
They naturally possessed extensive experience in village construction,
experience far beyond what Shimoku himself had.
There was specialization for everything.
If he meddled in areas he didn't understand, it would only cause chaos.
Certainly, these civilian affairs could be delegated.
But as for military and political authority, he tightly maintained sole control.
Within this new village, there would absolutely be only one leader — only one voice shall be heard!
Call him authoritarian, tyrant, whatever you like — it changed nothing.
But Shimoku wouldn't foolishly disperse power like Konoha did, allowing schemers like Danzo to stir trouble here.
Want to take over?
Defeat me then!
Hmm? Can't beat me?
Then just go back to work!
In short, in Shimoku's opinion, only through true centralization could the village effectively thrive in this brutal Ninja World!
Soon enough, basic construction tasks began being arranged in an orderly fashion.
Freed from Konoha's oppression,
these clan members displayed unprecedented enthusiasm.
After all, when comparing:
on one side, working hard for the very village that rejected them,
versus fighting for the creation of their own ideal community,
which scenario inspired greater passion needed no explanation.
Moreover, with Shimoku's formidable strength backing them up,
the clanspeople felt significantly reassured, fully devoting themselves to building this new village.
Meanwhile,
the issue regarding the naming of their new village also generated considerable attention.
That very night,
several respected elders and younger Jonin approached Shimoku, seeking the young heir's thoughts on the matter.
"Shimoku, what should we name our new village?"
"Do any of you have suggestions?"
"I've one idea — how about calling it [Eye Hidden Village]? It fits perfectly with our bloodline trait!"
"Meh, it just doesn't sound all that cool or intimidating..."
"How about [Uchiha Hidden Village]?"
"That sounds kind of weird..."
"Tch! Then why don't you try coming up with a better one yourself?"
"What about [Light Hidden Village]? It symbolizes the bright future of our clan!"
"Now that's even weirder..."
Seeing everyone laugh and bicker among themselves,
Shimoku couldn't help but feel amused as well.
Of course, as the young clan leader, he ultimately had the final say.
"Since our clan is known for Fire Release techniques, how about naming it the [Homura Hidden Village]?"
"Fire begets flame — this name will let us crush both Konoha and the Hokage underfoot!"
Shimoku declared decisively.
The surrounding Uchiha clan members immediately lit up with excitement, their delight obvious.
After all, the kanji 'Homura' (meaning fire) perfectly captured the essence of their clan.
Moreover, most of those who willingly defected from Konoha had long suffered discrimination and mistreatment there.
A name like this, daring to challenge both Konoha and the Hokage? Of course they were all for it.
Soon, the new village's official name was decided.
In three days' time,
the [Rice Fields] would publicly announce its acceptance of the Uchiha Clan.
Meanwhile, the newly founded [Homura Hidden Village] was about to make its grand debut on the Ninja World stage.
Let's just hope Konoha doesn't blow a gasket over this.
Additionally, considering the speed at which information spreads and other nations' reaction times,
within five days, the [Homura Hidden Village] should still be fairly secure.
Taking advantage of this window,
Shimoku planned to take full stock of his abilities and enhance them.
After all, having just looted Konoha's treasury and obtained such a massive sum of premium gold coins through pay-to-win means,
it was time to go all out in the system and trade those coins for some seriously powerful new skills.
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