"I know it's hard for you to believe right now, but time will prove everything I've said. Danzo has been waiting for this moment for a long time. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll likely make his move within the next few years!"
Sasuke was already four now—the Uchiha massacre shown in the original story was just three years away.
"He wouldn't dare go that far, would he? Even if Danzo has always loathed the Uchiha, wiping out our entire clan would provoke universal opposition. Even the Third Hokage wouldn't approve of such an action!" Fugaku Uchiha hesitated as he spoke.
"Under normal circumstances, he indeed couldn't take such action," Sakura responded. "But what if the Uchiha clan is accused of plotting rebellion? With that justification, no one would dare criticize him for eliminating the Uchiha!"
"Rebellion!" Fugaku tightened his grip on the teacup, his expression darkening. Recently, dissatisfaction among members of his clan toward Konoha had been growing steadily. Just the other day, Elder Fukasaku and others had approached him about making the Uchiha the ruling power in Konoha. If Danzo truly used this as an excuse, then even after the Uchiha were eliminated, no one would dare speak out.
"The Uchiha clan isn't unified. Those elders hold significant power as well, besides you," she continued. "While you've always wanted to mend things between Konoha and the Uchiha and return to peace, their ambitions extend far beyond that."
In the original storyline, after Shisui's death, several Uchiha clan members rudely confronted Itachi with arrogant attitudes. Considering Itachi was the chief's son, those individuals clearly had backing. Only Elder Fukasaku and others could rival the clan leader's authority.
"However, this also presents an opportunity!"
Sakura suddenly shifted directions. "It's time the Uchiha clan underwent change. Those old conservatives clinging stubbornly to past glories will only become dangers. Since they're hellbent on rebellion anyway, let them have it. That gives Danzo the perfect excuse to strike. At the same time, Chief, you can use this chance to clean house—to protect the decent members of the Uchiha clan while letting the rebellious ones tear into Danzo!"
"What exactly do you plan to do?" Fugaku asked gravely. The elders' power had grown too great—he often found himself overruled as clan head. As Sakura suggested, this really was a perfect opportunity to purge disobedient elements from the Uchiha.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Finalizing the Plan
"First, have the people loyal to you work on reshaping the Uchiha clan's public image following my earlier suggestions. Then secretly contact your most loyal followers, revealing only what you think they need to know. Lastly, keep a close eye on those pushing for rebellion within the clan. Once their calls for revolt reach their peak, Danzo should make his move!"
Sakura pondered for a moment. The most important thing now was to change the image of the Uchiha clan in the eyes of Konoha villagers — this was the key part of the follow-up plan. "Also, if you're planning to leave, prepare enough corpses according to the number of subordinates willing to go with you. When Danzo makes his move, I will disguise those corpses as the members of the Uchiha clan who have left with you, allowing you to successfully retreat into the shadows and wait for the right time to return to Konoha!"
As for when the Uchiha should reappear before the public, Sakura already had a vague plan deep in her heart.
"Tomorrow I'll contact my people and hold a meeting to announce the plan!" Fugaku Uchiha didn't voice any objections, but after a brief silence, he asked with slight confusion, "Why are you helping the Uchiha? From what I know, our reputation among the village has never been very good."
"Because Sasuke is my friend!"
Thinking about Sasuke's fate in the original story made Sakura sigh helplessly. Was living a life filled with deception and hatred truly what Sasuke wanted?
At just seven years old, he had to face the horror of his clan's annihilation, carried out by none other than his own beloved older brother. To get the power he needed for revenge, he cut all ties with Team 7 and sought strength from Orochimaru. Then, finally killing his brother, he discovered it had all been an elaborate lie.
The first half of Sasuke's life was consumed by hatred for the destruction of his clan, while the second half became a torment of remorse from mistakenly killing his brother. Even after being brought back by Naruto in the end, was that truly a happy ending? The Uchiha clan was gone, his older brother dead. Though the real culprits — Konoha's Elder Council — only lost Danzo in the end, Sasuke himself became a one-armed wanderer, endlessly roaming beyond the village, estranged from his own daughter.
"As a friend, there's no way I could stand idly by and watch him suffer like this!"
"Friends, huh?" Finally, a relaxed smile appeared on Fugaku's serious face. "It's Sasuke's good fortune to have friends like you."
"Naruto, Sasuke, be careful, don't hurt yourselves."
In the kitchen, Mikoto Uchiha watched helplessly as the two little boys playfully bickered with each other. They were like born rivals — best friends who could never stop trying to one-up each other.
"If I hadn't hesitated four years ago during the Nine-Tails incident because of the Elder Council's orders, maybe Minato and the others wouldn't have died."
Looking toward the kitchen and listening to the noisy quarrels between Naruto and Sasuke, guilt filled Fugaku's eyes.
"This wasn't your fault. Even if you had arrived at the battlefield back then, it wouldn't have changed anything. The true mastermind behind it all wouldn't give up so easily. And even if you had controlled the Nine-Tails with your Mangekyō Sharingan, afterward the Elder Council would've only grown even more wary of the Uchiha clan."
Sakura remained noncommittal. Obito carried the Cursed Seal left behind by Madara, and Black Zetsu was always watching him closely. Even if he wanted to stop... he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hoped the Fourth would recognize him back then. There's a good chance he was hoping the Fourth would recognize him on his own—maybe even counting on it to stop him in his tracks. But fate had other plans.
Fugaku Uchiha narrowed his eyes. The [Mangekyo Sharingan] was his ultimate trump card, a secret he had carefully guarded all along—even the Fourth Hokage didn't know much about it. That Sakura actually knew he possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan sent a chill down Fugaku's spine.
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