The Tree That Doesn't Move Dies; the Person That Moves Lives—Fugaku, Take the Uchiha to the Hidden Cloud Village
Morning light filtered through the thin curtains, drawing soft stripes across the hotel room. Neji stirred awake, a faint ache lingering in his shoulders from the previous night's exertions. Just as he stretched, a gentle voice drifted from behind him.
"Neji-kun."
He turned sharply. Yugito stepped out of the bathroom, damp hair cascading in golden strands down her back. She wore no robe, only a plain black T-shirt whose hem barely skimmed her thighs. Her long, smooth legs caught the morning glow, pale and perfectly proportioned, like sculpted marble.
Neji blinked twice, then blurted, "Captain—why are you wearing my shirt?"
"My robe got wet," she replied with an easy smile. "Your T-shirt was on the balcony. Borrowed it in an emergency. You don't mind, do you?"
"N-not at all," he managed, cheeks warming.
"Good." She settled gracefully on the couch, crossing one leg over the other and idly swinging her foot. From where Neji stood, the sight was… distracting. He drew in a sharp breath.
"I'll… go get breakfast." He bolted for the door.
Yugito watched him leave, a quiet laugh escaping her lips. For all his prowess, Neji could still be adorably flustered.
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When Neji returned, he carried two food boxes and another pair of large, heavy cases. He set them down and opened the cases to reveal stacks of crisp banknotes—eighty million ryo, neatly bound.
"That's all?" he muttered, counting quickly. "If the Chūnin Exams hadn't ended early, I'd have tripled this."
Yugito arched an eyebrow while nibbling on tricolor dango. "Eighty million… from a few weeks' work? Do you always earn money so easily?"
"Easily?" Neji scoffed. "This is hard-earned—mostly from the casino."
Her eyes widened. A veteran jōnin might toil five or six years for that sum. Even she, a Two-Tails jinchūriki and a high-ranking kunoichi of the Hidden Cloud, could never amass it so quickly. "I should've bet on myself," she said with mock regret. "The Two-Tails jinchūriki is worth at least five hundred million in wagers. I could have won four hundred million without breaking a sweat."
Neji nearly choked on his tea. That's not how casinos work… but he let it slide.
After a few moments of companionable silence, Yugito's tone turned serious. "The Chūnin Exams are over. We can remain in Konoha only a few more days. What's next?"
Neji placed the last bundle of cash into a storage scroll. "The Uchiha clan is cornered. They think they have only two choices: fight the Hokage faction and die, or surrender and die more slowly. Tonight, we'll show them the third path—escape."
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Nightfall
Darkness draped Konoha in a heavy shroud. Neji and Yugito stood on a rooftop, black-clad silhouettes against the moonlit sky. In the northwest corner of the village, the Uchiha compound glowed faintly, guarded but tense.
"The air itself feels heavy," Yugito whispered.
Neji nodded. "Let's go."
In a blink they vanished, reappearing on the outskirts of Uchiha territory. Root and Anbu surveillance was present but lax; Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't yet ordered the clan's destruction and avoided provoking them. Neji and Yugito slipped through the shadows, unseen.
They reached Fugaku's house without a sound—until two shuriken sliced through the darkness.
Neji caught them between his fingers. A small figure stood in the corridor, eyes sharp despite his youth.
"Who are you?" demanded five-year-old Uchiha Sasuke, sleepless and wary since his brother's death.
"You're quick," Neji said with a faint smile.
Before Sasuke could react further, Yugito stepped forward, a single precise touch sending him into gentle unconsciousness.
Footsteps thundered. Uchiha Fugaku appeared, Mangekyō Sharingan flashing with killing intent. "Who are you?"
Yugito removed her mask and bowed slightly. "Clan Leader Fugaku, please—no harm is meant."
Fugaku's eyes narrowed but he gestured them inside.
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The Offer
Steam curled from the teapot in the dimly lit room. Fugaku sat across from the visitors, expression unreadable.
"Does the Fourth Raikage truly wish to welcome my clan?" he asked finally.
Neji met his gaze, the pale veins of his activated Byakugan visible. "You recognize these eyes. In the Hidden Cloud I found freedom and honor, all under the Fourth Raikage. If he freed a caged bird like me, how much more would he value an eagle like the Uchiha?"
He leaned forward. "Centuries ago your ancestors lived in the Land of Lightning. Returning north is not exile—it is coming home."
Fugaku's stern face betrayed a flicker of thought. What if Madara had never joined Hashirama in founding Konoha? Would the Uchiha have flourished in the Land of Lightning instead of facing persecution?
Yugito pressed the advantage. "The Raikage's dream is to make the Hidden Cloud the strongest village in the world. Konoha buries your talent. In Kumogakure, your clan will shine. And when the time comes, you can march south and reclaim vengeance."
Memories surged in Fugaku's mind: the blame after the Nine-Tails' attack, the quiet hatred from other clans, the injustice of Danzo's impunity, Itachi's tragic death. He drank his tea in a single swallow.
Neji's voice was steady. "The winds of freedom blow over Amagumo Mountain. A tree dies when uprooted, but a man survives when he moves. Lead your clan north."
Fugaku set down his cup with finality. "You speak wisely. I will summon the elders."
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The Clan Council
Shortly after midnight, eight elders and twenty-four jōnin gathered in the training yard. The air vibrated with suppressed fury. Many expected Fugaku to announce a coup.
Instead, he said calmly, "We will not rebel. We will leave Konoha and join the Hidden Cloud."
Shock erupted.
"Leave Konoha? Impossible!"
"Is this cowardice?"
"Did Itachi die for nothing?"
Arguments roared like a storm. Fugaku listened until the noise became counterproductive, then raised his hand. His Mangekyō flared, silencing the crowd.
"A coup will doom us," he said. "You believe we can topple the Hokage faction? Think again. If we strike, the entire village—twenty thousand ninja—will unite against us. Those who lost loved ones in the Nine-Tails' attack already blame us and will seize the chance to erase us. Even neutral clans will fight to preserve order."
The radicals faltered. They were proud, but not blind. Fugaku's reasoning sliced through their illusions.
An elder stood. "Even if we leave, won't Konoha hunt us down?"
"Voluntary departure is different from rebellion," Fugaku replied. "At Konoha's founding, the First Hokage declared that clans were free to come and go. Hiruzen may not honor that ideal, but if we leave peacefully he cannot rally every clan to destroy us. Only the Sarutobi, Shimura, Root, and Anbu would fight—and even if we lost half our number, survival would be possible."
Murmurs rippled through the assembly. Shisui's eyes brightened with cautious hope. Perhaps this path could preserve the clan.
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Quiet Interlude
While debates continued, Neji waited in an adjacent room with Yugito and Mikoto. The Uchiha matriarch poured tea with quiet grace. Her loose robe hid the warrior she once was—an elite jōnin with a three-tomoe Sharingan—yet her presence remained strong.
"I'm sorry about your son's fright earlier," Neji said gently.
"It wasn't your fault," Mikoto replied. "Sasuke is… restless."
Neji studied her face, sensing the dignity beneath her calm exterior. What a remarkable woman, he thought, taking another sip of tea.
Yugito tapped his arm. "Our turn."
They returned to the courtyard where thirty-two pairs of Sharingan eyes now watched them closely. Most gazes settled on Yugito; her reputation as the Two-Tails jinchūriki carried undeniable weight.
Fugaku addressed them. "We intend to lead the entire Uchiha clan—three thousand strong—out of Konoha. What assistance can the Hidden Cloud provide?"
Neji exhaled, relieved the crucial decision had been made. He nodded to Yugito.
She stepped forward, voice ringing clear. "I guarantee two things. First, the Fourth Raikage has mobilized elite forces. Once the Uchiha move, our troops will march south to meet you. Second, Neji and I will remain in Konoha to aid your departure."
The courtyard fell silent as the Uchiha absorbed her words. Her promise was not mere diplomacy; her presence here proved Kumogakure's sincerity.
Neji allowed himself a faint smile. Half the mission is already complete.
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Reflection
Under the moon's cold light, the Uchiha faced their future. They had chosen movement over stagnation, life over certain death. A tree that stays rooted may wither, but a person who dares to move can survive—and perhaps, one day, triumph.
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