The air around Uchiha Fugaku felt heavier than ever. He could sense it—the clan had reached a rare, near-unanimous decision. Hidden Cloud beckoned, and the Uchiha were ready to leave Konoha behind.
Only a handful—zealots like Obito or the long-fallen Itachi—might have opposed the plan. Most were realists. They knew survival came first; vengeance could wait. The Cloud might present problems, but staying in Konoha meant certain annihilation at the hands of the Hokage faction.
Fugaku let his gaze sweep over the eight elders flanking him. Apart from one or two who still looked conflicted, the rest—including Yashiro, Genshi, and Chilan—met his eyes and nodded. Their silent approval gave him resolve. As clan head, hesitation was a luxury he could not afford.
This Fugaku was not the man of the "original story," the one who waited for death under his son's blade. Itachi's death had changed him. He was harder now, decisive—a transformation that might save them all.
He turned toward their allies. "Neji-kun, Miss Yugito, the Uchiha recognize the sincerity of Hidden Cloud," he announced. "Leaving Konoha is no small matter. But given our situation, secrecy is vital. I will now call for a formal vote.
"All who agree to abandon Konoha and join Hidden Cloud, raise your right hand."
The murmur of whispers died instantly. For a breath, the room was silent. Then Uchiha Shisui, the clan's prodigy, raised his hand. One by one, every elite Uchiha followed until all thirty-two arms were aloft.
Yugito exhaled quietly. Pride defined the Uchiha, yet here they were, putting survival above hatred. Fugaku nodded. "Good. Spread the word quietly. Tell the others to pack only essentials—dry rations and medicine. Everything else is worthless now."
More than twenty jōnin hurried off to prepare, while Fugaku, Shisui, and the elders remained to plan the escape. Moving two to three thousand people would take time and could not stay hidden from the ANBU and Root forever. They needed speed and precision.
"We must discuss the evacuation order," Fugaku said. "The elderly, the weak, women, and children leave first with minimal food. Ten elite jōnin and half our chūnin will protect them. Elders Genshi and Huoshi, you will lead this group.
"Five years ago we were pushed to the village's northwest edge—ironically, that now favors our retreat. Shisui, with your ANBU knowledge of Konoha's barrier codes, the Hokage faction shouldn't notice anything for two or three hours after the first group departs. That window will suffice."
"The second group," he continued, "will be our able-bodied adults carrying clan provisions. Eight elite jōnin and fifty chūnin will escort them. Shisui and Yashiro will command."
Shisui frowned. With his newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan, he believed he should remain behind to cover the retreat. Why was Fugaku sending him forward?
"The final group," Fugaku said calmly, "I will lead myself. We'll stay to guard the withdrawal and buy the others time."
The elders exchanged startled looks. Everyone knew what that meant: near-certain death. Shisui's Mangekyō flared, the tomoe whirling like a four-bladed windmill. "Clan Leader, these eyes exist to protect my comrades. How can you exclude me?"
Fugaku met his gaze. "Shisui, I have led the Uchiha for fifteen years, yet under me the clan declined. Our current plight is my responsibility. Staying behind is my atonement. I don't believe in the Will of Fire, but I believe the clan's future belongs to the young.
"You awakened the Mangekyō at such a young age. You understand its burden. Hidden Cloud will need your strength. You must live."
Yashiro and the elders slowly nodded. They didn't wish for Fugaku's death, but someone had to remain, and Shisui's survival was paramount.
Chilan, the clan's sole female elder, said softly, "Shisui, since the Warring States era, clans have survived by ensuring the young live on."
An older man added, "Sometimes living takes more courage than dying. If we fail, the Uchiha's future rests with you."
Shisui hesitated. Elder Jinghe, closest to him, clapped his back. "You're still a pup. When I first fought on the battlefield, your father was still drinking milk."
Neji stepped forward beside Yugito. "Follow the Clan Leader's orders," he urged. "Yugito and I will help cover the retreat. It's dangerous, but not hopeless."
Shisui searched their faces, then gave a slow, reluctant nod. Yugito's strength was a hidden trump card; the Hokage faction had no idea she sided with the Uchiha.
"Preparations begin tonight," Fugaku concluded, turning to Genshi, Huoshi, and the others.
"Klan Başkanı, işi bize bırakın," they replied in unison. "We'll see our people safely out of Konoha."
As midnight deepened, Fugaku met with the elders again to finalize the cover operation. By dawn, the Uchiha grounds pulsed with quiet urgency as preparations began.
---
Meanwhile, across the village, another council gathered. In the eastern district, at Hiruzen Sarutobi's residence, Homura Mitokado, Utatane Koharu, and Danzō Shimura met to decide the Uchiha's fate.
"I never expected Uchiha Fugaku to awaken the Mangekyō and keep it hidden," Danzō said coldly. "I suspect he orchestrated the Nine-Tails attack."
Hiruzen puffed silently on his pipe, unreadable. Homura and Koharu remained still.
Impatient, Danzō pressed on. Blaming the Uchiha was his reflex. Though he knew a mysterious one-eyed Uchiha was the real mastermind, pinning the attack on Fugaku suited his aims.
Koharu finally spoke. "If Fugaku truly planned it, why stay in the compound that night? Why endure five quiet years? It makes no sense."
Danzō shifted targets. "Then Shisui, perhaps. He could have hidden his Mangekyō. Remember, the Uchiha are born to treachery."
"Danzo," Homura said evenly, "Shisui was a boy of eleven. To claim he masterminded the Nine-Tails attack is absurd."
Hiruzen studied Danzō. His old comrade's eagerness to assign blame was… troubling. Yet the larger issue was clear: the Uchiha.
"Enough," the Hokage said. "The Mangekyō's appearance is dangerous enough. How should we deal with the clan?"
Memories of Madara controlling the Nine-Tails still haunted him. Though Fugaku and Shisui were strong, a well-planned strike by enough elite jōnin could still end them—if it came to that.
"We strike first," Danzō declared. "Summon ANBU, Root, and the great clans—Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitokado, Utatane, Kazematsuri, Ise. A swift surprise attack will cut the Gordian knot."
Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke and shook his head. "Danzo, we would suffer heavy losses. I won't permit reckless action."
"Still so hesitant?" Danzō snapped, staff thudding against the floor. Homura and Koharu exchanged a glance but sided with Hiruzen. They knew Danzō's ruthlessness too well.
"Your arrogance blinds you," Hiruzen said mildly. "Better spend time with your clan than in shadows."
Danzō scowled. "Then how do you plan to handle them?"
"We can't strike first," Hiruzen said firmly. "If the Uchiha make the first move, we'll have cause to rally every great clan. Losses will be shared, and Konoha's stability will hold."
Homura and Koharu nodded. It was a patient strategy—slow erosion rather than open war.
"But what if they ally with Hidden Cloud or Stone and attack from inside and out?" Danzō pressed.
"That's baseless speculation," Hiruzen replied. "The Uchiha lack the political sense for such alliances. If they act rashly, they'll earn the enmity of every major clan, giving us moral ground to eliminate them."
Danzō's frown deepened. "You're raising a tiger that will maul you. The Uchiha are united as never before."
Even Koharu and Homura hesitated at that. A unified Uchiha was indeed more dangerous.
"Exactly why we must be cautious," Hiruzen said. "Don't doubt my resolve. I will move when the other clans are ready. With Hyūga, Kurama, Aburame and the rest beside us, the Uchiha will be purged swiftly."
Danzō's scowl eased slightly. It wasn't the bloodbath he desired, but it was progress.
Then a sly gleam lit his eye. "Hiruzen, I now possess both Sharingan and Wood Release. Give me the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. I can turn him into our ultimate weapon."
Hiruzen's stare hardened. "Naruto will train under Kakashi. I won't entrust him to you."
Koharu and Homura immediately backed the Hokage. "If you plan to mark him with a tongue curse seal as you do your Root operatives, you're deluded," Koharu said flatly.
Danzō fell silent, but his single Sharingan glimmered with unspoken schemes.
---
Back in the Uchiha compound, tension coiled through the night as word of the exodus spread in tight circles. Elders soothed the frightened and rebuked the hot-blooded. Some elders clung to Konoha out of age and habit; young firebrands called the move cowardice.
Yet under Fugaku's firm hand, preparations continued. By dawn, the proud Uchiha were ready to vanish from the Leaf—united, determined, and resolved to stake their future on Hidden Cloud.
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