The day after the final preparations were completed, an expanded meeting was held in a conference room in the Hokage's office. In addition to the four top leaders of Konoha, the three clan heads of the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance were present—staunch supporters of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The topic of the meeting was simple:
How should they respond to the Uchiha rebellion?
"What else is there to do? We fight," someone said. "The recall of so many ninja and the temporary halt of external missions—this was all in preparation for this moment."
"Sarutobi, I think we should begin final readiness," another elder urged.
The Third Hokage nodded. With the possibility of peace slipping further away, it was time to show their resolve. He turned to the man beside him.
"Shikaku, report on the progress of our battle plan."
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Everyone, please take a look at this—our preliminary response plan for the Uchiha rebellion." Shikaku Nara unfurled a scroll. "Once we confirmed their intent to rebel, our countermeasures actually began last night."
"All jōnin in the village have been notified under the pretext of a large-scale drill. ANBU squads have completed contraction and are now in deployment status. The star performer for the upcoming show will arrive two days early; most residents will be drawn to the opera house, and those who don't go will be discreetly relocated. Within two days, all traps will be set."
"Based on our force comparison, the rebellion should be crushed within three hours. Of that, approximately two hours will be street combat contained within the Uchiha compound, with no damage to surrounding infrastructure."
Everyone present studied the deployment schedule on the scroll. Most nodded in agreement, but Koharu Utatane frowned.
"Relocating nearby residents risks alerting the Uchiha," she said. "If they notice, they might advance their timetable. That would complicate everything."
"I agree," Homura Mitokado added.
From a strategic standpoint, sacrificing a few residents was acceptable. Compared to the safety of Konoha as a whole, the lives of individual civilians were a lesser priority.
Besides, those residents lived cheek-by-jowl with the Uchiha. Even if they died, the Uchiha rebellion would be the root cause. Konoha had not started this war; morally, the village would not be the one at fault.
Danzo gave a small, approving nod.
Seeing no further objections, Sarutobi turned back to Shikaku.
"Make the revision they suggested."
Shikaku drew a line through the section about relocating residents.
Apart from that adjustment, the plan satisfied everyone. No one saw any other flaws.
After preparing against the Uchiha for so many years, both sides knew each other well. Now, Konoha finally had a chance to showcase its hidden measures. The enemy was known; their response was unknown. The Uchiha would find it hard to stir up true chaos. The only question was how high a price Konoha would pay for victory.
As the senior meeting neared its end, the doors opened. Jōnin and ANBU captains responsible for executing the plan filed into the room. Sarutobi slowly rose to his feet and addressed them.
"Let me state this again: this battle is not about annihilation. It is about eliminating evil and preserving the stability of Konoha," he said. "The Uchiha clan has been misled by a handful of ambitious individuals with sinister intentions. We must demonstrate Konoha's strength and resolve, and use this battle as a warning."
"But throughout this process, we must do everything possible to reduce unnecessary casualties—especially among women and children. This is our duty as ninja."
"The Uchiha clan has made many contributions to Konoha in the past. That things have come to this point is my failure as Hokage. For Konoha, this is a painful trial. I hope that after this battle, we can find a new path back to peace, that they can return to the right road, that Konoha can be more united—and that such tragedies never happen again."
His words reverberated through the room. The young jōnin and ANBU captains wore solemn, determined expressions.
Danzo, however, wore a faintly mocking smile.
When it came to leadership and moral posturing, he could not compete with Sarutobi.
The deal between him and Uchiha Itachi was not mentioned at this meeting. That was understandable. Placing all of Konoha's hopes on a single Uchiha traitor would be reckless and irresponsible.
In war, one always combines the obvious move with the unexpected one. Itachi Uchiha was the unexpected piece. For Sarutobi, the ideal outcome was for that piece to work—minimising Konoha's losses. If it didn't, then a straightforward battlefield clash would suffice.
After the Hokage finished, he began assigning specific tasks to the various jōnin and ANBU captains. Danzo was about to leave when he suddenly paused. His gaze swept the room, and he realised he hadn't seen a particular figure.
"Where is Neiki?" he asked.
Everyone looked at him, but no one answered.
As the captain of the Root unit assigned to monitor the Uchiha, Neiki should have been present.
Neiki was missing.
Danzo realised it at once.
He had disappeared without explanation—and had been gone since the previous night.
"Could that Neiki have leaked information?" Koharu Utatane, who'd almost reached the door, turned back with a frown.
To vanish at such a critical moment…
Danzo remembered Neiki's earlier proposal to frame the Uchiha from within Root.
No.
He couldn't be colluding with them.
Danzo shook his head.
"He shouldn't leak anything. He's from the Hyuga branch family," Danzo said flatly.
That seemed to settle the matter.
A minor figure from the branch house.
"Perhaps he was captured by the mysterious culprit targeting the branch family recently," Koharu suggested. Even she had heard of the strange string of attacks on Hyuga branch members. It was baffling that the unknown killer was targeting only the branch and not the main family.
After a brief discussion, they concluded Neiki's disappearance would not substantially affect the Uchiha plan.
From Konoha's leadership, the "response" Neiki warranted was simply:
Notify the Hyuga main family, and
Assign an ANBU squad to investigate his whereabouts.
The meeting continued.
Shikaku went over the operational details once more with the unit commanders.
Standing among the crowd, Kakashi let his gaze drift from the direction in which Danzo and the elders had departed.
The "Twin Prodigies of Konoha"—Uchiha Itachi and Hyuga Neiki—were well known in the village for both their genius and their unusual backgrounds. It was understandable that Itachi wasn't present, given his role as a double agent. But Neiki's absence, combined with the rumours of trouble around him, was shocking.
…
After the meeting, the room emptied gradually. Kakashi was near the rear of the group when a carrier pigeon flew in through the window and landed on the Third Hokage's arm.
Hiruzen opened the note. His expression shifted from calm, to stunned, to deeply unsure.
Kakashi wanted to see the letter but was pushed out by Shikaku, who shut the door behind them.
Just before it closed, Kakashi faintly heard the usually composed Hokage say:
"Neiki has discovered…"
"…the culprit behind the branch-family attacks is…"
"Uchiha… Madara!"
Can you guess what Neiki plans to do?
PS :
Ino–Shika–Cho Clan Heads - Heads of Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans.
Supports Hiruzen.
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