Chapter 12: Uchiha Fugaku's Gambit
Root Headquarters.
A perpetually dark chamber, devoid of natural sunlight—like a sewer buried deep beneath the earth, resembling the tangled roots from which the organization took its name.
Danzo Shimura, his right arm and eye wrapped like a mummy's, leaned heavily on his cane. His visible eye radiated cold menace as he stared down at the kneeling figure before him, displeasure evident across his weathered features.
"Ryōma, with your considerable skills, you couldn't even eliminate a greenhorn Uchiha brat? I am utterly disappointed in you."
His tone was harsh, his words cutting and severe.
Root's internal management was extraordinarily strict, its rules and disciplinary measures terrifyingly cruel by any standard.
A Root operative who failed their assigned mission could expect to be stripped of everything—identity, name, family, friends, past—and vanish without a trace, as if they'd never existed at all.
The other Root members standing at attention nearby, hearing Danzo's rebuking tone, already showed faint traces of sympathy for the kneeling Ryōma.
Poor bastard was as good as dead.
"I apologize, Lord Danzo. Uchiha Kazuki proved extremely cautious during our engagement."
Ryōma Aburame knelt on the cold stone floor, his head bowed deeply in a posture of submission. "More critically, I detected the Third Hokage's chakra signature approaching the area, so I made the tactical decision to abort the mission immediately."
His head was lowered in apparent deference.
But his eyes—hidden from Danzo's view—held no reverence whatsoever.
Having already witnessed the 'dragon,' how could I possibly fear a paranoid rat hiding in a ditch?
Danzo's face remained grim—or rather, it perpetually wore that expression.
Although the mission had failed, he didn't actually intend to punish Ryōma. After all, the man was his most capable right-hand operative, a valuable asset not easily replaced.
It was merely a small tactical miscalculation. A few harsh words of reprimand would suffice to maintain discipline. Danzo fully expected Ryōma to grovel and beg for forgiveness, after which he'd magnanimously allow him to make amends through future service.
However, no such groveling came.
Danzo waited. And waited. The silence stretched uncomfortably.
Almost to the point where he began to wonder if he was hallucinating, but Ryōma still didn't utter another sound.
"Ahem." Danzo cleared his throat pointedly. "Ryōma, don't you have anything else to say to me?"
"This subordinate has failed to meet Lord Danzo's expectations and voluntarily accepts full responsibility for the mission's failure."
Ryōma's tone was flat, professional—but notably lacking the usual desperate contrition.
The formal distance in that statement—"this subordinate" rather than the expected personal plea—made Danzo's already wrinkled face contort further with barely suppressed anger.
Fortunately, another Root operative quickly noticed their leader's mounting embarrassment and smoothly intervened to defuse the tension.
"Lord Danzo, if I may—I don't believe the failure of this particular mission rests entirely on Ryōma's shoulders. Rather, the Third Hokage's interference seems deliberate... perhaps a warning directed at us specifically."
"Hmm. In that case, punishment shall be waived."
Danzo seized the offered excuse immediately. "Ryōma, your assignment remains unchanged. Continue monitoring Uchiha Kazuki's activities and report everything he does. However, do not take any direct action without my explicit authorization. Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
Ryōma rose slowly and departed the chamber without another word.
Watching his most trusted subordinate's retreating back, a strange, indefinable unease flickered through Danzo's thoughts.
Is it merely my imagination...? Why does Ryōma seem somehow... distant?
Meanwhile, as Ryōma walked through Root's labyrinthine passages, his resolve only crystallized further.
My choice was absolutely correct.
Just as Lord Kazuki said—Danzo is nothing more than a rat hiding in the gutters, lacking the courage to face sunlight.
Such a paranoid, small-minded man is not worthy of my loyalty. He cannot offer the 'peace of mind' I desperately need.
Lord Kazuki... I will clear all obstacles from your path!
In the darkness of the tunnel, Ryōma's eyes burned with fervent devotion.
The Uchiha Compound, Evening
It was nearly sunset when Kazuki finally returned to the Uchiha residential district, exhausted from the day's events.
He'd barely stepped through the entrance when he encountered a familiar figure.
"Kazuki! You're back? Fugaku's been waiting for you for quite some time. He said he has something important to discuss."
The woman speaking was heavily pregnant, her face radiating contentment and maternal warmth despite the obvious physical burden.
Mikoto Uchiha—wife of the clan head.
But seeing Kazuki's visibly exhausted expression, concern immediately replaced her cheerful greeting. "Are you alright? You look absolutely drained. Should I ask Fugaku to come back another day instead?"
"I'm fine, Lady Mikoto. Thank you for your concern." Kazuki forced a tired smile, though his gaze inevitably drifted to her protruding belly. "It's you who needs to be more careful now. The baby—"
If nothing changes from the original timeline, this should be the future Uchiha prodigy. The famous brother with the world's worst case of little-brother syndrome.
Itachi Uchiha.
Mikoto smiled warmly, her right hand gently stroking her swollen abdomen. "It's still months away, and I was getting restless just sitting in my room. So I came along with Fugaku to visit you."
"Lady Mikoto, since Lord Fugaku has been waiting, I should see him immediately. Please excuse me."
Kazuki offered a polite bow before pushing open the door to his quarters.
"You're back."
Fugaku Uchiha sat inside, already waiting. Seeing Kazuki enter, he gestured to the seat across from him. "Sit. You look like you've encountered some trouble today?"
At this particular time, why would he specifically seek me out to ask about something like this?
Kazuki considered his response carefully, deciding to feign resentment and play into whatever game Fugaku was running. He nodded slightly, allowing a bitter expression to cross his features as he spoke through gritted teeth.
"You're right, Lord Fugaku. It seems my transfer to ANBU has... disturbed certain parties."
"Danzo?"
A knowing glint flashed in Fugaku's eyes—there and gone so quickly it was almost imperceptible. His voice remained perfectly calm and measured. "He made a move against you?"
Judging from Fugaku's emotional aura through spirit vision, he clearly knew about this beforehand.
Interesting. He knew, but deliberately didn't warn me.
A clan leader capable of controlling one of Konoha's founding families is indeed not simple.
Kazuki sneered inwardly at the political maneuvering.
Outwardly, he clenched his fist as if struggling to contain his anger. "That's correct. It was Danzo. He arranged for one of his Root operatives to... eliminate me. But then, for reasons I don't understand, the assassin suddenly retreated."
"I never imagined the Uchiha clan's situation had deteriorated to such a dangerous degree."
Fugaku's voice carried what sounded like genuine sorrow and resignation. "We were the greatest contributors to Konoha's founding, alongside the Senju. But now we've fallen to this state—isolated, suspected, targeted. Following the Senju clan's path to extinction, are we destined to also..."
Fugaku deliberately left the sentence unfinished, but the implication hung heavy in the air.
Extinction. Genocide. Erasure from history.
"Lord Fugaku, you mean..." Kazuki's eyes widened as if in sudden, horrified realization.
"Enough. Say no more, Kazuki."
Fugaku reached out and gripped his shoulder firmly, his expression grave and determined. "I will go to the Hokage myself and demand an explanation from Danzo for this unprovoked attack!"
"Lord Fugaku—" Kazuki's voice carried carefully calculated gratitude, followed by hesitation. "But... won't this only make Danzo hate the Uchiha clan even more? Won't it worsen our position?"
"No need to concern yourself with such matters, Kazuki."
Fugaku straightened his posture, his bearing suddenly that of a true clan patriarch. "Regardless of the political consequences, you are a member of the Uchiha clan. For your sake—and for the sake of our collective honor—I must confront the Hokage about this matter!"
"Thank you, Lord Fugaku. Truly."
Kazuki bowed with what appeared to be sincere gratitude.
"We are all of the same blood, the same clan. We must support one another in these dark times."
Fugaku patted his shoulder heavily, then added with deliberate significance, "Kazuki, you've achieved the rank of jonin. That qualifies you to participate in the clan council meetings. Remember to come to the Naka Shrine tomorrow evening."
The secret meeting place beneath the shrine—where the Uchiha plot their rebellion in the original timeline.
"Yes, Lord Fugaku. I'll be there."
Kazuki agreed verbally, though his mind was already racing through the implications.
"Good. Now get some rest—you look like you need it."
Fugaku stood, adopting the concerned manner of a benevolent elder. "And don't forget, Kazuki. No matter what happens, you'll always be a member of the Uchiha clan. We are family."
"I understand completely, Lord Fugaku."
Kazuki clenched his fist, his expression carefully crafted to show renewed determination. "I'll always be an Uchiha. Today's events have taught me an important lesson—neither Danzo nor the Third Hokage can truly be trusted!"
"I'm pleased you understand so quickly."
Fugaku smiled with satisfaction, his tone taking on a mysterious edge. "Look forward to tomorrow's meeting. You'll discover that the Uchiha clan is far more... complex than what you've seen on the surface."
With that cryptic statement, Fugaku departed, taking his wife's arm. The couple walked away together, their laughter echoing through the evening air.
Watching their retreating figures, Kazuki allowed himself a knowing smile.
So that was Fugaku's true purpose all along.
He deliberately withheld information about Danzo's assassination attempt. He allowed it to happen, knowing I'd survive. All to create this exact scenario—to use Danzo's actions to instill in me a deep-seated aversion toward the Hokage's faction, thereby solidifying my commitment to the Uchiha clan's cause.
Who would have thought that the seemingly harmless, devoted father from the anime was actually this cunning and ruthlessly pragmatic?
And so ambitious.
Perhaps the Uchiha clan's eventual rebellion wasn't solely due to external oppression. Internal factors—power-hungry leadership, manipulative politics—likely played an equally significant role.
Kazuki's smile widened.
Perfect. Everything is falling into place.
Author's Note: The political web grows more tangled! Everyone's manipulating everyone. Who's really in control here? Thanks for reading!
[End of Chapter 12]
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