"What am I anxious about?" Setsuna widened his eyes, his tone carrying an incredulous urgency, "Those children under fifteen! They are the future of the Uchiha! Even if only one child goes to their death, it's our loss! To protect his Moderate Faction, Fugaku might truly push the children out!"
Shine looked up at him, a trace of barely perceptible teasing in his gaze: "Did Hiruzen Sarutobi explicitly order Fugaku to send children to the battlefield, or did he issue an official Hokage decree?"
"Uh... This..." Setsuna's voice suddenly caught, the anxiety on his face instantly replaced by bewilderment.
He stood frozen in place, rapidly recalling the content of the Hokage's reply in his mind — Fugaku requested reinforcements, Hiruzen Sarutobi said he couldn't spare manpower, permitted him to draw reinforcements from within the clan, but'suggested' prioritizing able-bodied adults, and finally added, 'If truly difficult, Ninjas aged fifteen and above may remain at the Clan Compound.'
From start to finish, Hiruzen never forcibly demanded that children under fifteen must be sent, not even issuing a clear command, just a vague kind of 'tacit permission.'
Watching Setsuna's expression shift to sudden comprehension mixed with some embarrassment, Shine spoke calmly, "It seems you've remembered. Hiruzen Sarutobi is shrewd. He won't issue a definitive order, only giving Fugaku a seemingly 'accommodating' choice, forcing him into a difficult decision — either watch the frontline collapse, or sacrifice the children. Whichever path he chooses, it's the Uchiha who suffers."
He paused, his tone turning sharp: "But he forgot, if Fugaku wants to mobilize personnel, he still needs to ask if we agree."
Shine picked up the teacup, gently swirling the tea inside, "Send a message to Fugaku. Say that the Uchiha Military Police Force bears the heavy responsibility of protecting Konoha's public order and guarding against rebellion within the Village. All able-bodied adult Ninjas within the clan must remain on standby and cannot be mobilized to support the frontline.
As for those children under fifteen, they are the very Foundation of the Uchiha's future. They absolutely must not be sent to the frontline to die in vain."
Setsuna's eyes instantly lit up, his previous anxiety swept away, replaced by exhilaration: "Brilliant, sir! This way, Fugaku has a reason to refuse, and Hiruzen Sarutobi won't be able to find fault!"
"Also," Shine raised a hand to interrupt him, his gaze turning serious, "Be more composed next time you encounter a situation. Anger solves nothing, it only makes you fall into someone else's trap."
He looked at Setsuna, his tone meaningful, "Don't forget, Fugaku and his Moderate Faction are not our allies yet. Hiruzen Sarutobi wants to deplete the Uchiha, why should we take the blow for Fugaku? Let him sing this act by himself first."
Setsuna shuddered all over, the exhilaration on his face gradually settling into admiration.
He finally understood that Shine's calmness was not indifference, but rather having long since seen through the essence of the situation.
Hiruzen's schemes, Fugaku's predicament, the clan's fury — all were within his grasp.
Setsuna dropped to one knee, performing a respectful bow towards Shine: "I understand now! Thank you for your guidance, sir!"
Shine waved his hand dismissively and turned his gaze back to the blooming Gardenia flowers in the courtyard.
The wind blew through the petals, causing several pure white petals to fall, landing beside the teacup on the stone table.
He knew that this turmoil concerning the children was merely the beginning of the game between the Uchiha and the Konoha High Command.
And what he had to do was, within this turmoil, both preserve the Uchiha's future and cause Fugaku's Moderate Faction to completely sever ties with Konoha — only then could he truly unite the entire Uchiha and consolidate the power to resist Konoha.
The angry shouts outside the courtyard gradually subsided, clearly indicating that Setsuna's subordinates had already begun relaying Shine's instructions.
Shine picked up the teacup, downing the remaining tea in one gulp. The tea's fragrance and bitterness intertwined on his tongue — this cup of tea was both a calm reflection on the current situation and an anticipation of the coming storm.
Just as the Hidden Mist's offensive had momentarily ceased, with the smoke of gunpowder still rising from the shattered defensive lines, Uchiha Fugaku received a communication from the Clan Compound.
That crumpled piece of letter paper was tightly clutched by the messenger Ninja, stained with mud and bloodstains, clearly having passed through layers of battle to reach him.
Fugaku snatched the letter, his fingertips turning white from the force. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan instinctively activated, scanning the handwriting on it.
"The Village is on wartime alert. The Konoha Military Police Force must guard against enemy invasion and spy infiltration, unable to mobilize personnel to support the frontline — We hope Clan Chief Fugaku finds a solution on his own."
This short sentence was like a basin of ice water poured onto burning coals, yet it instantly ignited Fugaku's fury.
He violently crumpled the letter into a ball and hurled it to the ground with such force that it bounced half a foot high.
The mask of composure he had maintained for years shattered completely. His face turned from ashen to a purplish-red, the veins at his temples throbbing violently as if about to burst through his skin.
"Bastard! Uchiha Setsuna! You coward!" Fugaku's roar made the wooden beams of the Command tower vibrate. He abruptly drew the ninja sword at his waist, the blade slashing towards the wooden railing beside him.
*Crack!* A wooden pillar as thick as a bowl was severed at the waist. Wood splinters flew from the break, cutting the back of his hand, but he remained oblivious. "We are shedding blood and sacrificing lives on the frontline for the safety of the Village! For the glory of the Uchiha! And you cower and avoid battle in the rear?!"
He paced back and forth, his cloak sweeping over the gravel on the ground, making a grating sound.
The scarlet of his Sharingan grew even more intense, his eyes churning with anger and disbelief — Setsuna was a core member of the Radical Faction, always advocating for 'Uchiha sovereignty' and was the most warlike. How could he slack off at such a critical time?
He had thought that even if Setsuna didn't offer full support, he would at least send some elite forces. He never expected such a blatant refusal!
Nara Shikagen, who was nearby, also came over. He picked up the crumpled ball of paper, unfolded it, and upon seeing the handwriting, his pupils abruptly contracted, his face filled with incredulous astonishment.
He subconsciously stroked the short beard on his chin. Instantly, memories of the Second Great Ninja War flashed through his mind — back then, Hiruzen Sarutobi had seized upon the Uchiha Clan's desire to prove their worth and eagerness to demonstrate their combat prowess. With a few phrases like 'Konoha needs you' and 'The Uchiha are the pillars of the Village,' he had stirred the Uchiha Ninjas into a fervor.
Nara Shikagen's father had been a staff officer during the Second Great Ninja War. He clearly remembered how the Uchiha Clan, as if possessed, sent Ninjas to the battlefield batch after batch, one after another, exactly like 'The Calabash Brothers trying to save their grandpa.' Knowing full well there were traps ahead, they still charged forward relying on sheer pride.
In just one year, the Uchiha dispatched over seven hundred Ninjas, with more than three hundred dying in battle, including many exceptionally talented young elites.
And in the end? The Konoha High Command only gave an empty plaque inscribed with 'Outstanding Military Merit,' and even withheld a large portion of the bereavement compensation...
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808