Immediately after, Renka, who was beside him, also took off his dog-faced mask, revealing an equally young face with resolute eyes, and his Three-Tomoe Sharingan was active.
The air inside the cave seemed to freeze instantly.
Uchiha Yashiro's pupils suddenly constricted to the extreme; his Sharingan activated uncontrollably on its own, the Three Tomoe spinning wildly as he stared fixedly at Shao Yu's face.
Inaho, standing behind him, gasped even more sharply, his body trembling violently as the words almost burst out of him.
"You... you're... Shao Yu?! And Renka?!"
"Uchiha... Shao Yu?"
"That defector..."
"How is that possible?!"
Other Uchiha Chunin and Jonin, who either recognized him or knew of Shao Yu's fame within the clan years ago, also grew restless, and whispers of disbelief buzzed through the cave.
No Uchiha present was unaware of the mass defection incident a year ago that had shaken both Konoha and the Uchiha Clan.
As the leader of the younger generation of the Hawk Faction at the time, Shao Yu's departure had always been a taboo subject within the clan, filled with complex discussions.
The shock on Uchiha Yashiro's face slowly transformed into extreme complexity. He took a step forward, his voice somewhat raspy due to his surging emotions.
"Shao Yu... is it really you? Those... those monsters, were you the one controlling them? Who... who are you serving now? Kumogakure?"
His gaze involuntarily swept over Shao Yu and Renka.
Meeting the suspicious and uncertain gazes of Yashiro and all the clansmen, Shao Yu spoke slowly, his voice clear and steady, carrying a calmness that came from being in a position of authority for a long time.
"Senior Yashiro, Senior Inaho, and fellow clansmen. It's been a long time. Yes, it's me, Uchiha Shao Yu. As for who I serve now..."
He paused.
"Naturally, it is the Hidden Cloud Village."
He looked around, his gaze passing over faces that were either familiar or strange but all bore Uchiha characteristics, and his tone became more emphatic.
"Senior Yashiro, Senior Inaho, and fellow clansmen. Have you ever wondered why a seemingly simple mission to support the Sunagakure border forces would require the deployment of this entire Uchiha elite force, including two Elite Jonin and eight Jonin?"
He took a step forward, his crimson Sharingan appearing even more profound in the dim firelight.
"Because from the moment you accepted this mission, the Konoha higher-ups—specifically, the decision jointly made by the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura—had already sentenced you to death."
"Nonsense!"
A young Chunin couldn't help but retort.
"We are the Uchiha, Konoha's strongest combat force. How could Hokage-sama..."
"Strongest? That's why you're the most suitable to be thrown against the hardest rock, isn't it?"
Shao Yu interrupted him, his tone cold.
"The area you were sent to is code-named 'Serpent Valley.' Within the past seventy-two hours, Root received at least three reports regarding'suspected sightings of Hanzou.' Yet, in the mission briefing you received, there wasn't a single word about this; instead, it emphasized that the enemy was only a small harassment force."
Uchiha Yashiro's face changed.
As an Elite Jonin, he had access to some scraps of internal intelligence channels and vaguely knew that Root had some sources of information independent of the regular intelligence system.
If what Shao Yu said was true... Shao Yu didn't give him much time to think, continuing to drop evidence that made everyone's spine go cold.
"Sunagakure did indeed send out a request for help, but the target of that request was the 7th Mobile Unit stationed to the southwest of Konoha, which is closer to the target location and specializes in rapid mountain combat."
"Yet you were sent all the way from the Northeast Camp. Regardless of timing or route, it's completely illogical."
"This order came directly from the hands of the commander, Orochimaru, bypassing all regular dispatch procedures and specifically issued to the Uchiha."
Tu Tu might be weak, but as a summoning beast for gathering intelligence, it was still very useful. Its Chakra was very weak, making it almost impossible to detect, and they were numerous.
The cave was deathly silent, with only the crackling of the burning torches and the sound of increasingly heavy breathing.
"To put it even more bluntly," Shao Yu's gaze swept over the crowd.
"Less than half an hour after you set out, the headquarters 'just happened' to receive a follow-up report that Sunagakure's communications had been cut and the situation was unknown. Based on that, they raised the mission danger level from A-rank to S-rank."
"But this follow-up report was never recorded by the frontline communications squad at all. It was a private reminder passed directly to Orochimaru by Danzo Shimura through Root channels."
He paused and delivered the most fatal line.
"In other words, from the moment you stepped out of the camp, the only expectation the Konoha command had for you was to encounter Hanzou and then die a heroic death."
"Your sacrifice would be used to play up Hanzou's terror and incite a common hatred among the other Konoha forces, while at the same time..."
His voice dropped lower, carrying a hint of sarcasm.
"...perfectly consuming a group of important, less-than-obedient Hawk Faction forces from the Uchiha. They could even do Sunagakure a favor—look, we even sent our most elite Uchiha to save you."
Silence.
A suffocating silence.
Then, this silence was completely ignited.
"Bastards!!!"
An Uchiha Chunin smashed his fist against the stone wall, blood trickling down through his fingers.
"How many battles have we fought for Konoha! How much blood have we shed!"
"Are Uchiha eyes... so worthless in their sight?!"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! Danzo Shimura! How dare you—!"
Well, the Uchiha Clan was relatively easy to persuade. If it were anyone else, they would have at least considered whether Uchiha Shao Yu was lying to them.
Anger, a sense of betrayal, lingering fear, and a bone-deep chill exploded in the heart of every Uchiha.
Uchiha Yashiro closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently.
He remembered Orochimaru's forever calm and emotionless golden eyes; he remembered Jiraiya's hesitant expression; he remembered the unusually efficient command and the eerily concise mission briefing before they left... All the clues connected, sketching a picture that was cold and cruel.
When he opened his eyes again, most of the confusion and struggle had faded, replaced by a kind of cold resolve.
He looked at Shao Yu, his voice somber.
"So, Elder Setsuna... knew all along?"
"The Elder has always maintained the highest level of vigilance toward the higher-ups."
Shao Yu said frankly.
"This war was the purging opportunity he anticipated. Sending you here was a last resort, but also a way to go with the flow. If Konoha wants to kill with a borrowed knife, then we will beat them at their own game."
"Beat them at their own game?"
"Exactly."
Shao Yu said, "From today onwards, in Konoha's records, Uchiha Yashiro and his unit of thirty-one people have already encountered Hanzou in the Serpent Valley region of the Land of Rain border and, after a heroic battle... the entire unit has been wiped out."
He paused, stating the true plan word by word.
"In reality, you will be reborn. You will join Kumogakure and become another branch of the Uchiha bloodline outside of Konoha, mastering your own power and deciding your own destiny. The grave Konoha prepared for you will become the starting point for your complete escape from your cage."
The cave fell silent once more, but this time, the silence was filled with heavy contemplation.
Everyone's gaze turned toward Uchiha Yashiro.
Uchiha Inaho gritted his teeth, his crimson Sharingan staring fixedly at Shao Yu.
"Even if the Konoha higher-ups... even if they really had those intentions, if we just leave like this, what about our families in the clan compound? Will Konoha let them go? And what about Elder Setsuna?"
This was the most realistic and painful question. The consequences of defection went far beyond individual life and death.
"Don't worry, to outsiders, you are already dead."
Shao Yu said.
"As for your families within the clan."
Shao Yu took up the conversation again, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"The Konoha higher-ups need stability. The'sacrifice' of over thirty Uchiha elites at once, including backbones like Senior Yashiro and Senior Inaho, is already a heavy blow to the Uchiha Clan."
"At this critical juncture, they won't, and won't dare to, immediately carry out further drastic purges against the remaining clansmen, especially the women, children, and the elderly."
"That would trigger an uncontrollable backlash and might even make other ninja clans feel a sense of shared peril."
"Over the next few years, I will work with Elder Setsuna to transport your families out of Konoha bit by bit, through various means such as business and travel."
The cave fell into a long silence.
Uchiha Yashiro slowly walked to a stone wall, his back to the crowd, his shoulders trembling slightly.
He was processing this massive amount of information, weighing the pros and cons and the costs of every step.
The other Uchiha also lowered their heads, or exchanged heavy and complex looks with their companions.
Defecting, seeking refuge in another country, and from then on living under an assumed name or even changing one's appearance... this was by no means an easy decision to make.
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808