When Sarutobi Ryo heard the news, he knew instantly that the situation was dire.
Uchiha Fugaku, the man who had stood firm at the nation's border, deserved to be a hero. However, the Uchiha clan had been a source of unease ever since Konoha was founded. And now, according to the intelligence reports, Uchiha Fugaku possessed not only the Mangekyo Sharingan but also the devastating Eye Technique, Amaterasu.
The Third Raikage was a force of nature, his strength rivaling that of the Eight-Tails. Ordinary ninja simply couldn't stand against him. Uchiha Fugaku, after carefully weighing all the factors, chose to embrace the Will of Fire, protecting the Village and his comrades. He understood that the best course of action would have been to take the secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan to his grave.
But, to hold the line, he made the difficult decision to reveal his Mangekyo Sharingan and ultimately perished alongside the Third Raikage.
Perhaps the actions of Obito and other Uchiha members had inspired him. Maybe this pushed the always-composed Uchiha Fugaku to finally embody the Will of Fire. Whether viewed as a frontline commander or a Konoha ninja, Uchiha Fugaku had done nothing wrong.
The most significant problem now was: how would the Konoha higher-ups view the Uchiha clan? After Uchiha Fugaku revealed the Mangekyo Sharingan, would more users of this powerful eye emerge from the Uchiha clan as they grieved his loss?
That was the core of the problem.
Thinking it through... Obito "died in battle," and Uchiha Fugaku was killed in action. Now, with the Uchiha clan without a strong leader, what would the Konoha elders do, seeing this as an opportunity?
Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura had all inherited Senju Tobirama's way of thinking, which meant... they were likely to target and persecute the Uchiha.
His father, the Third Hokage, had wanted to change this, even arranging for Obito to become Minato's student. But he was ultimately alone and not strong enough to change the Uchiha's position. Every time he tried to speak up, Koharu, Danzo, and Homura would invoke Senju Tobirama's name. To oppose Senju Tobirama was to oppose the Will of Fire itself.
That was a politically dangerous position.
So, now that Uchiha Fugaku was dead and the clan lacked a leader, things could easily go wrong.
According to the reports, Kumogakure had started to retreat after the death of the Third Raikage. The Fourth Raikage had lost an arm. Kumogakure had suffered greatly.
Killer Bee's personality made him unsuitable to lead. He would probably be locked up in Clouds and Lightning Valley again. Yugito Nii was even younger than Kakashi and couldn't achieve much.
The Raikage of Kumogakure had always led with a powerful personal presence. Now, their morale was incredibly low. Because of Kumogakure's inherent weaknesses, they would struggle to make further gains in this Great War. Furthermore, Kirigakure was in internal chaos, and Sunagakure was holding back. Right now, Konoha's main enemy was Iwagakure, with their army of over ten thousand ninja.
Therefore... wasn't it possible that the Konoha higher-ups would exploit Uchiha Fugaku's death, sending Uchiha clan ninja to the Iwagakure front lines to die? Once the best fighters were gone, the lingering issues with the Uchiha clan would be resolved.
And while they were at it, they might significantly weaken Iwagakure's forces and find any other hidden Mangekyo Sharingan users…
Sarutobi Ryo considered these possibilities.
Soon, Yamanaka Hui entered, announcing that an Uchiha ninja was requesting to speak with him.
"Hmm?"
Ryo stood up and immediately went to greet the visitor. A gray-haired man with squinting eyes, Uchiha Yashiro, was walking toward him. He was about the same age as Hatake Sakumo and Might Duy, a veteran ninja who had witnessed the eras of the First and Second Hokage. He was also Uchiha Fugaku's right-hand man and the second strongest member of the Uchiha clan.
As for Uchiha Shisui... at this time, Uchiha Shisui was still at the Ninja Academy. He wouldn't graduate until at least next year. Officially, Uchiha Shisui became a Genin after the war ended, chosen by the Fourth Hokage--the same year as the Nine-Tails attack. The title "Teleporting Shisui" came much later.
"Young Master Ryo."
Uchiha Yashiro looked somber, his spirit crushed by the death of his clan leader. Sarutobi Ryo invited him inside. Soon, Uchiha Yashiro explained why he was there.
"Before Captain Fugaku was killed, he left a will..."
Uchiha Yashiro looked at Ryo, various emotions flickering in his eyes.
"Captain Fugaku said... Young Master Ryo is a ninja who embodies the Will of Fire. He saw the future of the Uchiha clan in you..."
Yashiro had observed Sarutobi Ryo's actions. Because Sarutobi Ryo was the Hokage's son, people often gossiped behind his back about the Honorable Hokage's son. As a result, most of Ryo's actions were well-known, and this included Uchiha Fugaku.
Uchiha Fugaku had mentioned many times in secret clan meetings that if Sarutobi Ryo became the Hokage, the Uchiha clan's situation would definitely change for the better. This idea became even clearer after Obito's death.
Uchiha Fugaku saw that Sarutobi Ryo had been helping Hatake Sakumo, hoping he would become the Fourth Hokage. That would mean The Konoha White Fang would become the Fourth Hokage. Then, Sarutobi Ryo would become the Fifth Hokage. And the Uchiha clan... might even produce the Sixth Hokage. Because...
"Captain Fugaku's son... Itachi, is a true genius. If he could receive Young Master Ryo's guidance, even protection, he would definitely be able to become the Hokage..."
Uchiha Yashiro spoke of Uchiha Fugaku's son, Uchiha Itachi. Itachi's talent was even greater than that of the Sannin.
"This is what Captain Fugaku believed... not just a boast, but..."
Yashiro tried his best to explain.
In the current Village, in the current situation, Itachi's talent couldn't be used at all. Just as the Uchiha clan had always been held back by the higher-ups, it didn't matter how skilled you were if no one would give you a chance.
Therefore...
"Once things have settled down, I will come to visit personally."
Sarutobi Ryo immediately gave Yashiro an answer. This surprised Yashiro, who had been ready to try to convince Sarutobi Ryo. A look of joy spread across his face, and he couldn't help wiping away tears. "As expected … Captain Fugaku was right about him…" he thought.
After the emotional Yashiro left, Yamanaka Hui asked, "Young Master, are you really going to take on the Uchiha clan? That's a dangerous situation..."
Facing Yamanaka Hui's question, Sarutobi Ryo nodded. The true Will of Fire meant protecting those who are important. The Uchiha clan was also a part of the Village, and they deserved to be cared for and protected.
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[T/N:
Latest Chapter translated on Patreon - Chapter 290 (Vol 2 Ch 232) (+149 Chapters Ahead!)
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 153 PS
Goal : Reach +50 Total PS = +2 Bonus Chapters next day! 🚀
Here are the novels I'm currently translating:
-> Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise
-> One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!
-> Young Master, Please Become Hokage!
Today's Chapter releases includes the +2 bonus chapter(s)!
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