Chapter 16
While Asakawa Naoki was helping the black-haired girl escape, a conspiracy was quietly unfolding within an ancient Uchiha clan building.
"Did Setsuna succeed?" a middle-aged man asked.
"She should have," replied a slightly younger man. "Setsuna is a newly promoted jōnin of our Uchiha clan, and she's already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. She won't fail against a girl who isn't even a ninja."
"Don't worry so much, Third Elder," another older-looking man chimed in. "You should be thinking about how to pressure the old man into stepping down once we have his granddaughter in our hands."
"Second Elder, Third Elder, aren't we going too far by using Mikoto as leverage against the Great Elder?" a younger Uchiha asked, hesitant.
"You're still too soft, Junjie," the Third Elder said, his tone laced with condescension. "Those who seek great power can't be bothered with trivialities."
"If we don't act now, the Uchiha clan will end up weak and complacent—just like our current clan leader and the Great Elder."
"Back when Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju founded Konoha together, there was a clear agreement. Hashirama would serve as the First Hokage, and when he stepped down, Madara would take his place as the Second. But what happened? The position went to Senju Tobirama instead!"
"And what did we get in return? A glorified role in the Konoha Police Force. A joke!"
"It's better to leave a village that's betrayed us than to continue living under its thumb."
"I never expected the clan leader and the Great Elder to be so content with Konoha's crumbs."
"We, the Uchiha, will not remain dogs chained by others."
"So now, we'll see what matters more to the Great Elder—his only granddaughter or his so-called power."
Everyone in the room was a member of the Uchiha clan, but more specifically, they were part of the hawkish faction.
After Madara Uchiha left Konoha, the clan remained unified for a time. But even though no Uchiha followed Madara into exile, internal rifts soon formed.
The clan leader and the three elders, who held the majority of the clan's authority, began to diverge in ideology.
The clan leader and the Great Elder supported peaceful cooperation with Konoha. They were seen as doves—moderates who preferred diplomacy.
On the other hand, the Second and Third Elders believed in rebellion. They sought to reclaim the power they felt was stolen by Senju Tobirama and were branded as hardliners—hawks ready to rise up.
Currently, the doves—led by the clan leader and the Great Elder—still held the majority. The hawks, in the minority, could not make any significant moves unless they consolidated power.
That's why they targeted the Great Elder's one weakness.
His children had died years ago during a mission, leaving behind only his beloved granddaughter, Uchiha Mikoto. She was the only family he had left—and the leverage the hawks intended to use to force his hand.
"Do you understand where you went wrong, Shunsuke?" the Second Elder asked, eyes narrowing at the young man.
Uchiha Shunsuke—who had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan at the age of twenty—lowered his head. Despite their disappointment, the elders still saw potential in him.
"Yes, Second Elder. I understand," he said quietly.
"Good," the Third Elder said with a rare smile. "It's always admirable to admit your mistakes."
But no one noticed that behind Shunsuke's lowered gaze, his scarlet eyes glowed softly, the tomoe in his Sharingan swirling in silence.
What the clan leader and Great Elder said is true, he thought.
The Second and Third Elders have lost their way. They've turned against their own kin. If they take control, they'll drag the entire Uchiha clan into ruin.
They lack the tolerance and foresight to lead.
He made his decision then and there.
Through a secret jutsu, he sent a silent message—alerting the clan leader and the Great Elder about Setsuna's movements and intentions.
This is an internal Uchiha matter. If the Anbu catch wind of this, the village's trust in our clan will be shattered completely.
If Asakawa Naoki knew what was happening in this hidden room, he might have sighed and muttered, "The Uchiha clan—always filled with traitors."
Whether it was Uchiha Shunsuke, or figures like Shisui and Itachi in another timeline, the pattern was the same: geniuses loved by their clan, ultimately branded as traitors.
But right now, Asakawa Naoki didn't have the time to judge anyone.
He was facing a life-or-death situation.
Well—not for him exactly. It was the black-haired girl who was in danger.
Naoki hadn't yet recognized the girl—who looked two or three years older than Kushina and carried a gentle, soft demeanor—as Uchiha Mikoto, future mother of Itachi and Sasuke.
But he had seen her before. She was a student at the Ninja Academy. They weren't in the same class, and he didn't know her name, but he had spotted her during breaks.
After the first ambush failed, Uchiha Setsuna stepped out of hiding. No longer concealed, he used a few body flickers to quickly close the distance with Mikoto.
Setsuna was dressed in black, his face partially disguised. He wore no forehead protector or anything that could identify him.
Naoki didn't recognize him as a member of the Uchiha clan—not at first. Instead, he thought of the kidnappers from Kumogakure. The ones who had tried to abduct Kushina and, in the future, would come for Hinata.
He remembered that the victims were often not killed immediately.
But their fate was worse.
They would be used—to breed bloodline limits. Not treated as people, but as vessels. Tools.
Naoki clenched his fists.
I'm weak. That's a fact. I was only able to help because of a fluke.
If I keep running, Setsuna will probably go after the girl instead of me. I'll be safe.
I've done enough. No one can blame me.
He repeated those thoughts over and over, trying to convince himself.
But no matter how many justifications he came up with, something inside wouldn't let him walk away.
This wasn't some animated show on a screen anymore.
This was the real world. A world where death was permanent.
And somewhere in his gut, Naoki knew—if he didn't act now, he'd never forgive himself.
With that, he made his decision.
As he ran forward, the five Senzu Beans inside his dantian fused into one.
He suppressed its presence completely, cloaking it in transparency. Then, using a special technique, he hurled the condensed Senzu Bean behind him—toward Mikoto's path.
He wasn't sure if it would be enough.
But it was the best shot they had.
*******
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