Konoha, the Hidden Leaf Village, experienced a devastating catastrophe three days ago. The village was attacked by the Nine-Tails, a fearsome and destructive creature, resulting in extensive damage to two-thirds of its buildings.
The Fourth Hokage made the ultimate sacrifice to bring an end to the chaos caused by the Nine-Tails, but numerous other ninja also lost their lives in the process.
This disaster occurred just after the conclusion of the Third Shinobi World War, further destabilizing the region. The border areas became increasingly volatile, which allowed the Third Hokage to retain power instead of the village choosing a new leader in the form of the Fifth Hokage.
Due to the Nine-Tails having possessed the Sharingan, the Uchiha clan within Konoha became suspected and distrusted. Exploiting the village's need for reorganization, the higher-ups decided to relocate the Uchiha clan to the outskirts of the village, distancing them from the central area.
Despite their deep dissatisfaction, the Uchiha clan had to endure this humiliation as the imprint of the Nine-Tails' Sharingan could not be erased.
As a result, tensions between the Uchiha clan and Konoha escalated gradually, reaching an irreconcilable point.
[•]
"Yoru, how can the clan regain the village's trust? The village has suffered immensely from this incident," Uchiha Shisui said, visibly concerned, as he exited the Naka Shrine. Uchiha Yoru inwardly sighed at the sight. It was no wonder that the Second Hokage had labeled the Uchiha clan as extreme. Shisui seemed more worried about the village than his own clan.
Wearing a sorrowful expression, Uchiha Yoru shook his head and sighed. "Shisui, it's not about how the clan can regain the village's trust, but rather how the village can trust the Uchiha."
Seeing Shisui's bewildered expression, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but smile inwardly. It seemed he needed to rescue Shisui from the confusion that surrounded him, preventing him from heading towards a dead end. He couldn't let Shisui blindly align himself with the Hokage, as had happened in the original story.
In that tale, the Uchiha clan, possessing three Mangekyou Sharingan, had two members who held loyalty to the Sarutobi clan, with one even allowing his own son to kill him. It was unreasonable for the Uchiha clan, with such formidable combat power, to be annihilated. The most powerful warriors among them had their own mental struggles.
Besides, Shisui couldn't be manipulated early on as he had been in the original story. The village's suspicions after the Nine-Tails incident led the Third Hokage to secretly cultivate his own operatives within the Uchiha clan. Shisui gradually fell under their influence, while Uchiha Itachi was still a five-year-old child.
"Shisui, this time, many clan members are restraining their anger. In order to prove our innocence and demonstrate our loyalty to Konoha, the Uchiha clan reluctantly agreed to relocate to the outskirts of the village and be closely monitored by the village. The clan has set aside its pride, and the village should recognize that."
Uchiha Yoru observed Shisui's perplexed expression and assumed a helpless and unjust demeanor, as if he had to grit his teeth and bear his grievances.
This display left Uchiha Shisui stunned. Yes, the proud Uchiha clan had cast aside their pride and accepted the humiliation of relocation to prove their innocence. Shouldn't that be enough for the village to acknowledge their loyalty?
Observing the hope in Shisui's eyes, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but inwardly sigh. Indeed, Shisui had a blind spot when it came to this matter. No one naturally takes sides; they gradually lean towards one side step by step.
Recognizing this, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but exclaim. The Uchiha clan's training of its own prodigies was clearly inadequate. No, it should be said that the Uchiha clan was overly confident in the prowess of its members bearing the Uchiha name.
"Shisui, do you believe that by relocating to a new settlement, the village will trust us once again?"
Shisui, intrigued by Yoru's words, looked at him expectantly. Uchiha Yoru furrowed his brow and pondered for a while before sighing softly.
Indeed, Shisui's curiosity was instantly piqued by this remark. He regarded Yoru with anticipation, prompting Yoru to cautiously glance around to ensure no one was eavesdropping before speaking softly.
"Shisui, you are too naive. If the Fourth Hokage were still alive, the Uchiha clan would naturally regain more trust. Similarly, if any of the three legendary Sannin were to become the Fifth Hokage, the Uchiha would also be trusted to a greater extent."
Yoru's words shocked Shisui. He had never considered this before, but as an Uchiha descendant, he was aware of certain things. He frowned, clearly shaken by the impact on his beliefs. It seemed he had never contemplated this aspect of the situation.
Sensing Shisui's wavering resolve, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but smile and shake his head. "Shisui, don't lose heart. Although the Third Hokage inherited the Second Hokage's principles, his tenure will eventually come to an end. As for Danzo and the other higher-ups, let's not discuss them for now. Currently, Orochimaru-sama has the greatest potential to become the Fifth Hokage."
Wearing a confident smile, Uchiha Yoru reassured Shisui that none of the three Sannin harbored bias against the Uchiha clan. After all, it was a different time with different experiences.
Upon hearing this, a sense of relief washed over Shisui's face. While he wanted to refute, the assurance that the future Fifth Hokage would treat the Uchiha clan fairly brought a smile to his face.
Yes, regardless of past events, they would become history. It was essential to foster good relations with the future Fifth Hokage.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but smile. He knew that once the seed of doubt was planted, even if it wasn't evident at the moment, it required occasional nurturing. Let that seed sprout early and grow into a towering tree. By then, hm...
"Yoru-niisan, what kind of person is Orochimaru-sama?"
In that moment, Shisui, fully engrossed in his grand vision, unknowingly addressed Yoru as "niisan" (elder brother). Upon hearing this respectful term, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but smile inwardly. It seemed Shisui possessed quite the imagination. Perhaps he had been influenced by the wisdom of the Hokage during his time at the academy, allowing him to generate such ideas. But when he witnessed Orochimaru's defection later on, hm...
Contemplating the future, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Shisui's reaction would surely be quite spectacular.
~~~
Notes:
(Hidden Leaf Village of the Land of Fire / Konoha )