After leaving Byakuya and Black Zetsu behind, Obito didn't immediately leave Konoha. Instead, he quietly slipped into the residential areas of the village. He knew that Byakuya and Black Zetsu were likely discussing him in his absence, but all of Black Zetsu's actions were under his command. The purpose was to deceive and manipulate Byakuya.
No matter how arrogant Byakuya was, or how much he mocked and ridiculed him, it didn't change the fact that Byakuya was just a pawn.
After moving swiftly through the village, Obito arrived at the remote Uchiha district. Due to its secluded location, the Uchiha compound hadn't suffered much from the earlier events. The familiar streets and buildings, along with a few recognizable Uchiha shinobi, stood as they always had.
It didn't take long for Obito to notice the ongoing standoff between the Uchiha police force and members of Danzo's Root division on the outskirts of the compound. Seeing the two groups still harboring suspicion and mistrust, even after the village had just faced an external enemy, a cold smile crept onto Obito's face.
Konoha was still Konoha — hiding its darkness beneath a shiny facade.
He had previously worried about what to do if he encountered members of his clan while carrying out his plans, but it seemed Danzo's Root had already cordoned them off in the district. Now, all Obito needed to do was subtly spread the rumor that the Uchiha were behind the attack. This would sow further discord between the clan and the village. In such heated conflicts, a pair of eyes he had been waiting for would surely emerge.
Yes, after suffering a recent defeat, Obito decided it was time to cultivate his own forces. Only by raising a competent group of subordinates could he regain control of the Eye of the Moon Plan. And besides the distant Hidden Mist Village, Konoha's Uchiha clan was the most suitable group for him to nurture his new power.
However, which clan member would make the perfect subordinate? He needed to observe carefully…
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At that very moment, inside the Uchiha district, the standoff between Root and the Uchiha police force continued. Danzo suspected that the Uchiha were behind tonight's attack, keeping a close watch on every move the police force made. Meanwhile, the Uchiha considered Danzo's suspicions unfounded and discriminatory.
With both sides unwilling to back down, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
At that moment, an Anbu ninja approached Danzo, whispering a few words into his ear. Danzo's expression softened considerably. He glanced deeply at the Uchiha in the distance before leading his men away from the area.
The Anbu ninja who had approached him was one of Danzo's spies.
Root had always been a training ground for the Anbu, and even though these ninjas had gone on to serve under the Third and Fourth Hokage, many remained loyal to Danzo. The spy had brought two critical pieces of information.
The first was good news: the Nine-Tails' rampage had been quelled, and thanks to the efforts of the Fourth Hokage, the beast had been resealed. The ninja responsible for the attack had reportedly fled in a severely wounded state.
The second piece of information was bad news: in the process of sealing the Nine-Tails, the Third Hokage's wife had sacrificed herself, and both the Fourth Hokage and his wife were missing. Countless Jonin had died during the chaos.
Upon hearing this, Danzo's mood became conflicted.
The fact that the Nine-Tails had been resealed was undoubtedly good news, but the disappearance of the Fourth Hokage left him with mixed feelings.
In the shinobi world, a missing ninja was almost synonymous with death.
The death of the Fourth Hokage meant that the village would soon hold another Hokage election. With both Tsunade and Jiraiya unwilling to run for the position, his and Orochimaru's chances of becoming the Fifth Hokage would greatly increase.
This was fantastic news for him.
However, losing the Fourth Hokage also meant that Konoha had lost its "Yellow Flash," the man who struck fear into the hearts of other villages. Combined with the loss of the Jinchuriki, the village would lose two of its most formidable assets. This could embolden Konoha's newly allied nations to break their treaties, and the recently subdued Cloud Village might once again become restless.
Moreover, without the strong leadership of the Fourth Hokage, the rebellious Uchiha clan might begin entertaining thoughts of a coup.
Still, these were matters for after he became Hokage. For now, his focus had to remain on seizing the opportunity to secure the position of the Fifth Hokage.
Danzo and his Root members' sudden departure did not go unnoticed by the Uchiha. Many Uchiha ninja turned their attention toward their clan leader, Fugaku, hoping he would step forward and explain the situation.
Feeling the pressure from his clan, Fugaku sighed internally.
He wasn't entirely sure what had transpired. Judging by the distant commotion, it seemed that the Nine-Tails had been resealed. But he didn't know which shinobi village had attacked Konoha.
Despite his uncertainty, he had managed to keep the more radical members of his clan from leaving the compound. Had any of them stepped outside, it would have given Danzo the perfect excuse to accuse the Uchiha and further marginalize the clan.
At this moment, Itachi Uchiha, holding his younger brother Sasuke, appeared near the security building. Upon seeing the Uchiha ninja gathered in the open area in front of the security building, Itachi's expression turned to one of disappointment.
Just two hours earlier, he had been resting in the hallway with his brother, only for the village to suddenly come under attack. He had witnessed the colossal Nine-Tails rampaging through the village.
While trying to get his mother and brother to safety, they had narrowly avoided being hit by falling debris. Upon arriving at the refuge, he saw countless ordinary people injured by the disaster.
Seeing those scenes, Itachi could not understand why his clan, despite already being gathered at the security building, had yet to assist the village. Were they intending to conserve their strength while the village was in crisis?
Itachi speculated that this hesitation might be due to the existing rift between the clan and the villagers. He was aware of his father's ambitions for the Hokage position and the criticisms made in secret. Yet, everyone in the village was supposed to be allies; the division should not be so stark.
His father's failure to become Hokage was due to the Uchiha's incomplete integration into the village and their lack of achievements to earn universal trust.
With a soft sigh, Itachi felt even more confused about the world. If only Shisui were here, he thought, Shisui would certainly help clarify his doubts. Unfortunately, Shisui had left the village a few days ago for a reconnaissance mission on the borders.
No, Itachi shook his head slightly. If Shisui were here, he certainly wouldn't retreat like the other clan members; he would have led them to assist the front lines.
As Itachi was lost in thought, Obito, who was observing potential candidates for recruitment, noticed the small, troubled figure of Itachi. His gaze gradually became more focused on the young Uchiha.
The Uchiha clan had many members with intense emotions, including some who were extreme. However, a young Uchiha showing such deep confusion was noteworthy and might have the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in the future.
With this in mind, Obito made a mental note of Itachi's presence.