After leaving the Hokage Building, Uchiha Fugaku returned to the Uchiha residence.
Though he had decided to leave the village today, he still needed to make some preparations before departing.
Kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags were all essential ninja tools for battle and travel.
In addition, if he planned to spend the night outdoors, a storage scroll would be necessary.
The scroll could be used to seal tents and food, making travel more comfortable.
Before going out, he had already asked Uchiha Mikoto to seal the tent and food into the storage scroll, so it should be ready now.
Returning to the clan leader's residence, located in the center of the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Fugaku was slightly surprised.
Uchiha Itachi stood in the middle of the yard, and next to him was another man.
The man had short black hair and a short sword on his back—it was Uchiha Shisui.
"Chief!"
When Uchiha Fugaku spotted Uchiha Shisui in the courtyard, Shisui also noticed him immediately.
He turned and addressed Fugaku respectfully.
"Yes, are you here to see Itachi?" Uchiha Fugaku's expression remained unchanged, but his heart tensed slightly.
As a ninja, he instinctively concealed his presence. However, Shisui had been the first to notice his approach, displaying an extraordinary sharpness in perception.
Shisui wasn't a sensory-type ninja, but his keen perception revealed that his strength must have already reached the level of a Kage.
Fugaku had suspected before that Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and now he was certain of it.
"Yes, I haven't seen Itachi in a while, so I came to check on him," Uchiha Shisui replied respectfully.
Fugaku nodded slightly and walked inside, preparing to gather his ninja tools and storage scrolls.
"Chief, may I trouble you for a moment?"
As Fugaku turned his back, Shisui's eyes flickered, hesitating briefly before he finally spoke.
"What is it?" Fugaku stopped and looked back at him.
"I have some questions. I want to ask you, what do you think a clan is? And what is a village?" Shisui asked, his gaze unwavering.
Ever since he learned more than half a month ago that Fugaku supported the coup, these questions had been weighing on his mind.
When he saw Fugaku this time, he couldn't hold back and finally asked.
"A group of people connected by blood is called a clan, and a collection of many clans forms a village," Fugaku replied calmly, meeting Shisui's eyes.
Fugaku sensed Shisui's dissatisfaction from the nature of his questions.
In the past, Shisui had concealed these feelings well, but now, they were coming to the surface.
"Then what do you think is more important—the clan or the village?" Shisui pressed further.
"They are equally important. The village exists because of the clans, and the clans are protected by the village," Fugaku responded.
"I see. Thank you, Chief."
Shisui bowed to Fugaku, and without waiting for a response, turned and walked out of the yard.
Fugaku's answer left him disappointed.
To him, the village's importance should outweigh everything, even the clan.
But the patriarch believed the clan and village were equally important, a stance Shisui couldn't accept.
He touched his eyes.
If the clan ever attempted a coup, he would use these eyes to stop it.
"Shisui?!"
Uchiha Itachi called out as Shisui suddenly turned to leave. Hesitating slightly, Itachi quickly followed after him.
Like Shisui, Itachi was also disappointed with his father's answer.
His father's perspective was too narrow—far from the wisdom of the Third Hokage.
If everyone in the village had the same foresight as the Third Hokage, the village would surely become harmonious, and these disputes would no longer exist.
"There's no hope," Fugaku thought coldly as he watched them leave.
The two had been deeply influenced by the Third Hokage's ideals and were no longer open to other viewpoints.
There was no possibility for them to correct their beliefs.
Unwavering in his decision, Fugaku gathered his ninja tools and sealing scrolls before heading towards the village's gates.
As the captain of the Konoha Police Force, he had the authority to leave the village without question.
After passing through the gates, Fugaku set off for the Land of Rain.
Meanwhile, back at the Root headquarters, Danzo Shimura had returned after leaving the Hokage Building.
"Fū," he called.
Immediately, a masked figure with orange hair appeared before him.
"Danzo-sama!"
The man knelt on one knee, addressing him respectfully.
"Follow Uchiha Fugaku, who has just left the village. Track his movements and document his whereabouts, as well as anyone he meets while outside. Don't miss anything," Danzo ordered.
"Yes."
The orange-haired man responded and vanished in an instant.
Although the man was assigned to monitor a clan leader, a task that went against village protocols, he didn't hesitate or question the order.
As a member of Root, he had been conditioned for absolute obedience. He would carry out any order without faltering—even if it were to assassinate the clan leader.
After the orange-haired man left, Danzo's lone visible eye darkened in thought.
After a moment, he spoke again.
"Insect."
"Danzo-sama."
Another masked figure appeared, wearing black gloves and carrying a short sword on his back.
Like the first man, he knelt before Danzo.
"Is there a bounty on Uchiha Fugaku in the black market?" Danzo asked.
"Yes, the current bounty on Uchiha Fugaku is 20 million," the man known as "Insect" replied.
Fugaku had fought in the Third Great Ninja War and was the leader of the powerful Uchiha clan, so naturally, there was a high bounty on him.
"Increase the bounty by 10 million and inform the black market that Uchiha Fugaku has left Konoha," Danzo ordered.
"Yes."
Without questioning, Insect complied and swiftly left.
Watching him go, Danzo's gaze turned calculating.
There had been talks of a coup within the Uchiha clan, but Fugaku, being a moderate, had held off on taking any action.
If Fugaku were to die, a more radical leader might take his place, hastening the coup and allowing Danzo and the others to deal with the Uchiha clan.
Uchiha Fugaku had remained within the village up until now, leaving no opportunity for Danzo to act.
But with Fugaku finally leaving the village, this was a chance he couldn't afford to miss.
(End of Chapter).
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