Chapter 24: Borrowing the Power of the Clan
**Naka Shrine**
In the dim stone chamber, the Uchiha clan head and Elder Setsuna sat side by side.
"Yosuke, the clan will never forget your sacrifices."
After a bit of encouraging talk, Yosuke Uchiha put on a look of deep emotion, nodding earnestly and shouting, "For Uchiha!"
They gave encouragement, so he naturally had to play along. In his past life, he remembered the words of an ancestor: when you lack the strength to change things, learn to blend in.
"Yosuke, going to the front lines won't be easy, but the clan won't let you down," Elder Setsuna said with a satisfied smile. It was as if he were saying, *Trust us, you're now a key figure for the clan. Look at how this mission includes you—go and perform well.*
Reassuring him while implying he could ask for anything he needed, they looked at Yosuke expectantly. Yosuke hesitated, then finally gathered his resolve and said gravely, "Clan Head, Elder, this is a critical matter!"
The two elder Uchihas furrowed their brows, listening intently as Yosuke lowered his voice. "Don't worry," one of them said. "There's a barrier here; no one will overhear."
Taking a deep breath, Yosuke felt ready. The Senju were using him for their own ends, but if he wanted true support, he needed to leverage the Uchiha. They were his most reliable allies—as long as he made them see they needed him.
"Clan Head, Elder," Yosuke began. "From intel I gathered from Captain Tsunade, it seems there's more behind the death of Nawaki, the First Hokage's bloodline. The Senju clan is growing suspicious. And, as I heard in the recent jounin meeting, Jonin Dan is under suspicion for premeditated actions..."
As Yosuke continued, the clan head and Elder Setsuna grew increasingly grim.
"Are you saying someone in the village is secretly targeting the Senju clan?" Elder Setsuna, once the instigator of past rebellions, was the first to grasp the implications. Even the clan head looked shocked.
Observing them closely, Yosuke cast a quick, veiled glance at Elder Setsuna before speaking again. "From my position by Captain Tsunade's side, I've found hints that someone may be covertly feeding the Senju clan information, stirring their suspicions."
Boom! This was a bombshell, and both elders visibly tensed. Yosuke had guessed it: Setsuna would be the perfect elder to reveal such information to. The elder's time was limited, and debts wouldn't matter after he was gone. Besides, Yosuke was doing it all for the clan.
"I knew it!" Elder Setsuna finally burst into laughter, slapping his knee in excitement. "Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo—they're nothing but scoundrels, waving the village banner while serving their own interests. Look at the rise in Sarutobi family shinobi since he took power twenty years ago!"
Setsuna had finally found justification for his previous rebellions and now was bitterly railing against them.
"They always use our past with Madara-sama as a reason to isolate Uchiha, but what's their excuse for attacking the Senju?" Setsuna's fury was palpable, but few besides him could voice such thoughts aloud. The clan head looked awkward, but he knew these revelations were explosive.
Once they'd recovered, the two old men looked at Yosuke with mixed pride and sorrow.
"Yosuke, we know the toll this has taken on you."
They had initially thought the Senju were just using Uchiha as a pawn, and Uchiha was seizing the opportunity to integrate. But now they saw Yosuke had paid a heavy price for the clan. His skills alone couldn't have secured such information from Tsunade; he must have sacrificed personally to gain her trust. Clearly, some among the Senju were allowing him this access, but it still showed how much Yosuke had endured.
"It seems the Senju are truly discontent with the Third Hokage's leadership."
Realizing this, Elder Setsuna smirked. "This is Uchiha's opportunity—through the White Fang, we can smooth relations with other clans and begin moving into the heart of Konoha's power structure."
A bitter smile crept over the elder's face. "The proud Uchiha, yet we're on the outskirts of Konoha's center. Even the dogs of Inuzuka are closer to power than we are."
Elder Setsuna was frustrated, as was the clan head. Such was the state of the Uchiha.
"Yosuke, the clan has decided to grant you resources reserved for elite, three-tomoe shinobi."
Both elders exchanged a solemn look. Yosuke was now their bridge to both the Senju and the village. Among the older generation of noble clans, equating Senju with the village was common enough.
But Yosuke understood what the future held for the Senju—the village would almost forget them, and Uchiha would be eradicated, their sharingan nearly lost to memory. He didn't reveal his foreknowledge, though, instead responding with appropriate enthusiasm. He nodded fervently, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"For Uchiha's glory!"
The Uchiha clan respected strength. If you had power, you were given standing, unlike the rigid Hyuga hierarchy. The resources of a three-tomoe elite ninja would grant him access to most clan jutsu and training resources, cementing his position in the clan's ranks just below the elders.
They valued him now that he'd shown his worth. He truly loved this clan.
After achieving his goals and respectfully taking his leave, Yosuke exited, leaving the elders alone in the stone chamber, which fell silent before a long sigh broke it.
"Even the First Hokage's bloodline wasn't spared. I don't fully understand Sarutobi, but Danzo… Danzo could easily be behind this."
With no outsiders present, Elder Setsuna's face showed simmering anger. Shimura Danzo was infamous for such underhanded methods.
"Then Yosuke is also at risk?"
Both elders exchanged a worried glance. They must protect Yosuke. The Uchiha had only produced Kagami after all these years, and now there was Yosuke. They cherished him.
"Fugaku will be instructed to prioritize Yosuke's safety on the front lines."
"Good," Elder Setsuna nodded. Knowing he only had a few years left, he hoped to witness Uchiha's entry into Konoha's inner circle. This was a rare chance; if the White Fang took the lead, Konoha's power balance would shift.
Miss this chance, and it was unclear when Uchiha's next opportunity would come.
***
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