Konoha.
Uchiha District.
The night in the Uchiha district was darker than usual. The moon hung high, its silver glow struggling against the thick clouds rolling across the sky. The streets were quiet, save for the occasional rustling of leaves and the distant murmur of shinobi on patrol.
At the heart of the district, hidden behind the walls of an old house, a secret meeting was underway. The air inside was thick, not from the incense burning in the corner, but from the weight of the conversation.
The room was dimly lit, a single candle flickering at the center of a wooden table. Around it sat more than a dozen Uchiha, their expressions a mixture of frustration and anger. Their sharp eyes reflected the crimson glow of their activated Sharingan.
At the head of the gathering sat Uchiha Setsuna. His gaze was calm, almost indifferent.
"We've waited long enough." A deep voice broke the silence, filled with barely contained anger. The speaker, an older Uchiha with streaks of gray in his hair, clenched his fists. "Hashirama is dead, and the village is unstable. If we strike now, we can take back what should have been ours long ago!"
Several others nodded in agreement.
"The Senju treat us like guard dogs, kept on a leash, only let loose when they need our power. But when it comes to leadership, to true authority, they shut us out! We played an equal part in the establishment of the village, but now even some puny clans are riding over our heads and controlling the village." Another voice, younger but no less furious, added.
"We can't let it continue like this. We should deal with Tobirama and take over the village."
A murmur of assent spread through the room. The flickering candle cast long shadows across the table, giving the illusion of shifting shadows lurking at their backs.
But then—
"Fools."
The single word cut through the rising tension like a blade.
"Tap!"
All eyes turned to Setsuna. Unlike the others, he showed no outward anger, no restless energy. He simply sat there, fingers lightly tapping the wooden table, his gaze steady and unreadable.
"Do you truly believe it will be that easy?" he asked, his voice calm but sharp. "Tobirama is not someone to underestimate. You speak of taking Konoha, yet none of you have even considered the reality of such an act."
A few Uchiha shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
Setsuna leaned forward slightly. "You forgot Tobirama is not alone. Even without Hashirama, Konoha's core strength has not disappeared. If we move now, without proper preparation, we won't even reach Tobirama before we are cut down."
Silence filled the room. The harsh truth of his words pressed down on them like a weight.
"Then what do you suggest?" one of the older Uchiha finally asked, his voice wary.
For the first time that night, a faint smile appeared on Setsuna's lips. It was not one of amusement, nor one of warmth. It was cold, calculating—a smile devoid of emotion.
"We are not strong enough alone." His words were measured, deliberate. "But who said we had to do this alone?"
A few Uchiha frowned, glancing at each other. "What do you mean?"
Setsuna exhaled slowly, as if weighing his next words carefully. Then, in a voice as calm as a whispering breeze, he said—
"I have reached out to Sunagakure and Iwagakure."
The reaction was immediate.
THUD!!
The Uchiha gathered in the room stood up with chakra rising up, eyes widened in disbelief.
"You did what?!"
"You contacted our common enemy? Are you mad?!"
The air in the room changed in an instant. The Uchiha had many grievances, many reasons to despise the Senju, but one thing had always remained unchanged—they were Konoha shinobi. No matter how much they hated their treatment, the thought of inviting outsiders into their village was almost unthinkable.
Setsuna, however, remained unshaken. He simply waited, letting their voices rise before speaking again.
"Do you truly believe we can do this without outside help? Do you believe just anger and words are enough to bring down Konoha's core forces? If so, then you are more naïve than I thought."
The sharpness in his tone silenced them.
Setsuna's eyes narrowed. "We help them by providing intelligence they require, and they will cause unrest at the border and help us lure Tobirama away from the village."
"That will be the best moment for us to strike. With most of his subordinates no longer around, Tobirama would be nothing more than a fish at the chopping board. No matter how strong he is, he is not Hashirama after all and won't be able to deal with all of us.
"HA!"
A few of the Uchiha inhaled sharply at his words.
"How are you so sure that Tobirama would surely leave the village, and what makes you think that after his death it will be us who will be given the leadership of the village?" One of them asked, voice barely above a whisper.
At his question, Setsuna scoffed a little, his lips curving up to show a chilly smile. "When the news of First Kazekage and Second Tsuchikage leading the armies to the border would be intentionally leaked Tobirama would have no choice but to go to the border himself and lead the troops from the front to deal with the enemy leader."
"But he would never make it to the border, I can assure you of that," said Setsuna with immense confidence in his tone, the faces of everyone around showing even more curiosity at his words.
Seeing them so curious, Setsuna didn't beat around the bush anymore and began to explain the plan in detail, and the more everyone around listened, the more crimson their eyes got from strong interest.
"This way we can deal with Tobirama and raise our reputation among the villagers at the same time, killing two birds with one stone at the same time." Finished, Setsuna with these words, not a single person in the room showing an opposed look to the plan they had just heard.
With this, the meeting was adjourned, and all the radicals began to wait anxiously for the right time, all seeing the hope of getting what they should have long ago.