Chapter 8: Uchiha Douhuan's Plan
"The first matter—I don't want to hear anyone in the clan talking about rebellion anymore."
Uchiha Douhuan's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
"…Huh?"
The young Uchiha, who had been fired up just moments ago, froze in confusion.
Meanwhile, Shisui and Itachi both let out a sigh of relief—at least Douhuan still had some sense and understood that the clan couldn't afford to rebel.
But—
The very next moment, their relief vanished.
"This village was founded by Madara and the First Hokage together. In a way, we Uchiha are supposed to be co-rulers of this village."
"Our goal isn't to start a rebellion—it's to reclaim our rightful authority."
"That's right! The Uchiha should have a place in this village's leadership!"
Uchiha Inaho exclaimed, his enthusiasm reigniting.
Douhuan continued, dropping another bombshell.
"Second—the Konoha Police Force is understaffed."
"Starting tomorrow, we will begin recruiting civilian shinobi. Within a week, I want to see our numbers doubled."
"Furthermore, their salaries must be at least equal to D-rank mission pay, and we will open access to all Uchiha ninjutsu except those related to the Sharingan."
"Additionally, the accumulated war spoils stored in our clan's treasury will be distributed as rewards to those who excel."
This time, the entire room erupted in chaos.
Even Shisui and Itachi were left completely bewildered.
If the first announcement was merely a shift in ideology, the second was a direct blow to the clan's internal wealth.
"Silence!"
Douhuan finally raised his voice.
Once the murmuring died down, he continued—
"Many of you work in the Police Force. Tell me, how many times have you faced resentment from villagers despite doing your job fairly?"
"The Police Force seems powerful, but in reality, it has only isolated us from the rest of the village."
"This was the trap set by that old bastard Senju Tobirama!"
"If we want to reclaim power, our first step isn't war—it's to win the villagers' trust."
"The First Hokage once said something very true—you don't become Hokage and then earn people's respect."
"You gain the people's respect first—and then become Hokage."
"The Uchiha have been alienated from the village for too long. Now, we will reconnect with them."
His words resonated powerfully throughout the chamber.
Even Shisui found himself momentarily questioning his own judgment.
Was Douhuan really… trying to do what he himself had wanted all along?
One of the clan elders hesitated before speaking—
"Recruiting civilians makes sense, but… sharing our ninjutsu? That's… too valuable."
Douhuan merely smirked.
"Our bloodline is the true foundation of our strength. Those jutsu are just tools."
"Rather than let them collect dust in our archives, why not use them to forge connections between us and the village?"
Fugaku, who had remained silent up to this point, finally spoke—
"But Douhuan, have you considered the costs? Recruiting so many new shinobi and offering them D-rank mission salaries will drain the clan's finances."
"Ever since the incident six years ago, our clan was forcibly relocated away from the village center. Our resources are already stretched thin."
Douhuan grinned.
"Don't worry, Fugaku-dono."
"I'll get us the money."
Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
"Then I trust you have a plan."
"As per tradition," he continued, "the Clan Head also serves as the Police Force Captain—"
"Ah, no, no," Douhuan cut him off.
"I want you to remain as the Police Captain."
"I have more important things to do."
Fugaku's expression twitched.
"…More important things?"
"Of course," Douhuan said with a mischievous smile.
"Completing the task given to me by the Third Hokage."
One of the elders suddenly spoke up—
"But Douhuan, if you're investigating Danzo and Root, shouldn't we start immediately?"
Douhuan's eyes gleamed.
"Now? No, no, no."
"We need to give them some time first."
Time to destroy their evidence.
Then, he turned to Inaho and Saito.
"Starting tomorrow, you two are coming with me. We will investigate Root together."
"Understood!"
"Yes!"
---
Meanwhile, at the Root Headquarters
Deep within Konoha's Root base, Yamanaka Fū and Aburame Ryōma were working tirelessly, overseeing the destruction of classified documents.
As two of Danzo's most trusted subordinates, they had been left behind during the mission against Douhuan.
Fū, as a Yamanaka, had his abilities countered by the Uchiha's Sharingan.
Ryōma, an Aburame, had once been severely injured in battle against Douhuan during the Third Shinobi War.
His insects had been rendered useless by Douhuan's Lightning Release electromagnetic field—forcing him to barely escape with his life.
Now, with Danzo dead, the only thing they could do was ensure that all of Root's darkest secrets were erased.
For the entire night, Root operatives worked like machines, collecting classified documents and burning them all with Fire Release.
By dawn, almost everything was gone.
But just as the final burning process was underway, a messenger arrived—
"Uchiha Douhuan is approaching the Root base."
Fū and Ryōma exchanged a knowing glance.
They looked at the last few unburned documents…
Then nodded to each other.
Without hesitation, they stepped outside the base to confront Douhuan directly.
---
Near Root Headquarters
Douhuan, Inaho, and Saito walked at a leisurely pace toward Root's hidden base.
"Tch, this old bastard really made his nest way out in the middle of nowhere."
Inaho muttered as they traversed the winding, secluded path.
Douhuan chuckled—
Then, his expression sharpened.
"They're here."
In that instant, blue lightning flickered around him.
Suddenly—
The air around them buzzed with movement.
Dozens of insects materialized from thin air, swarming toward them.
The moment they touched the ground—the plants beneath them withered instantly.
Inaho and Saito immediately drew their kunai, dropping into battle stances.
From the shadows, a voice echoed—
"Still the same old tricks, Aburame. You never learn, do you?"
A series of shuriken came flying toward them.
But just before they reached Douhuan—
They froze mid-air.
A puff of smoke erupted from one of them—
And Aburame Ryōma appeared, kunai aimed straight for Douhuan's throat.
---