Early the next morning, Sen lay in his bed, staring at Isamu with a look of pure betrayal.
"Isamu, you promised me a warm-up. Is that what you call a warm-up? I'll be lucky if I can even stand up within the next two weeks."
Isamu leaned against the doorframe, unfazed. "You're a grown man, Sen. Why are you whining like a schoolgirl? That Genjutsu I hit you with was for your own good—it's meant to sharpen your spiritual energy. If you're lucky, you might actually awaken your Mangekyo Sharingan sooner because of it."
"Pfft, I don't believe a word of that," Sen grumbled. "If you wanted to kick my teeth in, just say so; don't wrap it in a pretty excuse. If the Mangekyo were that easy to unlock, the entire clan would have it, not just you."
Sen's expression then shifted, turning uncharacteristically serious. "By the way... now that your strength is reaching these heights, what if Uchiha Mori comes to invite you back to the main clan? Would you actually go?"
"Drop it," Isamu said firmly. "Forget Uchiha Mori; even if his father, Seiyou, came here and begged on his hands and knees, it wouldn't change anything. When I decided to lead our faction away, I made a choice. I'm never going back."
He had zero interest in the Moderate Faction. In his eyes, they were a group of people who lacked real power yet still tried to maintain an air of arrogant superiority. More importantly, he knew their fate—they were destined to be wiped out by Obito and Itachi. He wanted as much distance between himself and those "walking ghosts" as possible.
Sen hesitated, his voice low. "They're being squeezed pretty hard right now by the village elders. At the end of the day, they are still our kin. Can we really just sit back and watch them get bullied without lifting a finger?"
Isamu's gaze sharpened instantly, the air in the room turning heavy. "Sen! Listen to me clearly. Their current situation is a bed of their own making. If you feel that strongly about helping them, then leave the Martial Faction right now. Go join them. Whatever happens to you after that, I won't lift a finger to interfere."
He didn't wait for a response. He turned and walked out, leaving Sen to contemplate the weight of his words in silence.
Isamu is too far gone on this, Sen sighed, shaking his head. If he won't budge, the Old Man won't budge. And if the Old Man stays put, the rest of the Martial Faction follows suit. I'm sorry, guys, but you're on your own. Good luck.
The Council's Decree
On his way to the Hokage Building, Isamu's mind was racing. It was obvious the pressure on the Moderate Faction had reached a breaking point. Since they didn't have the guts to approach him directly, they were trying to use Sen as a bridge. That idiot Sen, Isamu thought. Trying to help people who are already dead in the eyes of history is a suicide mission. Did he get his head caught in a door?
He pushed open the doors to the Hokage's office and found a full house: Hiruzen, Danzo, and the two other high-ranking advisors, Homura and Koharu.
At the sight of Isamu, Danzo let out a sharp, cold snort and looked away. If there was one person in Konoha Danzo despised, it was Isamu. Every confrontation ended with Danzo being humiliated, and the lack of recourse was driving him mad.
"Isamu, you're here. Come, take a seat," Hiruzen greeted him with forced warmth, even pulling out a chair himself.
Isamu didn't move. "Lord Hokage, skip the hospitality. Just say what you need to say. Didn't you mention there would be a mission waiting for me once I was released?"
"Uh... about that. The mission is no longer necessary. We have a... notice for you. Well..." Hiruzen trailed off, looking visibly uncomfortable. He glanced at Homura Mitokado, silently pleading for him to take over.
Homura didn't hesitate. He looked Isamu in the eye and spoke with bureaucratic coldness.
"In light of your unauthorized assault on the Land of Earth—which has resulted in significant political and financial strain on the Hidden Leaf—the Council has reached a unanimous decision. Effective immediately, your status as a shinobi is revoked. All duties are terminated. Furthermore, you are to be placed under 24-hour surveillance and are strictly prohibited from leaving the village without express permission. Do you understand, Isamu Uchiha?"
The room went quiet. Hiruzen had fought the decision, but he had been outvoted three to one.
Isamu turned his gaze toward the Hokage. "Brother Hiruzen, did you sign off on this?"
"I did not agree with it," Hiruzen said, his voice strained. "But the Council was adamant that measures had to be taken. I... my hands were tied."
"I see." Isamu let out a dry, mocking laugh. "I'll accept the loss of my ninja rank. I don't care about leaving the village either. But 24-hour surveillance? That is absolutely out of the question."
"It isn't a request," Danzo snapped, standing up. "This is a decree from the Council. You have no right to refuse. You will be monitored at all times."
"That's right," Koharu added. "This is a joint decision between the Elders and the Hokage. You will obey."
The Breaking Point
"Obey?" Isamu's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Do you old fossils think you're Tobirama Senju? If you want my obedience, show me the strength to enforce it!"
BOOM!
A massive, violent wave of chakra erupted from Isamu's body. The pressure was so immense that Danzo and the others were forced to shield their faces. The floor beneath Isamu's feet shattered, and spider-web cracks raced up the walls and across the ceiling of the Hokage's office.
"Isamu! What do you think you're doing?!" Homura shouted. "Attacking high-level officials is a capital crime!"
"Don't be insolent, boy!" Koharu shrieked.
"Isamu, calm down!" Hiruzen pleaded, his own chakra beginning to flare to keep the room from collapsing. "If you don't like the terms, we can... we can negotiate."
Isamu ignored the advisors entirely, his eyes locked on Hiruzen with a look of profound disappointment. It was clear now: the Hiruzen he once respected was being swallowed by politics and compromise.
"With the likes of you?" Isamu sneered. "Go ahead. Send your spies. Send your 'monitors.' I promise you, I will kill every single one of them the moment they cross my threshold. Consider yourselves warned."
Without another word, he turned his back on them and walked out of the office.
Hiruzen stood in the wreckage of his office, feeling the weight of Isamu's disappointment like a physical blow. Did I really mess this up? he wondered. But I disagreed... didn't I?
As the dust settled, Danzo's mind began to churn with a new, darker ambition. Strength like that... perhaps opposing him is the wrong play. If I can manipulate him, if we can cooperate... he could be the key to me becoming Hokage.
"Hiruzen, look at that boy's attitude!" Koharu ranted, her voice trembling with rage. "Today he threatens us; tomorrow he'll be burning the village down! We have to bring him to heel! Send the surveillance teams immediately!"
"Danzo, back us up!" Homura said, nudging the silent advisor.
"I have other matters to attend to," Danzo said coldly, ignoring them as he walked out the door.
"Danzo! You coward!" Homura yelled after him. He turned back to Hiruzen. "Well? What now?"
Hiruzen slumped into his chair, looking aged beyond his years. "Forget the surveillance. As long as he stays in the village and doesn't start a war, let him be. If we push him any further, he'll actually rebel."
"But—"
"Enough!" Hiruzen snapped. "He's a man who can single-handedly take on a Hidden Village. Do you want Konoha to be his next target? The matter is closed."
And just like that, the "surveillance" of Isamu Uchiha was abandoned before it even began.
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