The farce at the first-birthday banquet ruined Uchiha Fugaku's good mood.
It also tore away the cover he had worked so hard to smear over the clan's wounds, exposing the Uchiha clan's awkward situation to everyone from top to bottom.
Before this, the Third Hokage faction's suppression of the Uchiha clan had mainly focused on policy. The harm had also been limited to the ninja class.
And because there had not been enough obvious individual cases of harm, the Uchiha ninja had yet to clearly feel persecution from Konoha.
For example, the Uchiha sent to the Land of Rain and the Land of Hot Water had been transferred together with thousands of Konoha ninja.
The Study Group members who were nearly wiped out in the Land of Rain had also died on the battlefield together with nearly two thousand Konoha ninja.
Data explained the problem best.
During the First Shinobi World War, the Uchiha clan's casualty rate was one-tenth of Konoha's overall casualty rate.
That matched the Uchiha ninja's powerful strength very well.
But starting from the later stage of the Second Shinobi World War, the Uchiha clan's casualty rate rapidly increased.
By the Third Shinobi World War, the Uchiha casualty rate had already become equal to Konoha's overall casualty rate, even slightly higher.
With Uchiha ninja still being powerful, such a casualty rate was abnormal.
But aside from people like Uchiha Yoru, who paid close attention, and the clan head and elders, who could access the overall data, ordinary Uchiha ninja could at most feel displeased. They could not discover the problem.
But they were not blind either.
Uchiha Fugaku's absolute obedience to the Third Hokage and his submissiveness toward Shimura Danzo were all seen by the Uchiha ninja.
The Uchiha were proud.
Even branch-line Uchiha ninja were just as proud.
Seeing their clan head act like this naturally filled them with frustration.
Because information did not flow properly, and because of the silent majority, the Uchiha ninja did not know that most of them were actually dissatisfied with Fugaku.
Out of their natural fear of those above them, plus the fact that their own lives were still decent, and because there was no leader to speak for them, the Uchiha ninja buried their dissatisfaction deep in their hearts.
Until Uchiha Yoru openly attacked at the banquet, scolding the clan head until he flew into a rage, only to receive a punishment of one month's confinement.
Only then did most Uchiha ninja realize:
So I'm not the only one dissatisfied with the clan head.
And the clan head is actually this soft.
…
Uchiha Yoru was punished.
Under confinement, he hid in his small courtyard, cultivating, stroking his cat, cooking fine food, brewing tea.
His days were extremely comfortable.
Especially during that ridiculous banquet, he had comprehended the principle of "finding stillness amid chaos," further strengthening his Moonlit Night Sky state.
The speed at which the problem inside his body was being resolved had clearly increased.
So Yoru used the confinement punishment as an excuse, shut the gate of his little courtyard, and began a one-month seclusion, devoting himself entirely to pushing forward his cultivation progress.
In his spare time, he taught Miwa Masayo to learn the Moonlit Night Sky state.
They both believed that this cultivation state was extremely compatible with the Cat Sage's Moon-Howling Method. If the two could be combined, it would definitely greatly speed up the tabby cat's cultivation.
Yoru also had to study Wood Release ninjutsu and refine the three foundational cultivation methods he had summarized from the Tiger Unit, correcting their various problems and mistakes.
In short, even while confined, Yoru felt that he did not have enough time. Every day was fulfilling, and he did not feel punished at all.
After seven days, Yoru completed the improvement of the foundational cultivation methods.
He named them: Hundred Refinements Body Tempering Method, Cyclic Extraction Method, and Tranquil Mind Soul Tempering Method.
The three methods respectively targeted the body, chakra, and spiritual power.
By practicing them step by step in order, then cycling through them, one could prepare to absorb natural energy and step onto the immortal path.
Of course, the methods were definitely not flawless.
This was merely the limit of Uchiha Yoru's current understanding. Next, he needed to find a true genius and use that person's practice to discover the problems, then solve them for final refinement.
In other words, if he wanted to continue improving them, Uchiha Shisui's participation was needed.
Although Yoru was confined, there was no problem with Shisui secretly slipping in. No Uchiha would run to the clan head and gossip about this.
But just as Yoru was about to have Miwa Masayo notify old man Uchiha Nobutada and little brother Shisui, someone sent him a request to meet first.
Orochimaru had returned.
Uchiha Yoru was greatly surprised.
He had long guessed that after Shimura Danzo died, the Third Hokage would pull someone back from the front line to help him. The most likely candidates were his disciples.
Orochimaru was especially likely.
Not only was he highly popular, able to make up for the prestige the Third Hokage had lost, but he also did not avoid dirty work and could take over Danzo's duties.
But what Yoru had not expected was that Orochimaru returned so quickly.
He was the commander of the Land of Hot Water front. His work should have been extremely complicated. How could he complete the handover in just a few days?
Yoru put away the letter he had written to Shisui and began preparing food for his meeting with Orochimaru that night.
Because the letter Orochimaru had sent through a summoned snake said that he would visit during dinner.
Out of politeness and courtesy, Yoru had to prepare a decent meal to receive him.
Tea is necessary. But what dishes should I prepare?
Is Orochimaru still human now? If he has already become the White Snake, would the famous dish "Three Squeaks" suit his taste better?
…
Forget it. I can't stomach that myself.
…
While Uchiha Yoru worried over what food to prepare for Orochimaru, the Uchiha clan head was worrying because he did not know what to do.
After Shimura Danzo died, Uchiha Fugaku had only been happy for a few hours before the Third Hokage set him up.
At the jonin meeting, Uchiha Fugaku was shocked to discover that he had been isolated by all the ninja clans in the village.
After such a terrible incident, all the ninja clans, including the Hyūga clan, actually continued supporting the Third Hokage.
The only ones opposing the Third Hokage were Uchiha Fugaku and a few useless civilian jonin.
This left the clan's morale unstable.
So Fugaku had wanted to use his eldest son's first birthday as an opportunity to hold a banquet, raise morale within the clan, and increase his prestige.
In the end, Uchiha Setsuna got drunk and provoked Uchiha Yoru, whom he disliked.
This caused Uchiha Yoru to suddenly erupt in retaliation. Not only was Uchiha Setsuna knocked down by unknown means, but Setsuna's youngest son also had half his teeth slapped out.
The mad Uchiha Yoru even refused to obey the clan head and cursed Uchiha Fugaku when he tried to mediate.
Those two bastards ruined a perfectly good banquet.
Most importantly, after this incident, Fugaku discovered that his clansmen were clearly becoming disobedient toward him, openly or secretly resisting every order he gave.
Even in the strictly disciplined Police Force, Fugaku, as the captain, felt obvious resistance.
His authority had almost been swept away. He could only barely keep things running through the inertia of the system.
At the same time, the Third Hokage also showed a side completely different from before.
He became extremely harsh toward the Uchiha clan, not inferior to the dead Shimura Danzo at all, leaving Uchiha Fugaku scrambling.
Over the past six or seven days, Fugaku felt beset by troubles inside and outside the clan. Each day became harder than the last.
Suddenly, he remembered what Uchiha Yoru had said last year.
"The Third Hokage and Shimura Danzo are two sides of the same coin. Both of them are hostile to the Uchiha clan. It's just that one uses force while the other grinds softly, cooperating with each other."
Back then, when Yoru said this, Fugaku had thrown it to the back of his mind with contempt.
Now, after Danzo's death, the Third Hokage's behavior had proven that judgment completely correct.
Last year, Uchiha Yoru had still been an eighteen-year-old brat.
Yet his judgment of people and events had truly been more accurate than Fugaku's and even the elders'.
This made Uchiha Fugaku feel ashamed.
Whether shame or regret, life still had to continue.
But whenever Fugaku thought of the future, his mind went blank.
As if possessed, he again remembered Uchiha Yoru's words.
"A clan head, a leader—even the captain of a small squad—the most important ability is not leadership, but foresight."
"Without foresight, the stronger one's leadership is, the faster one leads everyone toward a dead end."
Uchiha Fugaku involuntarily punched his desk and growled in a low voice, "Bastard. I am the clan head with the greatest foresight!"
His eyes turned scarlet.
The three tomoe spun rapidly, then blurred and transformed into a three-bladed windmill pattern with holes.
This was the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Just as Uchiha Yoru had always suspected, Uchiha Fugaku did indeed possess the Mangekyō Sharingan.
And it was a pair of extremely powerful eyes that could foresee the future.
As the Mangekyō Sharingan slowly revolved, Fugaku's consciousness gradually sank into an illusion.
It was a future illusion deduced by his unique Mangekyō dōjutsu, Ame-no-Tokotachi.
Sharingan: Ame-no-Tokotachi did not truly control the power of time.
Instead, it relied on current information to deduce the future.
Uchiha Fugaku could freely add any factor, such as a person or an action, thereby deducing different futures.
During the previous war, Fugaku had relied on this technique to dominate the battlefield and slaughter enemies in all directions, earning the name "Wicked Eye," even becoming an existence equal in reputation to Konoha's White Fang.
During the war, he built absolute trust in his dōjutsu, Ame-no-Tokotachi.
He also planted the root of his later indecision.
When the war ended and Uchiha Fugaku became the Uchiha clan head, what he faced was no longer clear enemies, but political opponents whose hostility and friendship were hard to distinguish.
What he could rely on was only the Uchiha clan, while what he faced was Konoha and the Land of Fire, which were impossible to oppose directly.
Uchiha Fugaku did not possess the qualities needed for political struggle.
In particular, he did not understand that in internal political struggles, any enemy could be divided, and any ally was unstable.
When he continued using a battlefield perspective to deduce the future, the result was that he horrifyingly discovered he was at an absolute disadvantage.
Not only were the enemies he faced powerful beyond resistance, but none of his allies could be relied on.
Combined with Uchiha Fugaku's overly high bottom line—his unwillingness to damage Konoha's interests in the slightest—which became Shimura Danzo's greatest leverage over him, even the strongest dōjutsu became useless.
After all, too many limiting conditions meant the futures he deduced could only be bad or even worse.
Fugaku could only choose the "least bad" option from the futures he deduced.
Over time, Uchiha Fugaku developed decision paralysis.
And it was incurable.
But this time, the result changed greatly.
After adding the factor of Uchiha Yoru and removing the factor of Shimura Danzo, the Uchiha clan's future actually showed a major turning point.
Although it was still a future of bitter struggle, this was the first time Fugaku saw a future where Konoha was not destroyed and the Uchiha clan was not exterminated.
Excited, Fugaku made different choices again and again, deducing different futures again and again.
Only when his eyes ached unbearably and black-red blood tears flowed down did he reluctantly stop the dōjutsu.
Uchiha Fugaku let out a deep sigh.
He picked up a towel he had prepared long ago, wiped away the bloody tears, and said to himself, "So Uchiha Yoru, whom I ignored, is actually the key to saving the clan. So the Study Group's existence is the foundation of the clan's strength. I was wrong."
"It seems I must tolerate Uchiha Yoru more."
"Although I hate him, for the sake of the Uchiha clan, I must endure."
"Hahaha, what is there that cannot be endured? I even endured Shimura Danzo. He is only an impolite junior."
Uchiha Fugaku suddenly ordered loudly, "Someone!"
An Uchiha ninja suddenly appeared before Fugaku, kneeling on one knee.
"Clan head, what are your orders?"
"Go convey my order to Uchiha Yoru: seven days of confinement is enough. From now on, his punishment is lifted."
"Yes!"
"Also, tell Uchiha Yoru to take over the Ninjutsu and Tactics Study Group tomorrow. He will serve as its president. Whatever he needs, he may submit a request to me."
The Uchiha ninja was stunned.
As Uchiha Fugaku's absolute confidant, he naturally knew how much the clan head hated Uchiha Yoru.
Even before nightfall, the clan head had still been complaining that Uchiha Yoru did not follow rules, had no respect for hierarchy, and did not respect him as clan head.
How had everything changed within a few hours?
The clan head was now entrusting Uchiha Yoru with an important duty?
The Ninjutsu and Tactics Study Group was an important institution of the Uchiha clan, second only to the Police Force in importance.
The president of the Study Group could be considered the number-one person below the clan head.
Precisely because it was so important, the position had remained vacant until now. No faction had been able to seize it.
The Uchiha ninja was shocked.
He stood stunned for quite a while before recovering and accepting the order in panic.
"Yes, clan head. I will go immediately."
Uchiha Fugaku naturally understood how abrupt his decision was.
He understood his confidant's shock very well and did not blame him for being dazed.
He nodded and said, "Go."
…
The clan head's confidant did not dare delay and rushed to Uchiha Yoru's small courtyard as quickly as possible.
Then he saw Uchiha Yoru wearing an apron, preparing ingredients together with a tabby cat.
Yoru said in surprise, "The confinement is lifted? What is the clan head thinking? Why did he suddenly lift it?"
He wiped his hands on the apron and continued asking, "For you to come so late, the clan head's order definitely isn't just that. What else is there?"
The Uchiha ninja snapped back to his senses and hurriedly answered, "Ah, there is also your appointment as president of the clan's Study Group. You are to take over the Study Group's management tomorrow."
"Ah? Since when did the clan head become this generous?"
"Also, the clan head said that if you have any needs, you may raise them with him. He will satisfy them as much as possible."
This time, Uchiha Yoru was truly shocked.
How could Uchiha Fugaku's attitude change so violently?
He had given so many benefits and privileges.
Would Yoru still feel comfortable overthrowing him later?
Uchiha Yoru thought for three seconds and became very certain:
Yes, he would.
He was very self-aware.
Since he had already entered the political game, where was the need for extravagant things like honesty and shame?
According to Yoru's belief, honesty was indeed very important.
But absolute honesty only needed to be guaranteed toward the bottom class. Only they were worth treating sincerely.
As for clan higher-ups, Konoha higher-ups, and rentier classes, speaking honestly with them was purely a waste of emotion, and there was also a very high risk of being stabbed in the back.
With these political animals, it was most suitable—and safest—to speak only of interests.
Regarding the clan head's sudden goodwill, Yoru truly could not understand why it had appeared.
But he had to accept it.
With Uchiha Fugaku's divine assist, the process of overthrowing him seemed like it could speed up quite a bit.
Maybe by Konoha Year 47, Yoru could kick him down and let him peacefully focus on having more children.
Uchiha Yoru's face filled with a smile.
He happily accepted the clan head's goodwill and even took out an exquisite dessert to gift the messenger, cheerfully sending him away.
Miwa Masayo jumped onto Uchiha Yoru's shoulder and asked, "Clan Head Fugaku gave you such huge benefits. All your goals in the Uchiha clan have been achieved. Are you still going to meet Orochimaru, meow?"
Yoru watched the Uchiha ninja's departing back and smiled.
"Of course I am."
"Masayo-chan, Fugaku and I cannot become allies. On the contrary, Orochimaru-sama can become my ally."
Miwa Masayo asked curiously, "Why, meow? Fugaku is clearly from the same clan as you. It made sense when he looked down on you before, but now that he values you so much, it still won't work, meow?"
Yoru sighed. "It definitely won't work."
"Look at that confidant of the clan head today. His eyes were full of confusion and incomprehension. That proves the clan head's turnabout happened suddenly today, and even his confidants weren't mentally prepared."
"Although I cannot know how the clan head made this decision, it definitely was not based on interests. That is a sign of instability."
"If I became allies with the clan head, no one could guarantee that he would not suddenly change his attitude again without warning. Wouldn't I be sold out by him?"
"So, meow?"
"So it is still more reliable to ally with Orochimaru-sama."
Uchiha Yoru smiled and looked toward the corner of the courtyard wall.
"Wouldn't you say so?"
Orochimaru's figure shifted from faint to solid, appearing in the corner.
He smiled and said, "Being considered reliable by Uchiha Yoru makes me very happy."
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