Just as Utatane Koharu was making her calculations, the Uchiha clan compound had also become lively.
Yet amid the bustle, there was a solemnity and gravity that had not been present before.
After being repeatedly reminded by their parents last night and again this morning, the Uchiha youngsters left their homes early.
They no longer departed as usual through the gates of their respective faction-designated areas within the clan compound.
Instead, following the new arrangements, they gradually converged along the broad main road.
Uchiha Yashiro, a member of the hawk faction, dressed in the clan’s dark-colored robes, stood quietly watching the other end of the road—
Uchiha Hazuki, the representative of the dove faction, was approaching with a group of children of her own.
The moment their eyes met, the two smiled knowingly at the same time.
Uchiha Yashiro nodded.
“Hazuki, let’s go together.”
“Okay.”
Uchiha Hazuki answered softly, a warm smile spreading through the fine lines at the corners of her eyes.
This was the plan Uchiha Anlan and Mikoto had jointly settled on the previous night—
Starting with the younger generation, they would gradually dissolve the invisible barrier between the hawk and dove factions.
They would allow the Uchiha, divided for so long, to truly become united as one.
Just as the two were calling out to the youngsters and preparing to leave the clan compound together, Uchiha Fugaku arrived in a hurry with the children of the clan head’s faction.
The usually calm and composed Fugaku’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly when he saw Yashiro and Hazuki standing side by side.
The hawk and dove factions had joined forces and left the clan head’s faction behind, leaving Fugaku, the senior figure among them, somewhat displeased and somewhat melancholy.
The family’s development in a positive direction was certainly something to be happy about.
But the fact that this wave of change was not being led by him, a man determined to restore the Uchiha to their former glory, inevitably left him feeling somewhat lost.
Yet that confusion lasted only an instant before he cast it from his mind.
No matter what, what mattered was that the clan was becoming better.
Everything else was unimportant.
“Yashiro, Hazuki, I’m late.”
Fugaku composed himself and called out to them loudly as he approached.
Yashiro and Hazuki exchanged glances, both somewhat surprised.
Neither the hawk faction nor the dove faction had concealed this operation.
As long as the clan head’s faction was willing, they could easily have joined them.
They simply had not expected Fugaku, whose status was akin to that of the clan’s young master, to lead them rather than Uchiha Yakumi.
“We were simply early, Lord Fugaku.”
Yashiro respectfully returned the greeting.
“Let’s walk together, Lord Fugaku.”
Hazuki smiled and stepped aside to make room for him.
Seeing their attitudes, Fugaku immediately understood the positions of the two factions, and even his stern face gained a hint of a smile.
Behind them, the young Uchihas were sizing one another up.
Curiosity filled their clear black-and-white eyes.
These children, who should have been familiar with one another, now seemed like strangers meeting for the first time, with even a trace of hostility between them—
For many of them, their daily interactions with one another were even less frequent than those with their classmates at the Academy.
They might go an entire year without saying a single word to each other.
The factional teachings instilled by their parents and elders year after year, followed by this sudden change in what they were being told, left the children feeling as though their left brains were fighting their right brains.
Still, the children were at an age when their worldviews were easiest to shape and their personalities most lively.
The initial awkwardness and restraint gradually melted away as they walked side by side, guided by the three figures at the front.
When the Uchiha youngsters appeared on the streets of Konoha for the first time in such an orderly formation, every shinobi along the way couldn’t help but turn their heads.
Especially the sight of the three leading representatives—
A capable leader of the hawk faction, an elite of the dove faction, and the heir of the clan head’s faction walking side by side.
The scene left every member of the shinobi clans who witnessed it utterly shocked.
The news spread like wildfire.
By the time this unusual group arrived at the Ninja Academy, rumors that the three major Uchiha factions were about to unite had already spread to every corner of Konoha.
At the same time, inside the reception room of the Hyūga clan compound, the fragrance of tea drifted through the air, yet it could not dispel the invisible heaviness that hung over the room.
“Elder Danzo’s personal visit is an honor for the Hyūga clan.”
The Hyūga clan head knelt in the seat of honor, his voice as calm as a still lake.
Not the slightest emotion could be seen in his pale eyes.
“However, the members of the main house must strictly abide by clan rules and protect the secrets of the ‘Byakugan.’ They cannot leave the compound freely.”
“The vast majority of the branch house members are currently serving in the various shinobi forces, while the few remaining members must protect the main house.”
“Each of them has responsibilities to fulfill, so we are unable to dispatch members to accompany Elder Danzo to the northeastern front. I’m afraid the Hyūga clan is truly unable to help in this matter.”
Yet this silent refusal infuriated Shimura Danzo even more than an outright confrontation would have.
His withered fingers clenched inside his sleeve until they turned white, but on the surface, he merely snorted coldly and said nothing more before abruptly rising to his feet.
Without even looking back, he strode out of the hall, which was filled with an atmosphere reminiscent of the Hyūga’s “Gentle Fist”—soft on the outside, yet concealing needles within.
The moment he stepped through the imposing gates of the Hyūga compound, a Root shinobi wearing an animal mask silently appeared before him like a ghost and dropped to one knee.
“Lord Danzo.”
The shinobi lowered his voice as he reported, “The latest news. This morning, Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Hazuki, and Uchiha Fugaku led the children of the three factions to the Ninja Academy together.”
“The hawk, dove, and clan head factions have appeared together publicly for the first time. Their actions were remarkably coordinated, and every clan in Konoha has witnessed it.”
“The Uchiha, who are evil by nature, are actually pulling this stunt right before the war…!”
“What are they trying to do? Are they planning to unite and rebel?!”
The curses squeezed through Danzo’s clenched teeth, the anger in his chest like an explosive tag that had been ignited, nearly breaking through his usual gloom.
The frustration of being turned away by the Hyūga, combined with the news that the Uchiha were showing signs of unity, made his already sinister face even more twisted and ferocious.
He suddenly drew in a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the surging anger in his heart, leaving only an increasingly icy and bone-chilling gaze.
“Let’s go!”
He practically forced the word out through his throat, his figure transforming into a gust of wind as he sped toward the compound of his next target.
His recruitment plan absolutely could not be halted by such a minor setback, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had given him only a single day.
But that Hyūga clan, refusing to appreciate kindness when it was offered…
He would remember this grudge.
Next, Shimura Danzo paid a visit to the secret-technique families known collectively as the “Ino-Shika-Chō,” who shared a close bond and had sworn the Earring Oath.
Within Konoha, the three clans were often regarded as a single united and mutually supportive great clan, with strength and status second only to the Uchiha and Hyūga.
Among them—
The Yamanaka clan represented the “Ino,” specializing in sensory techniques and mental manipulation.
In battle, they were responsible for sensing targets and linking the thoughts of the three members.
The Nara clan represented the “Shika,” possessing the Shadow Imitation Technique and exceptionally high intelligence.
They were responsible for formulating tactics and controlling the core of the squad.
The Akimichi clan represented the “Chō,” possessing the Yang Release secret technique, Expansion Jutsu, and serving as the squad’s offensive powerhouse.
The three clans had maintained friendly relations with the Sarutobi clan since the Warring States period.
After Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage, they received even more support, becoming staunch members of the Hokage faction.
However, Shimura Danzo had arrived full of enthusiasm and left in disappointment!