The Clan Head Is Dead?
That’s Great News!
[CS]
3: Chapter 3: What?
The Clan Head Is Dead?
That’s Great News!
[CS]
“The current head of the Uchiha Clan has been confirmed dead in battle!”
“Before his death, he ordered that Uchiha Fugaku be appointed as the acting Clan Head.”
“His body is now being transported back to Konoha.”
The expressions of Konoha’s high command changed dramatically.
Following the death of Hyūga Hideshu, a main family member of the Hyūga Clan, another important figure from one of the great clans had fallen in battle.
Moreover, this time it was the head of the Uchiha Clan.
It seemed that the intensity of the war was about to escalate even further.
For the first time, genuine grief appeared on Great Elder Sōen’s usually stern face.
Unlike everyone else’s shock, Shinsuke, who had originally intended to quietly coast through the meeting, felt his eyes light up when he heard the news.
‘The Uchiha Clan Head is dead?’
‘That’s a good thing!’
‘The position of Clan Head is now vacant.’
‘Doesn’t that mean I have a chance too?’
‘No matter what, I have to compete for the position of Clan Head!’
According to the original storyline, Fugaku would officially become the Uchiha Clan Head after the war.
However, his political ability was truly difficult to praise.
Despite possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan and having geniuses like Shisui and Itachi within the clan, he still led the entire clan to its destruction.
Even openly rebelling wouldn’t have ended with the clan being exterminated.
It could only be said that even tying a ninja hound to the Clan Head’s seat would have produced a better leader than Fugaku!
Now that he had bound himself to the Family System, instead of allowing Fugaku to lead the Uchiha down the path of destruction, he might as well fight for the position himself!
…
Meanwhile, the meeting continued.
Hiruzen took a deep puff from his pipe, slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke, and spoke in a heavy voice.
“The situation has reached this point.
You are all the pillars of Konoha.
Does anyone have any thoughts?”
Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses and spoke solemnly.
“The death of the Uchiha Clan Head likely means the war will escalate even further…”
“Exactly!”
Danzō immediately picked up the conversation.
“We should immediately mobilize additional manpower from every ninja clan in the village and send them to the front lines!
We absolutely cannot allow the enemy villages to seize the initiative!”
Hiashi immediately refuted him coldly.
“The combat strength of every major clan has already been deployed almost entirely.
The remaining personnel are barely enough to keep the village functioning.
Where exactly do you expect us to find more people?”
Koharu Utatane slowly spoke.
“I don’t think that’s necessarily true.
Aren’t there still a number of children at the Ninja Academy who are about to graduate?
Letting them graduate early could help fill the vacancies on the front lines.”
“Well said!
I completely agree!”
Homura immediately echoed her opinion.
“So what if they’re young?
During this war, haven’t Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Shisui both risen to fame at a very young age?”
Rather than expressing his own opinion, Hiruzen instead turned toward Uchiha Sōen, who had remained silent ever since the meeting began.
“What does the Uchiha Clan think?”
Faced with the Hokage’s sudden question, Sōen still seemed immersed in the grief of the Clan Head’s death.
As a result, he froze for a brief moment after hearing Hiruzen’s question.
Sitting beside him, Shinsuke knew that his opportunity had arrived.
If he wanted to compete for the position of Uchiha Clan Head, the first step was to demonstrate his political insight.
With the memories of Blue Star and complete knowledge of how the Naruto world would unfold, he was fully confident he could use this information advantage to astonish everyone present.
He immediately leaned toward Sōen and whispered,
“Great Elder, would you allow me to speak on behalf of the Uchiha Clan?”
Already thrown into confusion by the Clan Head’s death and unsure how to answer, Sōen considered that Shinsuke was now a Jonin who possessed the Three Tomoe Sharingan and was indeed qualified to represent the clan.
After hesitating briefly, he nodded.
Shinsuke stood up.
Every gaze in the meeting room focused on him, some curious, some scrutinizing, and some indifferent.
Meeting those gazes head on, he calmly spoke.
“The Uchiha Clan’s judgment is completely different from everyone else’s.
We believe that not only will the war fail to escalate, it will actually end this very year!”
Naturally, Shinsuke wasn’t speaking recklessly.
The current year was Konoha Year 50.
According to the original storyline, the Third Shinobi World War ended during Konoha Year 50.
The moment his words fell, several faint chuckles echoed throughout the meeting room.
The expression on Hiruzen’s aged face remained unchanged as he calmly asked,
“And what is the basis for the Uchiha Clan’s judgment?”
Facing the Hokage’s question, Shinsuke showed no fear and continued his analysis.
“First, Senior Minato successfully destroyed Kannabi Bridge during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.
Iwagakure’s supply line has been severed, which means the war between Konoha and Iwagakure can already be considered over.”
The eyes of Konoha’s high command flickered.
Shinsuke was right.
Ever since the Battle of Kannabi Bridge ended, both Iwagakure and Konoha had gradually begun withdrawing the shinobi stationed along their shared border.
A ceasefire between the two villages had practically become inevitable.
Seeing the reactions of those present, Shinsuke knew he had spoken correctly, so he continued while the momentum was in his favor.
“Second, Iwagakure is simultaneously fighting both Konoha and Kumogakure.
Once we reach a ceasefire with Iwagakure, they will be able to dispatch a large number of shinobi into the Land of Lightning.
I conclude that the Third Raikage will inevitably suffer a devastating defeat and may even lose his life.”
“Once Kumogakure loses the Raikage, it will become even more difficult for them to continue the war.”
The death of the Third Raikage was one of the landmark events of the Third Shinobi World War, so Shinsuke remembered it quite clearly.
However, several members of Konoha’s high command immediately burst into laughter after hearing his analysis.
A few even began whispering among themselves.
“Did I hear that correctly?
He actually said the Third Raikage would die in battle?”
“That’s the strongest Raikage in history.
How could someone like him possibly die so easily?”
Danzō directly rebuked him.
“Hmph, ignorant brat.
What do you know?”
“The current Third Raikage is known as both the Strongest Spear and the Strongest Shield.
How many people in Iwagakure could possibly threaten him?”
“There is absolutely no way he would die so easily!”
Several mocking gazes were then directed toward Sōen, as though silently asking,
‘So this is the young man of your Uchiha Clan?’
‘The Uchiha Clan’s political judgment really is as poor as ever.’
Even Elder Sōen felt his face growing warm under those looks.
He couldn’t help regretting allowing Shinsuke to speak.
Even he found such an outrageous prediction difficult to believe.
From beneath the table, he tugged on Shinsuke’s sleeve, signaling for him to sit down before embarrassing himself any further.
At that very moment, a Root shinobi suddenly appeared behind Danzō.
The shinobi leaned close and whispered something into Danzō’s ear.
Danzō’s expression gradually changed from calmness to complete shock.
The fingers gripping his cane had turned slightly white.
Noticing that something was wrong, Hiruzen immediately asked,
“Danzō, what happened?”
After remaining silent for a moment, Danzō cast Shinsuke a complicated glance before stiffly speaking.
“Urgent report from the front lines…
Iwagakure dispatched ten thousand shinobi in a surprise attack against Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage fought alone against the enemy for three days and three nights…
before dying from exhaustion.”
Silence.
Danzō’s words froze the expressions of everyone in Konoha’s high command.
The mocking looks gradually transformed into astonishment, disbelief, and finally deep suspicion.
One gaze after another focused on Shinsuke again.
He…
Actually got it right?
Since when had the politically incompetent Uchiha become like this?
In previous high level meetings, members of the Uchiha Clan would simply sit there acting aloof.
Even when they spoke, they rarely contributed anything meaningful.
When had the Uchiha become so sharp in analyzing political affairs?
Not only that, but what he had just predicted had been confirmed almost immediately afterward!
No wonder Danzō’s expression had become so ugly after receiving the intelligence.
The Uchiha brat had slapped him in the face on the spot.
Danzō’s face alternated between pale and green, yet he still forced out a cold snort.
“Hmph!
The Uchiha must have obtained the intelligence in advance!”
Many people immediately came to a realization.
Of course!
That had to be it!
The Uchiha must have received the intelligence beforehand and deliberately used it to show off during the high level meeting.
They all turned toward Sōen, only to discover that the Great Elder looked just as bewildered as they did, if not even more so.
Sōen was genuinely confused.
The Uchiha obtained the intelligence beforehand?
Then why didn’t he, the Great Elder responsible for the clan’s affairs, know anything about it?
Hiruzen quietly observed Sōen’s reaction.
He looked deeply at Shinsuke before arriving at a conclusion.
‘Could he really be a genius?’
After taking another deep puff from his pipe, Hiruzen looked toward Shinsuke.
“Please continue your analysis.”