The news of Hiruzen and Danzo's return to Konoha had already reached the hands of Uchiha Hiro, the elder patriarch and leader of the Uchiha clan's Hawk faction.
A few days earlier, Hiro and his allies had noticed a sudden surge in the number of Anbu agents patrolling the Uchiha compound.
Shortly after, Hiruzen and Danzo returned to Konoha from the front lines of the shinobi standoff, bringing with them a group of elite ninja.
At the same time, Koharu and Homura, who had been assisting Second Hokage Tobirama Senju in the capital of the Land of Fire, also swiftly returned to the village.
To Hiro and the rest of the Hawk faction, these movements made it all too clear, their plot to overthrow the village leadership had been exposed.
This likely meant that the higher-ups in Konoha were preparing to purge the Hawk faction within the Uchiha.
That very night, following the arrival of Hiruzen and the others, Hiro received a scroll from a mysterious source.
It contained classified information detailing Konoha's plan to eliminate the Hawk faction members within the Uchiha.
Without delay, Hiro summoned the Hawk faction members to his estate for a secret meeting.
In the dimly lit underground chamber beneath his home, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.
Hiro's cold gaze swept across the room. His voice was icy: "The plan has been leaked. We're at a point of no return.
Everyone who knows the full scope of our operation is here. I want to know, how did such top-secret information get out?"
Uchiha Kawa, responsible for external communications, was the first to speak up.
"I've always handled external contacts personally, never once delegating. As a staunch supporter of your ideals, Father, I'd rather die than leak a single word!"
He met Hiro's eyes with unwavering sincerity.
Hiro gave a small nod. He had absolute trust in his eldest son.
Since Kawa was a boy, Hiro had instilled in him the value of putting the clan above all else. And Kawa had indeed inherited that belief completely.
Next, Hiro turned to the Second Elder, Uchiha Hideo.
Hideo replied coolly, "I command many subordinates, but most are tasked with monitoring the Dove faction within the clan.
Fewer than five of them know the full plan, and they're all present here. If any of them betrayed us, we'll know soon enough."
Hiro was about to question further when he noticed something odd in the expression of Uchiha Nozomi, kneeling nearby.
He barked sharply, "Nozomi! Do you know something?"
Startled by the sudden outburst, Nozomi blurted, "I didn't mean to!"
Rage surged through Hiro like a volcanic eruption, threatening to consume him entirely.
Ten years ago, on the road to the front lines against Kumogakure, Nozomi's spirit had been shattered by the overwhelming aura of Third Hokage Arima.
Ever since, his resolve had never recovered, much to Hiro's bitter disappointment.
More recently, Hiro had deliberately assigned Nozomi to the intelligence division, hoping that standing atop the ruins of the old Konoha might reignite his spirit.
And now, it seemed that the entire plan had been compromised because of him.
Hiro forced himself to calm down. Despite his fury, he couldn't believe Nozomi would intentionally betray them to Konoha's leadership. There had to be more to this.
He said each word slowly and firmly, "Raise your head. Look at me."
Nozomi didn't dare say more. He straightened up and met the elder's eyes.
Hiro saw the bloodshot eyes and deep regret written across Nozomi's face. He understood, there truly was some unspeakable reason behind this.
Staring him down, Hiro demanded, "Tell me everything. Word for word."
Nozomi realized he could hide nothing now. He admitted, "I was chatting with Kaito the other day… I might've let something slip."
Hiro immediately pressed him, "What exactly did you tell that child?"
Nozomi, face flushed with shame, said, "Arima destroyed everything I once held dear. I've always seen him as my greatest enemy.
When I heard he'd gone missing, and you were planning to strip the Senju clan of their power… I got carried away and said a little too much."
Hiro ground his teeth. "You idiot! Why the hell would you say something like that to a ten year old!"
Hearing Kaito's name made Hiro's tone soften somewhat.
Uchiha Kaito was the posthumous son of Uchiha Kagami, grandson of Uchiha Shin, the current clan head and leader of the Dove faction.
He had secretly been accepted as a student by Third Hokage Arima.
Kaito's mother, Uchiha Ei, was Hiro's beloved youngest daughter, making Kaito his most treasured grandson.
Ei's out-of-wedlock pregnancy had been a source of disgrace to the clan's elders, kept secret for years. Only the Uchiha higher-ups and the Second and Third Hokage knew Kaito's true identity.
Kaito had shown impressive talent in ninjutsu at a young age and was clearly more mature than other children. Under the Third Hokage's guidance, he'd made remarkable progress.
As for Uchiha Shin, Hiro felt nothing but dismay. After Kagami's death, Shin had abandoned the Hawk faction and eventually became the Doves' leader.
After hearing Nozomi's full confession, Hiro picked up a cup of cold tea, took a few sips, and asked irritably, "What exactly did you tell Kaito?"
Nozomi felt the oppressive weight of Hiro's chakra crashing down on him. The sudden pressure brought back the trauma he had experienced under Arima's aura.
Heart pounding, Nozomi finally spilled everything.
Over the years, Kaito's growing reputation reminded Nozomi of his own youthful self, and he had taken care to support the boy in many ways.
But what irked him deeply was Kaito's unwavering admiration for Arima, the man who had ruined him.
Back when Arima held office, Nozomi had kept quiet in public.
But privately, he couldn't stand hearing Kaito praise his enemy's feats, Arima's victories in battle, defeating tens of thousands, even overpowering the Second and Third Raikage.
Now that Arima was missing and Hiro was planning to topple the Senju's influence, Nozomi couldn't hold back.
He sought out Kaito and said offhandedly, "Your hero's vanished, and soon the Senju's reign in Konoha will fall with him."
Kaito, despite his maturity, still had a child's pride.
He snapped back, "That's not true! You're wrong! The Third Hokage is unmatched, how could he just disappear? He must be on some secret mission!"
He nearly slipped up, but caught himself in time.
Riding high on his emotions, Nozomi missed the warning signs in Kaito's words.
He looked around and whispered, "You'll understand soon enough. I can't say more for now."
Then he left the training ground, leaving Kaito alone, confused and uncertain. No one knew what the boy might have been thinking.
A few days later, Tobirama received a classified message detailing the Hawk faction's betrayal and plans to collude with enemy forces.
Tobirama immediately mobilized elite forces to suppress the rebellion. With both internal and external threats looming, he had no choice but to act decisively.
After Nozomi finished recounting his conversation with Kaito, Hiro realized they had been played. It was clear that a ten year old couldn't have orchestrated this leak.
But the fact that Kaito had been caught up in this mess was completely unexpected. Hiro had no clear way to hold anyone accountable.
Even if he believed Kaito wasn't the culprit, he had no proof.
He waved for everyone else to leave, keeping only the Second Elder and his son, Kawa, behind.
The three sat in silence.
The Second Elder, Uchiha Ken, was the mastermind behind the rebellion. He understood the full implications of what had happened and now looked like a withered husk, hollow and defeated.
At last, Hiro broke the silence. "Tobirama's going to strike hard this time. What do you think our clan should do?"
Ken, eyes half-closed, replied bleakly, "So be it. If it ends in death, I'll take it as a chance to join our late clan leader.
If it weren't for my concern over how the clan would suffer in Konoha, I would've followed Lord Madara long ago."
Kawa asked quietly, "Father, do you truly believe Kaito didn't betray us?"
Hiro let out a long breath. "Whether he did or didn't… what's the point now? Do you expect me to secretly execute my only grandson, your only nephew?"
Ken sighed bitterly. "I've lived decades in this shinobi world. To fall for a trap this late in life... It's age that dulls the blade."
Kawa was confused. "What do you mean, Uncle?"
Ken raised his dull gaze. "You've forgotten that mysterious man? He claimed to be a trusted aide of our late clan head and showed us the clan's sacred fan, never leaving his side.
He knew too much about the Uchiha… and yet, we never even saw his face. And we trusted him, just like that!"
Fury surged within Ken. He drained the rest of his cold tea and placed the cup down with a thud.
"It was all a trap. Our clan's coming disaster… is my fault. I was blinded by ambition, deceived by illusions. That's the most dangerous genjutsu of all."
Seeing Ken growing more agitated, Kawa said quickly, "Some of our men reported that Kaito has been visiting Father's study frequently lately… and even meeting with Anbu in secret."
Hiro's tone was flat. "So you still trust that mysterious man? Even if Kaito did probe into the plan, do you think a child of his strength could really grasp the full picture?"
Then his eyes darkened with hatred and helplessness. "It's an open trap. After what just happened, our own Hawk members are probably turning their suspicions on Kaito.
That child will be increasingly alienated. Is that what the mysterious man wanted? To push Kaito out of the Uchiha? What is he planning?"
Far away, in a secret underground hideout, Black Zetsu watched over the slumbering body of Uchiha Madara.
The moment it learned that the Third Hokage had vanished from the shinobi world, it knew exactly who was responsible.
Gazing at Madara's aged face, it sneered.
"Hashirama… that so-called grandson of yours, Arima, really is unlucky. To get caught by that person… But I suppose that works out perfectly for me."
It chuckled. "The Uchiha… the more they love, the deeper they hate. That boy has potential. I think you'll like the gift I've prepared for your grand return."
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