After listening to Elder Icarus's description of Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Yuan furrowed his brows.
This guy really did sound like a dangerous person.
"Elder Icarus, the Second Hokage has been dead for more than ten years. Has this senior Setsuna really been imprisoned all this time?" Yuan asked.
"Yes. Though the Konoha Prison is managed by our Uchiha clan, Setsuna did betray the village. We couldn't just release him. He's been locked away ever since. Based on his age, he should be about the same as Yashiro now."
Yuan nodded and didn't ask further.
So Setsuna was imprisoned in the Konoha Prison—which the Uchiha oversaw—meaning he probably just wasn't allowed to leave, rather than being truly isolated.
And now the Hawk faction of the Uchiha wanted to use Obito's Sharingan as a bargaining chip for Setsuna's release.
Setsuna had already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan before age 20, so he was likely at elite jōnin level now.
Trading one double-tomoe Sharingan for an elite jōnin—definitely a bargain.
More importantly, the fact that the two Hawk elders still remembered him meant Setsuna still held sway among their faction.
"We can agree to let Kakashi keep the Sharingan, but only if we get Setsuna's freedom in return," said Uchiha Yuu and Uchiha Chizan after communicating via genjutsu.
Fugaku turned to Icarus.
Just as Icarus was about to speak, Uchiha Yakumi, captain of the Police Force's 4th Division and Fugaku's trusted aide, ran in and whispered something in Fugaku's ear.
Fugaku's expression changed slightly.
"Minato Namikaze and Hatake Kakashi are here. Let's go meet them," he said to the gathered Uchiha elders.
The Uchiha high-ups followed Fugaku back to his home.
Minato and Kakashi were already waiting. With them was Minato's girlfriend—Uzumaki Kushina, classmate and close friend of Uchiha Mikoto, and the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha.
When the Uchiha leadership entered, Minato and Kakashi were sitting politely.
Minato wore his signature radiant smile.
Kakashi looked hollow—blank expression, lifeless eyes, like a walking corpse.
Kushina, meanwhile, was happily chatting with Mikoto in whispers.
"Ahem! Mikoto, Kushina, you two head out for a bit," Fugaku said with a light cough.
Mikoto nodded and turned to Kushina:
"Want to see Itachi? It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Sure! Minato, you guys talk. I'll go check on Itachi!" Kushina replied excitedly, leaving right away.
"Their friendship is still as strong as ever," Minato chuckled.
"Yeah. Back at the academy, they were inseparable... Anyway, let's not dwell on that. You're here today for Kakashi's Sharingan, right?" Fugaku asked.
Minato's smile disappeared, his tone turning serious:
"Fugaku, I hope my student Kakashi can keep this Sharingan. It was a gift from Obito and holds great meaning for him.
Kakashi wants to use this eye to see the world in Obito's stead. So please, for the sake of Obito's final wish, allow Kakashi to keep the eye."
"Clan Head Fugaku, please," Kakashi added, giving a deep bow from a kneeling position.
Fugaku sighed. If it were up to him personally, he wouldn't make things difficult for Minato or Kakashi—but the Uchiha clan wasn't something he could dictate alone.
"Minato, it's not that I don't want to help—it's just…"
"Fugaku, I understand. Before I came, the Hokage told me himself: he's willing to trade Setsuna's freedom for Kakashi's eye."
Fugaku froze, surprised that the Third Hokage would propose this himself.
Then he quickly understood: this was a trap—an open conspiracy.
The Third Hokage's political maneuver was brilliant.
Currently, Hawk and Dove factions in the Uchiha were relatively balanced.
The Hawks had two elders and one Police Division captain. The Doves had one elder and two captains.
Yakumi, captain of the 4th Division, supported Fugaku directly.
But introducing Uchiha Setsuna could tip the balance in favor of the Hawks and plunge the clan into chaos.
However, since the Third Hokage had made the offer himself, Fugaku couldn't—and wouldn't—refuse.
After all, no matter what Setsuna had done, he was still a Uchiha. As clan head, Fugaku had the duty to support every clan member.
What Fugaku realized, Icarus clearly did as well.
But now Icarus could no longer openly object. Since the Hokage had initiated the offer, it even seemed—on the surface—to be a goodwill gesture to improve relations with the Uchiha.
At the very least, that's how it looked.
The Doves had no grounds to oppose it anymore.
Seeing that Icarus remained silent, Fugaku knew the outcome was settled.
He sighed.
"Technically, Setsuna shouldn't be released. But the Third Hokage is merciful and has offered him a chance to redeem himself. Of course, we will not oppose that.
As for Kakashi's Sharingan—it was Obito's gift. We, the Uchiha, never had any intention of taking it back in the first place."
Hearing Fugaku's words, Kakashi thanked him again. At last, some life returned to his eyes.
Minato also expressed his gratitude.
With the deal sealed, Minato and Kakashi didn't linger. They took Kushina and left the Uchiha compound.
Yuan hesitated a moment, then said something to Fugaku and followed after them.
"Does Uchiha Yuan have a close relationship with Minato and them?" Yuu asked after Yuan left.
"I don't know. I'm not all that familiar with him," Fugaku replied.
"I think Yuan is chasing them for Obito's sake. After all, he taught Obito the Body Flicker Technique back at the academy—they were classmates and seemed to get along," Icarus explained.
(To Be Continued...)