Chapter 13: Awakening in the Interrogation Room
"For example… Uchiha Madara!"
The moment the name crossed his mind, an image of that proud, crazed figure flashed before the Third Hokage's eyes, causing him to shudder involuntarily.
"We must never allow the Uchiha Clan onto the battlefield!"
The battlefield was a catalyst for the rapid rise of Uchiha powerhouses.
The Third absolutely would not allow another Uchiha to rise to the level of that man.
Such a thing would be a catastrophic disaster for Konoha.
After all, the Senju Clan would never produce another Hashirama.
The first core principle of the Second Hokage's Uchiha policy must not change: under no circumstances should the Uchiha be sent to war.
As for the second principle… the Third now considered that it might need adjusting.
According to Tobirama's plan, once the Uchiha were completely confined within the Konoha Police Force and no longer exposed to strong emotional stimulation, the Sharingan would become harder to awaken, and their strength would gradually diminish.
At that point, the Hokage would apply social pressure, forcing the weakened Uchiha to seek alliances with other clans or talented ninja for survival.
And these alliances would have to be forged through political marriage.
Once the Uchiha began intermarrying, their bloodline would gradually become diluted.
Consequently, the emotional stimulation needed to awaken the Sharingan would need to be even more intense, making it harder and harder to manifest.
Eventually, through political integration, the Uchiha would fully assimilate into the greater Konoha family.
There would no longer be an "Uchiha Clan," only "Konoha Shinobi."
If everything followed the Second's plan—
The Third believed the Uchiha Clan's demise was inevitable.
That was why he had so faithfully upheld the Second's policies toward them.
But now, he realized Tobirama's plan had a flaw.
It would take far too long to eliminate the Uchiha threat. There were too many variables.
After the First Great Ninja War, many of the clans who had fought suffered significant losses.
Especially his own Sarutobi Clan, which had fought hard to secure his Hokage seat. During the war, they had practically gone all in.
Though their sacrifice earned him the titles "Professor of Ninjutsu" and "God of Shinobi," firmly cementing his authority—
It had also weakened his foundation.
He had been forced to revise—or rather, elevate—the Book of the Will of Fire in order to win over more civilian ninja and stabilize his position.
But… it still wasn't enough.
During the war, the Uchiha had largely stayed behind in Konoha, sending only a few members to fight.
They didn't gain many new high-level ninja, but they didn't suffer losses either.
In particular, many old veterans from the Warring States era were still alive within the clan.
Even if they only had one last fight in them, no one could guess how terrifying their strength might be.
Even the Third himself wasn't confident he could defeat them.
He didn't even know whether any of those relics had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The truth was: at this moment, the Uchiha were at the absolute peak of their power within the village.
The number of jōnin in the clan was nearly equal to the number of officially registered jōnin in Konoha.
If not for the presence of other clans maintaining balance, the Uchiha might have already tried to impeach him and forcibly remove him from power.
In short, the Uchiha Clan was now stronger than ever.
As long as those old fossils within the clan lived, there was always a chance they could rise again.
That much the Third understood—and so did the sharper minds in the village.
And there were smart people within the Uchiha as well, which was why they were growing restless. Why else would they dare challenge the Hokage directly?
Their goal was to provoke the Third into attacking first, so they could use that as a pretext for removing him, without giving other clans a reason to intervene.
The Third was aware of all of this.
That's why he was doing everything he could to find "legitimate" ways to weaken them.
He knew—
Time was on his side.
If he could outlast this moment, the Uchiha Clan would never be able to remove him from power.
Still, when he thought of those two Uchiha punks who dared raise their heads in defiance under his killing intent…
The Third didn't want to wait anymore.
"Maybe… Danzo's Uchiha extermination plan really is the best solution…" he muttered, though he hadn't made up his mind yet.
Then his gaze shifted to Kimura Yō, slung over Insect's shoulder—and suddenly, he made a decision.
If everything went smoothly, he would abandon Danzo's plan. He had time to play the long game.
But if things didn't go well—
He'd greenlight Danzo's plan and begin the rapid dismantling of the Uchiha Clan's power.
…
Honk honk!
Beep beep!
The sound of traffic horns echoed around him.
Li Yao stood at a busy intersection, surrounded by tall buildings. He stared for a long moment at a curvy woman in a tight dress before murmuring to himself,
"Did I… return?"
"Or is all this just a dream, and I'm still asleep?"
"No, no, dreams don't hurt. I tried pinching myself before—it really did hurt, even if I was the one doing it."
"So… is this a dream?"
His thoughts churned like a spring, bubbling without end. After a while, Li Yao slapped his thigh.
"If it's a dream or not—pinching my leg will tell me!"
He quickly pinched his thigh.
"…Hmm. Doesn't hurt."
He tried again—harder, twice. Still no pain.
Now he was sure.
He was dreaming. He hadn't returned to Earth.
Then… when had he fallen asleep?
Li Yao tried to recall.
It seemed… he hadn't gone to sleep?
It seemed… something had bitten him?
And then… and then… what was that?
As his dream grew increasingly vivid, the sky in the distance rippled like a sheet of elastic—pierced by an invisible stick from the outside.
"Ow, who's poking my stomach?"
Suddenly, the painlessness of the dream vanished. Li Yao felt something stabbing into his stomach—hard.
He instinctively grabbed at the invisible stick.
To his surprise, he caught it—then tossed it away.
At that moment, in the real world, Li Yao's eyes snapped open.
Just as he did, he caught the sight of someone stepping back in front of him.
"Where… am I?"
"Why can't I move?"
Li Yao tried to lift his head, but it felt like his body had been poured into a cement pillar. Even his eyes couldn't move. That single blink had cost him all his energy—now he could only stare downward.
His arms were stretched out at an upward angle, suspended. His knees were pressed together, kneeling on the ground, and his head hung low.
He couldn't see ahead, nor understand where he was.
But based on the dim light, the slight waxy smell in the air, and the unmoving shadows beneath him, Li Yao guessed he was in a sealed room—there wasn't a hint of air movement.
"So… I've been captured?"
"Who took me?"
"And why?"
The realization that he had been captured triggered a storm of panic in his mind—thoughts racing like frightened fish, darting in all directions.
It was as if only this mental chaos could keep him from being consumed by fear.
Because deep down, he already knew what came next.
The flood of thoughts was just a desperate attempt to numb himself.
(END CHAPTER)
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