It turned out a fool actually went to assassinate Yuki Seisui!
Uchiha Hikae was usually calm and gentle with people, but he was a shinobi who had survived since the Warring States era!
By nature, he was anything but gentle.
After calming down, Hikae sat back down and looked at Setsuna across from him.
"You came to me in the middle of the night for this matter?"
"No," Setsuna shook his head.
"If it were just this, I could have seen you tomorrow."
Hikae nodded.
Although Uchiha Renka had tried to assassinate Seisui, if it was only about that, there was no need to come in the dead of night.
"I came for something more important," Setsuna said.
He tapped the table, stood up, and circled the room to ensure no one was eavesdropping before continuing.
"If a tree isn't pruned, its rotten branches compete for nutrients."
"If a clan isn't pruned, fools like Uchiha Renka will make enemies for the Uchiha."
"You should also know who was the last one to possess both a Tailed Beast and the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"If it weren't for Haru, Yuki Seisui would have been our enemy."
Hikae nodded repeatedly at Setsuna's words.
If Seisui weren't their son-in-law, this fool would have brought a powerful enemy to the clan.
Hikae suddenly realized Setsuna's intent and stood abruptly, knocking the table slightly.
Looking at Setsuna in horror, he asked, "So… you mean to prune the clan?!"
"Yes!" Setsuna's Mangekyo Sharingan spun wildly, his face full of madness.
Yet, tears still flowed involuntarily.
"There are too many unstable members like Renka. Though restrained, they are unpredictable."
"To realize the plan we discussed, the clan must be pruned!"
"Remove people like Renka, and the clan will grow stronger."
Setsuna stopped, trusting Hikae would make a decision.
Hikae took a deep breath and sat down again, silent.
For a moment, the room was still.
After a long pause, Hikae's voice sounded aged.
"Prune them."
"You have a plan, I assume?"
"Yes," Setsuna nodded, eyes fixed on Renka.
"Since this matter started with him, we'll act in his name."
"Uchiha Renka accidentally awakened the Mangekyo, harbored hostility toward Konoha, kept urging me to stage a coup—I refused. In anger, he struck, wiping out my faction in front of everyone."
"Then he was killed by Haru upon arriving."
"Fine." Hikae nodded. Though there were gaps in the story, they weren't publicly known.
The Mangekyo-related details were known only to him and Setsuna.
Yuki Seisui and Haru knew as well, but beyond the four of them, no one else did.
"In that case, I'll prepare." Setsuna's eyes were now firm, without tears.
Watching him leave, Hikae sighed at the table.
"How did it come to this?"
He understood Setsuna's method was correct and agreed, but he still didn't fully approve.
He believed Setsuna didn't truly desire this outcome either.
They were shinobi from the Warring States era. In their hearts, the village held no importance.
To them, the village was just people gathering for mutual protection; loyalty to the clan surpassed everything.
But personal feelings couldn't change the fact that the Uchiha needed to exist within Konoha.
So, no matter how much they disliked it, it had to be done.
"I hope things go as we anticipate."
=======
Over twenty days had passed since the assassination attempt. Setsuna hadn't come for him, Seisui hadn't faced trouble, yet the thought lingered silently.
"Take this!" A voice suddenly called from behind.
"Too slow!" Seisui didn't even turn, using his katana to block Nawaki's attack. He pivoted on one foot, transferring the force through his legs and waist, then to the other foot.
The strike was lightning-fast. Before Nawaki could react, he was kicked flying.
Training Nawaki under Tsunade's guidance was a joy for Seisui. He got to beat him daily, completing his training tasks, and earn Tsunade's favor.
Three wins in one move: an outlet, task completion, and favor from Tsunade.
"So slow, you still haven't improved." Seisui folded his arms, watching Nawaki lie on the ground.
Even a pig would gain some strength after this training, but Nawaki wasn't even that.
With a casual swipe, Seisui "cut" him into pieces, snapping back to reality.
Nawaki recovered, then shamelessly approached Minami Uzumaki to cozy up.
"Pathetic sycophant."
Back home, Seisui opened the recruitment interface. A small cross by the number of draws indicated he had a ten-draw.
"Feels like ages since my last draw, even though it's only been a month."
"Draw!"
[Uchiha Sasuke (Eternal Mangekyo) Fragment x5, Uchiha Sasuke (Eternal Mangekyo) Fragment x1, Hatake Kakashi (Ninja World War) Fragment x1, Uzumaki Kushina Fragment x1, Uchiha Madara (Reanimation Release) Fragment x1, Uchiha Shisui (New Year Limited), Might Guy (Eight Gates) Fragment x1, Prismatic Stones x3]
[Uchiha Sasuke (Eternal Mangekyo) 67/100]
[Uchiha Shisui (New Year Limited)]
[Skills: Body Flicker Technique.]
[One vs Seven, the village and clan are in your hands]
[Body Flicker Technique: Grants user the same speed ability as Shisui's Body Flicker.]
[Owned Templates: Uzumaki Naruto (Ninja Student), Moonlight Gale, Senju Tobirama (Wandering Samurai), Uchiha Itachi (Red Night Blade), Uchiha Obito (Sharingan), Uchiha Sasuke (Sharingan), Uzumaki Kushina (Girl), Uzumaki Naruto (Fourth Tail), Uchiha Itachi (Mangekyo Sharingan), White (Wandering Samurai), Uchiha Shisui (New Year Limited).]
[Experience Card: Uchiha Sasuke (Eternal Mangekyo)]
[Prismatic Stones: 14]
…..
Completed version available on Available on [P]atreon.[c]om/Veltoria [remove brackets]