CHAPTER 246 - 246

Konohagakure was massive.

Ramen stands, barbecue joints, seafood restaurants, the village had everything, and Yugito had never seen such a variety back in Kumogakure. She imagined she could have eaten happily for days, if it weren't for the maniacs she was with.

But now... she was getting a strange sense of deja vu. It felt less like a tour and more like being force-fed her way across the village. From start to finish, not a single person had stepped in to help. Everyone just looked the other way, as if they couldn't see a young girl being practically dragged from one stall to the next.

'It's not fair,' she thought, on the verge of tears.

Yugito ate her bowl of ramen with a lump in her throat, the broth tasting much saltier than it should have.

"Meow~ Thanks for the meal." Takeshi stretched, purring.

It wasn't until the afternoon that her tormentors finally let her go. Their mercy wasn't born from kindness, but from the simple fact that they couldn't eat another bite.

Even a glutton has their limits. If Tsunade had been running on empty, she might have been able to devour a mountain of food, but her chakra was still plentiful. After one full round of the village's eateries, she was satisfied.

Kushina, however, was true to her word.

Now that the initial "welcome" was over, Yugito was free to come and go as she pleased, within reason, of course.

She still couldn't leave Konoha. The village's Anbu guard was incredibly strict, especially when it came to managing jinchuriki. The moment Yugito took a single step toward the village gates, she would be intercepted and knocked unconscious.

This wasn't a measure aimed specifically at her. Konoha had adopted this policy after Kushina herself was nearly kidnapped years ago. While Kushina was permitted to participate in missions, she mostly stayed within the village walls.

After eating his fill, Takeshi quietly returned home to sleep.

The village was in a chaotic state, and it was better to avoid going out if he didn't have to. The wisest course of action was to stay home and wait for his deployment orders. Besides, with the war raging, most of the Jonin were on the front lines. The only people left wandering around Konoha were civilians and Genin, so there was no real opportunity for a decent spar. Going out was just a waste of energy.

He might as well invest his time in rest. Only by being fully rested could he handle what was to come.

The Uchiha hadn't come looking for him, but a great change was stirring within their clan. Under Fugaku's quiet maneuvering, the prestige of several of the clan elders had plummeted. They could no longer command the respect they once had.

This was only the first step.

That night, a silent figure arrived at Kura Uchiha's home.

Kura, who had been wiping his blade, paused. The footsteps were impossibly light, but his senses, honed by countless battles, couldn't miss such a subtle disturbance.

Without a sound, he set down his blade and quietly closed the bedroom door. Shisui was sleeping inside.

When he turned around, Fugaku was already in the room.

"Clan Head."

"Kura," Fugaku began, his voice low. "There is something I must discuss with you."

"Hn?" Kura considered him for a long moment. Then, without a word, he moved to the front door, scanned the street outside, and secured the lock. He did the same with the windows before sitting across from Fugaku, gesturing for him to continue.

"The rot in our clan runs deep," Fugaku said. "Several of the elders still cling to the idea of independence, but they are the same ones who didn't dare follow Madara when he offered them the chance. If we follow their path, the Uchiha will be led to ruin. I intend to purge our ranks. I need your help."

Fugaku bowed his head deeply.

Kura had heard whispers of Fugaku's recent political moves but knew little of the full story. He had returned to the village only at Fugaku's repeated insistence, and now he finally understood his clan head's true intentions.

He was repositioning them, forcing a change.

"How do you intend to do this?" Kura asked.

"We will cleanse our own house to establish authority," Fugaku explained. "Danzo is dead. The Sandaime is still in office, but he is old, and his power wanes. As long as we declare our loyalty to the village, the future of the Uchiha will be secure. It will not get worse, at least."

Aligning with Konoha came with a price. If Danzo were still alive, Fugaku would never have dared to make such a move. Danzo was a wolf, and any alliance with him would have ended with the Uchiha being devoured, bone and all.

Fortunately, he was gone.

Though no one knew who had killed him, his death was a blessing for the Uchiha. Even if Hiruzen wanted to suppress the clan, there was only so much he could accomplish on his own. Without that dark alliance, Fugaku felt he had a chance, especially with Kura back in the village.

But Kura saw past the immediate future. "And the next Hokage? Can you guarantee they won't move against us?"

Compared to the idealism of a younger Itachi or Shisui, Kura's perspective was tempered by experience. He was loyal to the village, but he was not blind to its suspicion of the Uchiha. This was a wound that could not be healed by a simple, bloody purge. If bloodshed alone could have earned Konoha's trust, he would have acted the moment he returned. He had the power, with his Mangekyo, to force the village's hand. But what would happen after? What if they still refused to let the Uchiha in?

"The next leader will undoubtedly be one of the Sannin," Fugaku said, his tone confident. "Orochimaru was too close to Danzo, Sandaime would never grant him the title. That leaves Jiraiya and Tsunade. If Tsunade hadn't returned, it might have been Jiraiya. But now..."

His meaning was clear. With the support of Takeshi and Minato, Tsunade had decisively won the eastern border. Even Jiraiya, with his free-spirited nature, held a deep affection for her, he wouldn't compete with her for position. The title was hers for the taking.

"Tsunade has a strong personality," Fugaku continued, "but compared to the insidious games the Sandaime and Danzo played, I find her far easier to interact with. She is direct. With her, we won't have to worry about a knife in the back."

Kura pondered this for a long time. He was a warrior, not a politician, his understanding of the village's inner workings was not as sharp as Fugaku's. But as his clan head laid it out, he could see the logic. The Uchiha had just earned significant merit on the eastern front. An internal purge, framed as a pledge of allegiance, could be the perfect move.

"When will we make our move?" Kura asked.

"Tonight. All other preparations were made two days ago. We will move together to ensure there are no mistakes."

As Fugaku spoke, his eyes swirled into the three-tomoe Sharingan. In response, Kura activated his own. The tomoe spun rapidly, transforming into a unique, geometric pattern.

"That's... the Mangekyo!" Fugaku's eyes widened in shock. Not since Madara had anyone in the clan awakened those fabled eyes. He never imagined Kura possessed such power.

Takeshi's arrival had altered many fates. Had events followed their original course, Fugaku would have awakened his own Mangekyo during the Third Great Ninja War, after his teammates sacrificed themselves to save him. But here and now, that power was not yet his.

"Good," Fugaku breathed, his shock giving way to grim resolve. "Very good. There's no time to waste."

"Hn." Kura assented.

The moment the word was spoken, they opened the door and vanished into the night.

Few knew the full extent of Fugaku's plan, though some, like the Sandaime, might have guessed at pieces of it. But Hiruzen would never have expected his Uchiha clan head to take such a drastic step.

That night, when flames erupted from the Uchiha district, casting a red glow over Konoha, every Anbu and Jonin left in the village was instantly alerted. The Uchiha compound was situated in the heart of Konoha, a prime location that also served as a cage. Any major disturbance would draw support from all sides within minutes, just as it was happening now.

"Meow~ What's happening?" Takeshi asked from Minato's shoulder.

"I don't know. It looks like the Uchiha are killing their own." Minato replied.

Sensing Minato's presence, Takeshi used the Flying Thunder God to appear beside him. From Minato's vantage point on a nearby rooftop, he had a clear view of the entire Uchiha compound.

Down below, the district was alight with torches.

A cat's night vision was already strong, but with the added light, he could see the scene unfolding below with perfect clarity.

Fugaku and Kura were apprehending people, old men, some of whom looked even more ancient than the Sandaime. Their strength had long faded, and they stood no chance against the two Uchiha. But what caught Takeshi's eye was Kura's Shunshin. Each flicker of movement seemed to leave behind a solid afterimage, similar to Shisui's Body Flicker, but somehow faster, stronger.

'An enhancement of speed and Shunshin?' Takeshi mused. 'A Mangekyo's abilities are usually an extension of the user's will or talent. Kura excelled at speed, taijutsu, and kenjutsu, so it makes sense. I'd need to see it up close to know for sure, though.'

He shifted on Minato's shoulder. "Meow~ So, are we just going to watch?"

Watching the drama unfold was one thing, but people were fighting down there. Just sitting here felt a little off.

Minato let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know what else to do. In this situation..."

The scene was so unexpected, so sudden. Intervening felt wrong, but so did doing nothing. He was at a loss. It seemed, for now, all they could do was watch.

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