Infinite Anime [221-222] (Patreon)

Chapter 221: How to Save the Uchiha?

To be honest, resolving the Uchiha issue peacefully would have been so easy for the Third Hokage and the council.

After all, the Uchiha clan are one of Konoha's founders—so what's wrong if they want to be CEO for once? Is that such an unreasonable demand?

If you want to say that the Uchiha are prone to craziness and unsuited to be Hokage, that's not much of a reason either.

Take Uchiha Itachi for example—he's pretty normal overall: he's got strength, intelligence—you're saying he isn't qualified to be Hokage?

In the end, everyone has selfish motives. The Hokage line passing power down the generations has already become an unspoken rule.

To put it extremely, even if you're Orochimaru's student, you might still run for Hokage. But if you have nothing to do with the Hokage's lineage, sorry, step aside.

Now, looking at the Uchiha, they have their own problems too. Why are they so hung up on staying in Konoha?

From the Warring States era, the Uchiha were a world-famous clan. Now that the Senju have declined, it's never been that the Uchiha can't live without Konoha—it's Konoha that can't live without the Uchiha!

Look at Konoha's strength before the Uchiha massacre in the original story. In the great ninja war, they could fight multiple villages at once without breaking a sweat.

But after the Uchiha were gone, even a small Sound Village cobbled together by Orochimaru dared to team up with the Sand and launch a plan to destroy Konoha.

Was the Sand Village stupid? They sent in Gaara and those guys truly thinking they could destroy Konoha!

And in fact, they did cause Konoha a lot of trouble.

This kind of thing would never have happened if the Uchiha clan were still around. The other villages just thought Konoha was weak and easy to bully.

The Uchiha clan never figured out their role, or what bargaining chips they actually had.

Even if you look at outright rebellion as a last resort, they did it terribly—gathering for secret meetings every day with extremely poor secrecy—might as well have written "rebellion" on their faces.

And all they did was… just hold meetings! All procrastination and indecision—if they had actually fought, they wouldn't have died so miserably.

"Senpai, in your opinion, what should the Uchiha do now if they want to survive?"

Itachi asked. Right now, his mind was a mess. If he hadn't run into Gusion today, he'd already be preparing to go back and slaughter the entire clan.

"There's a high, middle, and low plan. It depends on what you choose."

Gusion said. There are so many ways to solve the Uchiha problem—oh, mainly because he's seen too many discussions in the comment section of the space.

"There are three plans?"

Itachi was a little surprised. It wasn't that he lacked composure, but after racking his brains for days he couldn't think of a way to break the deadlock—he felt it was a dead end, about to start killing.

After the surprise, he looked earnestly at Gusion, "Please tell me the best plan first, senpai."

Since he's asking for a plan, of course he wants to hear the best solution.

"When I say high, middle, and low, they're not really that contradictory—it's just a way of putting it. Just listen."

Gusion smiled, "The so-called best plan is for the Uchiha to give up on the idea of becoming Hokage. What's so great about that position anyway? To put it bluntly, the main reason to become Hokage is for money and power, but there are other ways to get those things besides being Hokage."

Itachi was moved by Gusion's words. He suddenly felt he had a point. Why are the clan members so angry—is it simply because there's never been a Uchiha Hokage?

Not really. If the Uchiha were treated like the Hyuga, Konoha's top clan, they wouldn't be so angry.

But all they got was a lousy security job, ostracized and looked down upon in the village, no power, no money—how could the proud Uchiha stand that?

"But if the higher-ups won't give us power, and we can't become Hokage, where does the money and power come from?"

Itachi asked, puzzled. If the clan had money and power, of course they wouldn't think of rebelling.

"Itachi, you need to understand, real power is never given by others—it's taken by yourself."

Gusion said meaningfully. He knew Itachi wasn't easily fooled. If Itachi weren't truly at a dead end right now, he wouldn't even be listening to a rogue ninja like him.

But the reason Gusion was able to trigger this hidden quest was because Itachi really was at a major crossroads in his life, wracked with pain and dilemma, so he had the chance to intervene.

Gusion himself wasn't that interested in saving the Uchiha, but if there were benefits, he'd do it. Besides, he liked some of the characters in the original and saving them could shake up the whole world and yield massive exploration rewards—now he was motivated.

"Take it yourself? Senpai, do you have any good ideas?"

Itachi asked, though he didn't really hope for much. He figured Gusion had ended up a missing-nin himself—he might not be any smarter than Itachi.

"Ideas? First you need to understand your own value, Itachi."

Gusion looked at Itachi's Sharingan. "Your clan's kekkei genkai is top-tier in the whole ninja world. Go back to the Warring States era—only the Senju rivaled you. So how did it come to this—being security in Konoha and looked down upon?"

Itachi fell into thought. Gusion's blunt words helped him understand the thinking of his father and the hardliners.

Yeah, the Uchiha are so powerful—how could they just be security in Konoha?

"Want wealth and power? It's simple. You need to think bigger."

Gusion smiled.

"Think… bigger?"

Itachi repeated the words, a little confused.

"To solidify your position in Konoha is easy. Doesn't your clan do intermarriages? Why insist on keeping all the bloodline within the clan? The Sharingan is powerful, but not every Uchiha can awaken it, right? Without your teaching, Uchiha born outside would probably be mediocre."

Gusion smiled, "But do other clans think that way? No! Your Sharingan is famous throughout the world."

At this point, Itachi seemed to get it, "Senpai, you mean… we use our bloodline as leverage, marry into other clans, and gain political status?"

Gusion nodded—smart Itachi got it right away. "Exactly. You know how powerful the average Sharingan is. I don't know what your eye technique is, but you alone could probably wipe out most of the Uchiha, right? So even if the bloodline spreads, it's no threat to your main line."

He continued, "Other clans desperately want your Sharingan—they don't realize how weak the average Sharingan is, they just want to bring in a new kekkei genkai. If you marry into Konoha's top clans, your political standing shoots up. At the very least, Konoha wouldn't dare try to wipe out an ambitious Uchiha anymore—one move affects everything."

Itachi thought it over, "If Konoha moves against the Uchiha, it would destabilize the whole village, so we'd be safe for now?"

He realized the plan was extremely feasible—this would not only protect the Uchiha but also win them stronger political power.

Throughout history, marriage alliances have always been strong political ties. And for the Uchiha, their bloodline is a benefit. Blood and interest linked together—there's no stronger alliance.

Once the Uchiha marry into other clans, they'd truly be part of Konoha's elite and wouldn't be so ostracized anymore. Even fair electoral rights wouldn't be that hard to get.

"Safe for now? You're thinking too small. Don't you want wealth and power?"

Gusion saw that Itachi had relaxed and sat down on a broken tree stump. "Marrying into clans is just one option. But I think you could think even bigger."

"Even bigger?"

Itachi was confused. Gusion's suggestion had already shattered the Uchiha's thinking—he was shocked they'd never considered marrying into other clans before.

Bloodline clans care about keeping the blood in-house, but powerful clans often marry for alliances. For example, the First Hokage married into the Uzumaki because that clan was strong and famous for sealing.

Within Konoha, clans often intermarried, but the Uchiha never did, so they seemed like outsiders.

Now he realized: all the clans bind blood and interest together, and with Konoha's development, the elite circle was set—but not the Uchiha, who never married in. No wonder they were ostracized.

But Gusion said to think even bigger—he couldn't imagine what that would be. He felt that alliance marriage was already a brilliant move.

If he could persuade his father, the Uchiha disaster could be avoided.

"I just said—your kekkei genkai is famous, and people outside Konoha want it too."

Gusion said, "Your women can marry out, or to go further, your men could openly sell their seed—I bet even clans in the Five Great Nations would be tempted."

Itachi was stunned, then frowned, "Isn't that a bit much?"

He still cared about Konoha, and felt that Uchiha blood spreading abroad would be helping the enemy—Konoha wouldn't like that.

He thought more, "Besides, small countries aside, the big nations' Kage wouldn't allow their clans to get too close to the Uchiha, or have their women become spies."

Gusion shook his head, "Not possible. Just look at Konoha—the Hokage isn't omnipotent. He's just the manager chosen by Konoha's interest groups. Unless he alone can suppress the village, he has to care about their opinions. You think those clans would resist the temptation of sharingan?"

Itachi was silent, but quickly saw the key point.

Yes, this is an open plot. The problem is only with Konoha's attitude—other countries would never stop the Uchiha from spreading their seed, because all the clans under the Kage want it!

"But… if we really do this, Konoha will be furious—maybe launch the Uchiha Massacre outright."

Itachi said, although he didn't think it was dirty for clan men to sell their seed—he'd seen worse things as a ninja. Some older cousins even frequent brothels, and would probably be happy to get paid for this.

He just felt Gusion's idea was too radical and risky.

"That's why you need to stabilize your position in Konoha first—make it hard for the Hokage to touch you…"

Gusion trailed off, making Itachi anxious.

Chapter 222: Senpai, I'll Work for You

Itachi looked at Gusion's subtle expression and suddenly understood.

He realized this was a weird situation—he was an Anbu, on a mission to hunt down Gusion.

The mission had failed; three Anbu colleagues were dead, and he was waiting for death. Yet here he was, hoping a missing-nin would tell him how to save the Uchiha.

After all, what's in it for Gusion? Even if he cares about Konoha, he's a missing-nin now—he has no obligation to help.

Thinking this, Itachi made up his mind and solemnly said, "Senpai, if you help me save the Uchiha, I'll work for you from now on."

In Itachi's view, Gusion wasn't some mad criminal, and he still cared about Konoha. Even if he worked for Gusion, he wouldn't be asked to destroy Konoha.

Besides, his current position was awkward—the Third Hokage sent him on this mission, clearly not trusting him, maybe even treating him as expendable.

He was loyal to Konoha, but not blindly loyal to the Third. As long as the village could prosper and the Uchiha survive, he didn't care who he worked with.

He had even planned to massacre the clan, become a missing-nin, and join Akatsuki to spy for the village.

Now, he felt fate had smiled on him—he met Gusion, and got a chance to change his fate.

Gusion had brains and power—if they worked together, they could save the Uchiha, and maybe secretly help Konoha too.

"Oh? Itachi, do you know what you're saying?"

Gusion hadn't expected Itachi to be so quick. He'd just wanted Itachi to help him get some forbidden Jutsu from Konoha, but Itachi pledged allegiance instead.

"I know what I'm saying, Senpai. If you save the Uchiha, I'll work for you."

Itachi repeated, "As long as it doesn't endanger Konoha, I'll do anything."

Gusion smiled, "No need to be so serious. As for not harming Konoha—I can't guarantee that. If Konoha sends people to kill me again, I have to fight back, right? I won't forgive those at the top who put me in this position."

Itachi hesitated inside, but realized: to save the Uchiha, the current power structure in Konoha would have to change drastically.

That included the Third Hokage, Danzo, and the elders—all were obstacles. So Gusion's point made sense; it wasn't realistic to save the Uchiha without rocking the village.

With that, he relented, "As long as Konoha isn't truly devastated, I can accept anything else."

Gusion was very satisfied with Itachi's answer—this exceeded his expectations. If he'd asked Itachi to help destroy Konoha, he'd refuse. But any plan would clash with Konoha's leaders—major conflict was inevitable. Itachi taking his side was enough.

With Itachi's attitude confirmed, Gusion could freely offer his advice. "Itachi, tell me about the Uchiha's situation—how urgent is it?"

Itachi realized he hadn't explained, so he quickly recounted his deal with the Third and his plan to massacre the clan.

Gusion, after listening, confirmed the timeline—good thing he ran into Itachi now; otherwise the Uchiha would already be history.

"Since things are so tense, it's a bit late to consider marriage alliances. The other clans would hesitate. First, you must sheathe your drawn swords."

Gusion said, unafraid after reading many smart comments online.

"You mean, I should persuade my father and the others to let go of rebellion and show a willingness to coexist peacefully?"

Itachi, always the reasonable Uchiha, immediately got it. "But my father is stubborn—he won't listen to me."

Gusion looked at Itachi, "That's because you've never really communicated. If you explain the alliance marriage plan, I'm sure he'll see it's a better way to get wealth and power. With money and power, your standing in Konoha rises. If you're strong enough, what's to stop you from becoming Hokage?"

Itachi pondered, "You're right, Senpai. I'll try talking to my father."

"In the end, Itachi, do you really understand your father? You don't really think you could single-handedly wipe out the clan with just those eyes, do you?"

Gusion figured Itachi wasn't lying, but hadn't mentioned Obito, meaning Obito hadn't contacted him yet. In the original, Itachi didn't do it alone—Obito helped and probably led the assault.

And the Uchiha's strongest, the ever-indecisive, conflict-avoiding clan head Fugaku, in the end just lay down and waited to die after seeing his son's resolve.

Fugaku had experienced two ninja wars and awakened the Mangekyo—Itachi might not even beat his father.

"Senpai… actually, my eyes are pretty strong. I wasn't fighting all-out before. If it came to a death battle, you might not be my match."

Itachi said diplomatically—he already had Susanoo ready, and was about to fight Gusion before this talk.

"Oh? You mentioned Shisui also awakened Mangekyo. Why do you think only you two youngsters have it, and not your father, the clan's strongest?"

Gusion asked.

Itachi froze, suddenly realizing he'd gotten cocky after awakening his Mangekyo. His father was also a genius, a veteran of battle, who'd lost friends and brothers—he might have the Mangekyo too.

Seeing Itachi stunned, Gusion continued, "Don't underestimate your father. Be clear with him—he'll understand. If you two join forces, your power alone could make Konoha wary."

"I understand, Senpai. You said to sheathe our swords and show peace—then what?"

Itachi asked.

"Then? Then you follow the plan I just described. Once things calm down, who wouldn't want your Sharingan? If you can't bring yourself to Konoha, just marry in. Your clan is full of good-looking men and women—finding partners is easy."

Gusion said, "Just ally with a few families, and Konoha won't dare touch you. Not hard at all."

Itachi considered the feasibility—it really didn't seem that hard.

Their clan was attractive, so finding partners would be easy, especially with families that didn't have bloodlines, just secret jutsu.

No need to go for the most powerful clans. Any few to stabilize things and Konoha wouldn't dare move.

"But Senpai… even then, the situation isn't really solved. If the higher-ups see through our plan, they might just go all-out and wipe us out anyway."

Itachi voiced his worries. Knowing Danzo and the Third, it wasn't impossible.

Gusion stroked his chin, thinking, "That's possible. But your clan isn't weak, and my plan isn't that simple."

"You have another plan, Senpai?"

Itachi asked expectantly.

"I said there were high, middle, and low plans, right? No need for the lowest. The middle plan, combined with the best plan, can cover this."

Gusion smirked, "Itachi, I want to slightly destroy Konoha."

Itachi tensed, "Senpai, I just said…"

Gusion raised his hand, "I said 'slightly'—not enough to really hurt Konoha. Remember the Third War? Tensions with your clan were high, but nothing happened because Konoha had external enemies—they needed the Uchiha to fight multiple great nations."

Itachi immediately understood, "You mean, use external threats to force internal unity?"

Gusion nodded, "Exactly. Make the old men at the top realize it's not the Uchiha who need Konoha, but Konoha who needs the Uchiha. If Konoha gets repeatedly defeated by outside enemies, and your clan comes to the rescue—what then?"

Itachi's eyes spun with excitement, "Our reputation in the village would completely change!"

Gusion smiled, "Exactly. You'd gain more power, and with threats outside, Konoha wouldn't dare move against you."

"But Senpai… would you do it? Konoha would hate you, and the risk is huge."

Itachi was already considering Gusion's position. If he was hated by Konoha, it would hurt—Itachi knew that feeling.

Gusion replied, "You're right. The Uchiha are strong, and Konoha's no pushover. I wouldn't risk attacking Konoha alone and dying for your play. I need to think about how to do the 'Konoha destruction plan'."

"Indeed. Saving the clan isn't easy…"

Itachi sighed. Even with his mind opened, it would still be difficult.

"Don't worry. I haven't figured out all the details yet, but I have a general idea. I'll contact you when I have news."

Gusion stood up—he already had someone in mind for the plan, someone who would be happy to work with him.

"Senpai, you're leaving already?"

Itachi was disappointed; he still had many questions.

He felt such a big matter—saving the Uchiha—was being decided in a few words; it felt hasty.

"What else? Just talking isn't enough. You need to go back and change your father's mind. I can't go back to Konoha with you."

Gusion brushed the dirt from his cloak, "Let's exchange contact info. I'll inform you of the next step."