Chapter Four: Compromise and Suppression

Struck in the abdomen by the kunai, the Root member collapsed, his body giving way as he fell to his knees. Uchiha Li stood before him, his expression calm, showing not a shred of mercy as he pulled the kunai free.

He had been tempered by the fires of war; none of this unsettled him. He had killed before—what was it, then, to merely cripple a Root ninja?

Flicking the blood from his kunai, Uchiha Li addressed his squad in an even tone. “Take this rogue ninja to the Guard’s prison. Interrogate him and uncover his betrayal of the village.”

From his first question to his decisive action, it had all taken but a few heartbeats. None present, not even Uchiha Fugaku, had anticipated Li’s audacity or his willingness to go so far.

The squad members exchanged hesitant glances, uncertainty passing between them before their eyes settled on the clan head.

Fugaku was stunned. Gritting his teeth, he demanded, “Is this your answer to me? Do you even understand what you’ve done? If the village holds us accountable, how is the clan to bear the consequences?!”

By the end, Fugaku was nearly shouting, his fury palpable.

But Uchiha Li remained unperturbed, calmly returning his kunai to his pouch before replying, “Clan Head, every action I have taken is strictly within the duties the village entrusted to the Guard. We have captured a traitor alive; if the village does not reward us, we should at least be free from blame.”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Fugaku roared at Li, furious at being outmaneuvered.

Yes, every step had been legally justified, and Li’s words and actions were, by the book, beyond reproach. But this was the Third Hokage—a man who had held the seat of power for years. Would he accept such an explanation?

Li met his clan head’s relentless questioning with unwavering resolve. “I’m not pretending, Clan Head. Everything I have done is for the good of the clan.”

“You—!” Fugaku pointed at Li, his hand shaking with rage.

Li tilted his head. He had no desire to linger on this matter. The decision was made; he had already branded the Root ninja with guilt, and there was no turning back.

What mattered now was to quickly absorb the chakra the Nine-Tails had scattered, so that Terra could further awaken and, in turn, hasten the evolution of the Sharingan.

With this in mind, Li looked earnestly at his clan head and asked, “Clan Head, do you really believe that obeying the Third’s orders will keep the Uchiha safe?”

He pointed to the rampaging Nine-Tails in the distance and pressed on, “Have you considered what the village and the Fourth will think of us if we do nothing tonight, as the Third commanded?”

“You mean…” Fugaku’s expression softened as he realized what Li was implying.

The Fourth was, after all, the Hokage. Even if he did not yet hold full power, the Hokage represented the village’s highest ideals. So long as he lived, he would eventually rule. If the Uchiha chose to retreat tonight, bowing to the Third’s command, the Fourth would hold it against them in the future.

And if the next leader bore such a grudge, the rift between the Uchiha and the village would only widen, with disastrous consequences.

Fugaku did not believe the Fourth would perish in this night’s chaos. He was the Yellow Flash of the Leaf, master of the Flying Thunder God technique—invincible in attack and defense. How could he die?

“You’re not wrong, but the Third’s faction is powerful…” Fugaku conceded Li’s point, yet still hesitated.

Li seized the moment. “So what? The Fourth is the future. The Uchiha should choose the future. Besides, with the Sharingan imprinted in the Nine-Tails’ eyes, do we truly have any room to retreat?”

At this, Fugaku fell silent. He gazed at the Nine-Tails ravaging the village, his face etched with bitterness.

The Sharingan in the beast’s eyes made the Uchiha’s position even more untenable. No matter how many clan members rushed to evacuate villagers, their reward would be suspicion and resentment, not gratitude.

With a deep sigh, Fugaku unclenched his fists and looked at Li, his expression conflicted.

“I understand,” Fugaku said at last. “Then, what do you propose we do?”

He gestured for the squad to take away the wounded Root member, tacitly approving Li’s earlier actions.

Li felt a weight lift from his heart and replied, “Including you, Clan Head, the entire Guard should mobilize to aid and protect the Fourth Hokage. So long as we stand firmly with him, none can fault us.”

Fugaku closed his eyes, grappling with the choice. If he truly committed the clan, the Uchiha would be irrevocably tied to Minato Namikaze, with no retreat.

Heaven or hell—the fate of the clan now hung on a single decision.

Seeing his clan head hesitate once more, Li knew he could wait no longer. He spoke coldly, “Clan Head, if you continue wavering, the clan will be doomed by your hand. If you cannot decide, you might as well abdicate now!”

He deliberately spoke harshly, hoping to provoke Fugaku. Ignoring the reactions of those present, Li turned and strode toward the Nine-Tails.

The ANBU blocking the road moved as if to stop him, but recalling Li’s ruthless actions just moments before, they held back. None dared intervene; Li would not hesitate to strike, even under the pretext of punishing a ‘traitor’.

Exchanging glances, the ANBU silently agreed—they would report everything to their superiors. As for what judgment the Third would render, and whether the Uchiha would be punished, such matters were far beyond the reach of mere ANBU.

Fugaku watched Li’s retreating figure, his anger barely contained, especially after those rebellious words—almost a direct accusation of incompetence.

“Uchiha Li, I am the clan head!” he shouted at the departing back, but his fury received no answer; Li only quickened his pace, his silhouette vanishing from sight.

That proud, unyielding figure had made his answer plain enough: “Oh, I know.”

Those left behind—scores of Uchiha—pressed their lips tight, eyes darting, as if to feign ignorance of what had transpired. But their faces could not hide the truth; their hearts understood all too well.

Tonight, their clan head had been utterly suppressed by Li, with no hope of regaining the upper hand.

Fugaku swept his gaze over his clansmen, his cold stare forcing them to bow their heads.

Face darkening, Fugaku strode forward and snapped, “What are you all standing around for? Get moving and support the Fourth Hokage, now!”

Relieved, the Uchiha quickly fell in behind their leader.