Ye Dou stopped speaking—obviously by choice.
[New Conspiracy]
"Ye Dou, you'd better steer clear of the Uchiha district for the next few days. Something's off about their atmosphere lately."
Walking down the road, the mongoose glanced around, its sharp eyes picking up on subtle cues. After some quiet observation, it too noticed that something was deeply wrong with the Uchiha clan's current state.
It was more than just the usual curiosity or vigilance shown toward outsiders. The way they looked at Ye Dou was filled with silent tension—as if any wrong move from him would trigger a swift and deadly response.
They were on high alert.
And Ye Dou? He was just a seven-year-old child.
It was becoming increasingly clear: the Uchiha clan wasn't just acting paranoid—they were preparing for war. Possibly against Konoha itself.
"Ye Dou, is there really no way to change the fate of the Uchiha clan?" the mongoose asked cautiously, glancing left and right.
"The founding of Konoha was built on the alliance between the Senju and Uchiha clans," Ye Dou replied. "But with the Senju essentially vanished from the village's leadership... it's the Uchiha's turn next."
As far as Ye Dou was concerned, the Uchiha clan's destruction wasn't just inevitable—it was already in motion.
Ever since Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama clashed during the final battle at the Valley of the End, the Uchiha's relationship with Konoha had been fractured. Despite the clan choosing peace over vengeance for Madara's downfall, their loyalty was still doubted.
Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage and younger brother of Hashirama, remained deeply wary. He feared that another Madara would rise from within the clan's ranks.
During the First Great Ninja War, Tobirama led the Senju into countless battles, bearing the brunt of the casualties. The clan was nearly wiped from the annals of ninja history.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha, though powerful, were systematically kept from accumulating enough merit to rise within the ranks of Konoha's leadership. Their strength was preserved—but so was their alienation.
Tobirama, having fought the Uchiha since his youth, developed a biased and deep-seated fear of their power—particularly their Sharingan, which evolved through emotional trauma and loss. He saw it as inherently dangerous, even evil.
As they say, your enemy often knows you best.
Whether Tobirama's concerns were justified or not is up for debate. But through policy and power, he steadily maneuvered the Uchiha away from Konoha's core—eventually assigning them to the Konoha Military Police, effectively sidelining them.
Ye Dou sighed. "Compared to the First, Third, Fourth, and even the Fifth Hokage, Tobirama was arguably the most politically capable. The rest were either too idealistic, too kind, or too weak. Only he had both the resolve and cunning to maintain stability."
"So you're saying the Uchiha downfall was Tobirama's doing?" the mongoose asked.
"Not entirely. The Uchiha themselves had flaws too."
If Tobirama's prejudice was unfounded, and the Uchiha truly just wanted peace, nothing would've happened. But the problem was—such dangerous individuals did exist within the clan.
The most infamous example? Uchiha Obito.
For Rin Nohara, he was willing to become the enemy of the entire world. His actions nearly ended it.
Such extreme ideology confirmed Tobirama's worst fears.
"The Uchiha's downfall was man-made... and yet, they were partly to blame," Ye Dou said coldly. "But that doesn't concern me. What matters is—can I benefit from this?"
The mongoose blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Uchiha Itachi graduated from the Academy at age 7, awakened his Sharingan at 8, became a Chūnin at 10, and joined the Anbu at 11. By age 13, he became an Anbu captain and was tasked with suppressing the Uchiha coup.
"It's also documented that Sasuke Uchiha was born in mid-July, and Itachi died at age 21. Sasuke was 16 when he killed Itachi—meaning there's roughly a five-year age gap between them.
"In data's, Sasuke is seen going to school on his birthday and being congratulated by villagers—right before discovering his clan was annihilated. That means the massacre happened when Sasuke was 8 years old—in March."
Ye Dou narrowed his eyes.
That gave him at least four months.
If he wanted to benefit from the Uchiha massacre, he had time to prepare.
And among the clan's many secrets, the most precious were undoubtedly the Mangekyō Sharingan of Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui.
Shisui's eye possessed Kotoamatsukami—the most powerful genjutsu in history, capable of rewriting a person's will without them realizing it. It was so potent that even the reanimated Itachi had to implant it into Naruto to protect him from being controlled.
Even within an "equivalent exchange" system, that eye alone would be invaluable.
Imagine—during a battle against a superior foe, casting Kotoamatsukami to make them surrender... or even turn them into a loyal servant. It was more than an illusion—it was strategic domination.
Itachi's eyes were equally terrifying.
With Amaterasu, he could summon inextinguishable black flames that would burn any target until nothing remained. And Tsukuyomi—a genjutsu that could trap one's mind in a torturous illusion lasting 72 hours in mere seconds.
These Mangekyō abilities were rare treasures. If Ye Dou could secure even one pair, it would accelerate his rise exponentially.
There were rumors that Fugaku Uchiha, Sasuke's father, had awakened the Mangekyō as well—but that was never confirmed. It was too risky to chase a rumor.
"But... how do I get their eyes?" he muttered.
Taking them wasn't simple. Ye Dou had no intention of going up against Itachi—at least not unless he could counter the sheer force of the Mangekyō. That would be suicide.
And as for Shisui—he wasn't the only one after his eyes.
Shimura Danzō, Konoha's self-proclaimed shadow leader, had his eyes set on Shisui's Mangekyō as well. And unlike Ye Dou, Danzō had both the resources and the ruthlessness to act.
Ye Dou would need to wait—hide in the shadows, gather intelligence, and strike only when the two sides clashed.
Only then could he snatch a fragment of power for himself.
[Target: Kotoamatsukami]
The Uchiha clan's bloodline limit was extraordinary. Once the Sharingan was awakened, they could replicate almost any jutsu with a glance. With sufficient chakra and training, even the most complex techniques became theirs.
A newly awakened Sharingan user was already at Chūnin-level combat power. But with the Mangekyō... they ascended to Kage-level.
And the techniques they gained—Kotoamatsukami, Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Kamui—were all legendary in their own right.
Not only that, but they could also awaken Susanoo—a colossal, chakra-clad warrior that offered both overwhelming offense and near-impenetrable defense.
For Ye Dou, these weren't just weapons—they were keys to reshaping his destiny.
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