Chapter 21: Cloud Hidden with Bad Intentions
Hidden Cloud Village
Killer Bee and Yugito, who were just about to depart, were suddenly called back by the Fourth Raikage.
"Brother! Why'd you call us back? Yo! Yo! You! Idiot!" said Killer Bee, his voice rhythmic as always.
He always spoke in a strange rapping style—whether he had talent or not was debatable—but his love for rap was undeniable, even if everyone found it odd. Ai, his brother, had long since grown immune to Bee's antics.
As the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, Killer Bee had already suffered enough discrimination within the village. Having a hobby was hardly a problem in comparison.
"We've received information that Uchiha Itachi has led half of the Uchiha elites out of Konoha" Raikage said calmly.
"The Uchiha maniacs finally snapped, yo! Yo! You! Idiot!" Bee responded.
Major ninja villages all had spies embedded in each other's territories. With villages so vast, such infiltration was inevitable. So, it was no surprise they had already heard about Danzo stealing Shisui's eye two days ago.
This incident nearly made Konoha the laughingstock of the entire ninja world.
Killer Bee, being young and politically clueless—something that would not change even decades later—couldn't grasp the deeper implications.
However, Yugito was far more astute and immediately picked up on the key issue:
"Has Konoha weakened again? Should we shift our focus to the Uchiha now?"
Ai shook his head. "Things are more complicated than they seem."
He handed the intelligence report to Yugito. Killer Bee leaned over and noticed a picture of the enormous Susanoo.
"This is... Susanoo… Yo! Yo! You! Idiot!"
After reading the information, Yugito realized something important: though over a hundred Uchiha elites had left Konoha, there had been no actual casualties. Apart from property damage, the clan suffered no losses.
The report also confirmed that both Fugaku and Itachi possessed Mangekyō Sharingan, indicating just how strong the current Uchiha clan was.
While tensions between Konoha and the Uchiha were rising, there hadn't yet been an official split. It was also unclear whether Itachi's departure had been part of some secret deal with the Third Hokage.
If war were to break out, it remained uncertain whether Fugaku and Itachi would support Konoha or not.
But they certainly wouldn't support the Hidden Cloud—at least, not now.
The village could no longer afford to stall, as its financial situation worsened. So, negotiations would be initiated. That moment had come.
"Lord Raikage, what's your plan?" Yugito asked.
Raikage pointed at the image of the Uchiha on the intelligence scroll.
"Our original plan stands. But keep an eye on the Uchiha—they're incredibly powerful now."
Although Killer Bee was the nominal leader of the diplomatic mission, he was just a figurehead due to being the Raikage's brother. The actual leader was Yugito.
Now that the Uchiha had seemingly broken ties with Konoha, and with the Third Hokage growing older, sending two Jinchuriki to Konoha posed little risk.
Whether their visit would be for peace talks or something else would depend on the situation upon arrival.
Konoha Village
The dramatic changes within the Uchiha clan quickly became the talk of the village, with various rumors spreading like wildfire.
One story claimed that during the Nine-Tails attack, it was Danzo who stopped the Uchiha from helping, supposedly to protect the villagers—leading to years of mistrust.
Another said the young Uchiha clan leader left the village because Danzo had stolen Shisui's eyes. Despite this, the Third Hokage only gave Danzo a verbal warning. Whether Danzo was Hokage advisor or not was just a title—he was still an Elder.
A more outrageous rumour accused the Uchiha of long harbouring resentment towards the village, blaming the Third Hokage's incompetence for the rebellion of Itachi and Shisui.
Now, people said the Third Hokage was weak, letting Itachi go and proving he was unfit to lead.
Usually, these kinds of rumours would have followers.
But Shisui hadn't rebelled, even after losing his eye. That alone casts doubt on the "Black Uchiha" narrative.
If they truly wanted to rebel, wouldn't they have done so long ago? Why wait until now?
Konoha's civilians cared most about their day-to-day lives.
There were only a few commercial streets in the village, and security was always a concern.
When the Uchiha were responsible for patrolling an area, it was the safest—high efficiency, strong presence, and quick, effective responses to incidents.
Next best was the Hyuga Clan's area, where residents were treated politely, though somewhat coldly. No matter where something happened, the Hyuga's Byakugan would catch it. Though slower to act, their surveillance was impeccable.
The worst, however, were the streets under Danzo's men—from the 1st to the 4th. Rumour had it that his subordinates acted with brutality—arresting people without question, breaking limbs during interrogation, and showing no emotion.
No one wanted to go near those streets anymore. They had become ghost zones.
Before all this, people had no strong feelings about Danzo.
But now? Everyone knew what kind of person he was.
If you want to become Hokage, then at least accomplish something. All Danzo did was frame the Uchiha and tarnish the Third Hokage's reputation.
If Danzo weren't still a village Elder, people would probably spit on his doorstep.
Although Danzo had ordered his men to ease up, habits are hard to break. Once the villagers formed an opinion of you, it was nearly impossible to change it.
Uchiha Clan's New Grounds
The Uchiha were currently busy hiring construction teams to rebuild their clan compound—this time, far away from the main parts of Konoha.
They also built a high-quality stone road connecting the village and their new settlement. It allowed Uchiha civilians running shops in the village to travel back and forth more easily.
Though the distance was inconvenient, business was now better than ever.
The villagers no longer looked at them with suspicion, which brought a sense of relief to the Uchiha.
Interestingly, despite their lavish stone road, the actual buildings within the new compound were quite plain.
Construction materials were average and decorations were sparse. Everything exuded simplicity, not the luxury expected from a powerful clan.
This was a joint decision by Kaien and Fugaku.
After all, someone was coming soon who might "carry rice"—a metaphor for destruction.
If the area became a battlefield again, all their effort would be wasted.
Why build extravagantly if the outside world would eventually move past this place?
Kaien had also been researching the food and snacks of the Land of Fire, incorporating the findings into a plan.
Various Japanese-style delicacies had been recreated in blueprint form.
Kaien had worked in the food industry in his previous life, and his head was filled with recipes. But here, raw materials were different, and so were local preferences.
It would be up to Itachi and his friends to adapt the recipes through trial and error.
Thankfully, the Uchiha had ample savings from past years to support their experiments.
And if funds ran low, Itachi and Shisui could always moonlight as bounty ninjas.
Losing two top-tier fighters would be a waste.
The black market was full of high bounties for those skilled enough to collect them.
Wasn't that how the Akatsuki earned their fortune in the first place?
Of course, most of that money was later squandered by that spendthrift, Conan...
…..
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Translated By – Ancient Lores
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