Chapter 36: The Real Reason for All This

  "In that case, let me tell you."

  "But remember, you must keep this matter in your heart and never tell anyone!"

  Uchiha Mirai looked at Uchiha Shisui and warned him sternly.

  Uchiha Shisui, sensing the gravity of the situation, grew visibly tense. "Don't worry, I swear I'll keep this secret even at the cost of my life."

  "Let's start from the Warring States Period..."

  Seeing Shisui's focused expression, Uchiha Mirai took a deep breath and carefully organized his thoughts. "During the Warring States period, long before Konoha was established, ninjas were organized by families. They fought each other over mercenary tasks."

  "The Hyuga cn, the Sarutobi cn, the Shimura cn, the Uzumaki cn..."

  "The two most powerful ninja cns were the Senju and Uchiha cns."

  "If one client hired a ninja from one cn, the opposing side would hire a ninja from the rival cn to counter them. Over time, this rivalry became deeply rooted. Both cns sought to eliminate each other."

  "This went on until Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara rose to lead their respective cns."

  "In their quest to prevent young children from being forced into war and death, the two joined forces to conquer the Warring States period and established the one-country-one-vilge system. Thus, the Leaf Vilge was born."

  Uchiha Shisui listened intently, his eyes reflecting surprise.

  Though these events were recorded in the family's secret texts, he hadn't encountered them yet. Uchiha Mirai's story felt like an eye-opener.

  "After Konoha's founding, Senju Hashirama was chosen as the First Hokage."

  "However, after some time, Uchiha Madara began to see fws in the system they had built. He realized that over time, this system would inevitably breed darkness. So, he chose to leave Konoha."

  "It's worth noting that when Madara decided to leave, he urged the Uchiha cn to follow him. But his cnsmen, who had grown accustomed to the stability of vilge life, refused to join him."

  "By then, they already considered themselves part of the vilge."

  Shisui furrowed his brow. If the Uchiha cn had willingly stayed, why had the situation deteriorated to what it was now?

  Seeing his confusion, Mirai continued. "After Senju Hashirama passed away, Senju Tobirama, the most vocal candidate, became the Second Hokage."

  "Unlike his older brother, Senju Tobirama held deep hostility toward the Uchiha cn."

  "'The evil Uchiha'—that was a mantra Tobirama often repeated."

  "Under his leadership, policies were put in pce to sideline the Uchiha cn. Their influence in Konoha's core decision-making began to wane. Eventually, their cn territory was pushed to the edge of the vilge."

  "To further ensure that the Uchiha would never compete for the Hokage's position, Tobirama established the Konoha Police Force and assigned its responsibilities to the Uchiha."

  Hearing this, Shisui raised his hand. "But, Mirai-senpai, wasn't assigning the Police Force to the Uchiha a sign of trust in our cn?"

  Mirai shook his head. "Shisui, that's naive thinking."

  "The majority of our cn members are not skilled at expressing themselves. Oftentimes, their inner thoughts come across as completely opposite of what they mean."

  "Tobirama knew this. By assigning the Police Force to the Uchiha, he essentially gave us a double-edged sword."

  "While the Anbu, directly under the Hokage, handled the vilge's true security, the Police Force dealt with trivial civil matters. Whether fair or not, such work only fueled resentment among the vilgers."

  "As time passed, hostility between the vilgers and the Uchiha grew."

  "In essence, Tobirama handed us a weapon—one designed to turn against us."

  Hearing this, Shisui felt as though a veil had been lifted.

  It all made sense now. No matter how hard the Uchiha tried to reconcile with the vilgers, the gap only widened. The root cause y in Tobirama's policies.

  If this is true, Shisui thought, then the Second Hokage orchestrated everything!

  After a moment of contemption, Mirai took a sip of tea and resumed his expnation.

  "Before Tobirama's death, he appointed Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Third Hokage. The so-called Jōnin voting system was just a formality. The Uchiha cn, as one of Konoha's founding cns, had lost all influence."

  "Under Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura—both adherents of Tobirama's ideology—suppression of the Uchiha became more btant. This led to the current state of affairs."

  "Now, Shisui, tell me: whose fault do you think this is?"

  After a long pause, Shisui spoke firmly. "It's the vilge's fault."

  It was clear. The strained retionship between the vilge and the Uchiha was the result of prejudice fostered by the Second Hokage and perpetuated by his successors.

  "That's why trying to change the Uchiha cn alone is futile," Mirai said gravely. "What truly needs to change is Konoha itself."

  "My eyes have foreseen the future. If this continues, the Uchiha cn will be destroyed."

  "Mirai-senpai, what should we do?" Shisui asked, panic creeping into his voice.

  "The solution is simple."

  "As long as we possess absolute power, everything will naturally change."

  Shisui looked at Mirai with arm. "Mirai-senpai, do you mean to... lead the Uchiha in rebellion?"

  "Shisui, failure is called rebellion. Success is called revolution."

  "But... Can we really challenge the vilge with our current strength? And wouldn't such an uprising result in countless deaths?"

  "Shisui, remember this: all of this is their fault."

  "They are the ones who drove us to this dead end."

  "Besides, with me leading, the situation may not become as dire as you think. Once we demonstrate enough power to make the Hokage's faction despair, they will crumble."

  Shisui was awestruck. He had never realized how fierce and determined Mirai was. Behind his calm exterior y the heart of a ferocious tiger.

  "Alright, now that you know everything, tell me your decision," Mirai said with a faint smile.

  "Mirai-senpai, I'll work hard to grow stronger so that the cards in your hand will become even more powerful!"

  Shisui bowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground.

  Seeing this, Mirai quietly moved his hands away from his waist.

  Shisui was only the beginning.

  Soon, under his leadership, the entire Uchiha cn would rise to become a ninja cn admired across the world.

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