UTBW: Ch. 88

The three clan leaders couldn't make up their minds for now and could only continue to observe the situation.

Not long after, Tsunade and Jiraiya returned.

"Lady Tsunade, Jiraiya-sama." The three clan leader quickly stood up to greet them.

"Mm." Tsunade responded perfunctorily, sat down with a gloomy face, and started pouring herself a drink without saying a word.

Shikaku and the other two couldn't help but look stunned.

"The daimyō was not under any genjutsu," Jiraiya explained with a sigh.

As soon as those words were spoken, shock was written all over the three clan leader faces.

He wasn't under genjutsu?

That meant the decision to appoint Junichi as the Fifth Hokage came entirely from the daimyō's own will!

A storm surged in Shikaku's heart. He suddenly realized something, perhaps the daimyō had grown dissatisfied with the Senju clan.

As a former strategist who served under the Third Hokage, he was aware that Hiruzen had rejected many of the daimyō's requests.

The reason given? "They did not align with the Will of Fire."

At the time, he had admired the Hiruzen's firm principles and integrity. But looking back now, those very rejections had planted seeds of disaster.

How could a noble daimyō possibly tolerate subordinates who disobey his commands?

Thinking of this, he realized that Junichi had perceived this situation early on, and used it to his advantage?

"I won't give up!" Tsunade suddenly slammed her cup down, face stern. "The position of Fifth Hokage absolutely cannot be handed to him!"

Shikaku snapped out of it and looked at her in surprise.

Tsunade looked back at him earnestly and pleaded, "I plan to seize power by force. I need the Ino-Shika-Chō to help me."

"Th-this…"

Shikaku panicked on the spot. Inoichi and Chōza also looked uneasy.

"Think carefully," Jiraiya advised. "If he becomes the Fifth Hokage, no one will have it easy. His methods are ruthless, his personality overbearing. Can you really accept such a leader?"

Well… it was not entirely unacceptable. Though Junichi was cruel and domineering, he was also wise, decisive, and perceptive.

Ninja respected strength.

Compared to him, both the former leadership and the current Tsunade and Jiraiya seemed lacking.

"…What are your chances of success?" Shikaku asked after a brief silence.

"Not even thirty percent." Jiraiya replied gravely, "That's why we need to ask you to have the Ino-Shika-Chō stall Junichi while Tsunade and I carry out an assassination plan!"

What?! We're supposed to stall the Uchiha clan? Shikaku's mouth fell open, stunned.

"The Senju clan will manage the aftermath, convincing the ANBU and other clans," Tsunade said slowly. "The time has come to risk it all!"

The Uchiha clan? How could their three families possibly hold them back?

Of course…

In theory, this arrangement made sense. The Senju would stabilize the village, while the most dangerous task would fall to the Ino-Shika-Chō.

But… With less than a 30% chance of success, why should they throw their lives away?

Thoughts raced through Shikaku's mind like lightning. Then, recalling the secret message he had just received from Shikamaru, he made up his mind.

Sorry, Lady Tsunade. Sorry, Jiraiya-sama. You two are too naive.

He turned to glance at Inoichi and Chōza. The three exchanged looks. With silent understanding, they made their decision.

They were siding with Junichi!

"Alright." Shikaku took a deep breath and solemnly said, "Leave it to us, Lady Tsunade, Jiraiya-sama!"

"Great! I knew I wasn't wrong about you!" Tsunade was overjoyed.

"I'm counting on you," Jiraiya smiled.

Neither of them even offered any kind of promise. Empty words, and yet they expected them to act.

What political fools. Shikaku inwardly shook his head.

---

Late night, in the Naka Shrine, a multi-layered barrier that blocked perception, visual jutsu, sound, and line of sight had been erected, completely sealing off the shrine from the outside.

This kind of complex barrier was excellent for secrecy. Of course, the trade-off was that it had nearly zero defensive power.

But to the Uchiha clan, that was a non-issue. If an enemy attempted to intrude, they'd simply kill them on the spot.

Twenty-four Uchiha, each with fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan, bowed in unison toward the young man seated above.

Junichi waved his hand. Although he was only fifteen, his training in the One Piece world had caused his body to develop significantly. The childishness in his features was completely gone. At a glance, he looked like a young man in his twenties.

"I've called you here secretly because there's something I need you to do," he began.

As soon as they heard this, all twenty-four Uchiha thumped their chests and responded loudly.

"Just say the word!"

"Who are we taking out this time?"

"I love killing people the most!"

"Is it the Hyūga clan? I've had enough of those guys!"

Junichi had to raise his hand in a calming gesture to stop the excessive chatter.

Seriously… What did his clan think of him? Did they really think all he did was fight and kill?

"This time, it's not about killing. You're to capture two people alive," he said, before suddenly changing the subject. "But before that, I need you to learn something."

He raised his hand and gestured.

Flap flap flap…

A swarm of crows flew out from his sleeve, vivid and lifelike, as if they were real. The crows flew and landed, exactly twenty-four of them, one on each clan member's shoulder.

"This is… Yin Release Creation!?"

They stared at the crows, collectively gasping. They could clearly sense that these crows were, in essence, highly Yin Release chakra constructs. The technique was astonishing. Legend had it that Yin Release could create form from the formless.

But that was just a myth. Like the legendary Rinnegan wielded by the Sage of Six Paths, it had never truly appeared.

"Use your ocular power to make contact," he instructed.

"Yes!" The Uchiha all activated their Sharingan, releasing ocular power toward the crows on their shoulders.

Caw! Caw!

The crows instantly dispersed, turning into black shadows and merging into the Uchiha's bodies. Immediately, a strange ocular technique appeared in each of their minds.

It was a method that mimicked the memory feedback of Shadow Clone Technique, encoding knowledge into chakra and setting the Sharingan's ocular power as the activation switch.

Once triggered, the knowledge would be directly imprinted into their minds.

"S-Susanoo!?"

"We can bypass the Mangekyō and use this ultimate ocular technique?"

After absorbing the information, all twenty-four Uchiha were in utter disbelief.

Junichi gave a faint smile, unfazed. "Just a small trick. Even if you master it, with only three-tomoe Sharingan, you can only use the initial form of Susanoo."

The clan members were even more shocked. Even just the initial form of Susanoo was astonishing. To be able to wield it with only three-tomoe Sharingan meant their strength could at least double.