Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Kumogakure.

After the rampage of the Tailed Beasts, Kumogakue immediately resealed the two Tailed Beasts. Notably, the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki was promptly re-sealed inside Blue Bee.

Inside the Raikage's office, the Third Raikage slammed his desk in anger.

"Raikage-sama, a bounty for kumo slaves has been issued by nobles within the Land of Fire…"

"Thirteen ninjas have already defected from the village…"

"There has been a bullying incident in the Ninja Academy resulting in injuries and deaths…"

As one bad piece of news after another was reported, the expressions of everyone in the Raikage's office became grim.

The Third Raikage, in particular, was seething with rage. Having dominated the ninja world for so long, he had never suffered such a major blow.

"Good! Well done, Konoha!"

Gritting his teeth, the Third Raikage's eyes were filled with hatred.

"Raikage-sama, it's possible this is a conspiracy by another village!"

"Impossible! Other than that dark rat, Danzō Shimura from Konoha, no one else could have done this!"

The Third Raikage slammed his desk again. He was confident in declaring that the darkest, most sinister figure in the ninja world was none other than Danzō Shimura of Konoha, especially given the methods involved.

"Raikage-sama, based on our investigation, the Eight-Tails' rampage occurred after it had been to…the medical facility. However, the medical-nin in charge was found dead the day before. Traces suggest this was the work of Konoha's Root."

After hearing this report from an investigative ninja, the Third Raikage exploded in fury, slamming the desk once more and shouting:

"Good! First, the investigation into the racial conflict pointed to Konoha. Now, the Tailed Beast rampage is also clearly connected to Konoha. Apart from Danzō Shimura, there's no one else!"

All suspicions pointed toward Konoha's Root, especially given their history of orchestrating conflict.

The sudden appearance of Skoll during the Tailed Beast rampage further ignited the conflict. To suggest Konoha had no hand in this would be unthinkable.

"Raikage-sama, this is a letter from Sunagakure in the Land of Wind."

At this moment, a Jōnin hurriedly entered the office and handed over an urgent missive from the Land of Wind.

The Third Raikage's expression changed drastically as he read the letter, sent from Sunagakure's elders rather than the Third Kazekage himself. His voice turned cold as he barked:

"Convene an emergency meeting of the Jōnin Council immediately!"

"Understood!"

The Kumo leadership was deeply alarmed. Even during the Tailed Beast rampage, the Third Raikage hadn't been this furious. Whatever was written in the letter had shaken him to the core, prompting him to call an emergency meeting.

Shortly afterward, the leaders of various departments and the elite Jōnin of Kumo gathered in the meeting room.

"Gentlemen!"

As the Third Raikage entered the room, he scanned all the individuals present.

Taking a deep breath, the Third Raikage acknowledged to himself that the internal conflict had already escalated. It was now an undeniable reality.

"This is a letter sent by the elders of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. Notably, it is not signed by the Third Kazekage but by the village's elders collectively."

As the Third Raikage disclosed the contents of the letter, shock rippled through the gathered elite ninjas, with some erupting in fury.

"If something has happened to the Third Kazekage, then this is a premeditated act of terror!"

"With the racial conflict erupting within the village, Raikage-sama, I believe Sunagakure's suggestion holds merit."

The room descended into a heated debate. Some were outraged by Sunagakure's perceived threats, others were furious at Konoha's schemes, and yet others saw this as a potential opportunity.

Finally, the Third Raikage frowned and tossed the intelligence document to the gathered ninjas, allowing them to examine it closely. He then spoke in a low, resolute voice:

"Sunagakure wouldn't treat war so casually, which means it's almost certain that something has happened to the Third Kazekage. Combined with the events in our village, all evidence points straight to Konoha!

There's no need for pointless debates. From Konoha's perspective, it makes perfect sense to destabilize the other villages to prevent the Four Great Nations from uniting. This is a classic tactic used by all the major ninja villages."

The Third Raikage was almost entirely convinced that Konoha was behind this.

"Additionally, based on our investigations, this so-called Skoll appeared out of nowhere. It's highly likely this person doesn't even exist and was fabricated to incite the conflict within our village!"

This bombshell dropped by the Third Raikage caused an uproar among the elite ninjas.

"Damn it! I knew it! The Gold and Silver Brothers' clan was wiped out completely—how could there possibly be any survivors?"

"Exactly! Even if there were survivors, how could there be no information about them in the ninja world? Especially since we are one of the Five Great Nations!"

The intelligence capabilities of the Five Great Nations were unparalleled, yet there was no trace of Skoll in any records. This figure had seemingly materialized out of thin air.

"Enough. We now face two options!"

Despite his rugged appearance, the Third Raikage was extremely composed when it came to critical decisions. He scanned the room and spoke in a firm voice:

"Kumogakure and the Land of Lightning are at a boiling point due to these events. We have only two choices: either we crush the rebels with an iron fist, or we establish absolute fairness and justice between our people!"

Upon hearing this, an elite ninjas in the room immediately protested.

"Raikage-sama, you can't!"

"Exactly! If we pursue so-called fairness, wouldn't that invalidate the sacrifices of our forebears?"

"Our ancestors fought and bled to build this land for us. Now, because of one conflict, we're supposed to give it up in the name of fairness? Is that truly fair to us?"

"I want to clarify that I don't harbor prejudice against pale-skinned people. But Raikage-sama, your notion of fairness essentially means loosening policies for the rebels while tightening them for us. Is that truly fair?"

Faced with a threat to their interests, countless ninjas voiced their opposition.

A senior Jōnin in his fifties spoke up in a deep voice:

"Raikage-sama, forgive my bluntness, but if we want to ease or resolve this conflict, there's only one solution: the Fourth Raikage must be a pale-skinned individual. Furthermore, the candidate must be considered for the position of Daimyō of the Land of Lightning."

This suggestion caused even the Third Raikage's pupils to contract. However, the elderly Jōnin then shook his head with a mocking smile and continued:

"Unfortunately, even though Kumo is the most meritocratic village in the ninja world, where ability is the only criterion, the reality is that nearly all of our strongest ninjas are deep brown-skinned. There aren't even enough pale-skinned candidates to compete for Raikage, let alone become one."

His words, though sarcastic, reflected the truth. The other elite ninjas nodded in agreement, though they knew this truth wouldn't change the perceptions of the others.

"As for the Daimyō's court, that's beyond our control. However, this letter from the Land of Wind may present an opportunity!"

The elderly Jōnin concluded.

The Third Raikage's cold gaze swept across the room as he spoke in a stern voice:

"As I said earlier, we have two options: crush the rebels with an iron fist or join forces with Sunagakure. We can send all disruptive elements to the battlefield and release internal tensions through external conflict."

As the Third Raikage's final proposal was presented, countless elite Jonin in the meeting room thought calmly for a moment before raising their hands to vote.

"Agree to an alliance with the Sunagakure!"

"Compared to suppressing our internal conflicts with iron and blood, which would only drain our strength, it's better to redirect this tension outward, especially toward Konoha. Let them taste the wrath of Kumogakure!"

"Exactly! Konoha wants to incite chaos and internal strife between us and the Sunagakure. We'll join forces with the Sunagakure and drag the entire ninja world into the conflict. If we can't live peacefully, no one else in the ninja world should dream of peace either."

"Agreed! Especially Konoha. Damn them! My son died during the Tailed Beast's rampage. We need revenge!"

"The Kumo has suffered unbearable humiliation. We must retaliate!"

Seeing the unanimous nods of agreement from the elite Jonin of various departments, the Third Raikage's expression softened slightly.

Waging war against Konoha alone would have too many risks, but things would be different with the Sunagakure as an ally. After all, they were both part of the Five Great Ninja Villages and could share the burden of the war.

What's more, nearly all the Jonin agreed to the proposal this time.

The internal conflicts within the village could be vented through war. If the populace was dissatisfied, they could prove themselves on the battlefield. At that point, their status, techniques, and everything else would be earned through military merit.

It could also serve to release the pent-up frustration of those dissatisfied people on the battlefield, sparing Kumogakure from experiencing that anger directly.

"Alright, I'll contact the Daimyō immediately and prepare for the alliance with the Sunagakure."

Starting a war—especially against Konoha, the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages—required widespread consensus, even from the Daimyō himself.

The Daimyō of the Land of Lightning, in particular, would certainly agree. The ongoing racial conflict had already severely impacted the ruling class's interests. This war was no longer just about fighting for resources.

Upon receiving the Third Raikage's letter detailing the plan to deflect internal strife outward through war, the nobles in the Daimyō's residence unanimously approved it at record speed.

The entire ruling class of the Land of Lightning, from top to bottom, was furious and eager to wage war. Not only to exact vengeance on Konoha but also to send the troublesome, disloyal people to the battlefield.

...

The Land of Fields

"This is already within the Land of Fields' borders. At last, we've escaped the Kumo's control."

Hyūga Hizashi, who had been tirelessly using his Byakugan to scout the way, finally allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief.

After a long and arduous journey, their group of four had traveled from the Land of Lightning, through the Land of the Moon, and finally reached the Land of Fields.

The Land of the Moon, adjacent to the Land of Lightning, was already under the Kumo's control. However, the Land of Fields bordered the Land of Fire, and Konoha would never allow it to fall into the Kumo's hands.

Still, because of Konoha's overwhelming strength, they were forced to face the other four major ninja villages simultaneously. Otherwise, the Land of Fields would have long been a puppet of Konoha.

"Lord Orochimaru and the others should have reached the Land of Hot Water by now."

Hizashi smiled self-deprecatingly. Hearing this, Shirou, who was by his side, responded with a calm expression:

"Don't worry. This is the plan the village devised. Splitting into two teams after crossing the Land of Lightning's border—one through the Land of Fields and the other through the Land of Hot Water—was for the sake of efficiency."

"Minato has the Flying Thunder God Technique. It's much faster for him to escort Orochimaru alone than to bring all of us along."

Shirou's sarcastic tone made it clear: Hizashi and the others weren't as important as Namikaze Minato, the inheritor of the Will of Fire.

"Sacrificial pawns, huh?"

Although this mission had been dangerous yet uneventful, Hizashi couldn't help but silently touch his forehead protector in frustration.

Caged Bird.

Shirou noticed this and let out a soft sigh before shaking his head. "Hizashi, now that Minato isn't with us, you can deactivate your Byakugan and take a break."

At Shirou's words, Hizashi instinctively wanted to say something, but upon seeing Shirou's expression, a realization dawned on him.

"Shirou…"

Shirou nodded slightly and said with a calm expression, "That's right. I have sensory abilities."

When Hizashi heard this confirmation, he didn't grow angry. Instead, his bloodshot Byakugan welled with emotion, and he nodded gratefully.

"Shirou, thank you for trusting me!"

For a ninja to reveal such a secret was a testament to their trust in a comrade.

As the veins on his forehead gradually smoothed out, Hizashi, who had been using his Byakugan non-stop, felt his sore eyes begin to tear up.

"Shirou, you didn't have to be on my team. The village's orders were for you to retreat with Minato."

When they arrived at the Land of the Moon, the village had sent orders: Hizashi would form a separate team and retreat through the Land of Fields to draw away pursuers.

Even if he failed, he could at least restrain some of the enemy forces.

"Hizashi, are you suggesting that we Uchiha abandon our pride and desert our comrades?"

Shirou's response was a cold smile full of Uchiha arrogance. But this time, Hizashi felt an unprecedented warmth he had never experienced, not even within his clan.

"Comrades, huh?"

Hizashi's eyes stung as his usually stern face broke into a rare smile.

"Shirou, you know… in my clan, the Branch Family is nothing more than a tool to protect the Main Family. I knew this mission to draw away pursuers was approved by the Main Family."

"So many in the Branch Family have been sacrificed like this. The children of the Branch Family are always meant to be the Branch Family. We're always the Main Family's and the village's sacrificial pawns…"

For the first time in his life, Hizashi opened up to an outsider. For the first time, he understood the meaning of the word comrade.

"The Caged Bird has become the Hyūga's cage, trapping the pride of the Hyūga Clan and turning it into a symbol of cowardice."

Shirou activated his sensory abilities and led Hizashi toward a small town in the Land of Fields, adding sarcastically:

"In my team, there are no sacrificial pawns! Hizashi, as your captain, it's my duty to ensure my comrades make it back alive."

Shirou's resolute voice echoed, and Hizashi, following behind, smiled as he gazed at his proud Uchiha teammate.

For the first time, he found the arrogance of the Uchiha comforting.