Chapter 18: Not My Wish (Part 2)

"The Cloud Ninja envoy is dead?! That's impossible!"

A shout mixed with shock and disbelief rang out from Uchiha Fugaku's study.

Nanshu, who had just been called back by Fugaku's men shortly after leaving, felt an extremely ominous premonition well up in his heart when he heard Fugaku say that the Cloud Ninja envoy was dead and the Hyuga Clan had been summoned to the Hokage Building for questioning.

He sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, his delicate face slightly twisted.

Why? The direction of the plot should have definitely been changed by him, and the fact that he had obtained both the plot points and the enhanced skills meant the system's judgment should have taken effect.

But why did that Cloud Ninja envoy still die in the end?

Was it the world's self-correction, or was there other human interference? Nanshu could not understand the reason for a moment, but what was certain was that, on the surface, this matter really looked like the world's "self-correction"—at least, that was all Nanshu could assume for now.

"The Cloud Ninja envoy is dead; will this matter implicate me?"

Nanshu's brain was thinking rapidly about the potential impact this matter might have on the Uchiha and himself.

No, he had handed the person over to the Anbu to deal with; even if something went wrong, it should be the fault of the Anbu and the Third Hokage, and it was impossible for it to be linked to him (the Uchiha).

Yet, even though it shouldn't affect him, why did he always have an inexplicable feeling of heart palpitations? The more Uchiha Nanshu thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong; an inexplicable sense of crisis enveloped him.

"That's right, many people were shocked when the news broke this morning. Because of this, whether our peace with the Cloud Ninja Village can be successfully achieved is now an unknown."

"However, let's put the matter of peace aside for now."

"The Cloud Shinobi are currently negotiating with the high-level officials at the Hokage Building, and the Hyuga Clan Head was just summoned for questioning a short while ago."

"The, the Hyuga Clan Head?"

"Yes, after all, the finger of blame is pointed directly at the high-level officials and the Hyuga; it is only natural that they would be summoned for interrogation. However, ever since the news reached my ears, I have had an inexplicable sense of unease. Although this matter shouldn't have anything to do with us (the Uchiha), I always have a premonition that the Uchiha will be inexplicably dragged into it."

"If the Hyuga Clan can take full responsibility and quell this incident, that would be for the best."

"But if..."

If some unforeseen event occurred midway, then the Uchiha, who were also involved in the process, would likely not escape being implicated.

"Nanshu, can you understand why I suddenly called you back?"

Uchiha Fugaku said with a serious expression.

Of course he understood.

If the Hyuga could not withstand the pressure, they would very likely use the Uchiha as a scapegoat. Coupled with the fact that the relationship between the clan and the Konoha high-level officials was already extremely poor, they would likely be kicked while down by the Council of Elders led by Danzo, making their already dire living environment even more dangerous.

If the Uchiha could not withstand the pressure either when that time came, then he would probably be the second Hyuga Hizashi. They would resolve him within the clan and then gouge out his eyes, sacrificing him as an offering to appease the anger between the two villages.

Nanshu quickly figured out the stakes involved, and at the same time, his expression as he looked at Fugaku immediately became tense.

—Does Uchiha Fugaku want to use me as a sacrifice to calm the situation?

If that were the case, it would be within reason, but Nanshu had no intention of yielding. At the same time, Nanshu also knew that the current situation was to steady Uchiha Fugaku while probing his true intentions. If things really reached the point of no return, it wouldn't be too late for him to find a way to run, and he would have to leave the Uchiha territory.

Nanshu adjusted his emotions to make himself appear as little nervous as possible and said, "This subordinate understands. All of this is because of my maverick behavior last night, which has plunged the entire clan into a crisis. No matter what, I have an inescapable responsibility and an obligation to bear the consequences."

"So, if things really reach the worst-case scenario, I am willing to take full responsibility."

"Even if that means using your head to appease the Cloud Ninja's fury?"

"The cause of this matter is the consequence of my unauthorized actions; if anyone can be held responsible for this, it can only be me."

"..."

Nanshu tried his best to appear righteous and awe-inspiring; he struggled to remain calm, his eyes fixed on Fugaku.

Although the sunlight from outside the window shone into the room, Nanshu, bathed in the sunlight, felt no warmth at all. He only felt cold all over, as well as anger and annoyance hidden deep in his heart.

The whole affair reeked of a malice that felt like he was being inexplicably targeted.

Perhaps because the passive effect of Mirror Flower Water Moon could infect others with his emotions, at this moment, Fugaku seemed to be slightly infected as well; the look he gave Nanshu seemed to soften a little.

"A spirited answer; worthy of being my subordinate."

Fugaku suddenly slapped his knee and let out a loud exclamation of praise, his gaze toward Nanshu filled with appreciation.

"But I will not hand over any clansman as a sacrifice. After all, peace obtained by sacrificing one's own clansmen must be wrong, and those who do such things will sooner or later face the price of being abandoned by everyone."

Uchiha Fugaku said with a firm tone.

Nanshu looked at Fugaku in a daze, not quite understanding what he was doing.

Yet Fugaku seemed to have already seen through everything, and he said, "Especially in these special times, I care more about the unity of the clansmen than the village's orders and face. If I handed you over today, it would undoubtedly be shattering the unity and trust within the clan with my own hands."

"If the trust within the clan is shattered, all that awaits us is division and mutual targeting. Those Hawks will rise up against me, and the Doves will become even more inclined toward outsiders. In the end, perhaps the Uchiha will be destroyed by their own hands before the high-level officials even have to pay any price."

Uchiha Fugaku had, after all, spent more than a decade with the high-level officials, and his political sensitivity was much higher than that of an ordinary Uchiha. Just as others were still wondering whether something would happen between the Hyuga and the Cloud Ninja, Uchiha Fugaku had already prepared for the fire to be drawn to his own clan, and he realized immediately that in this potential political struggle, Uchiha Nanshu would become the breakthrough point for political enemies.

Calling Nanshu over this time was partly to test him, to see if Nanshu was the type of person who couldn't be helped. If Nanshu performed poorly or only wanted to shirk responsibility, then Uchiha Fugaku would have to consider his countermeasures carefully. But in any case, not handing the person over was Uchiha Fugaku's bottom line.

Handing the person over was equivalent to sitting by and watching the clan divide, and Uchiha Fugaku would absolutely not agree to that. But if it were just a punishment left to be handled within the clan, then Uchiha Fugaku might not be so insistent. Of course, this mainly depended on Nanshu's own attitude and whether the high-level officials actually had any intention of making a move against the Uchiha.

Nanshu did not see through Fugaku's thoughts, but he knew his attitude was important.

Fortunately, his performance won Fugaku's affirmation.

Fugaku said, "For the Uchiha, handing you over is not quelling the storm but inviting disaster. Even if it leads to a sharp conflict with the high-level officials, we must make that group realize that the Uchiha will never easily abandon any clansman! This is not a simple political struggle, but a crossroads of life and death for the clan."

"The future of the Uchiha does not depend on the mercy of the high-level officials, but on the concerted efforts within the clan! You must remember today's words, Nanshu; I have only ever told these things to Itachi in the past."

Fugaku's words were so heavy, and carried an unquestionable determination. He seemed to have seen through many things and had made his decision.

Perhaps because these words sounded like they really came from the heart, Nanshu's nearly snapped nerves slowly relaxed a little.

He looked at this Clan Head who seemed not yet to have been struck down to the point of losing his faith in life; there was still light in his eyes, and they hadn't yet turned into the numb, indifferent eyes of the later years that had given up on all possibilities.

It was precisely because there was still lingering hope in his heart that Uchiha Fugaku's words carried a firm will, and this kind of will could infect those around him.

However, Nanshu, who had been moved, suddenly heard the name Itachi, and the emotion in his heart vanished instantly.

"The theory is correct, but unfortunately, there was a problem with the execution process."

—Others are unreliable in the end.

Nanshu sighed and exchanged the remaining plot points for high-performance Explosive Tags; if things went wrong, with the number and power of the Explosive Tags in his hand, blowing up the entire block would be no problem.

Of course, Nanshu did not count on using the Explosive Tags to kill his way out of the encirclement; as long as he could delay the time until he could run to the Hokage Rock, it would be enough.

Hidden within the Hokage Rock wall was Yanyang Village, which had been wiped out during the Third Shinobi World War. They had buried 100,000 Explosive Tags inside the Konoha Hokage Rock. According to the plot timeline, those Explosive Tags should still be powerful, and if detonated all at once, he estimated he would be able to see a mushroom cloud in Konoha Village.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Nanshu's eyes; at that time, the entire Konoha would turn into a living hell, and tens of thousands of people would be buried in a sea of fire.

At this moment, the voice of the Clan Head's wife, Uchiha Mikoto, came from outside the study.

"Fugaku, someone from the Anbu has arrived."

Nanshu raised an eyebrow; they had just summoned the Hyuga Clan for questioning, and now they were summoning the Uchiha? Even the time for an interrogation wasn't this tight.

Damn it all to hell, this feeling was just like someone pushing him toward the gallows.

For a moment, a tangle of distracting thoughts rose in his heart; Nanshu quietly clenched his fists, and looking at Fugaku before him, a thought of taking a desperate risk could not help but arise in his mind.

Fugaku seemed to see through Nanshu's inner panic; although he tried hard to make his expression look calm, his slightly twitching mouth corners, his pupils dilated from tension, and his tightly clenched fists with veins bulging on the back of his hands still betrayed him.

Fugaku walked over and gently placed his hand on Nanshu's shoulder; in that instant, he could feel the other person's entire body stiffen.

Fugaku let out a deliberately heavy sigh.

"Let's go, what is meant to come will come eventually."……………………