Chapter 25

The entire courtyard fell into dead silence.

Everyone was lost in Uchiha Jin’s speculation; all their faces turned grim, and many had even activated their Sharingan.

Had anyone outside this courtyard been allowed in, nearly all would have been Uchiha elites—otherwise, an even larger crowd might have been provoked into activating their eyes.

Especially—the Moderates and the Radicals!

They were the most deeply affected, for Uchiha Jin’s speculation had nearly answered every question they had long struggled to understand.

The village feared the Radicals, fine—but why, if we ourselves are loyal to the village, do we still face discrimination?

“How could this be?”

“Though it seems unbelievable, with Jin Elder’s speculation as a foundation, all the mysteries we once couldn’t explain now make perfect sense.”

“We never imagined that while we sought to integrate into the village, the village was eyeing the Uchiha’s millennia of accumulated power.”

“We must not let them succeed—I swear it!”

“…”

Those present began speaking one after another.

Everyone was filled with righteous fury, especially the Moderates and the Centrists, for betrayal inflicts the deepest wounds.

Though the Uchiha can be extreme and foolish, we are not truly without sense; Jin’s speculation, though lacking evidence, fits the village’s current predicament and its targeted hostility toward the Uchiha…

The likelihood is truly high!

In fact, it wasn’t just the Moderates and Centrists—the Radicals themselves were also seething with anger; none of them had ever imagined the village’s hostility toward the Uchiha concealed such elaborate schemes.

Especially Uchiha Sh—his gaze darkened. He had never suspected that Jin’s reason for joining the Radicals lay here.

Creak.

As everyone sat in silent thought, Uchiha Tanino and Uchiha Hachiyo each led their loyal followers into the courtyard.

“Gentlemen, this old man joins as well!”

Uchiha Tanino stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Uchiha Jin: “I accidentally overheard your speculation just outside the door. Considering the historical relationship between the village and the Uchiha, I believe your theory holds great plausibility.”

“For the sake of the Uchiha’s survival, I must now become radical!”

Uchiha Hachiyo also bowed deeply.

His gaze toward Uchiha Jin was complex—he had once viewed this young Uchiha as too extreme, unworthy of notice, yet his earlier declaration had utterly stunned him.

So.

After a weary sigh, he could not help but ask: “I am willing to join the Radicals too—but I am genuinely curious: was it precisely because Itachi sensed this truth that Itachi ultimately chose the Radical path?”

Hearing this question, everyone grew intensely interested.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

For the two new Moderate elders, Uchiha Jin showed not the slightest surprise.

His perception was strong—he had sensed their approach long before, but he had deliberately let them overhear everything.

Upon hearing Uchiha Hachiyo’s question, Uchiha Jin paused briefly, then shook his head directly.

“No—Itachi’re wrong!”

“I saw through the village’s schemes long ago, but due to the Uchiha’s nature, I never believed I could change the clan. At first, I only wanted to protect my own safety.”

“The Nine-Tails attack was my attempt.”

“I tried to persuade Fugaku, the clan head, to ignore Danzo and Root’s interference—if he had listened to me and supported Minato Namikaze, it would have proven the Uchiha still deserved saving.”

“But, unfortunately.”

“Fugaku refused. The clan offered no support.”

“At that moment, I fell into utter despair.”

“I believed the Uchiha were too foolish to change. Compared to a clan destined for extinction, I only cared about how to save myself.”

“I won’t hide the truth from Itachi—all the way back during the Third Shinobi War, I had already prepared an escape route for my family.”

“The Land of Snow!”

“My original plan was to wait until just before the village’s purge of the Uchiha, then slip my parents out of Konoha during the chaos and flee to the Land of Snow via the route I had prepared in advance.”

“But, ha!”

“On the night I finished my training, I saw Root agents carrying off my parents right outside my door—and that night, the shock triggered my Mangekyo Sharingan.”

“But the trauma was too great—I collapsed immediately, and when I awoke, it was already the next day.”

“I knew how tightly Root guarded their prisoners. Going alone wouldn’t save my parents—it would only get me captured too.”

“And Fugaku’s nature meant he would never help me.”

“So I joined the Radicals—and immediately began causing trouble, because I knew Danzo’s nature: once he saw me as a threat, he would never kill my parents lightly.”

“On the contrary!”

“He would hold them tightly, keeping them as a future trump card against me.”

“The higher my status, the safer my parents would be!”

Uchiha Jin spoke calmly, laying it all bare.

He never intended to hide it from anyone—he would eventually rescue his parents, and it was better for him to reveal it himself than for Danzo to expose it later.

So.

He did not deny he had selfish motives!

Almost instantly.

As Uchiha Jin spoke, everyone drew a sharp breath.

No one had expected the truth to be this way!

Uchiha Jin’s parents had been kidnapped by Root—and he had witnessed it with his own eyes, which was precisely what triggered his Mangekyo Sharingan.

“So… that’s how it was!”

Uchiha Hachiyo’s face was grim: “I should thank Danzo—if not for his actions, the Uchiha truly would have had no hope.”

Others nodded in agreement.

Yet their expressions remained dark, for Uchiha Jin’s actions amounted to treating his own clan as outsiders.

They wanted to call the Uchiha selfish—but the words stuck in their throats.

There was no way.

Thinking back on their own past behavior, even they wanted to slap themselves.

Even if Uchiha Jin had stood up back then, none of them would have believed him.

So, sigh.

All they could do was sigh—and feel lucky.

Indeed, as Uchiha Hachiyo said, if not for Danzo’s unexpected move, Uchiha Jin might have already fled.

Uchiha Tanino frowned: “I understand Jin’s choice—the Uchiha are too blunt. When Madara left Konoha, didn’t we all refuse to follow him?”

“What I’m curious about now is this: during the Third War, Itachi already prepared an escape route—did Itachi already sense something was wrong back then?”

Exactly!

As Uchiha Tanino spoke, everyone’s interest flared instantly.