Chapter 92: Night of December 11th, Konoha Year 56
"Jiraiya-sama," Uchiha Douguang called out just as Jiraiya was about to leave.
"Hmm?" Jiraiya turned back, a bit confused.
"About that masked man's Mangekyō Sharingan," Douguang said with a smile, "I plan to search through the clan's historical records. I might find something. I'll report back to you tomorrow."
"Alright, I appreciate it." Jiraiya nodded, thinking little of it.
After Jiraiya left, Douguang unfurled a map of the village on his desk. With Obito reappearing, many of his original plans would now need to be revised.
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At 7 PM that night, a banquet was laid out in the Douguang estate, and the invited guests began to arrive.
One particularly observant attendee—Aburame Shibi—quickly noticed something unusual. Unlike previous banquets, which were typically divided by department or rank, tonight's guest list was concentrated. Besides himself and Inuzuka Clan Head Tsume, present were all six Police Force captains, four Uchiha elders, several mid-level commanders Douguang had cultivated (like Uchiha Daoka and Uchiha Tetsusuke), and select ANBU and Jonin from the One-Heart Society.
In other words, the entirety of Douguang's faction had gathered.
The banquet was held in the main hall of the estate. A long table had been set, and everyone took their seats in turn.
As the last guest sat down, Douguang stood to begin the traditional pre-toast speech.
"Everyone! Thank you for coming tonight." He smiled.
"Come on, Clan Head Douguang, it's us who should be thanking you for your generosity," Inuzuka Tsume replied with a grin.
"A little money spent is nothing," Douguang said, waving it off. "The true honor is drinking with comrades who all uphold the Will of Fire!"
"The first toast," Douguang raised his cup, "to the Will of Fire!"
"To the Will of Fire!" everyone echoed, raising their drinks.
The first cup was downed, and the atmosphere warmed. Laughter and chatter filled the hall.
Then, Jonin Nagai Seiichi—already tipsy—suddenly brought up a dangerous topic.
"So I've been hearing the village is picking the Fifth Hokage soon…"
"Seiichi, be careful," muttered Torii Chishin, a Jonin team leader.
"I'm telling you," Nagai continued, flushed from alcohol. "There's no one more qualified than Clan Head Douguang! Who in this village understands the Will of Fire better than him?"
"But the rumors say the Third wants to appoint Jiraiya-sama," said Uchiha Tetsusuke as he toyed with his empty cup.
The room fell silent.
At that moment, Uchiha Fugaku entered and broke the tension. "Sorry, I had something to take care of at home. I'll down three cups to make up for being late."
Douguang rose as Fugaku arrived. From inside his robe, he pulled out a stack of documents and handed them to Uchiha Daoka to distribute.
The documents? Arrest warrants drafted by Douguang—accusing Jiraiya of aiding the enemy. The room fell into uneasy quiet as everyone read them.
Those who smoked lit cigarettes, the flare of flame flickering in the dimming room. No one spoke first.
Douguang nodded slightly at Daoka and Tetsusuke, who got up and closed all doors and windows to the hall.
"Everyone," Douguang began, voice calm, "we're gathered by our shared belief in the Will of Fire. But now, someone suspected of supporting enemy forces is about to become Hokage. Can we truly just sit by?"
Inuzuka Tsume lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply before replying, "Jiraiya is still the Hokage's advisor. We'll need the Third's signature to arrest him."
"Don't worry—I'll get the signature," Douguang said confidently.
"But what if things turn violent during the arrest…" Aburame Shibi said.
"That would make this a coup," muttered Jonin Yoshimura Ryojin.
Again, silence fell.
Douguang chuckled, walked to the light switch, and turned off the ceiling lamp. Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the window. The only light in the room now came from the soft glow of burning cigarettes.
"Coup?" he said. "This isn't a coup—it's a revolution."
The moonlight spilled across his face, his expression half-shrouded in shadows. Everyone's gaze was drawn to him.
"Douguang… maybe we should think this through," said Uchiha Yidou, an elder.
"Think it through?" Douguang laughed sharply. "You're joking, right, Yidou Elder?" He tossed the remaining arrest warrants onto the man's lap. "You're the one who yelled the loudest at the clan meeting about rebellion. Now that we're finally moving, you want to back down?"
"I-I didn't mean that…"
"Or do you want us to argue endlessly like those damn clan meetings again and go home like nothing happened?"
"But Douguang, this is still a—"
Douguang slammed his hand on the table, scanning the room slowly.
"A failure is called a coup. A success? That's called revolution."
Inuzuka Tsume and Aburame Shibi looked at Douguang and sighed silently. They'd thought he was different from the usual Uchiha madness. But now they realized—Douguang had always possessed that Uchiha brand of insanity. He just hid it better.
"All of you Jonin," Douguang continued. "You've accomplished more than most in the village. And yet you're stuck as ANBU or Jonin team leaders, with no chance of promotion. Meanwhile, those from the Mitokado, Koharu, or even Sarutobi clans climb higher than you with less merit."
"They sit comfortably in offices while you risk your lives—and somehow, they end up your superiors. Is that the Will of Fire?"
The room was deathly quiet.
"Look at me!" Douguang suddenly shouted. "To enact true Will of Fire, we must sweep away the rot. This revolution won't belong to me alone. It will belong to all of us."
Everyone stared at him—his half-lit face, the gleam of the Mangekyō Sharingan spinning in his eyes.
Finally, Nagai Seiichi, that seasoned Jonin, broke the silence.
"…Maybe… just maybe… this is doable."
Inuzuka Tsume crushed out her cigarette and met Douguang's gaze.
"Clan Head Douguang. Tell us when."
"Aburame can assist as well. Just say the word," Shibi said.
They weren't weak or indecisive. Once committed, they'd see it through.
Everyone straightened their backs, looking toward Douguang.
"Tomorrow," Douguang smiled. "December 12th. We move."
"I'll use shadow clones to bring you all to the Hokage's office for signatures. As for the enemy of the village—Jiraiya—I'll personally lead the arrest team."
"We have control of about two-thirds of ANBU," said Nagai Seiichi and another ANBU Jonin leader. "The 2nd, 3rd, and one squad of the 4th Division are with us. The rest belong to the Ino-Shika-Cho and the old advisors' factions. We can't touch them."
"Same with the Jonin Corps," said Yoshimura. "Roughly half will follow our lead. The key is whether Douguang-sama can subdue Jiraiya quickly."
"That won't be a problem," Douguang said calmly. "Leave that to me."
"As for the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?" Fugaku asked.
"We'll handle them," Tsume and Shibi promised. "But we'll need a few of your stronger shinobi to assist."
"Of course. I'll assign ten elite Uchiha Jonin with fully awakened Sharingan to assist," Douguang said.
Tomorrow, the game would change.
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