Chapter 19 - What? You Want to Go Head-to-Head?
"We've always been deeply tied to the Hokage's faction, so we definitely can't return the land."
Akimichi Chōza scratched the back of his head, expressing his stance after hearing Nara Shikaku's analysis.
The Ino-Shika-Chō had been aligned with the Hokage's faction since joining Konoha.
"But we also have business dealings with the Uchiha. Are we just going to cut ties with them?"
Yamanaka Inoichi suddenly felt a headache coming on. Konoha was a community of shared interests. Over the years, everyone had developed some level of business relationships.
Especially with a major clan like the Uchiha. The Akimichi's barbecue restaurants and soldier pills, the Nara's medicinal herbs—most of these were sold to the major ninja clans, with the Uchiha being their biggest customers.
In the past, it was Konoha clashing with the Uchiha.
Their clans never had to get involved, so their business relationships remained unaffected.
But now, things were different. Renji had somehow shifted the pressure onto the clans themselves.
It was no longer a matter of hiding behind the village and not worrying about relations with the Uchiha.
"So what do we do? Shikaku, what's your take?"
Akimichi Chōza thought about it and realized that cutting ties with the Uchiha entirely wasn't a good idea.
His earlier stance had been too extreme.
He decided to see if Shikaku had a way to navigate this without disrupting the current balance.
"There's no easy solution. At the very least, we need to gauge his intentions. So we'll have to meet with him."
Shikaku's eyes gleamed with a hint of insight. Just then, someone reported that Renji had arrived and was waiting to be let in.
The three exchanged glances, silently communicating, before saying, "Let's meet him in the reception hall. We'll all go."
They led Renji to the reception hall, where he sat quietly, waiting for them.
As Shikaku entered, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. Renji was young, yet he carried himself with such confidence.
Back when Fugaku was in charge, Shikaku had already seen that the Uchiha's survival space in the village would only shrink if they continued down that path.
But since Renji took over, it seemed he had found a way to turn things around.
Still, that alone wasn't enough.
Shikaku looked at Renji and cut straight to the point. "You've already dealt with the Hyūga, haven't you?"
"Huh?!"
Akimichi Chōza was stunned.
Wait, what?
Do you even realize what you're saying?
Would the Hyūga really return the land to the Uchiha?
"As expected of the Nara clan leader!"
Renji's eyes showed a hint of appreciation. He was curious how Shikaku had figured it out.
"If you had failed, you wouldn't have come to us. Since the Hyūga didn't budge, you knew it was impossible to get the land from us without their cooperation."
Shikaku explained his reasoning.
In his view, if Renji hadn't secured the Hyūga's agreement, he wouldn't have approached them.
After all, if he couldn't even handle the Hyūga, the effort would have been doomed from the start.
"Since that's the case, I won't hide it. The Hyūga have agreed, so I'm here to reclaim the land that rightfully belongs to us. Of course, we're willing to pay for it. After all, this land isn't of much use to you."
The real prize had been taken by the Konoha elders.
What the Ino-Shika-Chō and the Hyūga had gotten were just scraps. Asking them to return it wouldn't be a significant loss.
"Renji, you're a smart man. You must understand our predicament."
Shikaku sighed, unsure how to respond to Renji.
This situation put them in a very difficult position.
"Are you the Ino-Shika-Chō of Konoha, or the Ino-Shika-Chō of Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
Renji didn't answer directly but instead turned the question back to Shikaku.
Hearing this, Shikaku inwardly groaned. This was going to be complicated. But he patiently explained, "We've always followed the strategy of supporting whoever is Hokage."
His response made their stance clear. If Renji were Hokage today, they would support him. Their loyalty wasn't to any specific individual.
This policy had been established by the Nara clan and agreed upon by the other two families when they joined Konoha.
"The Hokage isn't eternal. And a Hokage who's grown old and can no longer control the village—isn't blind loyalty to him a bit foolish?"
Renji was curious. With Shikaku's intelligence, he should have realized that Hiruzen's control over the village was weakening.
"Even if his control is slipping, we can't act rashly. What you're doing will only destabilize Konoha."
Shikaku understood what Renji was aiming for.
But this was a dangerous path!
"A single clan can't stand against an entire village. If possible, you should sit down and negotiate!"
Shikaku advised, though he knew the Uchiha had been restless for a long time.
But a village was a collective of many clans, a powerful entity. Even if the Uchiha were strong, unless they had someone like Madara, they stood no chance.
"Shikaku, you're mistaken. We were never enemies to begin with. Reclaiming our land is for the sake of the village's peace. Our clan has been pushed to the brink. If we don't find a way to release this pressure, the village will descend into chaos.
"Returning the land won't harm the Ino-Shika-Chō or the Hyūga. Even the Sarutobi would only have to move from the village center. The area we currently occupy could be given to them."
Renji's words made sense. Shikaku knew this, but moving from the center to the outskirts would undoubtedly upset the Sarutobi.
"I want to know why the Hyūga agreed."
Shikaku's gaze bore into Renji as he asked this.
Before making this decision, he needed to know why the Hyūga had agreed to such an absurd proposal.
"Because a village shouldn't be dominated by a single family. Balance is key. When you step down gracefully in your youth, you earn respect in your old age. But when one family holds power for too long, they end up swallowing most of the village's resources. If this continues, who knows? We might end up with a 'New Konoha.'"
Renji spoke with a faint smile. At its core, wasn't this about the Hyūga's dissatisfaction with Hiruzen?
If Hiruzen hadn't done those things, and if the Sarutobi and Shimura clans hadn't gobbled up most of the resources, the Hyūga wouldn't have allied with the Uchiha.
"Your way of thinking is dangerous!"
Shikaku wanted a peaceful Konoha, not a broken one.
If Konoha truly went to war with the Uchiha, other forces in the shinobi world would seize the opportunity to attack. Who would miss such a golden chance to carve up Konoha?
"If we return the land to you, can you maintain the status quo? We want a peaceful Konoha. If you can promise that, we'll return the land."
Shikaku didn't want Konoha to go to war with the Uchiha.
This new Uchiha leader, Renji, was likely a radical within the clan.
If they didn't agree to his demands, civil war was almost certain. In fact, Shikaku had already decided to return the land after Renji arrived.
If even the Hyūga had agreed, there must have been some deal. Otherwise, they wouldn't have given up the land so easily.
"I can promise that if they don't provoke us, we won't cause trouble. I'll also restrain my clan. But if they continue to push us, I can't control what happens."
After speaking, Renji fell silent. Inoichi and Chōza turned their gazes to Shikaku.
Clearly, they were leaving the final decision to him. No matter how many questions they had, they decided to wait until Renji left to ask.
"I understand. We'll return the land through a transaction. I hope you keep your promise."
"Deal."
Just as Renji had expected, once the Hyūga were on board, the Ino-Shika-Chō were easy to handle.
Although they were aligned with the Hokage, they also had to consider their own clan's interests. Over the years, Hiruzen's actions had indeed caused dissatisfaction among many clans.
The reason Hiruzen hadn't moved against the Uchiha yet was partly due to his weakening control over Konoha.
If he acted directly, it would provoke a backlash from the other clans.
So, he needed an opportunity. Hiruzen undoubtedly wanted the Uchiha wiped out.
First, it would eliminate a major threat. Second, it would intimidate the other clans. This was why, after the Uchiha massacre and before the main story began, Hiruzen seemed to regain control over Konoha.
Although he hadn't directly participated, it was impossible that he didn't know about such a major event in Konoha. The ANBU couldn't have been completely absent.
Thus, after the massacre, Hiruzen once again held the reins of Konoha.
Renji's stance was partly because Hiruzen and Danzō wouldn't stop. Danzō needed the Uchiha eliminated to obtain Sharingan for his Izanagi.
Secondly, there was the matter of interests. Having already offended the four elders, peaceful coexistence was unlikely.
But Renji couldn't worry about that now. He needed this period of calm to quiet the dissent within the Uchiha clan.
More importantly, Renji needed time to create space. Although he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, the threats hadn't disappeared.
Obito was the one who most wanted the Uchiha wiped out. Shisui was Renji's key ally. With Shisui on his side and the power of Kotoamatsukami, Renji didn't believe Obito could act so freely.
Obito and Zetsu were the ones who most desired the Uchiha's destruction.
So, time was of the essence for Renji. After this incident, he believed Hiruzen and the others would likely lay low for a while. Renji had to seize this opportunity.
Thus, Renji readily agreed to Shikaku's conditions.
After signing the land purchase agreement, Renji left. Inoichi couldn't hold back his questions. "Shikaku, why did you agree so quickly?"
"The Uchiha have a deal with the Hyūga. If either clan isn't handled properly, it could tear Konoha apart.
"Secondly, while we are aligned with the Hokage, as I've said before, we support whoever is Hokage. Our goal is to stabilize Konoha, not to stabilize any one person's rule. Renji is right—after that incident, Hiruzen shouldn't have returned to power.
"It's a shame about Minato... If he were still here, none of this would have happened."
Shikaku's eyes showed a hint of nostalgia. When Minato was Hokage, Shikaku had been his advisor. But after Minato's death and Hiruzen's return, Danzō had taken over as advisor.
Shikaku didn't crave power, but he couldn't help feeling some resentment.
Hiruzen's return and subsequent actions had left him deeply dissatisfied, especially regarding Naruto. Minato's son, a hero's child, was treated so poorly. Even if jinchūriki were ostracized in other villages, letting him eat expired food every day was unacceptable.
Minato had been the Fourth Hokage. Naruto was the son of a hero. He didn't need lavish treatment, but was this how you cared for him?
"How could the Hyūga have made a deal with the Uchiha?"
Chōza was baffled. Weren't the two clans supposed to be at odds?
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Don't forget the incident with the Cloud Village kidnapping Hinata. Hizashi died because of that. Hiashi couldn't possibly be indifferent. So their cooperation makes sense."
Shikaku analyzed calmly.
"But won't this destabilize Konoha?"
After all, if they returned the land, the Sarutobi would have to as well.
"What else can we do? Do you want to go to war with the Uchiha?"
You only have two choices: either let the Sarutobi clash with the Uchiha, or have us clash with them. Which would you choose?
And it might not just be the Uchiha. The Hyūga could join them too.
(End of Chapter)
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