Naruto: I am Uchiha Fugaku

"Tell me was it the Shimura Clan that issued the bounty against the Uchiha Clan? "

Lowering his voice to avoid being overheard outside the bathroom, Uchiha Fugaku asked the question.

Shimura Atsushi's face twisted in resistance.

The question struck at the secret he guarded in his heart, stirring a strong inner struggle.

But in the face of the Mangekyō Sharingan, such resistance was futile.

Fugaku intensified his chakra flow through his Mangekyō, and Atsushi's struggle faded into numbness.

Finally, Atsushi spoke in a hollow tone:

"Yes… the bounty against the Uchiha Clan was issued by the Shimura Clan."

"So it really was the Shimura Clan,"

Fugaku snorted coldly.

He'd almost been fooled by them.

Their recent financial records showed no unusual transactions, appearing entirely normal.

But fortunately, he had suspected something after learning that Shimura Naoya had left the village a few days ago. That suspicion led him to infiltrate the Shimura estate and uncover the truth.

"Where did the Shimura Clan get the money to fund the bounty? "

Fugaku voiced his next question.

"It was from the funds Danzo had hidden within the Shimura Clan… assets that belonged to Root,"

Atsushi answered blankly.

"So it was Root's funds. No wonder,"

Fugaku murmured, realization dawning on him.

No wonder his investigation found no financial activity. The Shimura Clan had used Root's hidden assets—wealth Danzo had stashed away within the clan.

Root, as a department rivaling the Anbu in size, had received massive funding every year.

Danzo had managed Root for decades, no doubt accumulating enormous wealth, likely hidden in various secret caches.

With those funds, the Shimura Clan could finance the bounty without needing to move their own assets.

Now that he understood, Fugaku glanced at the vacant-eyed Atsushi, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"I'll let you live for a few more days."

As Shimura Naoya's right-hand man, Atsushi had clearly played a key role in placing the bounty on the Uchiha Clan. Fugaku had no intention of letting him live long-term.

But killing Atsushi now would alert the Shimura Clan and put them on guard.

So for now, he'd let him be.

Activating the Mayfly Jutsu, Fugaku melted back into the earth and quietly slipped away.

Moments later, Shimura Atsushi regained his senses.

He glanced around the bathroom in confusion, a vague sense of unease lingering in his heart—but he couldn't pinpoint why.

The memories before and after the hypnosis had been wiped clean. He had no idea that he had just revealed his most closely guarded secret.

The Next Morning—Naka Shrine

A high-level Uchiha Clan meeting convened.

Present were Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku, the three elders, and the clan's elite jonin.

The jonin included Uchiha Yakumi, Uchiha Min, Uchiha Onko, and Uchiha Ara.

Except for Uchiha Hoshi, who was stationed at a secret outpost, all of the Uchiha's elite jonin were gathered.

Though the Uchiha were Konoha's largest clan, only a handful of their members had reached the elite jonin level.

Such strength was rare, even in the village's top clans.

When everyone had arrived, Fugaku swept his gaze across the room and spoke slowly:

"Last night, I infiltrated the Shimura estate and hypnotized Naoya's confidant, Shimura Atsushi, to confirm whether they were behind the bounty on our clan."

He paused briefly, then continued:

"According to Shimura Atsushi, the bounty was indeed issued by the Shimura Clan."

"Hmph! The Shimura Clan dared to strike first before we even made a move against them."

Snorted Elder Uchiha Shana coldly, his killing intent filling the room.

According to their original plan, the Uchiha were supposed to wipe out the Shimura Clan first—yet somehow the Shimura Clan had beaten them to the punch. This reversal infuriated him.

"So it really was the Shimura Clan,"

said Second Elder Uchiha Mori, unsurprised. He had suspected as much.

Still, his face remained frosty.

Having multiple Uchiha leaders placed under bounty was a serious provocation—one that could not simply be laughed off.

"Looks like the Shimura Clan is in a hurry to be destroyed,"

Third Elder Uchiha Shi hissed through gritted teeth.

"If we weren't under constant surveillance, the Shimura Clan wouldn't have had the chance to pull this stunt."

Had they not been watched so closely, the Uchiha would've already begun eradicating the Shimura Clan.

By now, Shimura's forces would've been in disarray from a series of targeted assassinations, far too overwhelmed to issue bounties against the Uchiha.

"Exactly. If we weren't being watched, how could the Shimura Clan act so arrogantly? "

Elder Shana slapped his leg in frustration.

"They've placed bounties on several of our clan's senior members. Are we really going to sit here and do nothing? "

Uchiha Onko frowned, clearly frustrated.

Knowing who the enemy was yet being unable to retaliate was a bitter pill to swallow.

"There's no choice. Danzo's death made the Third Hokage's faction suspicious of us. Since then, they've placed us under tight surveillance."

Second Elder Mori sighed, shaking his head.

He, too, was frustrated.

These days, any high-ranking Uchiha member leaving the clan compound would be tailed immediately.

With surveillance this tight, it was nearly impossible to act without being noticed.

"For now… we must endure,"

Uchiha Min muttered, frowning deeply.

Yakumi's brow was furrowed as well. He shared the same thoughts.

The Shimura Clan's bounty infuriated him—but now was not the time to act rashly.

Given their current situation, the Uchiha couldn't afford to retaliate.

"…It's hard to accept this,"

Onko, he said bitterly.

Being targeted by bounties and unable to strike back left her feeling helpless and humiliated.

"Our clan may be under surveillance now, but escaping that watchful eye… isn't impossible,"

Fugaku spoke, drawing everyone's attention back to him.