UCHIHA: THE ATTACK ON KONOHA

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the last remnants of daylight painted the sky in hues of red and gold. After a grueling day of battles and relentless travel, Uchiha Mei signaled for the group to stop. The weary shinobi obeyed, setting up a makeshift camp in the dense forest near the mission site. The air was thick with exhaustion, but everyone waited in silence for Uchiha Yang to speak. Yet, throughout dinner, he remained quiet, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere.

Finally, as the fire crackled under the weight of the night, Yang stood up. His gaze was steady as he stepped toward the flames, deliberately crushing the embers beneath his foot.

"You're all wondering why I killed fellow Konoha shinobi, why I didn't hesitate even though they were from our village."

The air grew tense. The flickering fire cast shadows over the Uchiha emblems on their backs as they listened intently.

"Before answering that, let me explain the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha," Yang continued. "The Uchiha and Senju founded this village together. But our ancestors were never truly equals. Madara Uchiha, our clan's leader, foresaw the suppression of our people. He opposed the way Konoha was being governed and tried to lead the Uchiha out. But our clan, weary of the Warring States era, abandoned him. They refused to fight, fearing another age of bloodshed."

He paused, letting the weight of history settle.

"In his fury, Madara battled Hashirama Senju at the Valley of the End. He fell, and Hashirama was mortally wounded. Soon after, the First Hokage died, passing his title to his younger brother, Tobirama Senju. Now tell me—if your own brother had been killed, what would you do to the murderer's clan? Even if they weren't involved? Even if they were loyal to the village?"

The silence deepened.

"The Uchiha were labeled cursed. A clan of lunatics. Even our leader was deemed insane, so how could the rest of us be considered sane?" Yang's voice hardened. "Without Hashirama, Konoha lost its strongest guardian. The surrounding villages took notice. Thus, the First Shinobi War began. And what do you think happened then?"

Uchiha Retsu and Uchiha En sat motionless, absorbing every word. Uchiha Mei frowned, as if tasting the bitterness of these truths for the first time.

Yang continued, "Tobirama feared the Uchiha. He knew it would be unwise to move against us directly in such turbulent times, so he found another way to control us. He created the Konoha Military Police Force, giving us power in name only. In reality, he confined us, making us enforcers of laws that served others, while our own people were caged within the village. He took Uchiha Kagami as his student, pretending to extend a hand, but his true goal was to mold an obedient leader for us."

Yang scoffed. "And what did the Police Force do? We thought we were serving justice, but to the rest of Konoha, we were nothing more than arrogant enforcers, thugs with power over civilians but no authority over the village's true decisions. The resentment grew, both among us and among them."

His gaze swept across his comrades.

"We graduated from the Academy and were sent straight to the Police Force, surrounded only by our own. Before we even became jōnin, before we formed any bonds outside our clan, we were already isolated. What do you think happens when we take missions? We don't bow to others. We don't seek approval. Why? Because we are Uchiha."

The fire crackled, mirroring the tension in the air.

Yang exhaled. "After Tobirama's death, Sarutobi Hiruzen took the mantle of Hokage. Do you think the Senju trusted that? No—because there was no Senju in his inner circle. His advisors? The Sarutobi, the Shimura, the Akimichi—but no Senju."

He narrowed his eyes.

"And how did the Second Hokage die? His body was never recovered. We were simply told that in his final moments, he named Hiruzen as his successor. Do you believe that? That Konoha, founded by Uchiha and Senju, should have had its leadership decided by a handful of clans while ours was ignored?"

Uchiha Kagami had the strongest voice in the clan at the time. But instead of fighting for the Hokage seat, he stepped down. Betrayal. That was what it was. The only real chance Uchiha ever had to shape its own future, and he threw it away.

"Sarutobi became Hokage, and from that moment, the small clans took power. What did he do next? He weakened the Senju and Uchiha, establishing an advisory council to strip authority from the clan elders. Who was excluded? Uchiha. Who was the first to die in the First War? Uchiha Kagami. Who suffered the most losses? The Senju."

Yang's voice grew colder.

"Then there was the Uzumaki Clan. Our allies. Konoha and Uzushio were bound by blood, by marriage. They bore the spiral emblem we still wear on our flak jackets today. But when the Uzumaki were attacked—when an entire nation was wiped out—what did Konoha do? A token rescue force. A handful of shinobi sent far too late. It was a betrayal. And the survivors knew it."

He clenched his fists.

"After the Second War, the Senju were nearly wiped out. Their young leader 'died in an explosion'—yet there were no remains. Does that sound familiar? The pattern is clear. The strong clans, the ones who founded Konoha, were systematically weakened."

He smirked bitterly.

"One-on-one, an Uchiha is unmatched in the same realm. The world knows this. So how do you defeat us? You don't fight us head-on—you chip away at us. You isolate us. You take our prodigies. And when that isn't enough, you turn our own against us."

A long silence followed.

Then, Uchiha Retsu stood up. He strode toward Yang, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know how you know all of this, but I support you." His voice was unwavering. "I don't care about politics, but I know what I see—the villagers don't trust us. And I trust you, Yang. You're my brother, no matter what happens."

Uchiha En spoke next. "Your reasoning makes sense, but picking fights now is dangerous. If what you say is true, the Hokage's end goal is the destruction of the Uchiha, whether through extinction or subjugation. We need to be careful."

Finally, all eyes turned to Uchiha Mei.

He exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You may not know this, but during your training, the higher-ups were watching. Three elite squads—ANBU and Root—were observing. Do you know who else was there? Your father, Yang. He was put on the team to protect you. The clan values you, but you're still too young. If you speak like this to the wrong person, you'll be silenced before you ever grow strong enough to change anything."

Yang met his gaze, unflinching.

"For now, train. Grow. Gain strength. We'll shield you from the higher-ups' eyes, but the future of Uchiha is in your hands. Lead us out of this darkness."

Late that night, Yang sat atop a rock, unable to sleep.

A quiet voice interrupted his thoughts.

Uchiha En approached, hands in his pockets. "Your thoughts are dangerous, Yang. But Uchiha is in a quagmire. I'll help you. I don't have the power to play this game against the Hokage, but those who do—we should reach out to them."

He smirked. "Let's end this cycle with our generation. The next should know the warmth of the Will of Fire, not its flames."

Yang chuckled. "Yeah… how wonderful."