Chapter 205: Why Force Us?

Phew.

Fugaku took a deep breath, resting momentarily.

The Link Pillar Technique drained chakra immensely. Even for someone as skilled as Fugaku, creating so many wooden villas in a single breath felt as though it sapped all his energy.

The Uchiha clan members took a brief respite.

Now, even though they were displaced abroad, the Uchiha's proud nature would never allow them to resort to piracy for survival.

On this Paradise Island, Fugaku and his team began a vigorous effort to build and settle.

Before embarking, the Uchihas purchased a vast amount of livestock, seeds, tools, and other supplies from a coastal town. All of these were now being offloaded from the ship.

Subsequently, Fugaku conducted a survey of the entire island. Sticking to a principle of adjusting to local conditions, he planned out areas for farming, animal husbandry, reservoirs, and fishing.

After days of hard work, the Uchiha clan finally established themselves on Paradise Island.

It was another sunny and pleasant day.

Standing atop a vantage point, Fugaku gazed upon the newly constructed "Uchiha Village."

While it currently looked rather basic, he envisioned its future with neat streets, a plaza, schools, hospitals, a library, and an armory.

Even though the conditions here were more challenging than in Konoha, every member, including Fugaku, felt deeply content because this village belonged to the Uchiha.

Here, they would no longer suffer under the Konoha higher-ups or face ostracization from its villagers. The Uchihas could live freely.

This freedom was more precious than anything.

Sadly, being part of the shinobi world meant things seldom went as hoped.

"Father," said Itachi with a raven perched on his shoulder, a grave expression on his face.

"What is it?" Fugaku's eyebrows furrowed, sensing bad news.

As expected, "The Five Great Shinobi Villages convened a meeting. They're planning to eradicate the Uchiha clan, amassing an army of over 20,000, departing from Konoha. This is a message personally delivered by Uncle," Itachi reported, visibly worried.

Hearing this, Fugaku took a deep breath. "Why? We Uchihas have left the shinobi world, merely seeking a peaceful life. Why are they still so intent on exterminating us?" He muttered, his fists clenched, veins protruding.

"I believe it's out of fear," young but perceptive Itachi deduced. "Our Mangekyou Sharingan not only possesses formidable ocular powers but can also control Tailed Beasts like the Nine-Tails. There's no greater threat to the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Clearly, they aim to erase us from the shinobi world, just as they did with the Whirlpool Village."

Sigh.

Fugaku let out a long breath.

Truthfully, not just Itachi, even he had sensed the shinobi world wouldn't easily let the Uchiha clan be. But he hadn't expected such a massive alliance against them. What should they do now?

Run?

The thought barely formed before Fugaku dismissed it. Where could they flee that they hadn't already? And running wasn't in the Uchiha nature.

There was only one path left.

A desperate fight.

Upon this realization, Fugaku summoned Tetsuhi and sternly instructed, "Inform every clan member. Halt all tasks and prepare for war."

He then asked Itachi, "Did Uncle mention anything else?"

"Yes," Itachi nodded, adding, "Uncle mentioned Konoha ninjas have tracked the Uchiha clan since we left the mainland. They're now on this island, hiding somewhere."

"Who?" Fugaku was taken aback.

"Anbu's Kakashi and Tenzo."

...

Deep within the woods, Kakashi and Tenzo expertly concealed their presence, blending perfectly with their surroundings. For days, they'd taken turns observing the Uchiha clan.

"It seems the Uchihas plan to settle here. Our mission's accomplished. Let's head back," Kakashi suggested, rubbing his tired eyes.

"I wonder how things are in Konoha," Tenzo remarked with a worried expression.

However, as they began to move, a kunai whizzed past, embedding itself in the ground before them.

Soon after, Fugaku, Tetsuhi, Itachi, and others appeared emotionlessly from all directions, surrounding the duo.

"This isn't good," Kakashi thought, breaking into a cold sweat, brainstorming an escape.

But Fugaku seemed to anticipate his thoughts, advising, "If you're thinking of fleeing, better abandon the idea. Avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Rest assured, our orders were clear – your lives are not to be taken. Any questions, follow me."

As he said this, Fugaku confidently walked out of the woods.

Watching Fugaku's retreating figure, Tenzo turned to Kakashi for guidance.

"Do we have any other choice?" Kakashi replied with a bitter smile, following Fugaku.

They walked into the village, passing streets and observed by many Uchihas, eventually reaching a conference room.

Once seated, Fugaku nodded at his son. Itachi then relayed all the significant events in the shinobi world to the duo: Danzo becoming the Hokage, Konoha's colonization by the four major villages, the annihilation of Amegakure and Akatsuki, the tragedy that befell the Sarutobi clan, and the alliance against the Uchihas.

The news was so explosive that Kakashi and Tenzo were left stunned.

After absorbing the shocks, Fugaku informed them, "Although Konoha still stands, it's not the same. According to our intel, both of you are on Konoha's most-wanted list, each with a bounty exceeding 30 million ryo."

While Tenzo was once with the Root and had attempted to assassinate the Third Hokage under Danzo's orders, he had later been turned by Kakashi and joined the Anbu. Kakashi had also briefly been close to Danzo, but upon seeing his true colors, he left Root. In Danzo's eyes, both had betrayed him and were loyalists to the Third, so they couldn't be allowed to live.

So, what do we do next?

Kakashi and Tenzo exchanged glances, their eyes filled with uncertainty.

There's no going back to the Hidden Leaf Village now.

Fugaku, noting their confusion, spoke up in a deep voice:

"As Itachi said, if you want to leave, the Uchiha clan won't stop you. But, if you're lost, you can wait for him to return. That's all I have to say. We need to prepare for the upcoming battle."

With those words, Fugaku, along with Itachi and Tetsuhi, hurriedly left the room.

Only Kakashi and Tenzo remained.

"What should we do, Kakashi-sensei?" Tenzo, always indecisive, had grown accustomed to relying on Kakashi.

Kakashi pondered for a moment, then replied, "We should stay for now. I want to see how the Uchiha clan, and specifically Itachi, will handle this looming crisis."

Meanwhile, in a coastal town in the southern Land of Fire:

The residents were living in fear due to rumors of their country's defeat and being divided amongst the major nations. Their biggest concern, however, was about the Uchiha clan. The Uchihas had stayed there recently, acquiring supplies and merchant ships. Now, with the Five Great Ninja Villages viewing the Uchihas as enemies, the townspeople feared repercussions for aiding them.

Late at night, the town was dark and quiet. Suddenly, two figures, a man and a woman with broad hats covering their faces, snuck in, heading straight for a docked passenger ship.

"Who's there?" A woman's voice, laced with threat, called out from inside the ship.

"It's me," the man replied simply.

The duo entered to find Tsunade, Shizune, and Mitarashi Anko.

Upon seeing Dan, Tsunade expressed her surprise.

"It's been a while, Tsunade-sama," he greeted with a nod.

"You've heard about the Allied Ninja Forces planning to eliminate the Uchihas. Is it true?" Tsunade inquired.

"It is," Dan confirmed.

Tsunade, alarmed, promptly decided to leave the ship. However, Dan reminded her of their agreement: she would teach him her Yin Seal technique.

Caught in a dilemma, Tsunade hesitated. Shizune and Anko persuaded her to stay, emphasizing their combined strength.

Tsunade agreed reluctantly, setting a one-month deadline to teach the technique.

The ship, fully stocked, set sail under the cover of night.

A week later, inside the ship:

Dan, focusing intently, successfully manifested the Yin Seal, surprising even Tsunade with his swift mastery. The Yin Seal technique would extend his physical prime, allowing him to chase the pinnacle of physical strength.

Translator's note – I'm not sure if the third person with them is supposed to be Anko or just a mob character for filler, the original author uses a lot of Chinese nicknames for characters which makes it hard to parse who is who sometimes so please do forgive any changes that need to be made if I can make out who this is supposed to be with future context.