Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 287 Clan Meeting

Once Jiraiya finished his meal, he got excited and started telling his two apprentices about his toad companions.

On Mount Myōboku, the size of a toad doesn't entirely determine its fighting ability. Each toad has a different personality and its own strengths. For example, the toads most powerful when combined with the Fire Oil Flame Burst are Gamabunta and Fukasaku, Shima is better at using illusions and poisons, Ken always complains that he's useless but actually has better stamina than Gamabunta, and Hiro's swordsmanship is as swift as the wind...

This guy kept talking until midnight, until Sakura pushed the stone door open with her fist and complained that they wouldn't let her sleep properly, which finally ended the conversation that had veered off-topic to her adventures with the toad.

"It's been a while since I've seen you, Perverted Sage. I'm quite happy." Naruto smiled and closed the stone door, and the soundproof barrier immediately took effect.

This special room contains two beds. The top one is made of a relatively soft molten material. As long as a mattress is laid on it, it is no different from sleeping on a bed at home.

Sasuke could tell what Naruto was up to just by looking at the setup and Naruto's actions, and said, "Is there something we can't let them hear?"

Naruto cleared his throat, quickly wiped the smile off his face, and became extremely serious. "The first thing I did upon entering the Hokage Archives was to investigate the files from that period. The results... the reports about that incident were no different from the publicly available ones, except for... the number of deaths."

Sasuke, who hadn't reacted until now, raised his head.

"The population count was missing 42 people, most of whom were children under ten years old."

"What does 'missing' mean? Missing? Or..." Upon hearing that the number of dead didn't match up, Sasuke's ashen emotions surged. But the missing persons were all children, which only reminded him of what he had seen at Orochimaru's.

That old man was extremely knowledgeable about Konoha, possessing information far beyond the reach of ordinary people, clearly connected to someone in a high position. Based on the information he gathered and Naruto's intelligence, his target had narrowed down to Konoha's three highest-ranking advisors. If Kabuto, an intelligence agent from Root, were added as an intermediary, then the identity of the high-ranking official in contact with the rogue ninja would be obvious. However, these individuals operated with remarkable secrecy, and despite his extensive investigation, he hadn't gathered any direct evidence to identify them.

Orochimaru's strongholds are scattered across many locations. While he has relatively free movement, he can't openly patrol every single one. Furthermore, the information he obtains about these strongholds is mostly indirect, obtained through intermediaries, meaning he might not actually be able to wipe them all out. If any Uchiha children did survive and fall into Orochimaru's hands... they'd probably all be brainwashed and turned into tools by now, right? Would that guy from Konoha really let that happen? His Root organization isn't exactly clean either!

"Sasuke, Sasuke!"

Naruto's voice startled Sasuke awake. He found himself caught up in his emotions for the first time in a long time, with even his chakra becoming active, threatening to crack the stone bench.

"Calm down, I'm already investigating." Naruto gently reassured him, pressing his shoulder. "With the help of several Root members, I've thoroughly searched Root's bases, and there's no trace of any Uchiha clan members. Based on what I know about that guy, he would definitely try to brainwash the children to use him, and even if he wanted to harm them, he wouldn't leave them all behind. So, I suspect this might be an escape route left by Uncle Fugaku."

Sasuke's pupils dilated. After integrating this possibility, many inconsistencies appeared in his memories of that night.

“If there really is a way out… then doesn’t that mean… Father knew what was going to happen! Impossible… Itachi’s actions were definitely sudden. Although there were many signs, that day was no different at all…” Sasuke’s voice trailed off. He was all too aware of his limitations as a child. The atmosphere at home was tense, and he naively thought that as long as he was good enough, his father wouldn’t have to put all the pressure on his older brother, and the family would surely return to its former harmony. But that day never came; instead, the bloody night descended first.

"...In the files before that day...there was a category specifically for the Uchiha clan, which recorded the contents of almost every clan meeting, down to who said which sentence."

The clan meeting—isn't that an internal meeting of the Uchiha clan? How did the Hokage know all about it?!

As an Uchiha, even as a child, he had heard his father emphasize the importance and secrecy of the clan gatherings. The Uchiha were a clan that admired strength, but also one that was exclusive. Even if their stances differed, as long as their strength was sufficient, no one could prevent a strong Uchiha from attending the clan gatherings. And even if someone didn't agree with the clan's stance, the most they could do was simply not attend, like... Itachi.

“Those files are documented, but I couldn’t bring them out. My brain can’t really remember much anyway; I only remembered some key information.” Naruto pulled out a small notebook, looked at the “flying and flamboyant” numbers, words, sentences, and drawings, thought for a moment, and said, “The closest clan meeting to that time is the one in March of that year. The people at the meeting spoke vehemently, denouncing Konoha’s suppression of the Uchiha and showing a strong desire to attack. But the fervor was eventually suppressed by the peace faction and Uncle Fugaku’s mediation.”

"The most radical voices within the clan pointed out that the Uchiha were one of the original clans of Konoha and should reclaim their rights."

This description perfectly matched the Uchiha's temperament, and even if Sasuke was unwilling to believe it, he had to admit the report's accuracy. His vague memory didn't recall whether Itachi had attended the clan meeting in March, but he definitely hadn't gone to the one in May, because a group of Uchiha had come knocking on his door because of that.

Could it be that Itachi was the one providing information to the Hokage? Because Itachi was a member of the Anbu at the time? And the information was so accurate that it even recorded the most extreme voices from his clansmen. Isn't this a vicious cycle?

Because of the Nine-Tails' attack on the village, the Uchiha clan faced ostracism from Konoha's leadership and the public, resulting in a steady decline in resources and fueling growing discontent within the clan. The Uchiha's extreme rhetoric further alarmed the leadership, leading to even fewer resources being allocated. Ultimately, this resulted in escalating discontent, culminating in...an explosion.

"As for the first clan record, it dates back to the time of World War I. It was interrupted for a long period of time, and detailed records were not available until 50."

"In short, the discontent within the clan council has been building up over time. I am not qualified to comment on the merits and demerits of the Uchiha clan, so I thought I should at least pass on this important information to you."

"Many things are happening without our knowledge."