Chapter 67: Please Share the Story with Others
After listening to what Uchiha Dali had to say and seeing that half-smiling look on his face as he stared at him, Nara Shikaku's expression grew even more grave.
"The ninja village you're referring to… it wouldn't happen to be Konoha, would it?" Shikaku asked.
But Uchiha Dali didn't respond.
He simply continued to watch him with that same half-smile.
That made Shikaku's heart sink.
"If I'm not mistaken… you must be that Uchiha prodigy who's been making waves lately—Uchiha Dali…"
"That's right," Dali finally replied.
Seeing him so straightforwardly acknowledge his identity, Shikaku's eyes narrowed slightly again.
News had already spread like wildfire throughout the village.
And he had confirmed the rumors from others' accounts as well.
On the northern battlefield, Uchiha Dali had taken on hundreds of ninja from Kumogakure, led personally by the Fourth Raikage, all by himself.
Not only did he crush them so thoroughly that they scattered in disarray, but out of the several hundred Kumo ninja, fewer than twenty managed to escape in the end.
That level of strength—perhaps even the "Yellow Flash" Minato Namikaze couldn't compare.
If the Uchiha clan truly intended to rebel and seize power within Konoha, this would be a huge problem.
And now, it was clear that Dali had come to deliver a warning.
He wanted the other clans in Konoha to stay out of the conflict between the Uchiha and the village leadership.
He was forcing the other noble clans to make a choice.
Countless thoughts flashed rapidly through Shikaku's mind.
Finally, after taking a deep breath, he spoke up: "In every ninja village, the ruler is the one most recognized and acknowledged by the people as the strongest."
"Not just anyone, not just any clan, can be part of the ruling class."
"If they try to force it, it will only lead to unnecessary bloodshed."
"Well said. That's exactly why I've come to ask you this question. So tell me—what do you think the other clans, the other ninja, should choose, if they want to avoid a true large-scale massacre?"
Uchiha Dali responded with the same half-smiling tone, but this time with a rhetorical question of his own.
It left Shikaku at a loss for how to respond.
"What a troublesome question…"
He muttered, then pretended to step into the hypothetical role and gave it some thought.
A moment later, a bead of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"If it were up to me… and if internal conflict was truly unavoidable… and the opposing side's strength had already reached the point where they could utterly crush the rest of us…"
"Then, to prevent unnecessary and excessive bloodshed… I suppose the only choice would be to turn a blind eye…"
"But that's assuming—"
He paused, his gaze sharpening, staring intently at Uchiha Dali.
"That's assuming they can prove the clan taking over genuinely has the village's best interests at heart, that they have both the ability and the responsibility to protect the village's peace."
"If they can't do that, I believe the majority of people in that ninja village would never agree to let such a clan take over. No matter the cost or the sacrifice, they would do everything in their power to stop it."
Hearing his reply, Uchiha Dali gave a slight smile.
Then, in an instant, he vanished.
His voice suddenly echoed from behind Shikaku: "That's nothing you need to worry about. That clan is the most outstanding and responsible one in the entire ninja world."
"When they come to power, they won't just provide the village with a secure and stable environment for growth—they'll make everything about that ninja village even better."
The ghost-like speed and movement made Shikaku's pupils contract violently. Cold sweat broke out all over him.
Hiding behind the door, Nara Yoshino had also gone pale with fright.
Uchiha Dali had used both intimidation and persuasion.
He had directly demonstrated his overwhelming strength in front of Shikaku.
And at the same time, made a promise.
As Konoha's most brilliant tactician, Shikaku had finally seen through to the heart of the matter.
He slowly closed his eyes and calmly said, "If that clan is really as you say, then I believe the rest of the village will welcome them coming to power."
That answer clearly satisfied Uchiha Dali.
He nodded with a smile, gently patted Shikaku on the shoulder, and said, "Thank you for clearing that up for me, Brother Shikaku."
"But there's one more thing I'd like to ask of you."
Faced with Dali's kind and friendly tone, Shikaku felt a little overwhelmed.
Trying to maintain composure, he asked, "What is it?"
"I'd like to trouble you to pass along the story we just discussed to the other clan heads—before daybreak."
"…Understood."
Shikaku's entire body tensed, a bead of sweat slowly forming on his cheek.
"Then I'll be counting on you."
With those words, Uchiha Dali vanished once again.
Only when Shikaku could no longer sense any trace of him did the cold sweat finally begin to roll slowly down his left cheek.
"Are you alright, Shikaku?"
Nara Yoshino rushed out of the house and hurried to his side with a look of concern.
"What a terrifying man…"
"So he's the one who slaughtered hundreds of enemy troops on the battlefield, ended the crisis for the village, and singlehandedly brought the war to an end?"
Shikaku couldn't calm his heart for a long time.
He couldn't put into words the pressure he'd just felt. Only those who had actually experienced it firsthand could understand how suffocating it truly was.
That man, Uchiha Dali—despite looking younger than himself by several years—when he stood before you, it was like facing a towering giant, radiating an almost divine aura of authority.
You couldn't meet his gaze, couldn't breathe deeply, couldn't even speak freely.
"Is the Uchiha clan… really planning to rebel?" Yoshino asked softly and cautiously, seeing her husband so visibly shaken.
Hearing her question, Shikaku turned and looked deeply at his wife.
Then he reached out to gently stroke her hair, reassuring her, "You don't need to worry about this. I'll take care of it."
"Go back and get some rest. I need to head out for a bit."
With that, Shikaku looked up toward the dim streetlight beyond the courtyard wall.
The parting words left by Uchiha Dali had carried an unspoken implication.
He wanted Shikaku to act as the messenger and relay what had just occurred to the other clans and key ninja within Konoha.
Of course, how best to present it—so that everyone could truly grasp the gravity of the situation and properly weigh the pros and cons, avoiding an even greater crisis for the entire village—
That would all depend on his skill as a tactician.
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