Chapter 15: Proposing to Hinata  

Hyuga Hiashi's mood grew increasingly heavy. The Uchiha clan's potential annihilation would leave the Hyuga clan as the most powerful family in Konoha.

Hiashi knew that in the past, the Third Hokage could be trusted, but now, the Third Hokage had grown old. His once sharp "Will of Fire" had been slowly corrupted by the allure of power.

Hiashi could no longer place his full trust in the Third Hokage. He was genuinely concerned that the Hyuga might become the next Uchiha.

Hyuga Hiashi sighed and said, "Young Uchiha, you make a valid point. I am indeed worried that the Hyuga clan might follow the Uchiha's fate. But how can I trust your clan?"

Sasuke, upon hearing Hiashi's words, felt a surge of confidence. The Hyuga clan leader was wavering—this was a good sign.

Sasuke replied, "It's simple. The most reliable bond between two families is through marriage."

At this moment, Fugaku stepped forward and presented three scrolls to Hiashi. "These are three S-ranked forbidden techniques, carefully guarded by the Uchiha clan. I offer them to you as a token of our sincerity. I am here to propose a marriage between Sasuke and your daughter, Hinata."

Hiashi was taken aback. "What? Sasuke? This five-year-old child?"

Fugaku, slightly embarrassed, understood the absurdity of proposing a marriage involving such a young boy. Yet, he explained Sasuke's immense talent—how he was born with a two-tomoe Sharingan and had already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan at just five years old. Hiashi couldn't help but be astonished by this revelation.

Using his Byakugan, Hiashi observed Sasuke more closely. He saw the immense chakra reserves within the boy and sensed the formidable spirit that surpassed his own. Hiashi was convinced that this young boy standing before him would grow into a remarkable figure, far surpassing his peers.

With that, Hiashi and Fugaku finalized the engagement between Sasuke and Hinata. Unfortunately, Hiashi did not consult Hinata on the matter.

To him, this arrangement was a logical, beneficial move—securing a marriage between a "timid" child like Hinata and the prodigiously talented Sasuke was a deal he could not pass up.

Returning to the Uchiha compound, Sasuke's face was full of excitement. The wheels were set in motion for what he had been planning.

Soon, the Uchiha clan would escape the looming threat of extinction. Moreover, he had secured Hinata as his future wife—a thought that filled him with anticipation.

With the Hyuga clan's support, the Uchiha were positioned to succeed.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village…

At the Root headquarters, a masked figure suddenly appeared before Danzo. "Danzo-sama, Orochimaru has failed. He didn't manage to kill Shisui."

Danzo, gazing at the wall with an unreadable expression, responded calmly, "Where is Orochimaru now?"

"He's gone into hiding."

As the leader of Root, Danzo was responsible for carrying out the village's darkest deeds—acts that could never come to light. This time, however, Orochimaru had failed, and Danzo knew he couldn't afford to leave loose ends.

He intended to eliminate Orochimaru to cover up their secret dealings. Yet, Orochimaru had vanished. Having known Danzo well, Orochimaru anticipated this outcome and was now evading him.

Danzo sighed, his frustration evident. He still viewed the Uchiha as a thorn in his side, a problem that had to be eradicated. Since Orochimaru failed to deal with Shisui, Danzo decided to turn his attention back to the Uchiha clan. He had a hidden ace up his sleeve.

Some time ago, Danzo had ventured deep into the Uchiha clan's territory, where he discovered an ancient stone tablet. Even with his stolen Sharingan, he couldn't decipher the tablet's full message.

That day, he encountered a mysterious man wearing a yellow tiger mask. This individual, who possessed a terrifying aura, claimed to be Uchiha Madara. However, as a former student of the Second Hokage, Danzo knew that Madara was long dead.

He dismissed the man as a madman obsessed with Madara's legacy.

Nevertheless, the masked man revealed that he also desired the Uchiha clan's destruction for his own reasons. He feared the power of the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan and believed that they could interfere with his plans.

To this man—Obito Uchiha—the clan was a threat that had to be eliminated. The promise of a world under the Infinite Tsukuyomi was a dream where he could recreate the Uchiha as he saw fit.

From the moment Danzo attempted to take Shisui's eye, his conflict with the Uchiha clan escalated into open warfare.

Danzo had yet to reestablish contact with the masked man, but he intended to apply pressure on Itachi, the double agent planted within the Uchiha by the Third Hokage.

Itachi was loyal to Konoha, an agent of the Third Hokage embedded within the Uchiha clan. However, Itachi was also a spy for the Uchiha within Konoha's Anbu.

This double life left him torn between his duty to the village and his love for his family. Recently, Itachi began to feel the weight of his father's affection and the bonds of the Uchiha clan. His hatred for Danzo had started to grow.

Late at night, Danzo sent a Root operative to summon Itachi to the Hokage's office.

In the Uchiha compound, Itachi stood on the roof, staring at the Root ninja. "Danzo wants to see me at the Hokage's office? Why didn't the Anbu inform me?"

The Root ninja replied, "I'm just here to deliver the message."

Itachi's eyes glowed red with the Sharingan as he took off towards the Hokage's office. The Uchiha clan was in a precarious position, and the village leadership was unaware of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami ability. Moreover, they only knew that Itachi had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but were ignorant of its specific powers.

Additionally, the Hyuga clan, which was the Third Hokage's primary support, had begun to distance themselves due to their alliance with the Uchiha.

With the Uchiha gaining an edge against Konoha's leadership, Itachi was no longer bound to play the role of a double agent. Otherwise, if he continued in this role, he risked losing sight of his true self.

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