Naruto: Cherry Blossoms in the Snow

Chapter 26: Finalizing the Plan

"First, have the loyal members of your clan begin changing the Uchiha's public image, just as I mentioned before. Then, quietly contact your most trusted subordinates and reveal a bit of the plan to them—just as much as you think necessary. Finally, keep a close eye on those within the clan who show signs of rebellion. Once their cries for uprising reach a peak, Danzo will likely make his move."

Sakura paused, deep in thought. The most critical step now was reshaping how the Uchiha were perceived by the villagers of Konoha. This would be essential to the success of everything that followed.

"There's one more thing—you'll need to prepare enough corpses, matching the number of people you plan to take with you. When Danzo strikes, I'll disguise those bodies to look like the Uchiha members who 'died' resisting him. That way, you can vanish into the shadows and wait for the right time to re-emerge."

In her heart, Sakura already had a rough idea of when the Uchiha should return.

"I'll gather my trusted men tomorrow and hold a meeting to pass down the plan," said Fugaku after a moment of silence. Then, with a trace of doubt, he asked, "Why are you helping the Uchiha? As far as I know, our clan doesn't exactly have the best reputation in the village."

"Because Sasuke is my friend."

Just thinking of Sasuke's fate in the original timeline made Sakura sigh. A life consumed by lies and hatred—was that truly the path Sasuke wanted?

He experienced the trauma of his clan's massacre at just seven years old, and the one who did it was his own beloved brother. To gain the power to take revenge, he severed all bonds with Team 7 and defected to Orochimaru. When he finally killed Itachi, he learned it had all been a lie.

The first half of Sasuke's life was driven by the hatred of his clan's annihilation. The second half was dominated by the guilt of having killed his brother. Even though Naruto brought him back in the end, was that really a happy ending? The Uchiha were still gone. Itachi was still dead. The real culprits—the Konoha Council—were never held accountable, with only Danzo paying the price. Sasuke was left a one-armed wanderer, tirelessly roaming the world, barely even recognizing the face of his own daughter.

"As his friend, there's no way I can just stand by and watch him suffer like that."

"Friend, huh…" For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Fugaku's otherwise serious face. "Sasuke's lucky to have friends like you."

In the kitchen, Mikoto Uchiha looked on helplessly at the two bickering boys.

"Naruto, Sasuke, be careful! Don't trip!"

The two kids were clearly rivals by nature—constantly trying to one-up each other, despite their obvious closeness.

"If only I hadn't followed the elders' orders during the Nine-Tails incident four years ago... maybe Minato and Kushina wouldn't have died."

Listening to the boys' cheerful arguing from the kitchen, guilt flickered in Fugaku's eyes.

"That wasn't your fault. Even if you had arrived on the battlefield, it wouldn't have changed the outcome. The true mastermind behind it all was never going to stop so easily. And even if you had used the Mangekyō Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails, it would've only increased the Council's fear of the Uchiha."

Sakura didn't deny his feelings, but the truth was clear. Obito's body bore Madara's curse mark, and he was being monitored by Black Zetsu. Even if he had wanted to stop, he couldn't. Deep down, perhaps Obito had hoped Minato would recognize him and stop him—but sadly, fate didn't allow for such miracles.

Fugaku's pupils contracted sharply. The Mangekyō Sharingan was his trump card—his most closely guarded secret. Not even the Fourth Hokage knew much about it. And yet, Sakura somehow knew. His heart instantly sank.

"There's no need to look at me like that, Uncle Fugaku," Sakura said with a casual smile. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

The Mangekyō Sharingan was indeed powerful, especially when it came to genjutsu. But for someone like Sakura, who possessed the Mind Stone, genjutsu simply had no effect on her.

Despite the strange contrast—a middle-aged man and a four-year-old girl sitting face to face—their conversation about Konoha's past felt oddly natural, without the slightest sense of dissonance.

Just then, Uchiha Itachi opened the door and walked in, only to be greeted by the sight of the two sitting and chatting like old friends.

"Father, do we have a guest?"

"She's your younger brother's good friend," Fugaku explained, motioning to Sakura. "She's here to discuss some important matters. You can listen in if you'd like."

Fugaku had always been proud of Itachi. Talented, mature, and composed beyond his years. His only complaint was that his eldest son was sometimes too guarded, lacking the innocent charm that made Sasuke so lovable.

"Ah, that reminds me!" Sakura quickly interrupted, sensing where the conversation was going. Letting Itachi in on their plans right now would be dangerous—if he found out, Danzo might come knocking as soon as tomorrow.

"I'm actually here on orders from the Third Hokage. He's requesting the service of Uchiha Shisui."

"Shisui? Is there a mission for him?" Fugaku asked.

Shisui was part of the ANBU under the Third Hokage's command, though lately, he'd been spending more time in the Uchiha compound, training Itachi. That was why the Third had sent Sakura to speak directly with Fugaku.

"Yes. I'm heading to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. I'd like Shisui to accompany me for protection," Sakura explained honestly. This would soon be reported to all the clan leaders anyway, so there was no point in hiding it.

"Is this about the recent provocations from the Hidden Cloud?" Itachi suddenly asked.

"That's right. I'm going there to de-escalate things before a war breaks out."

Sakura nodded, looking every bit the concerned peacemaker. "If Konoha and the Hidden Cloud go to war, the casualties would be devastating. That's not something I want to see happen."

"War, huh..." Itachi lowered his gaze in silence. He despised war more than anything. It was that hatred of conflict that would one day lead him to commit the unthinkable—all for the sake of Konoha's peace.

"But why would the Third send you? You're just a four-year-old child!" Fugaku frowned. Diplomacy between two great ninja villages wasn't the kind of task you handed to a toddler.

"Because I'm perfectly capable of leveling the Hidden Cloud Village if it comes to that," Sakura said sweetly, her smile innocent but her words terrifying.

"...???"

Wait—wasn't this supposed to be a diplomatic mission?

Wasn't "mediating" supposed to involve peaceful talks and mutual compromise?

When did it turn into flexing power to intimidate the enemy?

Itachi's forehead was practically covered in question marks.