Chapter 226: Uchiha Negotiations 2

The three Uchihas blankly stared at Rei, confused about what was happening. Surprisingly enough, it was not the experienced Isamu nor the adult Mariko who reacted first.

"Err... Hello?" Izumi half-stated, half-asked, "What... is happening?" She tilted her head and curiously blinked, probably not yet remembering the previous night in her still sleep-befuddled state.

"Well, as you might or might not remember, some rebellious elements yesterday decided to eliminate the Uchiha clan. I was like, 'Hey, Rei, that would really be a shame if they all died out, wouldn't it!?' So... I decided to save you." Rei shrugged, his slightly narrowed eyes trailing over his three guests as if he was stalking his prey, "Naturally, I do expect to be repaid." He added to make things clear.

Rei watched the reactions of his involuntary guests and approvingly noted that Izumi, despite being only thirteen, managed to appear outwardly calm and stay quiet despite the raging inferno of emotions Rei could see in her black eyes. The second he reminded them of what transpired the night prior, Izumi's eyes slightly widened as the memories of her previous night sprang to the forefront of her mind. From there, it was a cocktail of shock, anger, sadness, grief, and confusion mixing visibly for anyone who would bother to look. Yet, it was so very obvious the girl had ninja training as her expression was blank and her body, while still giving some tells, at least didn't telegraph it to the whole room.

The most visibly distressed of the three was the civilian, Mariko, who looked sickly pale as she realized how close to death she came yesterday. She was fidgeting and looking around in panic, her brain trying to comprehend what will happen to her now and what to do.

And as expected, the eldest from the group, Isamu, looked almost anciently calm, his emotions perfectly veiled by both ages of experience and his training. If one looked deeper, though, it was obvious the man felt sad about what happened to his clan.

"So Itachi really betrayed us?" Isamu asked in a resigned tone of a man who already knew the answer, causing the two women to snap their eyes towards him, demanding answers.

"What do you mean? Itachi? That sweet quiet kid who was kind to everyone?" Mariko questioned with a shocked gasp while Izumi only hung her head low. Rei, however, could clearly see her clenched and shaking fists on her knees in barely restrained anger and anguish.

To Mariko's question, Isamu only sadly shook his head, showing he himself didn't want to believe that Itachi would be capable of such a decision as slaughtering his own family, and yet, it happened.

Izumi took a deep breath and slowly raised her head towards Rei as she quietly asked, "My grandmother... may I bury her corpse?"

Rei smiled at her determined look and nodded, "Of course." He said and saw Izumi instantly relax in relief and her guard slightly lowered in a show that Rei was slowly gaining her trust. It was almost cute how easy it was to garner some goodwill... really. What use would he have for the body of an aged civilian? He resisted the urge to shake his head in amusement.

That said, he wouldn't go telling them his Shadow Corps harvested the Sharingan from the corpses of the ninjas who wanted to rebel or were far too arrogant for their own good and therefore forsaken by Rei. These corpses his ninjas didn't bother collecting when they were retreating from Konoha so unless someone broke the secrecy seal on his Shadow Corps, Tsunade will have a neat supply of Sharingan eyes for a study with nobody from the Uchiha clan the wiser. Not like they could complain since the results will be used to improve the bloodline of the loyal Uchihas anyway.

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Rei was quite content watching the reactions of his three guests. If he took lead in the discussion from the start, he wouldn't be able to assess them as thoroughly as he did now, which led him to some interesting discoveries, especially when Isamu's reactions were concerned.

"You suspected Itachi?" Rei asked Isamu, his eyes glinting at that bit of information, "Does that mean everybody in the Elder Council suspected Itachi of being a spy? Better yet... does that mean Fugaku suspected Itachi?" His amusement was only increasing as he imagined how Fugaku must have felt when after he sent his son to be an ANBU for Konoha in order to better the Uchiha clan, he found out the said son actually did his job and was an ANBU FOR Konoha, and not for the clan.

Isamu gave a tired half-smile that looked quite pitiful on the ancient man. "Let me first introduce myself. I am Isamu Uchiha, as you probably know since I was picked to talk with you." He lightly bowed his head, showing his age was not as restricting as his wrinkles would signify. "May I inquire what exactly do you expect from our clan now that you have us in your grasp?"

The second Isamu voiced that question, both Izumi and Mariko stiffened, only now understanding what Rei meant when announced he 'saved' them. Only now they at least partially realized the implications of what happened yesterday and what it meant they woke up opposite to Rei. They were not here to discuss the weather and have fun. Only now did the severity of their situation really enter their mind with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

Rei was happy, hearing Isamu's question. Honestly, if the old man actually let himself be led astray by useless chatter and ignored the important bits, Rei would be disappointed. After all, the man was chosen because of his lifelong care for his clan.

"I want to integrate your clan into my village." Rei started, raising his hand to forestall any arguing from Izumi and Mariko who were already opening their mouths. "You should understand that your clan has no home in Konoha anymore. Any Uchiha who would show up in the world will most likely be pronounced as a rogue ninja and hunted with extreme prejudice by Konoha. For Konoha, your clan is extinct with only Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha remaining. It would be awfully suspicious if more Uchiha clansmen started popping up all over the Elemental Nations, now, wouldn't it?" Rei grinned at the disgruntled look of Isamu. The old man clearly knew what it all meant and what was not explicitly told. He knew what was in the shadows, not clearly seen. Mariko and Izumi though had no idea and as such, Rei had to elaborate. "The people who orchestrated the Uchiha Massacre won't, CAN'T let the Uchiha clan live. Even if you managed to return to Konoha and reinstate your clan, in due time, another attempt at wiping you out would be performed. Just think! What would it mean if it came out that Konoha tried to wipe out one of their founding clans? That it was not just an act of one maniac but of Konoha higher-ups? What would it signify for the other clans in the village?" Rei shook his head. No... The Uchiha clan had to be silently buried if Konoha was to prosper. Otherwise, it would eventually lead to a civil war that would destroy Konoha. Clans would not be able to trust the Hokage if the information that he condoned a massacre spread.

"To give things more into the perspective, here." Rei put a paper on the table between him and his three guests. Taking and reading it, Isamu's eyes widened and his jaw slightly dropped in astonishment while his body shook in disbelief.

There. It was the order for Itachi Uchiha to kill his clan. Signed by Danzo Shimura and Hiruzen Sarutobi alongside his two advisors. If Isamu had any complaint against the integration, it was a long-forgotten history now. He understood his clan has no other choice in the current situation. Rei could basically throw them out and they would be systematically hunted by Konoha, other villages that would want to breed them or get their hands on Sharingan, Rogue ninjas for monetary reasons, and... well, they were quite screwed and the man in front of Isamu seemed like their best and only bet.

Isamu sighed and handed the document to Izumi and Mariko. "Hiruzen's signature is forged. He doesn't have such exaggerated strokes while signing things. That doesn't matter though." He sighed again, this time more tiredly. "Yes, Lord Rei, I think our situation and your proposition are quite clear. On behalf of the Uchiha clan, I accept and vow to help integrate my clan with your village." He stated, getting a goggle-eyed stare from Mariko and Izumi to which Isamu just bitterly smiled. He was a part of the Elder council. It was simply too easy to deduce why he was the only Elder present for an important negotiation such as this or why the Clan Head was not present. The fate of his clan was now on his shoulders and he would be damned to doom it.

"Good," Rei nodded in satisfaction before a Cheshire grin spread through his lips, "Now, I would like to hear the bit about Itachi and your suspicions. I want to hear about the supposed rebellion from your point of view. I want to know what the Uchihas were thinking, doing something as stupid as planning a rebellion against Konoha." Rei's eyes sparkled in anticipation. "Well? Do tell."

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