Kin glanced at Danzo, whose eyes were lowered—clearly plotting something.
Then he looked at the two advisors staring straight at him.
Two fools. Not worth worrying about.
Finally, his gaze settled on Sarutobi Hiruzen as he rubbed his chin.
"I won't beat around the bush. Let me be direct."
"I want to establish a Research and Development Department under my leadership."
This was the only thing Kin truly wanted.
"Impossible!" Danzo immediately refused.
Establishing a department wasn't simple. The key issue was that a department could recruit personnel. Unless it was a wartime mobilization, others would have no authority to interfere with its members.
Take the Police Force, for example. Did others choose not to interfere?
No—they couldn't.
Who knew what kind of people Kin would bring into this department?
This would give him a chance to amass his own forces.
"Uchiha Kin, don't push your luck," Mitokado Homura said sternly.
They had already planned to compromise, but Kin wasn't asking for compromise—he was demanding they jump off a cliff.
"Then there's nothing left to discuss."
Kin shrugged and turned to leave without hesitation.
They weren't wrong. He did intend to build his own forces.
If given the opportunity, why wouldn't he take it?
Beyond its research purpose, the department would naturally be filled with his own people. Once that happened, his influence in Konoha would be undeniable.
"Wait."
Hiruzen finally spoke up, rubbing his temples. His head was genuinely aching.
Such a typical Uchiha temper.
Couldn't Kin at least give them room to negotiate? Was bargaining that hard?
"The Uchiha already have the Police Force. I can make you its Head."
Though Uchiha Fugaku currently held the position, Hiruzen was confident he could persuade him to step aside.
Kin paused, considering the offer.
"Sorry, but I have no interest in the Police Force."
The Police Force belonged to the Uchiha. If Kin became its Head, he could gradually turn it into his own domain.
But it would be too troublesome.
The Mind Illumination Technique wasn't as effective on Uchiha.
The Sharingan had strong resistance to genjutsu.
Not all Uchiha would submit to him, either. Speaking of which, where were the Radical Faction members lately? They'd been unusually quiet.
"Besides, think about it—the main purpose of research is to develop new jutsu, right? In the end, the village benefits."
Kin's persuasion was half-hearted. Whether they agreed or not didn't matter much. The only difference was whether he recruited openly or in secret.
He glanced at Danzo, whose face was dark.
Take it slow.
He wouldn't lack for followers either way.
Danzo's expression darkened further as he watched Hiruzen hesitate. His old friend was already tempted.
But—
Uchiha Kin wasn't someone so easily controlled.
So far, Danzo hadn't found a single weakness to exploit.
"Everything can be negotiated," Hiruzen said, trying to stall.
"No negotiations."
Kin was blunt.
"Either agree, or drop the matter."
He had no reason to back down now. He already had the power to flip the table.
If not for that damned White Fang...
The thought made Kin grit his teeth.
At best, he and Sakumo were evenly matched. If Sakumo stalled him while others joined in, victory would be difficult.
"Uchiha Kin, do you still consider yourself a shinobi of this village?" Utatane Koharu demanded.
Kin gave her a sidelong glance. Had she forgotten how thoroughly he'd humiliated her last time?
"What a grand accusation. You're the one who's all talk and no action, always stirring up trouble. Is this what the Second Hokage taught you? If you'd used your brain back then, maybe you wouldn't be so brainless now."
Mitokado Homura had tried the same tactic before. Look how well that had turned out for him.
"You—!!"
Koharu's face twisted in rage. No one had ever dared insult her like this.
"Care to test me?"
The whites of Kin's eyes turned black, his pupils vanishing into darkness.
Shadows spread behind him like ink.
"Enough!"
Hiruzen's voice cut through the tension.
"This is the Hokage's office! Not a place for your squabbles!"
Koharu's face was livid, but she swallowed her words. Kin looked ready to fight, and she knew better than to provoke him further.
What kind of shinobi has no respect for authority?
Typical Uchiha.
She'd seen the reports from the Cloud front.
Uchiha Kin absolutely had the power to kill her.
And he clearly didn't fear becoming a rogue ninja.
A shinobi like him was nothing but trouble. Unfortunately, Kin was no longer someone they could easily suppress.
Even Hiruzen was wary of that mysterious technique.
And he wanted it for himself.
Kin's pitch-black eyes locked onto Hiruzen.
"This is my only condition. Agree, and all researched jutsu will belong to the village. That's my final concession."
"Disagree, and we'll never speak of this again."
Hiruzen sighed, glancing at Koharu's stormy expression.
Her outburst had only complicated things.
"Fine. You may establish the Research Department. But Orochimaru will serve as Vice-Head."
This was Hiruzen's final stipulation.
Kin gave him a strange look.
"I have no objections."
Does Hiruzen really not know about my relationship with Orochimaru?
This is like feeding meat to a dog and expecting it not to eat.
Or was Hiruzen truly confident Orochimaru would follow his orders?
Once Kin left, Koharu finally exploded.
"What kind of shinobi is he!? Since when do shinobi act like this!?"
Since when did shinobi defy their orders—let alone insult them!?
Even Uchiha Hokaku, that old fool, wouldn't dare behave so brazenly in front of them.
As for the other clans? They wouldn't even dream of it.
"Has he ever been any different?" Homura sighed.
Since when had Uchiha Kin ever been obedient?
If not for his unparalleled talent in jutsu development, they would've dealt with him long ago.
And his strength made him difficult to suppress.
This was the first time they'd encountered someone within the village who could make them feel so... powerless.
Hiruzen pulled his hat lower, shadowing his face.
Uchiha Kin was a glaring exception to the Will of Fire.
This is the Uchiha's fault. If I'd recognized his talent earlier, I could've molded him into one of us.
Danzo finally spoke.
"Uchiha Kin's ideology is fundamentally incompatible with what it means to be a shinobi."
From their two encounters and the intelligence gathered, Kin's actions were purely self-serving—and he made no effort to hide it.
"At least he's dividing the Uchiha," Homura said, relieved.
The infighting within the Uchiha clan was no secret to them.
"But he's close to the Radical Faction."
Danzo's words plunged the room into silence.
It was absurd.
...
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(End of Chapter)