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Facing Danzō's pointed provocation, Uchiha Fugaku showed not a flicker of anger. Calm as a still lake, he walked toward his assigned seat — the isolated corner of the council hall — while sweeping his gaze over the gathered clan heads.
There they were — every notable family in Konoha:
The great clans — Sarutobi and Hyūga.
The middle houses — Shimura, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Nara, Inuzuka, and Aburame.
And even the minor lineages — Kazatsuri, Ise, Kurama, Moonlight, Yuhi, Mimura… so many that even Fugaku could not name them all.
Bringing half the village just to witness one meeting? He smirked inwardly.
They were here for spectacle — to add noise, pressure, and legitimacy to what was already decided.
"To suppress Uchiha, they've truly outdone themselves."
He sat down in silence.
What amused him, though, was how calm he felt. Despite knowing full well that today's meeting would be a storm meant to strip Uchiha of dignity, his heart remained unshaken.
He raised his eyes toward the Third Hokage, who sat composed at the other end of the long table, pipe resting between his fingers. Around him were clan heads wearing masks of righteousness and suspicion.
And suddenly, Fugaku remembered something.
— Three days earlier.
He had visited his brother-in-law, Uchiha Duan, at the gym.
They had walked side by side through the streets of Konoha, talking casually as the morning market bustled around them.
At one point, Fugaku had asked, "Brother-in-law, do you truly have no hobbies other than training your body?"
Just as he said it, a small commotion occurred nearby — a wild monkey had snatched a rice ball from a crying child and darted up a tree, chattering mockingly at the crowd.
Duan glanced at it, then walked to a nearby fruit stand, bought a bunch of bananas, and approached the tree.
Under Fugaku's puzzled gaze, he waved one banana temptingly. The monkey's eyes gleamed, and it clambered down cautiously.
Just as it reached out to grab the fruit — Duan's hand flicked.
The banana vanished like a magic trick.
The monkey froze, scratching its head in confusion.
Then, with a single palm strike, Duan sent it flying into the bushes.
"Haha!" he laughed, hands on his hips. "My hobby… is monkey-playing."
At the time, Fugaku had only frowned, baffled by the strange remark.
But now, he understood perfectly.
Duan wasn't talking about animals.
He was talking about people — about toying with those arrogant, thieving monkeys who took what wasn't theirs.
Now, Uchiha was the child robbed of his meal.
And the Konoha Council — the Third Hokage, nicknamed the "Monkey" in his youth — were the wild thieves above.
So be it, Fugaku thought, folding his hands calmly. Let's see how the monkeys perform today.
Originally, he had planned to speak plainly — to announce that Uchiha would voluntarily relinquish the Police Force and end this farce quickly.
But not now.
Now, he wanted to watch.
To let the "Monkey King" and his troupe dance.
With that thought, Fugaku leaned back, a faint, knowing smile on his lips.
His composure unsettled the entire room.
Danzō's single visible eye narrowed. "Hmph."
He slammed his palm on the table. "Uchiha Fugaku," he barked, "as Captain of the Police Department, how do you answer for your clan's dereliction of duty? The prison riot led to fifteen deaths, sixty-seven injuries, and widespread destruction! The blame lies squarely with Uchiha!"
Fugaku nodded mildly.
"Yes," he said, voice calm. "It is all the Police Department's fault."
The entire room froze.
Danzō blinked. For a heartbeat, he thought he had misheard.
In his plan, Fugaku was supposed to resist — to argue that the riot was the work of external agitators, to present half-truths and excuses. That was the cue for Danzō to crush him publicly.
But Fugaku had just… agreed.
Recovering quickly, Danzō sneered. "Then I'll proceed to announce the village's judgment. Do you have any objections?"
"None," Fugaku said smoothly. "Please, announce the punishment."
The tone was so compliant it almost sounded pious — like a lamb awaiting its shepherd.
For once, Danzō found himself off-balance.
He had spent the entire previous night rehearsing this confrontation — preparing his speech, ensuring his dominance before every clan head.
He wanted to make an example of Uchiha, to kill the chicken and warn the monkeys.
But the "chicken" was lying flat before he even raised his knife.
Still, credit was credit.
"Fine," Danzō said, picking up a document. His voice rang cold through the room.
"Here are the three sanctions against the Uchiha Police Department:
First. The riot proves Uchiha unfit to manage the police prison. Henceforth, the prison will be administered directly by the village. However, in respect to the Police Department's service, its location shall remain unchanged. The village will appoint its own officers for detention, interrogation, and prisoner release.
Second. To reallocate funds for village infrastructure — such as Konoha Hospital, the Ninja Academy, and the Anbu — the Police Department's annual budget shall be reduced by thirty percent.
Third. To address public dissatisfaction with Uchiha's heavy-handed law enforcement, an Anbu oversight unit will be stationed within the Police Department, possessing authority to suspend, demote, or dismiss officers as needed."
When he finished, the room fell utterly silent.
Even the clan heads exchanged uneasy looks.
Three cuts — each one straight to the artery.
The Police Department would bleed out, its power stripped while its body remained.
The Monkey plays rough today, Fugaku thought wryly.
Around the table, the clan leaders murmured silently with their eyes. They all understood: this was centralization. Once Uchiha's wings were clipped, all power would rest in the hands of the Hokage and his advisors.
If Hiruzen neutralizes the Uchiha threat today, many of them thought, he could rule Konoha until death.
Most would vote yes — out of fear, loyalty, or the simple wish to please those above.
Fugaku lowered his gaze, shaking his head with a quiet laugh.
Now he saw it clearly.
Neither Elder Setsuna's radical uprising nor Shisui's reformist vision could succeed under these terms.
Konoha's leadership wouldn't destroy Uchiha outright — they'd simply tighten the leash. Strip power, leave a name.
Like caging a beast but letting it breathe.
It was precisely what Duan had foreseen.
Fugaku exhaled slowly. He was right. Uchiha must abandon the Police Department before it becomes their noose.
"Let us proceed with the vote," Danzō declared, impatient to seal his victory. "Those in favor of the three sanctions, raise your hands. A majority will make it binding."
Hands began to rise — but before the motion could pass, Fugaku's deep voice cut through the air.
"Wait."
Every head turned.
Fugaku's eyes burned with a rare, focused light.
"I have," he said evenly, "a better proposal."
Join my Patreon to read advanced chapters.
Five new chapters uploaded on PATREON.
patreon.com/FrancisMWFosterHome
The next one chapter on webnovel will be uploaded in the next 2 days.
The next five chapters will be uploaded on Patreon in the next 2 days.
patreon.com/FrancisMWFosterHome