Late at night, inside his own courtyard.
Uchiha Kai and Fugaku sat across from each other at the tea table in the living room.
"Clan Leader, how are you feeling?"
Kai poured Fugaku a cup of tea, smiling faintly as he spoke.
Fugaku let out a bitter laugh.
He shook his head helplessly and sighed deeply.
Yes.
He had truly been shocked earlier.
He couldn't help but imagine—if he were the one in Kai's place tonight, facing such a hostile situation, what solution could he have come up with?
After thinking for a long time, the only path he saw was submission.
Admit fault honestly, apologize sincerely to the Hokage, and beg Hiruzen Sarutobi for forgiveness.
In the end, most likely…
He would have to agree to some excessive demands, paying a heavy and painful price.
At that point, Hiruzen would probably stop short of forcing the Uchiha into a corner—because doing so would harm the village as well.
And so, the matter would end there.
The Uchiha would suffer losses and still have to thank the Hokage for his "mercy."
That was the only method Fugaku could think of.
But unexpectedly…
With Kai handling things, the situation turned completely different.
The attackers were clearly Root members, yet Hiruzen dared not admit it.
In the end, he was forced to accept that they were "spies," even giving the Uchiha credit for defending the village.
Only then could the matter be brushed aside.
Even the three Anbu captured during the day had been beaten so badly they would never serve as shinobi again.
And then?
Hiruzen still had no choice but to endure it.
"Kai-kun, why is this?" Fugaku asked in confusion.
"Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I still don't understand."
"If they investigated even a little, the truth would come out. Why didn't the Hokage investigate? Why did he just accept it like that?"
"Tonight, the Uchiha were so bold, so arrogant, you didn't even put the Hokage in your eyes!"
"More than twenty Root Jounin were killed, and three Anbu crippled."
"At first, when the Hokage arrived, his anger and killing intent made me certain he would act against the Uchiha."
"But then, why did it end like this?"
"Forgive me for saying so, but even now I can't make sense of it. It feels unreal. My heart still feels uneasy."
Fugaku's face was filled with doubt.
Though not especially capable, he was humble.
He was willing to admit what he didn't know—and ask.
Since he couldn't figure it out, he voiced his confusion.
Kai didn't hide anything.
He explained the logic behind it all in detail, then said slowly:
"The reasoning is simple.
At first, Hiruzen was just trying to scare us."
"If we had panicked, if we had shown weakness, we would have revealed flaws."
"And once the Hokage caught hold of a flaw, we'd be meat on the chopping block—at his mercy."
"In essence, it was just a bluff."
"Think about it. Could he admit they were Root?
Why would Root attack the Police Department in the middle of the night? Did the Uchiha commit some crime?"
"And the Anbu—it's the same."
"If he admitted those three were Anbu, then he would have to explain why they incited the crowd and tried to frame the Police Department earlier that day."
"If he can't give a proper explanation, what authority would he have left as Hokage?"
"So that's the truth.
Even as Hokage, Hiruzen has to play by certain rules."
"I'm telling you all this for a reason. In future dealings with the village leadership, no matter what situation you face—never panic."
"Think carefully before speaking."
"If you're uncertain, say nothing at all. Then come ask me later."
"The Konoha leadership's hearts are filthy beyond belief. You're an honest man, Clan Leader. Don't let yourself be tricked."
"From now on, leave all matters with the higher-ups to me.
You just need to keep things calm within the clan, and make sure no one stirs up trouble that drags us down."
Yes.
Kai wasn't wasting time.
He stayed up late to tell Fugaku all this on purpose—to open his eyes, to show him the true depths of Konoha's dirty politics.
The core message was simple:
You're too naïve. You can't fight the village leadership. Leave it all to me.
Just stabilize the clan. Don't make trouble.
What he feared most was achieving results today, only for Fugaku to ruin it tomorrow by blundering into a trap.
And honestly? It wasn't just Fugaku—the whole Uchiha clan lacked political sense.
They'd get swindled, and still thank their swindlers for the privilege.
Fugaku's mouth twitched.
Kai had all but spelled it out—if he still didn't understand, he really would be an idiot.
It was obvious Kai looked down on him.
But thinking carefully, he admitted it was true.
Against those sly old foxes, he really wasn't their match.
So—fine!
Taking a deep breath, Fugaku shook his head with resignation.
"Kai-kun, don't worry. From now on, unless it's necessary, I won't even step out of the clan compound. Will that do?"
"I'll also keep the radicals in check—make sure they don't cause trouble for you."
"From now on, even if there's a Hokage meeting, you represent the Uchiha instead."
"But… be careful. Hiruzen and his lot are ruthless and scheming. Not easy to deal with."
"You have the support of the entire Uchiha clan!"
Fugaku spoke earnestly.
Indeed—he wasn't ambitious.
He hadn't sought the position of clan leader; he was pushed into it by the struggle between moderates and radicals.
Now that Kai had shown his ability, and seemed capable of truly saving the Uchiha—what reason was there to hesitate?
Support him wholeheartedly—that was all.
Kai chuckled.
Finally, his efforts had paid off. Fugaku's backing meant his work ahead would be much easier.
"Thank you, Clan Leader," Kai said.
"As long as the radicals don't stir up trouble, I can handle things on my end."
"Oh, by the way, Clan Leader."
"In the coming days, the Police Department's reputation will suffer. For a while, its name will be in the gutter."
"You should be mentally prepared. The radicals might seize this as an excuse to make a fuss."
"At that time, I'll be busy dealing with the village leadership—I won't have time to handle them. That part will be up to you."
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