Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a low, heavy tone.
He glanced indifferently at the three elders before him, then bit down on his pipe again and began puffing smoke.
As for the three Konoha elders—they all fell into silence.
Yes.
They were stunned.
Only after Hiruzen's reminder did they realize that Uchiha Kai had already withdrawn from the ninja registry.
Konoha was not a centralized monarchy.
It functioned more like a federation or an alliance.
The village itself had been founded on the union of the Senju and Uchiha, with clans like the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Sarutobi, Hyuga, and many smaller families joining in.
In this system, the village leadership was like the Zhou dynasty emperor—symbolic at the top.
But the great clans weren't mere subordinates; they were more like semi-independent lords.
According to the founding agreement of Konoha, clan elders and leaders had autonomy.
They could refuse the village's summons.
They could even keep some of their elites outside the ninja registry, serving only the clan.
The Hokage's authority extended mainly to administrative institutions like the Academy, the Hospital, and public civilian matters.
Even in wartime, the Hokage could only command ninjas registered in the official sequence.
The internal governance of the clans remained their own affair—completely outside the village's jurisdiction.
And so, since Uchiha Kai withdrew from the ninja registry, the village could not force him.
At best, they could try to persuade or request his cooperation.
But whether he accepted or not was entirely up to him.
Even if he agreed to fight in a war, it would be considered his clan supporting voluntarily—not subject to village command.
Orders could be refused.
This was unlike Hatake Sakumo. When Sakumo failed his mission and the higher-ups pressured him to commit suicide, it was because he had accepted the mission as an Anbu captain, not as the Hatake clan head.
The village could punish an Anbu officer, but not a clan head.
That kind of leverage was useless against Uchiha Kai.
Although he carried the Police Force title, their role was strictly internal security—not assassination or intelligence.
And as a Uchiha elder, he had formally withdrawn from the registry.
Even if he fought, it would be "the Uchiha helping" —not something the Hokage could command.
This was why the three elders were utterly dumbfounded.
How could they possibly restrain him?
The Hokage's office fell into silence.
The three elders frowned deeply, lost in thought.
After about ten minutes, Hiruzen finally snuffed out his pipe ash and spoke.
"Enough. Don't waste more thought.
Killing Uchiha Kai quickly… is impossible now."
"Especially since his temperament is unlike the other Uchiha. He feels more like a Nara—calculating, patient.
A man like that is not easy to deal with."
"So we must be prepared for a long-term struggle."
"For now, let's set aside the idea of killing him. Uchiha Kai has already handed me a serious dilemma.
Help me think—how should we handle this?"
Hiruzen didn't hold back.
These three were the ones he trusted most.
So he laid everything bare:
his test of Kai, and Kai's counterstrike.
Koharu Utatane: "…"
Homura Mitokado: "…"
Shimura Danzo: "…"
The three exchanged glances—stunned.
Their minds went blank.
They looked at Hiruzen in disbelief.
Yes.
They couldn't believe this kind of scheme had come from an Uchiha.
"This… impossible, right?" Koharu exclaimed, eyes wide. "The Uchiha, of all people, thought of this kind of ploy?"
Homura took a deep breath, face grave.
"We must stop it. If it spreads, it will deal a devastating blow to Hiruzen's authority."
Danzo was silent.
But his mind spun rapidly.
Yes.
Though he always fought against Hiruzen, that was an internal rivalry.
When it came to external threats—especially the Uchiha—he could still tell where the true enemy was.
After a long pause, he finally spoke through gritted teeth.
"Damn those Uchiha!"
"This is all your fault, Hiruzen. You were too soft! Back when the Senju fell, our authority in the village was at its peak."
"We should have wiped the Uchiha out in one stroke then."
"But you refused to listen! Hmph!"
Indeed.
When the Senju clan dissolved into the village, Danzo had proposed annihilating the Uchiha.
But Hiruzen ignored him.
That resentment still burned.
Hiruzen, however, merely stayed silent, too tired to argue.
"Enough, Danzo," Homura cut in.
"When the Senju disappeared, every clan was on edge.
If we had struck at the Uchiha then, all clans would have grown fearful and suspicious of us."
"The strategy of slowly boiling the frog in warm water—that was something we all agreed on."
Koharu nodded.
It wasn't fair to pin it solely on Hiruzen.
After a moment's thought, she spoke coldly.
"I agree with Homura. Danzo, you're going too far.
Right now, the priority is to pierce through the Uchiha's scheme."
"…I still think we should spread rumors," she continued.
"Just like with Hatake Sakumo. If we turn the other clans against the Uchiha, then no matter what they do, no one will believe them."
But Homura shook his head flatly.
"No. It won't work."
Danzo sneered, scorn on his face.
"That trick might work on others—but not on the Uchiha."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
On this point, he agreed.
After some thought, he sighed helplessly.
"With our efforts, the Uchiha's reputation is already in tatters."
"What more is there to slander?"
"Their name is already mud. Add more filth, and who even notices?"
"If they choose to shamelessly ignore it, what can we do?"
"Unless they openly revolt, mere rumors are meaningless."
The room fell silent again.
For the first time, they truly felt the headache.
The Uchiha were difficult.
It was like the entertainment industry in another world:
A movie star with a pristine image—when scandals erupt, the public lashes out, reputation crumbles.
But a celebrity who's already infamous?
Pile on more scandals, and it just boosts their infamy, giving them more attention.
For the "black-and-red" type, they'd only laugh:
"More free publicity? Thanks, brothers—666!"
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