Chapter 4: The Village High Command Is Powerless; Nara Shikaku Is Dragged Into the Mud!
The next morning, early.
Uchiha Jin had just returned from the training grounds when Uchiha Tekka approached him with a respectful bow. "Jin-kun, the Anbu have arrived."
"Hmph, as expected," Jin replied casually. "Send for Elder Setsuna."
Tekka bowed and departed, while Jin headed inside his home.
Ten minutes later, Uchiha Setsuna and the Anbu operative entered simultaneously. Without preamble, the Anbu ninja spoke: "Uchiha Jin, the Hokage-sama summons you!"
Bam!
Before Jin could even open his mouth, Setsuna slammed his hand onto the table.
"Show some respect! Jin-kun is now an Elder of the Uchiha Clan!"
The Anbu remained silent, offering no retort. He represented the Third Hokage; he could not afford to bow his head to the Uchiha. However, he didn't dare provoke them either. He knew that the man standing before him, Uchiha Jin, was arguably the most ruthless and dangerous individual within the clan.
"That's enough, Elder Setsuna."
"He is just an Anbu following regulations. There's no point in making things difficult for him."
"I am heading to the Hokage Building now. Elder Setsuna, take the elites of our faction and move to the Sarutobi Clan compound immediately. Stand by there."
"Proceed exactly as planned."
Jin spoke with a light smile. He made no effort to hide his orders from the Anbu operative. Having finished his instructions, he headed straight for the Hokage's office.
Twenty minutes later.
By the time Jin arrived at the Hokage's office, the Anbu messenger had already finished his report and respectfully withdrawn.
Jin spared a cold glance at the departing ninja before addressing the room with a look of feigned respect.
"Hokage-sama."
"Advisor Danzo, Elder Koharu, Elder Homura, Advisor Nara..."
"Greetings to you all."
Jin wore a gentle smile, his demeanor appearing remarkably warm. Coupled with his handsome features, he momentarily gave the group the illusion that they were looking at the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
But the moment they remembered his sheer ruthlessness, a collective shiver ran down their spines.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were deep and unreadable. He took a long drag from his pipe before setting it down. "May I ask, Jin-kun... why did you order Elder Setsuna to lead a squad to the Sarutobi Clan compound?"
A shadow of gloom crossed his face, though he kept his tone as moderate as possible.
"To protect the Sarutobi Clan, of course!"
"Lately, enemy spies have been rampant. Not only have many Uchiha gone missing, but Root and the Anbu have suffered significant losses as well."
"As members of the Konoha Military Police Force, it is our duty to tighten patrols. The Hokage-sama bleeds and toils for the sake of the Leaf; the Police Force simply wants to ensure you have no worries regarding your own home!"
Jin's tone was flat and matter-of-fact. Since he had dared to give the order in front of an Anbu, he naturally had no fear of Hiruzen's questioning.
And indeed, his logic was airtight.
Following Jin's explanation, the room fell into a stunned silence. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was left speechless, feeling a suffocating sense of frustration.
What could he say? Tension between the Leaf and the Uchiha was high behind the scenes, but they still maintained a facade of harmony. Could he openly state that he didn't trust the Uchiha?
"Uchiha Jin, how dare you!"
Danzo Shimura was livid, his voice cold. "The Sarutobi Clan does not require protection from the likes of the Uchiha!"
"Oh? I see." Jin's expression remained unchanged. "I think I understand."
"In other words, if the Sarutobi Clan suffers any damage—no matter how many clansmen die—it has nothing to do with the Uchiha Police Force, correct?"
"In that case, Hokage-sama, please issue a formal statement. I will have the Police Force withdraw immediately!"
The room went silent once more.
Such a statement was an impossibility. They knew that the moment such a decree was signed, this bastard Uchiha Jin would likely hunt down the Sarutobi clansmen without mercy, citing that he was no longer "responsible" for their safety.
'Uchiha...'
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was dark and flickering. He returned to his pipe, choosing not to speak.
Danzo's face was incredibly grim, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, but he wasn't a fool; he knew better than to voice the threats in his head.
Koharu Utatane, however, slammed her hand on the desk in a rage. "Uchiha Jin! You are far too insolent!"
"To show such disrespect to the Hokage-sama... are the Uchiha planning a rebellion?" Homura Mitokado followed up immediately.
Jin shrugged. "Do the Elders mean to say that caring for the safety of the Sarutobi Clan is a sign of disrespect toward the Hokage?"
Koharu: "..."
Homura: "..."
The two were instantly silenced, their faces flushing with indignation.
Beyond their anger, they were deeply shocked. Is this person really an Uchiha? How could a member of that clan of single-minded hotheads be so sharp-tongued?
If it weren't for the fact that he possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan and acted even more extremely than a typical Uchiha, they would have suspected he had been swapped at birth. His verbal maneuvering felt far more like a member of the Nara Clan.
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a weary sigh.
His two old friends were proving useless in this debate. Feeling helpless, he shot a meaningful look at Nara Shikaku.
Shikaku felt his scalp go numb.
He truly didn't want to get dragged into the messy feud between the Uchiha and the Village High Command. But with Hiruzen personally signaling him, he had no choice but to speak up, however reluctantly.
"Ahem..."
"Now then, Jin-kun, let's get down to business."
"Regarding the deaths of the Root and Anbu squads last night... many people, including those within the Uchiha clan, suspect your Radical Faction was involved. Do you have an explanation for this?"
Jin's eyes narrowed slightly.
As expected of the Nara Clan—this was a classic "Self-Justification Trap." If it had been anyone else, they likely would have fallen for it by trying to prove their innocence.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't work on someone with a modern education. Without even a second of hesitation, Jin spoke.
"Advisor Nara, your framing is incorrect. The correct procedure should be for you to prove that I am guilty."
"Otherwise, the Radicals could just as easily claim that the Nara Clan was behind it. After all, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio has plenty of motive, don't they?"
"Following the death of Minato Namikaze, the 'investment' of the Ino-Shika-Cho was wasted. Yamanaka Inoichi was stripped of his position as Head of the Intel Division. Akimichi Choza seems to have been 'sidelined' at home. Even you lost your title as the Jonin Commander, and now you're left with nothing but the empty title of 'Advisor.'"
"I suspect Ino-Shika-Cho was behind last night's incident. Advisor Nara, why don't you explain yourself first?"
It was the truth. Back during Minato Namikaze's reign, Shikaku was the Jonin Commander, Inoichi headed the Intelligence Division, and Choza controlled the Barrier Team while serving as the Deputy Commander of the Anbu. Along with Kakashi Hatake, they were Minato's strongest supporters within the village structure.
And now?
The Intelligence Division had been merged with the Torture and Interrogation Force under Ibiki Morino. The Barrier Team was now led by a civilian ninja who relied entirely on the Sarutobi Clan.
Inoichi and Choza were essentially retired at home, and only Shikaku remained somewhat useful, granted the title of Advisor to keep him close.
In the original story, when Orochimaru killed Hiruzen Sarutobi, none of the great clans made a move to intervene—which in itself represented the shifting tides of the village. To say the Ino-Shika-Cho held no resentment toward Hiruzen would be a blatant lie.
Shikaku: "..."
He was completely stunned, a chill running down his spine. Especially when he caught the darkened expressions of the "Konoha F4," cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Uchiha Jin was far too dangerous.
Even as the Leaf's top strategist, Shikaku could only wave his hands in a frantic, awkward gesture of denial.
"Jin-kun, don't talk nonsense!"
"Inoichi and Choza are only resting at home for health reasons."
"Our Ino-Shika-Cho alliance hasn't a single shred of resentment toward the Hokage-sama!"