Early the next morning.
Uchiha Jin had just returned from the training grounds when Uchiha Tekka approached him respectfully.
"Jin-sama, ANBU have arrived."
"I expected as much," Jin replied casually. "Go and invite Elder Setsuna."
Tekka bowed and left. Jin returned to his residence.
Ten minutes later, Elder Setsuna entered together with an ANBU operative. The ANBU spoke first.
"Uchiha Jin, the Hokage requests your presence."
Before Jin could respond, Setsuna slammed his palm on the table.
"Watch your manners. Jin-sama is now an elder of the Uchiha clan."
The ANBU fell silent.
He represented the Third Hokage, and he could not show submission to the Uchiha. Still, he did not provoke them either. He knew very well that the man standing before him was among the most dangerous individuals the clan had produced in years.
"That will be all, Elder Setsuna," Jin said calmly.
"He is only following protocol. There is no value in troubling him."
Then Jin continued, his voice steady.
"I will head to the Hokage Tower immediately. Elder Setsuna, take our faction's elite forces and proceed to the Sarutobi clan compound. Stand by."
"Everything proceeds according to plan."
Jin smiled faintly.
He made no effort to conceal his words from the ANBU. After speaking, he turned and left for the Hokage Tower.
…
Twenty minutes later.
By the time Jin arrived at the Hokage's office, the ANBU had already delivered his report and departed.
Jin cast a cool glance at the departing figure before offering a polite bow.
"Hokage-sama."
"Danzo-sama, Elder Koharu, Elder Homura, and Advisor Nara."
"Good morning to you all."
His smile was gentle, his demeanor refined. Combined with his striking appearance, he even reminded some of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
But the memory of his ruthlessness made the room feel colder.
Hiruzen Sarutobi studied him quietly, took a puff from his pipe, then set it aside.
"May I ask, Jin-kun, why you dispatched Elder Setsuna and his men to the Sarutobi clan compound?"
There was a shadow in his eyes, though his tone remained restrained.
"Of course," Jin replied calmly. "To protect the Sarutobi clan."
"Recently, enemy spies have been unusually active. Not only have Uchiha gone missing, but ANBU and Root have suffered losses as well."
"As the Konoha Police Force, it is our duty to increase patrols."
"You carry the burden of the village, Hokage-sama. Naturally, we must ensure you have no worries behind you."
The room fell silent.
Even Hiruzen found himself momentarily speechless, a tightness forming in his chest.
What could he say?
The tension between Konoha and the Uchiha remained unspoken, but outward harmony was still maintained. Could he openly say he did not trust the Uchiha?
"Uchiha Jin, you are going too far," Danzo snapped coldly. "The Sarutobi clan does not require Uchiha protection."
"I see," Jin replied evenly. "Then I understand."
"That means if the Sarutobi clan suffers any losses, regardless of how many casualties, the Uchiha Police Force bears no responsibility. Is that correct?"
"In that case, Hokage-sama, please issue an official statement. I will immediately withdraw our forces."
No one spoke.
Such a statement was impossible.
They all understood that if such words were issued, Jin would not hesitate to act without restraint afterward.
Hiruzen's gaze darkened. He said nothing, only resumed smoking, his expression unreadable.
Danzo's face was grim, hostility flickering in his eyes, but even he knew better than to voice it.
Elder Koharu slammed the table.
"Uchiha Jin, this is unacceptable."
"Disrespect toward the Hokage," Elder Homura added sharply. "Are the Uchiha plotting rebellion?"
Jin shrugged.
"So caring about the Sarutobi clan's safety is considered disrespect?"
Both elders froze, words caught in their throats.
Anger aside, shock filled their hearts.
Was this really an Uchiha?
The clan was known for emotional intensity and direct action, not verbal precision. Yet Jin spoke with the measured sharpness of a strategist.
If not for his Mangekyo Sharingan and his unmistakably extreme methods, one might have thought he belonged to the Nara clan.
Hiruzen sighed quietly.
His two old comrades were outmatched. With no other option, he cast a subtle glance toward Nara Shikaku.
Shikaku's scalp tingled.
He wanted nothing to do with the Uchiha crisis, but once the Hokage had spoken without words, refusal was no longer an option.
He cleared his throat.
"Jin-kun, perhaps we should return to the main issue."
"Regarding last night's incident, where members of Root and ANBU were killed. Many, including some within the Uchiha, suspect your radical faction. Do you have anything to explain?"
Jin narrowed his eyes.
As expected of a Nara, laying a trap through implication.
A classic demand for self-justification.
Unfortunately for Shikaku, it would not work on someone who understood logic all too well.
"That question is flawed," Jin replied without hesitation. "The correct approach is for you to prove my guilt."
"Otherwise, our faction could just as easily suspect the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance. After all, you had motives as well."
"After Minato Namikaze's death, your faction lost its political investments. Inoichi Yamanaka was removed from intelligence command. Choza Akimichi was sidelined. Even you lost your position as Jonin Commander, leaving only an advisor's title."
"If I were to suspect last night's incident was your doing, Advisor Nara, perhaps you should explain first?"
Silence.
During Minato's era, Shikaku served as Jonin Commander, Inoichi led Intelligence, and Choza oversaw the Barrier Team while also acting as ANBU Vice Captain. They were Minato's anchors within the system.
Now, Intelligence and Interrogation had merged under Morino Ibiki. The Barrier Team had changed leadership. Inoichi and Choza remained at home, inactive.
Only Shikaku retained a formal role.
In the original history, when Hiruzen later died at Orochimaru's hands, most clans did not intervene. That silence alone spoke volumes.
Shikaku's mind went blank.
When he noticed the grim expressions of the Konoha leadership, a chill ran down his spine. Cold sweat beaded across his forehead.
Uchiha Jin was impossible to deal with.
Even the village's foremost strategist could only raise his hands in surrender.
"Jin-kun, let's not jump to conclusions."
"Inoichi and Choza are merely resting due to health concerns."
"The Ino-Shika-Cho alliance holds no resentment toward the Hokage. None at all."