In the Uchiha clan territory, at the radical faction's stronghold.
Compared to just half a month ago, the base had already doubled in size.
It was inevitable.
The number of people defecting to the radical faction had surged recently. Expansion was the only solution. With it came a redesign of barriers and reorganized patrols, both visible and covert.
And the security force?
Ha!
Ever since Jinn truly seized control, every member of the radical faction had withdrawn. With more moderates and neutrals defecting to their side, Jinn immediately ordered them out of the security force.
The security division had effectively become a hollow shell.
Formally, Fughaku still held the title of commander, and the building had guards on duty. In reality, no one was actually enforcing anything.
What could they do?
Could they really expect Fughaku, plus a handful of elders and elite ninja from the moderate and neutral factions, to patrol the streets like common city enforcers?
Of course not. Fughaku's pride wouldn't allow it.
At the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was stormy as he slammed his hand onto the desk.
"Fughaku, this is outrageous!"
"Are you even capable of running the security division? Look at the chaos in the village!"
"Where are your security personnel? Why isn't anyone enforcing the law?"
He was practically furious.
He understood that the Uchiha were unstable, that internal factional strife was rampant, and that Danzo had been randomly assassinating clan members, treating the Uchiha territory like a crop to be harvested.
Still, that was no excuse for a nonfunctional security force.
In Hiruzen's mind, as long as the Uchiha were still alive, the security division had to function. Otherwise, how could they justify targeting the Uchiha?
Unfortunately for him, Fughaku's expression remained calm.
He simply gave Hiruzen a look and said with helpless resignation,
"Most of the Uchiha have joined the radical faction. I can now only command Shisui, a few moderate and neutral elders, and half a dozen elite jounin from those factions."
"Shisui is in the Anbu. Those six or seven elite jounin have to look after their elders and guard against infiltrators at night. How am I supposed to patrol the village with just a few people?"
Fughaku shrugged, slipping into passive resignation.
Yes. He was helpless. Desperate.
On the other side, Hiruzen was momentarily speechless.
Damn it.
Thinking it through, Fughaku was right. The so-called head of the Uchiha had become a solitary commander, completely unable to exert authority.
After drawing a slow breath, Hiruzen asked,
"Have you prepared any countermeasures?"
"No. I can't think of any," Fughaku said, barely lifting an eyelid. "Jinn is playing a transparent strategy. I accept it, willingly and wholeheartedly."
He truly had no choice, so he accepted the situation with calm.
This was just his nature. In the original events, when facing Itachi's actions, he had done the same: silent, resigned acceptance.
Hiruzen's mouth twitched.
He wanted to slap Fughaku for being utterly useless. Even knowing Fughaku could never match Jinn, he couldn't believe he surrendered without so much as attempting a single action.
This made things difficult.
Without Fughaku and Jinn contesting control, once Jinn fully dominated the clan, he could wreak even more havoc.
No. Absolutely not.
Fughaku was useless, plainly unreliable. Even if Hiruzen hated it, he had no choice but to intervene.
At the very least, he needed to rally some allies for Fughaku to prevent Jinn from taking total control.
A sigh escaped him. He had never imagined he would need to actively help Fughaku. But seeing how utterly incompetent the man was, it was necessary. He also resolved to involve Shisui more and find additional support.
He tapped the desk. An Anbu agent knelt respectfully on one knee.
"Hokage-sama."
"Go find Jinn. Bring him to the Hokage's office immediately."
The agent nodded and left.
With the office quiet again, Hiruzen smoked in silence, lost in thought. He had to plan carefully how to speak with Jinn and convince him to make concessions.
Meanwhile, at the radical faction base, in the core courtyard.
Standing before Jinn was a young Uchiha jounin but what caught his attention was the jounin's identity.
Inaho, Fughaku's absolute confidant.
One of Fughaku's most trusted retainers and one of the clan's strongest warriors.
"Are you here to join me?" Jinn asked.
"I'll be honest. I couldn't understand at first. You're Fughaku's core confidant why defect to me?"
"As one of Fughaku's absolute retainers, it would have been easy for him to protect me," Inaho continued calmly.
Jinn's eyes flickered. Trusting him was awkward.
How could a top loyalist of Fughaku suddenly throw in with the radical faction?
Inaho's expression never wavered. His tone was measured:
"I have a sister, and the clan territory isn't safe. My duty is to guard the clan head. That's the surface reason. The deeper reason is that I've lost faith in Fughaku. The day you became a radical faction elder and established this base, I realized that Fughaku should have acted decisively, even if it meant internal conflict, to support you."
"His hesitation caused him to miss the perfect opportunity. Now, with false accusations against the clan and unexplained disappearances, Fughaku has no solution."
"Even if your methods are proven effective, Fughaku still can't make the decision to act. This shows he has no spine."
"Whether it's war or peace, a leader must make decisions. Following someone so indecisive is a dead end. That's why I'm defecting sincerely."
"Fughaku doesn't deserve to be clan head. I want to support you instead."
"I don't know how things will change once you lead the Uchiha, but it will certainly be better than under Fughaku."
"That enough."