"I don't agree!"
The sharp objection rang out moments after Fugaku announced Kaze's appointment as vice-captain.
It came from one of the hawkish elders—someone who had remained silent until now. Not because he welcomed Kaze's presence, but because up until this moment, there had been nothing to object to.
After all, Kaze had a fully matured Sharingan.
He had earned the right to sit in Naka Shrine.
But being granted a seat was one thing—being handed a leadership position was something else entirely.
Most of them barely even knew who Kaze was.
He had always kept a low profile within the clan. Until the recent lightning release incident during the Cloud Village crisis, his name hadn't made waves among the older generation.
Now, seeing Fugaku suddenly appoint someone unknown and unaligned to any faction as vice-captain of the police force? That was a threat to their influence.
As discontent rippled through the hawk faction, a young genius named Uchiha Seiji stood from his seat.
"Clan Leader," he said, his voice respectful but edged with doubt, "Uchiha Kaze hasn't even officially joined the police force yet. So, Elevating him straight to vice-captain will be hard for many in the clan to accept"
Neither Fugaku nor Kaze looked particularly surprised.
This clan meeting, though attended by only a few dozen members, was a powder keg of four competing factions:
The hawks, who believed in strong action—perhaps even a coup.
The doves, inheritors of Uchiha Kagami's idealism.
Fence-sitters like Fugaku, who struggled between clan loyalty and Konoha's peace.
And finally, the covert faction—Itachi, Shisui, and those quietly walking the line between both worlds.
Among these, the hawks and doves wrestled most fiercely for influence.
And now, seeing someone outside their ranks suddenly favored by Fugaku?
They weren't going to accept that easily.
"Kaze," Fugaku said, turning toward him.
"Do you have anything to say?"
He exchanged a glance with Seiji and a few elders, clearly pushing the next move onto Kaze.
Fugaku had his own doubts, too.
Kaze had undeniable talent, especially with Lightning Release. But Fugaku still wasn't sure which side he stood on.
'If Kaze can't even gain the recognition of the hawks, then there's no point hoping he can mediate between the clan and the village.'
Fugaku remained silent, but his thoughts were clear.
'If Kaze could win them over, all the better. That would make it much easier to push forward with his plans. And if he couldn't, Then it only proved Kaze wasn't worth betting on.'
Kaze caught Fugaku's silent shift of responsibility and gave him a side glance.
'So this old man is just throwing it all on me, huh?'
'Well...'
'This might actually be the opportunity I've been waiting for.'
Kaze's thoughts sharpened.
Over the years, Konoha's leadership had systematically suppressed the Uchiha.
Tensions only grew worse with time.
And as those tensions escalated, more and more clan members were drawn to the hardline faction—the hawks.
But precisely because of their ideology…
They were also the easiest group to win over.
They believed in power above all else. In the supremacy of the Sharingan.
To gain their recognition, all one had to do was crush them with overwhelming strength.
Once that happened, they'd accept you.
No debates. No politics. Just raw dominance.
And maybe… it was time to stop hiding.
(T/N: Finally, some action! I was getting tired of rewriting these low-profile scenes—I prefer when the main character goes full high-key.)
It wasn't like Kaze had kept his Sharingan secret for fun.
He'd awakened it at the age of five, when his taijutsu was weak and his genjutsu nonexistent.
If someone like Danzō had caught wind of it back then, who knew what kind of "accidental mission" might have been arranged for him?
But now?
Now the situation had changed entirely.
Just like that man from before Kaze crossed into this world—a man named Liu Che.
(T/N: Who?)
When he was weak, Liu Che endured. Signed treaties. Offered tributes. Gave ground in exchange for time.
But when he became strong...
His philosophy flipped completely.
To hell with treaties and diplomacy—line the roads with gold, raise armies from the earth, and wage war until the sky cracked.
Kaze was of the same mindset now.
In terms of taijutsu, he'd already begun training in the Navy's Six Styles.
In ninjutsu, the Thunder Fruit gave him power most couldn't comprehend.
And genjutsu?
Let's be honest—genjutsu was just psychological warfare.
Even someone like Itachi, for all his genius, could only think of tying people to a cross and stabbing them for seventy-two hours straight.
But Kaze?
He had decades of horror media in his arsenal.
The grudge. The ring. Silent Hill. Ju-On. Noroi. Hell, even Shutter and A Tale of Two Sisters.
Enough to make anyone lose sleep.
(T/N: True, I really wonder why many transmigrated/reincarnated protagonists don't think about this. For us its just on a screen, while for them, they might as well be a virtual reality movie.)
"Hehehe..."
A quiet, ominous laugh escaped him.
Not malicious.
Just amused.
Because tonight… was going to be fun.
Smack!
A crisp, echoing sound rang out inside the Naka Shrine.
Uchiha Sei's body was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing heavily against the stone wall with a loud thud. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the entire shrine momentarily fell into stunned silence.
Everyone's expressions froze.
Even the smirking elders of the hawk faction were caught off guard, their faces stiffening as they watched Sei slump to the ground, struggling to get back up.
Fugaku's eyes twitched.
He hadn't even seen Kaze move.
The moment Sei used the Body Flicker to appear behind him, Fugaku had been ready to intervene if needed—but in the blink of an eye, Kaze had already landed a slap that sent the elite jōnin flying.
"This guy... wasn't he supposed to be bad at taijutsu?"
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
Shisui narrowed his eyes. "No... That wasn't just taijutsu. His reaction speed, his control—it's on another level entirely."
Even Itachi's usually unreadable expression wavered slightly.
As for the hawk faction, the confidence on their faces gradually turned into disbelief.
Uchiha Kaze stood calmly in the center of the shrine, hand still half-raised from the slap, as if what had just happened was nothing more than brushing dust off his shoulder.
Then, slowly, he turned his head to look at the crowd.
"If there's anyone else who wants to test my qualifications... I'm still standing here."
The way he said it wasn't loud, but it carried weight—like a stone dropped into a still pond, sending ripples through the hearts of everyone present.
He wasn't just defending his title.
He was declaring his dominance.
(T/N: Had to rework almost 80% of this chapter for what I did in the first chapter, anyway at least you guys enjoyed it. You guys prefer high-key characters right? Right...? Also hope you enjoyed this chapter)