"If it's because of the clan, for the sake of family, that I'm in danger, then I will accept it."
After speaking, Yan opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him, leaving Shisui alone outside in the quiet night.
"Oh…"
After standing silently in the darkness for a long while, Shisui let out a deep sigh and quietly turned to leave.
He didn't go home to rest—instead, he headed straight to the Hokage's office. What had transpired during the Uchiha clan meeting had to be reported immediately to the Third Hokage.
This was part of his duty as a double agent.
But as far as Yan was concerned, Shisui wasn't truly playing both sides. It was far more accurate to say he was entirely loyal to the village. His role wasn't split—his heart was already with the higher-ups of Konoha, just like his predecessor, Uchiha Kagami.
Upon receiving Shisui's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi canceled his plans to rest for the evening. Instead, he remained in his office, troubled and contemplative, thinking about how to handle Fugaku Uchiha the following day.
By the next morning, word of the previous night's clan meeting had begun to spread throughout the Uchiha district. Many members praised what had been said and applauded openly.
This only showed how much the Uchiha clan had silently endured over the years.
The tragic part was that their leaders—the patriarch and the elders—had always known, yet none of them dared to speak up or push for change.
Fugaku had shown weakness time and time again, and the elders were more interested in strengthening factions than helping the clan as a whole.
"Hiko!"
"Good morning! Hahaha, that was amazing last night."
"You spoke out boldly. Uncle, you have my support!"
The ninja academy was closed that day, so Yan didn't need to report in for duty.
In times when he wasn't needed to keep an eye on Sasuke and Naruto, he'd use his once-a-day copy ability on others—like Shisui or even Patriarch Fugaku.
Copying high-level targets like them didn't yield critical boosts often, but it still gave better results than copying ordinary ninjas.
As more people heard the news, many Uchiha began actively greeting Yan, showing respect.
It was clear that once the news fully spread, the prestige of Yan's household would rise significantly.
Coincidentally, that was exactly what he wanted.
The greater his influence became within the Uchiha, the less likely the Third Hokage and Danzo would be willing to move against him.
If he wanted to change the future of the Uchiha clan, he needed strength, accomplishments, and undeniable reputation.
A nobody shouting about revolution and progress would be seen as a lunatic at best—a delusional fool at worst.
But things were going his way now.
As Yan made his way toward the police department, he unexpectedly ran into Sasuke walking behind his older brother, Itachi.
It seemed that with the academy closed, Itachi was using the opportunity to train Sasuke personally.
This was a fortunate encounter—one Yan wouldn't waste.
He decisively used the day's copy on Sasuke.
"Copy successful. You've obtained a portion of the Sharingan's pupil power. Fuse it now?"
"Yes. Fuse."
Yan believed that if emotional turmoil or deep stimulation didn't trigger the Mangekyō Sharingan, then perhaps a consistent increase in mental energy and ocular power could eventually allow evolution into it.
Though unconfirmed, it was a theory he'd long held.
Over the past half year, he'd absorbed considerable amounts of spiritual power and Sharingan pupil force.
Even Indra and Asura's chakra signatures had been partially merged into him.
But maybe it still wasn't enough.
No sudden changes had occurred yet, perhaps because the threshold—the critical point of evolution—hadn't been reached.
Still, drop by drop, a river forms. Yan believed that with time, his patient accumulation would eventually yield a breakthrough… one that would take everyone by surprise.
Meanwhile, Fugaku made his way to the Hokage's office. He had no illusions about how this might end—but whether or not a resolution came from the meeting, what mattered was that he showed up.
For a clan leader, staying silent and inactive would only provoke dissatisfaction within the clan. If the Uchiha saw their leader make promises but fail to act, it would only lead to internal instability.
Inside the Hokage's office, Fugaku didn't waste time. He went straight to the point.
He knew the Third Hokage had already been briefed—Shisui would've wasted no time delivering his report.
Hiruzen had been pondering Uchiha's complaints since the night before. Even without Shisui explaining it in detail, he already knew that the Uchiha were growing more and more discontent.
Until now, no one had directly voiced their grievances.
But now someone had flipped the table.
With the matter exposed, the Third Hokage could no longer feign ignorance.
Before, it had been possible to delay and avoid. Now, it wasn't.
"Fugaku, I understand the difficulties the Uchiha are facing," said the Hokage. "But you also understand, since the incident with the Nine-Tails, Konoha has been operating under strain. We're short on personnel. When it comes to handling civilian complaints… the village lacks the manpower."
The usual tactic—acknowledge the issue, then kick the ball down the road.
He'd handle it—eventually. But the Uchiha would still need to endure for now.
The excuse remained the same: Not enough available shinobi. So even if the Uchiha were mistreated, it wasn't because the Hokage didn't care—it was because there simply weren't enough hands.
When the Nine-Tails attack was mentioned, Fugaku's expression turned grim.
That night had left a permanent scar on the Uchiha's reputation.
It was the most vicious smear in the clan's history. They were painted as traitors, and they couldn't refute it.
After all, the attacker had used a Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails and kill Kushina Uzumaki.
Worse, the Fourth Hokage had died trying to stop the beast.
Whether or not the Uchiha were involved, suspicion had latched onto them—and wouldn't let go.
Fugaku expected such a reaction. This was a relatively calm response, all things considered.
Had Danzo been the one responding, he would've berated the Uchiha outright and made the situation even worse.
Still, Fugaku couldn't just give up.
Chapter 6: Defending the Police Department – The Soft Knife of the Third Hokage
"Lord Hokage, I understand the village's struggles," Fugaku said. "But Uchiha has already taken major steps to improve our methods. Complaints against our clan have dropped significantly. The remaining few could easily be handled by support staff."
"I only ask that the Hokage acknowledges the difficulties Uchiha faces, and continues to guide the village to prosperity."
"Our responsibilities continue to grow. The patrol zones assigned to Uchiha keep expanding. We've already increased manpower several times, but we're stretched thin."
Fugaku softened his approach by complimenting the Hokage's leadership before returning to Uchiha's burdens.
This wasn't manipulation—it was truth.
Not every Uchiha joined the police force. Many chose to join elite teams or serve as mission ninjas.
As a result, even as a major clan, Uchiha couldn't always meet its internal staffing needs.
Everyone liked flattery, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was no different. Even though he knew Fugaku was using diplomatic language, it still warmed him.
Because it was true—under his leadership, Konoha had remained strong and united.
"What you're saying is reasonable," the Hokage said. "The Uchiha's manpower is indeed insufficient…"
Fugaku's heart jumped.
He had a feeling that this was leading toward the same old proposal: allow non-Uchiha shinobi—those from other clans or civilians—to join the police department.
So before the Hokage could continue, Fugaku replied firmly:
"Lord Hokage, while our manpower is limited, we can still maintain the department's operations. Please trust us."
If Yan had been there, he would've cursed: "Idiot!"
What did clinging to the police department even accomplish?
Didn't they just want to insert other clan members into the department?
Fugaku should've agreed—but with conditions.
If the police department took in other clans or civilians, they could still retain dominance, so long as the leadership remained Uchiha.
And if outsiders did the grunt work, wasn't that an advantage?
Predictably, Fugaku's rigid thinking kept him from compromising, and the Hokage could only sigh.
"In that case… I'll assign other personnel to handle complaints directly. But you know the village's finances…"
"The police department will cover their salaries."
If you refuse to share control, you have to pay.
Fugaku didn't hesitate. As long as the complaints didn't fall back onto Uchiha, it was worth the price.