Fugaku Uchiha

"Yes."

Following that crisp, decisive response, a handsome young man in his twenties walked in.

After entering, he stood at the doorway with his feet together. He did not even glance at Kyosuke, merely waiting for further instructions from the Second Elder.

"Relax, Fugaku. I told you, treat this place like your own home." Seeing that Fugaku was still the same as ever, the Second Elder could only shake his head with a helpless, wry smile.

"Fugaku? Fugaku Uchiha?" Kyosuke immediately perked up. This was the second original character he had encountered.

As for the first, it was naturally Obito, who was about as useless as Kyosuke's former self.

Come to think of it, Obito was even a year older than him, but his strength was only so-so.

After letting his thoughts wander for a while, Kyosuke snapped back to find both Fugaku and the Second Elder staring intently at him.

Kyosuke blinked, unable to figure out what had happened, so he could only remain silent.

Though he already had a guess in his heart, he could not let it show.

"Fugaku, look at this child." The Second Elder suddenly smiled and pointed at him. "This child is good in every way—talent, courage, solidarity—but this habit of spacing out really is..."

Kyosuke sat there, looking at his nose and reflecting inwardly, putting on the appearance of a well-behaved child, as though they were not talking about him.

The Second Elder laughed, then suddenly added, "Well, it's not really his fault. He's only five years old, after all. Hahaha, only five."

Fugaku: "..."

Kyosuke: "..."

"Ahem." At last, the Second Elder noticed their strange gazes. Unable to keep face, he quickly said, "From now on, Fugaku will be responsible for your training. If there's nothing else, you may go."

The old man was throwing them out.

Hearing this, Fugaku and Kyosuke hurriedly bowed and took their leave, walking out of the residence one after the other.

Once the Second Elder saw them leave, the smile on his face gradually faded. He raised a cup of tea and took a small sip before suddenly asking, "What do you think of him?"

"A fine one. He has courage and brains." A pitch-black figure suddenly emerged from thin air and answered the Second Elder with utmost respect.

"Have you found out what caused him to awaken his eyes?" The Second Elder drained his tea in one gulp and asked blandly.

"This subordinate... does not know." The black figure's voice carried a faint tremor.

"Useless trash!"

The teacup suddenly vanished from the Second Elder's hand. When it reappeared, it had already shattered atop the black figure's head.

Blood ran down from the black figure's scalp, yet he maintained the same posture, not daring to move in the slightest.

The Second Elder silently watched him for a while before turning and slowly walking toward the inner hall.

At the same time, his low voice drifted over from afar. "Remember this. Keep him under surveillance at all times. Do not relax for even a moment. Understood?"

"Understood."

Blood, mixed with sweat, rapidly streamed down from his head.

Within the clan grounds, Fugaku and Kyosuke still walked one after the other, neither speaking first.

When they neared Kyosuke's residence, Fugaku finally stopped.

What followed was a long stare.

After a while, Fugaku finally managed to force out a faint smile. "Starting tomorrow, report to the Military Police Force."

"Yes." Kyosuke suppressed his excitement and quietly replied.

After that, Fugaku left.

After returning to his room, Kyosuke washed up, then lay down on the bed and pulled down the curtain, blocking any possible spying eyes.

There was no need to think about it. Those seemingly friendly Elders would definitely send people to watch him.

On one hand, it was for protection. On the other, it also served as surveillance.

After all, he now bore the title of "greatest talent." No amount of attention would be excessive.

Lying in bed, Kyosuke first checked the Instance Dungeons that he might be able to clear with his current strength, then began reviewing today's actions.

Overall, he was satisfied with the results.

But there were drawbacks as well. At the very least, his clumsy little scheme probably would not fool those old, cunning bastards.

Still, the problem was not too serious. After all, when someone found success at a young age, they wanted everyone to know, didn't they? Even if his methods had been a little aggressive, they should be able to accept it.

"Looks like I'll have to show more truth, goodness, and beauty from now on." Having thoroughly read the original story, he knew better than anyone what the Uchiha wanted most at this point, and what they feared most.

As for the truth, goodness, and beauty he needed to display, it was more about loyalty to the clan and the Elders than to the clan head or the village.

As long as Kyosuke did that, he believed that no matter how often he pulled something like today, the Elders would not truly blame him.

"In the end, I'm still too weak." Kyosuke laughed self-mockingly, then closed his eyes.

After all, so much had happened today. He desperately needed rest.

Early the next morning, Kyosuke tidied himself up and appeared at the entrance of the Military Police Force.

Being so small, he had to crane his neck high just to see the magnificent plaque above the entrance.

The "Konoha Military Police Force"—a department responsible for drafting the village's laws, reinforcing and maintaining order and public safety in Konoha Village.

While this privileged department elevated the Uchiha's prestige to its peak, it also planted the seeds of their fatal downfall.

Because they dealt with all kinds of criminals for so long, the Uchiha had grown accustomed to treating outsiders with arrogance.

After all, in theory, aside from the Hokage's direct Anbu, they had the authority to arrest anyone who violated the law or showed criminal intent.

It was precisely this privilege that made the Uchiha hated by the other clans, resulting in frequent conflicts.

It was not as though the Uchiha Elders failed to understand this, but it was impossible to make them give up such privileges.

They stubbornly believed that, as the strongest great clan of the Warring States Period, they were naturally entitled to such authority.

And the more they noticed everyone's hostility, the more harshly they enforced the law, hoping to completely subdue all the village's clans.

Stubborn and inflexible, they naively believed this was still the Warring States Period. Now that the Senju had declined, they thought they could act however they pleased.

Little did they know that Konoha likely needed less than one-third of its strength to wipe them out with ease.

The only reason no action had been taken was that the Uchiha had not yet completely crossed the line. Once they made even the slightest suspicious move, the clan massacre from the original story would likely become inevitable.

Of course, the stubborn Elders were not the only ones in the clan. Some had noticed this as well.

For example, Fugaku, who was currently sitting across from Kyosuke.

He probably wanted to overthrow the Elders' rule every moment of every day.

After all, as intelligent as he was, he had likely already noticed the clan's unfavorable position.

But as merely the captain of the Military Police Force, there was nothing he could do yet.

If he wanted reform, he would at least have to wait until he became clan head.