Intelligence and Dilemmas

As summer approached, a slight heat began to permeate the air, and the Konoha seemed restless, calling on their relatives and friends to go out and enjoy themselves.

The village's streets and alleys were filled with small groups of people, shoulder to shoulder, creating a lively scene.

Almost a year has passed since the end of the war, and people have buried their pain deep in their hearts, letting it slowly fade with time.

Because there were too many people on the main street in the central area, many people wandered over to the street where the Uchiha Clan lived.

Two pregnant women, one with red hair and the other with black hair, walked out of a clothing store together, talking about something.

"You'll be seeing your child in less than two months, aren't you nervous, Mikoto?" Kushina Uzumaki asked her friend with a hint of trepidation.

"How could that be? I've already given birth once, have you forgotten that?" Mikoto smiled slightly at her usually lively best friend's expression, never expecting that even the Red Hot-Blooded Pepper would have a day like this.

Kushina Uzumaki's face fell as she realized her friend had already gone through childbirth, while she was about to experience the pain of childbirth for the first time. "Ugh... this is so annoying, but for some reason I also have a strong sense of anticipation. Were you like this back then?"

Mikoto Uchiha comforted her, "This is normal. Although it's bound to hurt, it's your own child being born. Hmm... how should I put it... you'll actually feel a sense of happiness after you give birth."

"Really? Now that you mention it, I really can't wait for that moment to come..." Kushina Uzumaki smiled as well. "And the timing is such a coincidence, it seems our children might very well become good friends..."

Just as the Konoha traveled in groups, so did the small animals.

On the rooftops of the street, flocks of black Crow landed neatly on the eaves, preening their feathers from time to time and admiring each other. Only one slightly strange little Crow seemed out of place.

"Quack quack..."

Suddenly, for some unknown reason, the bird flew straight out of the flock and weaved through the buildings on both sides of the street, disappearing in no time.

This strange behavior startled the other birds of their kind. Black feathers kept falling from the rooftops as the wings flapped, attracting the attention of many passersby. But seeing nothing unusual, everyone looked away.

In a corner of a building, a small black Crow flew in and crashed into a person. The person, unconcerned that his clothes were stained black with ink, gathered his thoughts on the spot and then vanished into a puff of smoke.

"We've finally caught them!" Shuichi's main body received a report from his Shadow Clone outside the Uchiha Compound. It took him quite a while to finally see the situation of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

"This belly size looks like it's been more than six months..." He was a little surprised after carefully recalling his experience with the Shadow Clone.

Before coming, Shuichi had specifically consulted medical books, and he estimated that Naruto's birth was not far off.

"This calculation is a little inaccurate; I'd better go over and confirm it."

Shuichi remembered the direction they were going very clearly, so she quickly detoured to the road across from that street and then used her X-ray vision to look over there.

"The defenses are quite tight; there should be three Anbu." He first saw two masked ninjas hiding in the shadows, and then, based on his experience and senses, he spotted another one on the other side.

After Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha passed him on the street next to them, the condition of the fetus in his womb became clearer.

"Eight months old, which is about two months earlier than in the original story," Shuichi assessed.

"Besides, Sasuke is about the same age, so it's really hard to say who was born first. He might end up being the youngest of the youngest in his life."

Having achieved his goal, Shuichi continued walking outside, wondering what to do if the Nine-Tails were to be unleashed.

Of course, he would keep a close watch on things during those days. If he could find them in advance, he would follow up and stop them. But if they left the village through the Anbu or even more secret passages, there was nothing he could do.

After leaving the Uchiha Clan's residence, Shuichi quickly arrived near the Konoha Military Police Force.

Looking up at the insignia of the Security Department, the Uchiha Clan crest was particularly prominent, indicating that the Uchiha Clan still held a high status in the village before the Nine-Tails' Rampage occurred.

"Shuichi-kun? I didn't expect to see you here."

A deep, steady male voice interrupted his thoughts. Shuichi looked down and saw that Uchiha Fugaku was just coming out of the Security Department gate.

"So it's you, Fugaku- senpai. I haven't had many missions lately, so I've been taking a stroll around," Shuichi replied politely. "You just finished work? The village's peace and tranquility are all thanks to the hard work of the nobles."

Fugaku's slightly serious expression softened considerably after hearing this. The attitude of this top expert in the village towards their clan was clearly different from that of others, which made him somewhat intrigued.

"I wonder if Shuichi-kun is currently free? I would be extremely grateful if he could grace our clan with his presence."

"Hmm?" Shuichi little surprised that Fugaku had invited him over, but since he had nothing else to do, he figured he might as well go. "Well then, thank you for your time."

Following Fugaku into his home, Shuichi found the large Japanese garden to be quite impressive. It seemed he had saved up a considerable amount of money, which made him consider abandoning his small dormitory for a larger house.

The two knelt down in the guest room. Shuichi thanked Mikoto Uchiha, who had brought tea, and then immediately offered his congratulations. "It seems I should congratulate Fugaku- senpai in advance. Your child will be born soon. I hope he will be safe and sound."

"Thank you for your kind words," Mikoto Uchiha replied with a smile. She then bowed slightly and withdrew, leaving them space to talk.

Fugaku thanked him, and after chatting for a while, he brought up the key issue of the conversation. "A few days ago Fourth Lord and Third Lord talked to me about the Security Force, which is a big change for our Uchiha Clan."

"There are too many uncertainties involved, and if we were to convene a large number of clansmen to discuss this, there would inevitably be differing opinions. Therefore, I would like to ask Shuichi-kun for his opinion on this matter first..."

After Shuichi understood why he had been invited to be a guest today. The Konoha High Command was planning to make adjustments to the Security Department, and Minato and the others probably wanted to improve relations between the village and the Uchiha Clan.

To be honest, Shuichi didn't think highly of this plan.

The Uchiha Clan is naturally emotional and inherently proud, as evidenced by the large clan crest on their Security Force' insignia.

Simply put, they have held this position for a long time, and maintaining the village's security is a considerable power. Many of them enjoy this power, which inevitably leads to a sense of arrogance.

In this situation, directly intervening in the Security Department could easily provoke their discontent. Even if the Uchiha are still the main force, such an action would be tantamount to a disguised division of power.

At that time, there will be disputes regardless of whether the new detachment of the Security Department has a lot of power or a little power. If the power is too little, those who do the dirty and hard work will definitely suffer. If the power is too much, the Uchiha Clan will definitely jump up and oppose it. There is also a possibility that the two sides will clash.

"Excuse my bluntness, but I don't really approve of the village's leadership's approach." Shuichi's words were quite direct, which surprised Uchiha Fugaku.

Shuichi was unaware of Minato and the Third Hokage's plan beforehand. Of course, even if he had known, it wouldn't have mattered much, since he wasn't a decision-maker, and even the Jonin Commander couldn't oversee these matters.

"So... what does Shuichi-kun mean...?" Fugaku asked after a moment of thought.

"I think you should hold a meeting within the clan immediately to discuss this matter and see how many people oppose it." Shuichi felt that, given the Uchiha Clan's character, an opposition rate exceeding 80% wouldn't be unreasonable.

He continued, "This seemingly minor reform actually harbors considerable risks, the most dangerous of which is none other than you Fugaku- senpai..."

Because he, as the clan chief, is currently the link between the village and the clan, it is too difficult for him to satisfy the demands of both sides at the same time, and he can easily find himself in a lose-lose situation.