Hurry and Fetch Clan Head Fugaku

Seeing that Eiji still did not quite understand, Fugaku explained Danzo's matter again.

"Originally, Uchiha clan members were supposed to go to the Root Organization for questioning. Now that this has happened, I brushed it off by saying that the Security Division was too busy and that we would discuss it after things settled down."

"No matter how arrogant Danzo is, he would never dare defy the Hokage's will."

"So, Eiji, you have made an invaluable contribution in this matter."

Eiji looked perfectly calm on the surface, but inside, his emotions were already surging like storm-tossed waves.

This is bad. I accidentally became a great hero of the Uchiha.

"Clan Head Fugaku, I was raised by the elders of the clan. It is only right that I do something for them."

Fugaku poured Eiji another cup of tea. "Since you were the one who secured this from Lord Hiruzen, you will take full responsibility for investigating the spies."

"During this period, all Uchiha clan members will be at your disposal."

"That includes Itachi and me."

Sasuke pointed at himself. "Father, what about me?"

Fugaku patted Sasuke's head. "Sasuke, you are still young. You will have to wait until you grow up before you can handle many things."

"Oh, all right."

Sasuke pouted, looking rather unhappy.

Immediately afterward, Fugaku took out a stack of documents.

Eiji glanced at them. Weren't these the supplementary regulations for the Security Division that he had previously asked Fugaku to approve?

Could it be...

Sure enough, Fugaku waved his hand and signed his name directly on them.

"Although I haven't read them yet, I believe that since this was your decision, Eiji, there should be no problem."

Eiji had not expected Fugaku to be so frighteningly agreeable.

If I had known, I would have added a line saying, "All Security Division assets belong to Uchiha Eiji."

Just as Eiji was regretting being such an honest man, Fugaku had somehow sent Itachi and Sasuke away.

"Eiji, what do you think of Itachi?"

Wait. Eiji's CPU began running at full capacity.

Don't tell me the next line is going to be: "The crown prince is plagued by many ailments. You must encourage him."

"Hmm, Itachi is very good. Better than me. Given a few more years, he may even surpass the clan head."

Faced with Eiji's nonsense, Fugaku merely smiled.

"Eiji, I want to tell you something from the bottom of my heart. Listen carefully."

"Please speak, Clan Head Fugaku."

Fugaku sighed softly. "Ever since I succeeded as clan head, the clan has never truly been at peace. Back then, there were still several elders who could advise me. Now, the old ones are old, and the dead ones are dead."

"Not only that, but the village has never stopped suppressing the Uchiha."

"If anything, the situation is only getting worse."

"I can only blame my own insufficient ability. I have been unable to guide the clan onto the right path..."

For a while afterward, Fugaku bombarded Eiji with a heap of useless grand principles.

Eventually, Eiji could not take it anymore.

Big brother, stop rambling here. There is still a mountain of mess waiting for me to clean up.

"So, Clan Head, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Eiji rubbed his hands excitedly. Surely he isn't about to announce that Uchiha Eiji is the next clan head and Security Division chief?

As it turned out, Eiji had been overthinking it.

"Eiji, you will always stand with the Uchiha, right?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Eiji nodded solemnly.

"I, Uchiha Eiji, will be forever loyal to the Uchiha!"

"That one sentence is enough. Revitalizing the Uchiha is your undeniable duty!"

The two chatted for a while longer before Fugaku finally let Eiji leave.

After Eiji departed, Mikoto also stepped out of the room.

"Fugaku, do you really intend to place the hope of revitalizing the Uchiha on an eleven-year-old child?"

"Besides... we have not had much contact with him before."

"What if he is won over or brainwashed by the Hokage's faction? Could he become a sharp blade driven into the Uchiha?"

Fugaku looked somewhat helpless. "There is no other choice. The Uchiha have reached the point where there is nowhere left to retreat."

Then Fugaku changed the subject.

"I have already spoken with Itachi. Lord Hiruzen believes that Itachi's thinking has already transcended that of ordinary Uchiha. It is only because Eiji has been too dazzling recently that Itachi has temporarily been overlooked."

"After some time, Itachi will submit his application to join the Anbu."

"With the intelligence he provides, he will play a crucial role in our future actions under the plan."

At this, Mikoto understood as well.

The so-called plan still referred to the path of a military coup.

"Fugaku, have you made up your mind?"

Fugaku gazed through the window at a small weed growing by the wall. "I don't know. I'll think about it some more."

"I don't know. I don't know!"

"Still refusing to talk? I think you just need a beating!"

In the Security Division interrogation room, Inaho pinned down the suspect and gave him a savage beating.

"Damn it, how many more accomplices do you have?"

"What accomplices? All of us have already been captured by you!"

Bam! Bam!

Inaho punched him twice more.

"Do you take me for a fool? You expect me to believe that two worthless nobodies like you could infiltrate Konoha? Do you think the Security Division's defenses are just for show?"

Eiji awkwardly scratched his head. To be fair, they really were just for show.

The Security Division did not actually have many formal members.

Most of them were busy arguing with villagers every day, helping old ladies find their dogs, and doing things like that.

There were even fewer people who had time to patrol and handle real business each day.

Eiji stopped Inaho. "Take a break. Don't kill him."

As he spoke, he directed a medical ninja nearby to administer emergency treatment. "Keep track of all the medical supplies used. Once this is over, we still need to get Lord Hiruzen to reimburse us."

"Understood."

"Don't use anything too expensive. As long as he can breathe, that's enough. If it isn't life-threatening, don't save him."

"..."

Eiji assembled the members of the Security Division.

"Everyone, with Lord Fugaku's approval, the Security Division's management regulations have undergone a tiny revision."

"I have an original copy here. Pass it around and read it first."

"Copies will be printed over the next few days. From now on, follow the regulations in this document during operations."

As he spoke, Eiji took out seven or eight "bricks."

The regulations themselves had barely been changed. There were merely over four thousand additional clauses.

The detailed rules had increased a little more—twenty-five thousand clauses.

It did not matter if they could not understand or remember them, because the Security Division had the final authority to interpret them.

Shisui flipped through several pages of the regulations and frowned.

"Eiji, aren't these punishments a little too harsh? Someone can be detained just for making so-called inappropriate remarks. Even if we doubled the size of the prison, it still wouldn't be enough."

Eiji shook his head.

"Shisui, you have misunderstood. Are we updating the regulations to punish the villagers?"

"No. We are doing it to protect the heroes' reputations."

"Think about it. If these people dare say today that I kill people indiscriminately, tomorrow they will dare say that Lord Hiruzen has defected, and the day after that..."

"If this continues, will there be any trust left among the villagers?"

"If the villagers cannot even manage the most basic trust in one another, does this village still have any hope?"

Shisui raised a hand to stop him.

Don't say any more. You dare to say it, but I don't dare to listen.

Eiji stared directly into Shisui's eyes. "Everything I have done is to protect the fiercely burning Will of Fire."

"Eiji, I understand."

After spending this time together, Eiji discovered something.

On the surface, Shisui appeared loyal to Hiruzen. In reality, he was loyal to the Will of Fire.

As long as you could give something the name of the Will of Fire, Shisui would believe it.

It was much like giving something the name of love when you could not sell it otherwise.

Either way, it was just a matter of tricking fools.

As time slowly passed, the Security Division's interrogation also made some progress.

They had followed the clues and were about to trace them back to Ryoma.

This gave Danzo a headache.

Ryoma was, after all, his subordinate. If something really happened, it would not be easy to distance himself from him.

A dangerous idea suddenly appeared in his mind.

What if I killed Ryoma and framed the Security Division?

Danzo felt that this plan was highly feasible.

For Konoha's future, sacrificing Ryoma would be well worth it.

Not only would it cut off their investigative lead, but it would also thoroughly disgust the Uchiha.

Perhaps Hiruzen would even revoke the Security Division's investigative authority in a fit of rage.

All that remained was to find a suitable opportunity and make sure Ryoma died in the right place.

Danzo thought it would be best if Ryoma died in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

But that place was not easy to enter, so what should he do?

He could hardly tell Ryoma to infiltrate the Uchiha Clan Compound and then kill himself.

Danzo thought for a long time but could not come up with a suitable method.

The Masked Man silently appeared in a dark corner.

"Useless Danzo. Just like Kakashi, you are the most useless of the useless."

"It is only killing someone. Why are you making such a fuss over it? A bunch of idiots in Konoha Village have bred even more idiots."

Zetsu slowly emerged from the ground. He wanted to hear what brilliant idea the clever Masked Man had.

"So, what are you going to do?"

The Masked Man slowly vanished. When he appeared again, there was already a corpse over his shoulder.

"It is time to let this foolish little brat learn just how cruel this world truly is."

Late that night, in the Uchiha Clan Compound—

Several clan members were still patrolling.

Suddenly, a pitch-black mass fell from the sky and slammed into the ground with a loud crash.

They jumped in fright and hurried over to investigate.

"This is... Aburame Ryoma!"

"Hurry and fetch Clan Head Fugaku!"