Uchiha Fugaku

"Danzō, as a staunch executor of his teacher's will, has made Root a manifestation of that will.

Therefore, with war looming, he has once again proposed a 'strategy towards the Uchiha' that is even more severe than his teacher's."

Hiruzen tapped his pipe, recalling Danzō's proposal, and gave a wry smile.

"Indeed…" Homura said softly. "Allowing the Uchiha clan to deploy on the battlefield on a large scale would significantly increase the chances of their Sharingan awakening, while also raising their status and that of their clan within the village through the military merits they acquire."

"The emotions of the Uchiha clan are truly filled with the unknown, and on the battlefield, the consequences of this unknown become even more unpredictable."

"And what if, amidst this, a Mangekyo Sharingan were to appear…"

The words "Mangekyo Sharingan" silenced both Homura and Hiruzen.

Years ago, several powerful Uchiha clan members who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan had clashed fiercely over power and profit, causing immense damage to the village.

As a result, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had even dispatched a large number of Anbu members to monitor the Uchiha clan.

Danzō therefore believed that the Second Hokage deeply detested the Uchiha clan, viewing them as a ticking time bomb and a major internal threat to the village.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as the Third Hokage, was not as radical as Danzō. He believed the Second Hokage acted that way only because the Uchiha clan had caused trouble, and he would have done the same if any other clan had caused trouble.

Therefore, with the legacy of Kagami Uchiha and the fact that no new Mangekyo Sharingan had appeared in the Uchiha clan during the subsequent era of peace, the policies towards the Uchiha clan had not changed.

Now, the Uchiha clan no longer had any Mangekyo Sharingan users, but if they were allowed to participate in the upcoming great war…

"Danzō's concerns are not unfounded, which is why we haven't immediately rejected the proposal."

As the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen could not suppress everything with sheer power like the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Nor could he possess the profound wisdom and strong hand of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, becoming ruthless when necessary.

As a moderate, this was not the first time he had hesitated on such matters, and it would clearly not be the last.

"Currently, although the Uchiha do not have any Mangekyo Sharingan users, their young clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, has already begun to exhibit the demeanor of a leader among the younger generation."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes showed admiration:

"The Uchiha are indeed the Uchiha, truly a lineage of talent. Fugaku is only 16 years old this year, and his prestige within the clan is already second only to the current clan head."

"He has already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, but he is steady and composed, completely unlike the arrogance of other Uchiha. His attitude towards the village has always been impeccable. However, he is too restrained, making it impossible for us to determine if he is a deep-thinking young ambitious individual, or a broad-minded new generation inheriting Kagami's ideals."

Hiruzen placed the pipe back into his mouth and took a deep puff of smoke. "I hope… it is the latter. The Uchiha are an important component of the village's strength. If it's not absolutely necessary, I want to observe further."

"Yes, I've heard that too. Although there is still a gap in strength, Uchiha Fugaku's reputation is even subtly rivaling Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade."

Mitokado Homura was silent for a moment, then spoke seriously:

"Danzō's strategy of completely isolating the Uchiha is too extreme. If implemented now, it would certainly arouse suspicion from other clans during wartime."

"But Danzō's concerns are also valid, so perhaps a compromise would be better."

"A compromise…" Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then looked at his old friend, known for his steadiness and caution, and smiled.

"Homura, that is a wise and seasoned suggestion."

"Then, please invite Koharu over. If she reviews it and finds no issues, we will proceed as such."

"The treatment of the Uchiha clan will remain unchanged, but due to the approaching great war, members of the Military Police Force must remain stationed in the village as the main defensive force and are not permitted to go to the battlefield without orders."

"No one is allowed to request assistance from the Military Police Force. The Anbu will be responsible for battlefield support matters this time!"

"If Danzō has any objections, let him carry out the orders. With the Anbu deployed, Root will have to take over the monitoring of the Uchiha clan in place of the Anbu!"

"Yes, Third Hokage-sama!"

After a day of training, Orochimaru kept Satoru and Nawaki behind to discuss some matters, and Uchiha Mikoto headed home first.

She could feel that Nawaki had made significant progress today compared to yesterday, and it seemed that Teacher Orochimaru was also quite surprised.

Furthermore, Teacher Orochimaru's attitude towards Satoru had also changed somewhat.

"They are all geniuses, I must also work hard!"

Mikoto felt no imbalance, as Teacher Orochimaru had clearly told her that the three of them, in addition to basic training, should each have a development direction suited to them.

Nawaki, being the oldest, had a straightforward and passionate personality, so he should lean towards a strong offense type. His chakra reserves, far exceeding those of ordinary people, also enabled him to excel in this style.

Satoru, the youngest, was very well-rounded, excelling in tactics and support.

Therefore, he was more inclined towards a support and assassination type. His elusive Body Flicker Technique, various special Ninjutsu, and not-weak Taijutsu allowed him to cope effectively in various situations.

As for Mikoto, Teacher Orochimaru pointed out that she possessed considerable talent in Genjutsu.

Being able to perform the Great Fireball Technique to that extent at her age, without meticulous guidance from her clan, indicated that Mikoto's chakra control was very strong.

Even before awakening her Sharingan, Mikoto's Genjutsu talent was already considerable. If she awakened it, combined with her proficiency with ninja tools, Mikoto would be an important support and auxiliary member of the team.

Therefore, Orochimaru focused on training Mikoto's tactical awareness and reaction speed, qualities essential for an excellent Genjutsu ninja.

To this end, Teacher Orochimaru gave her three scrolls, which contained three relatively basic Genjutsu –

the Fox Mind Technique, the Hell Viewing Technique, and the Demonic Illusion: False Place Technique.

Mikoto's next task was to study these three Genjutsu in addition to her basic training.

Mikoto was thinking, and had already entered the Uchiha clan's territory.

Mikoto was not a core member of the Uchiha, so she could not enter the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters located in the center.

In the outer residential area, Mikoto saw members of the Military Police Force leading a patrol.

"Ah! That's..."

Uchiha Fugaku was leading the patrol, and the Military Police Force members with him were muttering:

"Captain, the order just came down today. While overseeing the village's defense is important, what does it mean that we are strictly forbidden from engaging in battle?!"

"The village's defense doesn't require this much fighting strength. Are we just going to watch other clans gain military merits while staying in the village!"

"Our Konoha is on the defensive, so being cautious is not wrong," Uchiha Fugaku said with a smile, reassuring them. "Don't be so sensitive."

"The Third Hokage is prudent and experienced, so it's not strange for him to make such arrangements. Besides, our Military Police Force's duty is to guard the village."

"If we were to be sent to the battlefield, wouldn't that just mean the war situation is unfavorable? I'd rather not have that happen."