A Moment of Calm Before the Storm (Seeking Votes! Seeking Recommendations!)

Hokage Building, "Fugaku Uchiha is no longer the head of the Uchiha Clan. Uchiha Sōken has become the new Clan Head... Kakashi, are you sure this isn't a joke?" The Third, unable to sleep late into the night, stared wide-eyed, looking at Kakashi with disbelief as he knelt on one knee before the desk.

"Yes, Fugaku Uchiha told me this himself. At the time, over a hundred members of the Uchiha Clan from the Police Force were present. It's unlikely they'd be joking about something like this."

Kakashi dutifully reported everything he had seen and heard on this trip.

To be honest, if he hadn't experienced it himself, he would have found it unbelievable. In fact, even as someone who had been through it, he was still full of doubts at the time, doubts that hadn't faded even now.

The Third questioned him repeatedly, finally confirming that Kakashi wasn't lying and showed no signs of being under Genjutsu... meaning the Uchiha Clan had truly undergone a change of leadership. The steady and prudent Fugaku Uchiha had stepped down, replaced by the fifteen-year-old Uchiha Sōken as the new Clan Head.

"...This... is really not good news!"

The Third's head began to ache, the blood vessels near his temples throbbing violently.

The old Fugaku Uchiha, to be honest, looked fierce and menacing, but once you figured out his patterns, he wasn't actually hard to deal with. But now, the one taking over was that Uchiha Sōken... recalling their recent clash in the forest, that young man, though young, was far harder to fool than Fugaku Uchiha.

And sure enough, the resignation letter Kakashi brought was the best proof.

Uchiha Shisui... this was Kagami's descendant. He had originally planned to take this child under his wing, but unfortunately, the boy had never been able to transcend the limitations of his clan identity. Though he held the village in his heart, he couldn't abandon his family either, which deeply disappointed him.

Still, it was a relief that he later discovered that child named Itachi.

His talent and intelligence were no less than Shisui's, and his understanding of the Will of Fire was clearly deeper. He was just a bit younger, so it would probably take a few more years before he could be put to use.

To be honest, he didn't care much right now whether Uchiha Shisui withdrew from the Anbu. Although Shisui hadn't transcended his clan's limitations, the Third believed he was unlikely to oppose the village. There was no need to be overly wary of someone like that.

In comparison, he was more concerned about what new moves that troublesome young man, Uchiha Sōken, would make. He had a feeling this boy was definitely not the type to stay put like Fugaku Uchiha. Once he firmly secured his position as Clan Head and Police Force Chief, he would undoubtedly cause him massive trouble.

"No, I can't just sit back and do nothing... A fifteen-year-old serving as Clan Head—this is far too absurd..."

The Third frowned deeply.

He began to calculate in his mind. He absolutely couldn't let this slide. He had to find a way to deal with that troublesome brat Uchiha Sōken. Even if he couldn't eliminate him, he had to find a way to kick him off the position of Clan Head.

But to accomplish this, he couldn't rely on himself alone.

Interfering in the internal affairs of a clan was a highly taboo act, even for the disliked Uchiha. He had to first rally as many supporters as possible, especially the Hyuga, Aburame, and other clans. Fortunately, the Uchiha Clan's reputation in the village was terrible, and with the precedent of the Nine-Tails' Rampage, it wouldn't be hard to gain the support of many families.

"Kakashi!"

The Third called out to the boy who knelt silently before the desk like a scarecrow.

"Go find the two Elder advisors. Tell them there's an urgent matter to discuss, and have them come to my office as soon as possible."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi accepted the order and left.

The Third then summoned another Anbu and gave a similar order, but this time replacing the two Elders with the Hokage's assistant—that man, Danzo.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, the moon set behind the western mountains, and a faint fish-belly white appeared in the eastern sky. Before long, the Morning Sun leaped out from below the horizon, its brilliant dawn light dispelling the remnants of the night and awakening the village that had slept through the night.

"Morning! Chihaya."

Sōken, who was retying his loosened belt, greeted Uchiha Chihaya as she pushed open the door and entered.

"You're already up!"

Uchiha Chihaya looked regretfully at the long sofa still bearing the imprints of sleep.

"I'm not a child anymore!"

Sōken shook his head helplessly.

When he was little, whether it was because his body hadn't fully developed or for some other reason, he had a terrible time getting out of bed. No matter the season, every morning he'd curl up under the covers and refuse to get up. Fortunately, he had a childhood friend who was enthusiastic about waking him up. Every morning, she'd come running over early to rouse him, treating it entirely like a game.

"What about Shisui? Is he up yet?"

They had all stayed at the Police Force last night instead of returning to the clan compound. Sōken had managed a short nap on the sofa in this office, which now belonged to him. As for Shisui... a place as big as the Police Force naturally had more than one sofa.

"I don't know!"

Uchiha Chihaya answered frankly.

She was only enthusiastic about waking Sōken up—it was a habit she'd developed since childhood. As for others... that had nothing to do with her.

"I don't know... Sigh! Alright! Chihaya, help me get some breakfast. I'll go brush my teeth and wash my face first."

Sōken picked up a new toothbrush and towel and went to freshen up.

He tidied himself up quickly. By the time he returned to the office, he found breakfast already laid out on his desk: two slices of toasted bread, a strip of fried bacon, a round fried egg, and a steaming cup of milk. Besides that, Shisui was sitting on the sofa, munching on a slice of bread.

"Shisui, how was sleeping on the sofa?"

"Not bad. Definitely better than the tents we slept in on the battlefield back in the day."

"That's true."

Sōken chuckled. After experiencing the battlefield, honestly, most hardships didn't feel like hardships anymore. Back then, you had to sleep with one eye open, gripping your sword hilt, never daring to let go, always ready for battle.

"By the way, where's Chihaya? Have you seen her around?"

"Went out to practice swordsmanship."

"Really diligent, doesn't even take a single day off, huh!"

"Sōken, are we leaving right after we eat?"

Shisui chewed on his bread, his voice a bit muffled, but at least it was clear enough to understand what he said.

"Mm, leave early and return early. It's better to deal with trouble as soon as possible for peace of mind..."

Sōken sat down at the table and began to demolish the breakfast on his plate with the speed of a whirlwind.