Applying Pressure (Seeking Votes! Seeking Investment!)

As the two spoke, they had already traversed several streets and arrived before the Hokage Building. It was a landmark of Konoha painted with red exterior walls, yet in truth, it lacked any real distinctive character. Standing before the building and looking up, it struck Sōken as nothing more than a giant, overturned plastic bucket.

It possessed not a shred of architectural beauty!

Nor did it carry the dignity or solemnity one would expect of an administrative building.

"Such aesthetics..."

Sōken shook his head. He thought of his own Police Force building, which was equally aesthetically challenged, and was immediately struck by the urge to rebuild it. There was no need to rush, however; like the establishment of the Legal Affairs Department, it could be done gradually. For now, the most important thing was to let the village know that the Uchiha Clan was not a ball of dough to be kneaded at will by others.

He lifted his foot, stepped onto the stairs, and walked toward the wide-open main entrance.

Just as they stepped into the first-floor lobby, someone immediately came to greet them.

It was Kakashi again!

"Department Chief Uchiha, please follow me." Wearing a fox mask but sporting a head of distinctively messy white hair, Kakashi walked ahead to lead the way. "The Hokage is waiting for you in the meeting room!"

"The meeting room? Does that mean there are quite a few people there besides the Hokage?"

"The Hyuga Clan Head, the Aburame Clan Head, the Nara Clan Head... the list is long, so I won't list them all one by one. You'll see for yourself once we arrive."

The rest of the journey passed in silence.

When the doors to the meeting room opened, not even a whisper could be heard, suggesting the staff likely never forgot to lubricate the door hinges with a little oil every day.

The gap in the doors widened rapidly, and the sound of voices surged out like a broken dam. A cloud of transparent, gray smoke drifted forward and collided with him, though this secondhand smoke was no match for the perception of the Sharingan.

In the past, the Sharingan had been known by another name: the "Eye of Insight."

Sōken rotated his eyes, and the entire scene within the massive meeting room was captured in his gaze. The village's most prominent figures were all seated there, a luxurious lineup like a lion preparing to exert its full strength to catch a rabbit.

And I... am likely the rabbit being targeted!

Sōken thought to himself subconsciously.

Sure enough, The intimidation from the lions descended the very next second after he stepped through the door!

"Uchiha Sōken, what exactly is your clan trying to do?" Elder Mitokado, for once, failed to maintain his usual inscrutable poker face; his fury was so palpable it was practically written on his forehead. Watching Sōken stroll into the meeting room, he slammed his hand against the table, his angry roar rising several decibels higher.

"Appointing a Police Force Chief in private—does your clan still acknowledge the village? Are you planning to betray the village and set yourselves up as independent?"

The heavy label of intending to betray the village was slapped onto him.

The expressions of the clan heads and department chiefs sitting around the conference table shifted slightly. Although they had already agreed before Sōken's arrival to suppress the Uchiha—believing they could never allow such a dangerous clan to be led by a mere fifteen-year-old child.

That was correct; in the eyes of these clan heads, a fifteen-year-old boy serving as clan head was nothing short of a joke. Being a clan head required more than just combat prowess—this wasn't the Warring States period. Even in the Warring States period, a clan head who was too combat-oriented would sometimes drag their entire clan into the abyss of war.

The Uchiha were showing signs of that again, which made them restless, hence why they had agreed to apply pressure on the Uchiha together.

However, Elder Mitokado's attitude felt a bit overdone.

They didn't actually want to go to war with the Uchiha Clan. Even if they could wipe the Uchiha out, they would likely suffer grievous losses themselves... that was something they did not want to see.

"Koharu, calm down."

The Third Hokage intervened at the right moment to stop his old friend, who was still fuming.

"Even if there is to be a punishment, we must first allow an opportunity for an explanation. Uchiha Sōken, explain what happened between your clan and the Police Force last night. I need an account from you. I know the Second Hokage entrusted the Police Force to the Uchiha, but the Uchiha are, after all, the Uchiha of Konoha. The position of Police Force Chief is not one that can be handed out at will..."

"Tsk!"

The clearly audible click of his tongue echoed through the meeting room, cutting off the Third Hokage's words.

The sixty-something-year-old man's face, etched with layer upon layer of wrinkles, twitched slightly. He stared intently at the lower half of Sōken's face, his previously mild voice turning utterly cold. "Uchiha Sōken, is this your account?"

"And what if it is?"

Sōken stiffened his face and retorted coldly.

He stood three steps from the door, head held high and chest puffed out, his brows sharp and cold like a drawn blade glinting with menace. The clan heads and department chiefs sitting around the table felt a stinging, phantom pain, as if their very skin were being flayed. Among them, a stout old man who seemed heavy enough to crush his chair under his own weight frowned slightly.

He couldn't help but feel...

That this scene was inexplicably familiar?

As if he had seen it somewhere before?

"The autonomy of the Police Force was granted to the Uchiha by the Second Hokage. I have reviewed the documents personally signed by the Second Hokage stored in the Police Force archives; they say nothing about needing anyone's approval to change the Chief of the Police Force." Sōken's icy gaze swept across the faces of the four elders, and he remarked sarcastically:

"Or perhaps... are you planning to abolish the rules left behind by the Second Hokage?"

"Times change. If your clan behaves so recklessly, do you expect me to sit idly by? Don't try to use the Second's name to pressure me. He taught us back then that there are no immutable rules in this world; even stone is eroded by wind and water, let alone people and institutions."

The Third Hokage sat unmoved, completely unbothered by Sōken's sarcasm. "If the Uchiha do not take the Police Force seriously, as Hokage, I will never stand by and watch. The Police Force is an autonomous zone for the Uchiha, but it is also the Police Force of Konoha. Even if the Second were to know, he would understand my actions."

"So? What kind of account do you want me to give?"

"Do not worry, I have no intention of breaking the rules of clan autonomy. It is just that your clan's behavior this time was too extreme. I have already sent someone to invite Fugaku Uchiha. When Fugaku arrives..."

"Fugaku Uchiha is no longer the clan head."

Sōken cut the Third Hokage off again without the slightest courtesy. His scarlet eyes swept across everyone present one by one; none dared to meet his gaze, except for the Hyuga. "To be honest, I was mentally prepared for this current situation... but fine, if you want to wait for Fugaku Uchiha, then let's wait! I would like to see exactly what kind of Uchiha you want us to become!!!"