"Clan Head, I haven't finished explaining my plan. You—"
"Drop that little scheme of yours!"
"This is absolutely out of the question!"
Qingguang tried to continue, but the matter had already struck a nerve with Fugane. He even felt the urge to throw Qingguang out of the house on the spot.
Such a good kid—Hiruzen Sarutobi must have brainwashed him. Otherwise, how could he have come up with such a poisonous plan, one that threatened the very foundations of the clan?
Fugane could already picture the Police Department's authority being divided up among the other Ninja Clans, with the Uchiha Clan eventually being kicked out.
It was practically cuckoldry!
"Clan Head Fugane, you've misunderstood. Let Qingguang finish what he was saying," Shifang quickly added.
Seeing how serious Shifang looked, Fugane calmed himself. He folded his arms and nodded.
After all, Shifang was an elder of the clan and had a great deal of influence. He might as well hear him out.
If Qingguang really had gone down the wrong path, then Fugane would have no choice but to give up on recruiting the genius.
"Fine. I'll give you this chance. Go on."
Only now did Fugane reveal the authority and presence befitting a clan head.
Qingguang's lips curled upward. Fugane's reaction was exactly the same as Uncle Shifang's had been when he first heard the idea.
"Clan Head, do you remember what we were discussing at the start?"
"What happened between Yashiro and Akiya."
"Exactly. The sharing of power I mentioned isn't, in a sense, sharing it with outsiders. It's sharing it within the clan."
Fugane couldn't quite follow. He understood each word on its own, but put together, what was this supposed to mean?
"Go on." Fugane furrowed his brow, a puzzled yet curious look in his eyes.
"By sharing power, I mean that from now on, family members of the Uchiha who meet the Police Department's recruitment requirements should also be allowed to join."
Fugane was about to say that was obvious, but when he connected it to what had happened between Yashiro and Akiya, a different thought occurred to him.
"You mean that after Akiya and Yashiro marry, we should bring her into the Uchiha Police Force?"
According to the customs of the Shinobi World, when a couple married, the wife usually took her husband's surname. Only in the rare case of a man marrying into the woman's family would he take her family's name.
In theory, anyone who was Uchiha could join the Police Department, even if they had taken another surname.
Yet over the years, Fugane had never considered this. No ninja who had taken another surname had ever applied to join the Police Department. They didn't consider themselves Uchiha, after all, since they didn't have the Sharingan.
Fugane's rare moment of clarity finally let Qingguang breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed the clan head was just bad at conversation, not actually stupid.
"Exactly. Akiya is a ninja of the Inuzuka Clan, and her parents oppose the marriage because they're afraid of offending the unspoken understanding that has long existed among the other Ninja Clans."
"But if we're willing to offer enough benefits, those excellent terms will surely sway them."
"After all, the Police Department's authority was personally granted by the Second Hokage, Lord Tobirama. In some respects, it even stands on equal footing with the Hokage."
"If the Inuzuka Clan still refuses, we can spread the word. Surely some other family will be interested."
By the time Qingguang finished, Fugane understood completely.
It was a perfectly aboveboard scheme—and the authority had once been granted to the Uchiha by Tobirama Senju himself. It was entirely legitimate, both in principle and in practice.
The position had originally been meant to keep the Uchiha Clan in check. But with Qingguang's clever plan, it had become their greatest asset for winning over the other Ninja Clans.
"What if Yashiro and Akiya's marriage falls through?" Fugane asked with a teasing smile.
Qingguang's lips twitched twice.
The clan head really was hopeless at conversation whenever he wasn't in "clan head" mode. What was he, Mori Kogoro?
Did the clan head have some kind of switch on his neck, too?
Three days later, Yashiro went to the Inuzuka family's compound with Qingguang.
The Inuzuka family didn't hold a particularly high status in Konoha, but they were no small Ninja Clan either. Thanks to their secret Beast Mimicry Ninjutsu, they had earned a measure of standing.
The Inuzuka compound lay in the northwest of Konoha, near the outskirts. They had chosen the location themselves.
Though secluded, the surroundings were perfectly suited to training Ninja Dogs, and the dogs loved it.
As they walked along the streets, Qingguang and Yashiro saw Ninja Dogs and ordinary dogs everywhere.
Every household kept a few, including ordinary civilians with no talent for being ninja.
They even saw a whole pack of dogs wandering the streets together, greeting their friends as they went.
"Qingguang, d-don't be nervous."
"If you get nervous, I-I'll get nervous too," Yashiro said from behind him, stumbling over his words.
Qingguang silently rubbed his forehead, stopped, then walked behind Yashiro and pushed him forward with both hands.
"Brother Yashiro, I'm not the one getting married. What do I have to be nervous about? You're the groom-to-be, so of course you should lead the way."
"But..."
"No buts. For the sake of your future life with Akiya, if you make a bad impression on her parents now, how will you be able to shoulder your responsibilities as her husband?"
Qingguang's words fired Yashiro up. He felt his blood surging through his body, a nameless fervor kindling in his chest.
"It's all for the future Akiya and I will share!" He clenched his fists and gave himself a pep talk.
"Good. Just like that."
Before long, Qingguang and Yashiro arrived at a spacious training ground.
All kinds of equipment for training Ninja Dogs came into view.
A narrow log bridge, a field of wooden posts, rope-climbing equipment, flaming hoops...
Lively, muscular Ninja Dogs with gleaming coats were practicing on the equipment.
Nearby, several enormous, fierce-looking Ninja Dogs kept watch, their eyes roaming constantly over the others.
Akiya's father, Inuzuka No, wore a Konoha uniform. Three claw-like scars marked the side of his face, and stubble covered his chin. His close-cropped hair made him look sharp and energetic, and a whistle for directing Ninja Dogs hung around his neck.
Yashiro didn't dare approach him. Qingguang had to drag him over to Inuzuka No.
Yashiro said nothing. He looked nervous, his muscles tense.
Inuzuka No gave Yashiro a look, making no effort to hide his hostility, then glanced at Qingguang.
The Hokage's adopted son?
What was he doing here?
"I'm responsible for training Ninja Dogs every day. If you have nothing important to discuss, don't interrupt my work."
Before you continue