Cousin, Clan Head

Uchiha Sou turned around and saw a young man with thick, limp hair walking toward him with a solemn expression.

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Huh?

Kagami Uchiha?

Why was he back?

Kagami Uchiha was related to the original owner. By blood, he was the original owner's cousin.

Their backgrounds were similar: both had lost their parents at a young age, so Kagami felt a natural closeness to his younger cousin.

But the original owner hadn't been particularly friendly toward him.

The original owner belonged to the Uchiha Hawk Faction, while Kagami Uchiha was part of the Dove Faction and a disciple of Tobirama Senju. As a result, they often argued over their differing beliefs.

"What do you want?" Uchiha Sou asked coldly.

He had no real grudge against his cousin, but to stay true to the original owner's personality, he had to put on an act.

After all, his cousin was an Uchiha who had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. His perceptiveness was exceptional.

Kagami Uchiha was long used to his coldness. He gave a bitter smile.

"I just wanted to tell you that the Clan Head has summoned you. Say what needs to be said, but don't say what doesn't. I also heard about the assassination attempt on you a while ago. I was away on a mission and couldn't come back to the village, so I haven't had a chance to visit you."

"Mm, I understand."

Warmth stirred in Uchiha Sou's heart, but he turned away with the same feigned coldness.

"Wait!"

Kagami Uchiha hurried to block his path and pleaded, "Sou, after what happened, don't you understand? With your strength, getting caught up in the turmoil between the clan and the village is asking for a death sentence."

Uchiha Sou stopped. Head lowered, he thought bitterly that he understood that all too well.

But whether he got involved was no longer up to him. The leaders on both sides had already set their sights on him.

He remembered the cold gaze in Tobirama Senju's eyes. If he managed to pass the test by cutting corners a month from now, he was sure the next assassin would be the Second Generation himself.

Given how ruthless that man was, he would never allow a useless nobody who had once tried to kill one of his clansmen to live.

By then, even Kagami wouldn't be able to protect him.

"I understand."

With that, Uchiha Sou continued on his way. After a moment of silence, he tossed out a quiet, "Thanks."

At those words, Kagami Uchiha's eyes narrowed.

Had he heard that right?

His stubborn cousin had actually thanked him.

But he didn't dwell on it, assuming that going through this ordeal had finally helped his cousin grow up.

"Ah... I hope he can get out of this mess soon."

Kagami Uchiha sighed and headed home.

He knew all too well that, as a member of the Uchiha Clan, hoping to escape this turmoil was little more than a pipe dream.

But Uchiha Sou was the last family he had in the world, even if that family member didn't appreciate his concern.

A short while later, Kagami Uchiha arrived at a small building. He stood below and studied it carefully, then slipped through an open window.

Once inside, he looked around.

Seeing how neat and tidy the room was, he couldn't help but feel surprised.

"Since when did my cousin pick up such a good habit?"

It seemed the assassination attempt had really helped him mature.

He took a stack of cash from his pocket, along with a scroll marked with a few spots of blood, and set them on the desk.

"This is all I can do. From here on... it's up to him," Kagami Uchiha murmured.

Then he vanished from the room in a flash.

At the Uchiha Clan Head's home.

Uchiha Sou stood in the courtyard, head bowed and hands at his sides.

Glug, glug...

Inside, Uchiha Qiongyue poured tea into a cup, took a small sip, then looked up and asked coldly:

"Where have you been? Why did you return to the clan grounds so late?"

He was the head of a clan, and this boy had kept him waiting. He was furious, and the consequences would be severe.

Though he had great confidence in his plan, it was still only a guess. Until he received a clear answer from Tobirama Senju, putting it into action was nothing but wishful thinking.

Uchiha Sou could tell something was off, so he answered honestly, "The Ninjutsu School expelled me. I had nothing to do, so I went to the woods to practice Ninjutsu."

"Practice?"

Uchiha Qiongyue set his teacup down on the table with a sharp tap.

"Still lying? My men clearly saw you coming from the Izakaya!

"The clan needs people right now, and you went drinking because you were feeling down?

"Sou, you've disappointed me!"

" ... "

Uchiha Sou lowered his gaze to the floor and offered no further explanation.

There really was an Izakaya near Might Duy's home, so the Clan Head wasn't wrong.

What surprised him was that the Clan Head had sent people to look for him.

The Hokage's response... must have mattered a great deal to him.

"Hmph!"

Seeing that Uchiha Sou no longer talked back, Uchiha Qiongyue snorted. He clearly didn't want to waste any more words on a useless nobody and got straight to the point:

"What else did Tobirama Senju say when he dismissed you?"

Uchiha Sou repeated Tobirama Senju's words truthfully.

But he didn't mention the One Month Pact to the Clan Head. He had a feeling that Tobirama Senju had meant something more when he spoke of a reward that couldn't be refused.

Uchiha Qiongyue suppressed the smile tugging at his lips.

Just as he expected. This way, his clan could deploy a large force and claim most of the credit for the battle without question.

He had already more or less decided who would go. They were all members of the Dove Faction who advocated peaceful coexistence with the village.

He wouldn't care how many of them died. In his eyes, they were no different from traitors.

Once so many obstacles were out of the way, expanding the Police Force would be only the first step. With that man's help, he might even be able to make a play for the Hokage's seat.

After getting the answer he wanted, he knew there was unlikely to be anything else useful, but still asked as usual:

"Anything else to report?"

"Yes!"

Uchiha Sou lifted his head, his expression neither servile nor overbearing. "It's a personal request. Though my abilities are limited, I did my part for the clan during this mission. I would like to ask the Clan Head to let me join the Police Force."

Over the past few days, he had learned about the Police Force's benefits from various sources.

The first was access to Ninjutsu. Any member of the Police Force who earned enough merit could exchange it for many Ninjutsu unique to the Uchiha Clan.

He had heard that most of them were Ninjutsu left behind by the strongest Uchiha, Uchiha Madara, as well as ocular techniques and Forbidden Jutsu related to the Sharingan.

Another benefit was that after joining the Police Force, he would receive a monthly salary of fifty thousand taels and get priority when choosing well-paid, low-risk missions.

That perk would not only help keep him alive but also greatly ease his financial burden.

He only had a few thousand taels left. If he didn't earn more soon, he wouldn't be able to afford to support Might Duy, let alone feed himself.

On top of that, practicing those Ninjutsu required a large supply of Ration Pills. The clan provided one each month, but at the Ninja Tool Shop, each pill cost at least ten thousand taels. So earning money was something he had to consider.

Uchiha Qiongyue's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He had expected this request, but it still irritated him. A weakling who was no good at anything dared to covet a position in the clan's core fighting force?

He looked down on Uchiha Sou, but kept his expression composed, even managing a trace of helplessness.

"Sou, I understand how hard you've worked. But the Police Force has limited openings, and it only takes in the clan's elite according to its own rules. Your strength... still needs work.

"How about this? If a position opens up in the future, I'll give you priority. What do you think?"

What a perfectly round promise!

Uchiha Sou scoffed inwardly. Rather than backing down as Qiongyue expected, he stepped forward and replied evenly:

"Clan Head, after surviving that battle, I feel that I've made some progress. Please give me a chance. Whether it's an entrance exam or a test, I'm willing to prove my worth through my actions."

Seeing that Uchiha Sou wouldn't let it go, Uchiha Qiongyue grew impatient.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

Uchiha Qiongyue stood up and turned his back to him. "Don't bring this up again. You may leave!"

With that, he turned to head back into the inner room.

"Wait!"

Uchiha Sou was prepared for this. He spoke up, his voice steady. "If I replace the entrance exam with carrying out a mission, would the Clan Head agree?"

Uchiha Qiongyue frowned and stopped in his tracks.

A mission?

A Chunin could only take on B-Rank Missions at most, which wouldn't meet the requirements for the entrance exam.

The clan did have A-Rank Missions, but most of the clients behind them were long-standing partners. How could he hand one over to a useless nobody?

B-Rank, B-Rank...

Wait!

Uchiha Qiongyue seemed to realize something. His eyes lit up.

"If he can complete that mission, then letting him join the Police Force might not be out of the question."