A spacious tatami room was filled with the fragrant mist of freshly brewed green tea and a quiet solemnity.
Uchiha Mikoto sat formally in the seat of honor, dressed in a deep-purple Uchiha Clan robe. Her long hair was meticulously tied behind her head, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck.
Her expression was calm, her eyes clear and focused. The girlish demeanor she had shown before Ren the previous night was gone, replaced by a composed and capable bearing.
Seated on either side below her were the participants in this meeting—
Her deputy, the sharp and efficient Uchiha Hazuki; and Uchiha Yashiro, representing the Hawk Faction, with a hardened expression and a posture as straight as a pine.
As well as Uchiha Fugaku, the controller of the Clan Head Faction's intelligence network, whose face was grave.
Seated beside Fugaku was another young man with a somewhat gloomy air and sharp eyes—Uchiha Yakumi.
"Everyone."
Mikoto swept her gaze around the room and spoke under the respectful gazes of Hazuki and Yashiro, and the composed gazes of Fugaku and Yakumi.
"I believe you all know why I called you here."
"By the joint decision of the Clan Head, Elder Setsuna, and Elder Huoke, all intelligence networks under the clan will be consolidated as of today, and I will assume overall responsibility for them."
As she finished, her gaze settled on Fugaku's face, her meaning unmistakable.
The new heads of the Hawk Faction and Dove Faction were united. The only "outsiders" present were the two from the Clan Head Faction.
Prepared for this already, Fugaku met Mikoto's gaze, gave a slight nod, and said calmly,
"The Clan Head has already conveyed his orders to me. The personnel lists under my command, contact methods, and recent intelligence summaries are all here."
He placed a securely sealed scroll on the low table before him, his movements crisp and without hesitation.
Though he felt unwilling to accept that, regarding the clan's future direction, he had fallen behind the dazzling rising stars,
When it came to carrying out the clan's collective decisions, he displayed the proper qualities of someone who had received an elite education, never dragging his feet.
"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Fugaku."
Mikoto nodded lightly, and Hazuki immediately stepped forward to respectfully collect the scroll.
She continued, her words well organized.
"Consolidation is not a simple matter of stacking things together. Hazuki, you will coordinate with Brother Fugaku to sort through the existing structure, remove duplicate nodes, and assess personnel efficiency. I want to see a preliminary consolidation plan within three days."
"Yes, Lady Mikoto."
Uchiha Hazuki accepted without hesitation, her eyes bright with excitement and drive.
"Yashiro."
Mikoto turned to the other side.
"Here."
"You will be responsible for reviewing and securing our external communication channels."
"In particular, verify the situation at every border and the contact routes for our hidden operatives in every town throughout the Land of Fire. Ensure nothing goes wrong."
"Understood!"
Uchiha Yashiro nodded.
He fully approved of the future clan head's wife before him, who was usually dignified and gracious yet carried unquestionable authority when handling affairs.
Mikoto looked at everyone, and her expression suddenly turned cold as she spoke.
"Since last night, there have been some sneaky shinobi lurking around the clan grounds. I trust everyone here knows what that means."
At those words, the group nodded in unison. They all knew what had happened at their doorstep, and they understood it was a warning and show of vigilance from Konohagakure's upper ranks.
Therefore, the clan needed a unified stance on how to deal with this matter.
They could not capture people on one side while apologizing at their door on the other, as if the clan had split personalities.
During the early stages of the clan's integration, resolving matters through consultation among the factions was everyone's shared understanding.
Still, everyone had a temper.
Mikoto's gaze then swept toward Uchiha Yakumi, her voice cool.
"Yakumi, I'll leave the counter-surveillance of Konohagakure's upper ranks to you. Whether it is Mitokado Homura at the Daimyo Palace or the advisers and Third Hokage at the Hokage Building, we must at least know their whereabouts."
Yakumi raised his eyelids, looked at Mikoto as she fulfilled her duties, then lowered his head in acknowledgment.
"Understood, Lady Mikoto."
He knew what monitoring those people represented—the harshest and most extreme outcome would be the "decapitation tactic" Uchiha Ren had proposed at the clan meeting.
They were allowed to monitor the Uchiha Clan, but the Uchiha Clan was not allowed to resist...
Was that reasonable?
It was not reasonable!
Was that radical?
That was very Uchiha!
With a stronger superior now in charge, Yakumi truly felt far less stifled.
He loved the Uchiha Clan deeply, but that did not mean he was willing to watch the clan become a dog!
Fugaku remained silent at the side.
With the arrangements settled, Mikoto's tone softened slightly.
"The clan is at a critical moment. Intelligence will be our eyes and ears in our upcoming negotiations with the Hokage, and even on future battlefields."
"You are all indispensable elites of the clan. I hope we can work together to make these eyes brighter and these ears sharper."
"For the Uchiha Clan!" Yashiro shouted deeply.
"For the Uchiha Clan!" Hazuki and Yakumi echoed him.
As Fugaku watched Mikoto in the seat of honor effortlessly organize the complex task of intelligence consolidation within moments, the last trace of discomfort he felt over relinquishing authority dissipated.
She truly was the most suitable candidate, as well as the bridge between the clan's various factions at this time.
"From now on, I just need to do my own work well."
"I need to let the clan members know that I, too, am contributing to the clan!"
Fugaku resolved inwardly.
His love for the clan had remained unwavering from beginning to end, no less than anyone else's.
Before long, the meeting drew close to its end.
The specific details were left for Hazuki and Yashiro to further discuss with Fugaku and Yakumi.
Mikoto sat upright in the seat of honor, quietly listening to their discussion and occasionally offering a point or two.
Sunlight outlined a soft halo along her tranquil profile.
Yet the light gleaming in her eyes was sharper than the sunlight itself.
It was as though she had already seen beyond Konohagakure's countless rooftops and into the ever-changing Shinobi World.
Just then, with a clear bang, a beautiful and elegant Silver-spotted Cat leaped down from above, calling out,
"Lady Mikoto, urgent news!"
Everyone in the room immediately fell silent.
Yashiro and Hazuki appeared thoughtful, while Yakumi and Fugaku wondered whether they should find an excuse to leave.
However, they waited for Mikoto's response.
The clever Silver-spotted Cat lightly landed in Mikoto's arms. Looking up at her mistress as she gave a slight nod, it meowed out the intelligence Ren had not specifically entrusted it to report.
"Some cats discovered that a large force of Konohagakure shinobi suddenly began moving swiftly southwest this morning."
"Unless something unexpected happens, they should be reserve shinobi forces that Konohagakure's upper ranks have mobilized in preparation for war. Their target is Sunagakure."
Everyone's expressions tightened.
Mikoto immediately sensed an opportunity—an opportunity to test the limits of Konohagakure's upper ranks.
"Ayan, go report this to Ren again. I have matters to attend to here."
"Meow."
As the Silver-spotted Cat departed, Mikoto looked toward Fugaku with a faint smile at the corner of her lips.
"Brother Fugaku, now that you have set down the burden of intelligence, you will surely take on greater responsibility in the Police Force. How do you think we should deal with those 'suspicious individuals' lurking around the outskirts of the clan grounds?"
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