Clan Head Chen

Dense woods lay beneath the cool moonlight. Gusts of icy night wind stirred the trees and grass, rustling through the stillness as the only sound.

Yet the hill beside the Naka River seemed to have become some indescribable monster, silently swallowing more than a hundred ninjas.

Beneath the moonlight, a white-masked Anbu with conspicuous white hair leaped swiftly through the trees before landing in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen. He dropped to one knee and said:

"Third, the third reconnaissance team should have returned by now, but not a single team has come back."

"Is that so?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. There had been no rumbling from up ahead for more than ten minutes.

They couldn't wait any longer!

Having made up his mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen used the Summoning Jutsu, called forth Enma, and had him transform into a staff, which he slung across his back. Then he addressed the gathered experts from the various clans:

"We don't know what's happening at Naka River. The Uchiha may be fighting an enemy. We have to go help them! Everyone, follow me!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sprang lightly into the woods, and the gathered clan experts all hurried after him.

Wary of an enemy ambush, they made their way unhindered over two hills.

Across the waters of the Naka River, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw Konoha ninjas sprawled across the steps outside Naka Shrine, and—

a group of Uchiha gathered around a raised platform. Three Uchiha were tied up on it, their faces streaked with tears as they shook their heads in grief and indignation. Below them, the Uchiha were all in high spirits. Some were boiling water; others were sharpening knives.

What kind of profoundly evil ritual was this?

Even the well-read Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't make sense of it. But that didn't stop his teacher's words from ringing in his mind: "The Uchiha are evil by nature!!!"

Teacher Tobirama had been right. The Uchiha really were an evil clan by nature.

Just look at the Uchiha down there, grinning so happily!

"Stop!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted, then led his people across the river in a menacing rush.

"I'll shave Hachidai's head myself later!"

"I want in!"

"Half each, half each!"

Uchiha Ryoji and Setsuna, who were well over a hundred and twenty years old combined, grinned lecherously.

"If you ask me, even putting his strength aside, Chen's exactly the kind of clan head I like!" Uchiha Setsuna said with a quiet laugh, looking at his old friend beside him.

"When Fugaku was clan head, I had to put up with the village and that monkey giving me grief! But as soon as Chen took over, he loosened me up. One word: satisfying!"

Uchiha Ryoji lowered his eyes. A sudden sense of guilt and shame welled up inside him.

He'd been the one charging in the hardest earlier, despite usually siding with the village and Sarutobi Hiruzen. He'd also captured the most people.

But damn, it had felt good! Surrounded by guilt, Uchiha Ryoji thought he could faintly hear Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice.

"Stop!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen flung three kunai, slicing through the ropes binding the three people on the platform. Then, like a furious lion with his hair bristling, he glared at them and scolded them:

"What are you doing? Where's your clan head?"

At the words "clan head," the Uchiha all turned in unison toward Uchiha Chen, who stood beside the platform with his eyes half closed.

"Lord Hokage!"

Uchiha Chen stretched lazily, unhurried, then took a couple of steps toward Sarutobi Hiruzen and looked over the people behind him.

The Ino-Shika-Cho clan heads, Aburame Shikuroo, Hizashi Hyuga. More than a hundred people, nearly every clan and civilian expert in Konoha.

That was only natural. After all the commotion he and Fugaku had caused earlier, the village must have thought a major enemy had entered Konoha!

"Third, what brings you here?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's brows knitted together. He eyed the languid Uchiha Chen with suspicion.

He understood the meaning behind Chen's words, which only made it harder to believe. Full of questions, he asked, "Where's Fugaku?"

"Oh! The former clan head knew he wasn't worthy of the position, so he chose to hand it over to me tonight!

"I was going to notify the Police Force and submit the paperwork to the Hokage's office tomorrow morning, informing them of the change in the Police Force commander. I didn't expect you to come in person, Lord Hokage!"

The Third's eyes widened. He felt a rush of congestion at his temples, and his head throbbed painfully.

Uchiha Fugaku had stepped down, and the seventeen-year-old Uchiha Chen had taken over as clan head?

Why? What gave him the right?

The Third frowned and glanced over the Uchiha. He was even more startled by what he saw.

They looked at Uchiha Chen with admiration, even fervor. And considering how the surrounding terrain looked as if it had been blasted by a Tailed Beast Bomb—

Sarutobi Hiruzen had already reached a troubling conclusion.

Uchiha Fugaku had lost to Uchiha Chen—and had been utterly helpless against him. Only the Mangekyō Sharingan could have allowed Chen to do that.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was deeply shaken. He secretly signaled the Anbu behind him to check for signs of life among the reconnaissance ninjas lying on the stone steps. Only after receiving confirmation did he carefully address Uchiha Chen:

"Matters within the Police Force are for the Uchiha Clan to handle internally. That's the precedent set when the village was founded. The Uchiha clan head can handle them as he sees fit!

"But what about these villagers' ninjas? Were they attacked by your people? And what do you mean by tying up your own clan members here?"

Having softened his stance and acknowledged Uchiha Chen's position as clan head, Sarutobi Hiruzen began to question him.

"I've only just taken over. I'm committed to the Police Force's duty of protecting Konoha and keeping the village safe, so I held a live-fire drill for the Police Force!

"Those three clan members failed the drill and were punished. As for those who wandered into the exercise area, they're all in one piece and weren't seriously hurt!

"Police Force, assemble!"

After Uchiha Chen gave his wholly insincere explanation, he gave the order.

In an instant, dozens of Uchiha lined up in the formation they'd used earlier. Their scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan opened, and they stood behind Uchiha Chen, silently facing the Third and his people.

"I'm sorry for troubling everyone in the middle of the night over Police Force business. I apologize!"

Uchiha Chen bowed slightly. The clan members behind him, their Sharingan still active, copied his movement in perfect unison.

"As long as everyone's all right. That's all that matters!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a dry laugh, but his eyes were as cold and merciless as winter.

If Uchiha Chen could make these proud Uchiha bow, he could make them lay down their lives for him, too. In fact, the latter might be even easier for the Uchiha.

"Since nothing's happened here, everyone can head home! Thanks for coming out and running around with an old man like me in the middle of the night!"

After taking a subtle jab at the Uchiha in front of the gathered ninjas, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to leave. He had to get back and spend the night poring over records of the Mangekyō Sharingan with a few old friends!

"Lord Third, wait!"

Uchiha Chen called out sharply, his voice suddenly rising:

"I've found a lead on the mastermind behind the Night of the Nine-Tails!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped and spun around. His gaze sharpened. "Chen, you can't make claims like that without proof!"

"The man wore a black cloak and a tiger-striped mask. One Mangekyō Sharingan was visible."

Uchiha Chen raised his eyebrows and spoke at length. "Most importantly, he could use Wood Release."

After describing the Masked Man's appearance and Obito's features in detail, Uchiha Chen looked at the grim-faced Third and the ninjas behind him:

"It wouldn't be strange if Uchiha Madara's body had been stolen and his Mangekyō Sharingan had fallen into the wrong hands. But the other man can also use Wood Release!

"When I fought him, I noticed that much of his body had been replaced with some kind of Wood Release construct. That suggests he once suffered an injury severe enough to kill him.

"He wore a mask, which means he didn't want me—or anyone in Konoha—to recognize his face. Someone who inherited the First's Wood Release bloodline, suffered an injury that destroyed most of his body, and was even believed to have died—who could he be?"