Danzo: You're full of shit!

He was responsible for serving as a buffer between the Uchiha and Konoha, while Uchiha Gin took the hardline stance.

The Military Police Force's authority had become more trouble than it was worth. It was all miscellaneous busywork, and ever since the Nine-Tails Incident, they'd had almost no authority over the villagers.

Whenever they finally caught a spy, Anbu or Root would immediately take them away. The Uchiha had no chance to do anything, and had become nothing more than traffic cops.

This time, they planned to offer the newcomer a position as a Military Police Force squad leader. The job would just involve the usual traffic-cop duties. The Uchiha didn't want to do that work anyway, so they might as well let the new temp take the blame.

The authority they were handing over was limited to this area, which made it much easier to persuade the clan.

The two reached an agreement. They still had their differences, but at least they could work together to some extent.

Just as Fugaku was about to get up and leave to consider what to do next, Uchiha Gin called out to him.

"By the way, Itachi graduated as a Genin, right? I could use some fresh recruits. How about having him work with me for a while?"

Uchiha Gin's words gave Fugaku pause.

He didn't know what Uchiha Gin meant by this. Was Itachi a hostage?

Or was this a way of reassuring him, having his son keep an eye on Uchiha Gin as a sign of trust between them?

"Fine. I'll talk to him when he gets back today. I'll have him wrap up his squad duties as soon as possible and come find you."

Fugaku replied.

He could tell that Uchiha Gin cared deeply about the clan. As long as he didn't do anything foolish, Uchiha Gin wouldn't lay a hand on Itachi.

Uchiha Gin nodded and watched Fugaku leave.

"Of course I'm taking Itachi hostage."

"While I'm at it, I'll have him follow Orochimaru and learn a bit about science. After all, I'll need his help as Sasuke's older brother when I start researching him in the future. If Sasuke awakens his Mangekyō, I might even need Itachi to put on a show."

Uchiha Gin chuckled.

Unless he had both of Fugaku's sons in his grasp, Uchiha Gin couldn't truly trust Fugaku.

The days that followed were uneventful.

But the undercurrents never stopped swirling.

Anbu and Root had managed to spare some people to investigate the Akatsuki and confirm its connection to Uchiha Madara.

In the village, the operations targeting the Uchiha shifted from being semi-public to covert. They needed to prevent any dangerous outsiders from colluding with the Uchiha Clan.

Meanwhile, the five great villages had never stopped their covert struggles with one another. Those matters also needed attention.

Security around Naruto was doubled.

After much hesitation, Sarutobi Hiruzen rejected Danzo's proposal to turn the Jinchuriki into a weapon. He believed that indoctrinating him with the Will of Fire would be more effective.

This made Danzo even angrier. Once again, he thought that if he were Hokage, things would never be like this!

So he pinned his hopes on Orochimaru, wanting to obtain the power of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara—in other words, the power of the Senju and the Uchiha.

Once he possessed both powers, the Hokage Position would be his, and he wouldn't have to think twice before wiping out the Uchiha!

But he had no idea that Orochimaru was preparing to become his rival and contest him for the Hokage Position.

As for Sarutobi Hiruzen, he could hardly sleep if he didn't receive Shisui's report every day.

But after half a month, he saw that the Uchiha had made no major moves. Sarutobi Hiruzen finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that civil war probably wouldn't break out anytime soon.

"I need to make more preparations."

Sarutobi Hiruzen visited several major clans and spoke with their clan leaders privately.

The Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame, Inuzuka, and other large clans.

He was most worried that these major clans might stab him in the back. But he had complete faith in the smaller clans and the common folk, because he believed he was the Hokage with the broadest support among the villagers!

"Familiars come in two broad types. One is a living creature, like a Summoning Beast. The other is an inanimate object, like the various magical birds the Tohsaka Family made from jewels."

"If I could get Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan and turn it into a familiar, it would be incredibly powerful. Or a Tailed Beast. In the Ninja World, those would probably be the best two choices."

Uchiha Gin was shirtless, balancing upside down with both index fingers pressed to the ground. Thirty-kilogram weights were strapped to each foot.

At the same time, he considered what would make the best familiar.

A familiar was one of the easiest objectives to complete. If Uchiha Gin couldn't find suitable materials, he planned to make one out of jewels and finish the task first, then replace it with something better later.

He already had an idea for a Mystic Code: a fan. Since he was an Uchiha, he planned to make it out of ruby, creating a fan that would enhance the power of Fire Release Ninjutsu. He'd inscribe it with a Fire Release crest to give it a substantial boost.

"Captain Gin, my father sent me to find you!"

With a maid leading the way, Itachi arrived at Uchiha Gin's training room. He greeted Uchiha Gin with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Itachi hadn't been happy about leaving his ninja squad, but his father had told him it was an important mission for the future of the clan, so he had come.

"Right. This concerns the future of the Uchiha, and your little brother's future, too. Can I trust you with it?"

Use the son to keep the father in line, and the younger brother to keep the older brother in line.

A perfect plan.

Uchiha Gin gave a light push and sprang upright, landing on his feet. Then he looked at Uchiha Itachi seriously and spoke.

Chapter 17: Danzo: You're full of shit!

"Sasuke?"

"This has something to do with Sasuke?"

Itachi was still young and inexperienced. The moment he heard Sasuke's name, he grew anxious.

"There are a lot of things I can't tell you yet. For now, learn all this. After that, I'll give you a very important mission."

Uchiha Gin naturally wasn't going to tell him. If he didn't make Itachi squirm, he'd be letting down all the clan members who had been massacred in other possible worlds.

After all, Itachi was a ruthless man.

He handed Itachi the introductory science materials Orochimaru had given him.

Itachi looked uncertain, but he could tell that even if he pressed for answers, Uchiha Gin wouldn't tell him.

For now, all he could do was take things one step at a time.

He opened the materials and looked them over. Itachi furrowed his brow, glanced up at Uchiha Gin suspiciously, then lowered his head and kept reading.

"I want you to master science systematically. I don't want the Uchiha Clan getting cheated when it comes to this."

"Later, I'll have other clan members join you. You'll be in charge of this independent science squad."

Uchiha Gin explained.

The materials Orochimaru had provided were quite valuable. They were a systematic set of science lessons that had already been compiled and verified.

They were much quicker to learn from than starting from scratch. And if Orochimaru tampered with anything in his research later, it would be easier to spot, since they'd have learned the subject systematically.

"I understand!"

Itachi nodded.

Then he began studying in earnest.

Uchiha Gin paid him no mind and continued his training.

Itachi learned quickly, and Uchiha Gin had already prepared for that. He'd built a small laboratory at home so Itachi could get some hands-on experience.

Most of Orochimaru's research materials concerned the human body. The Uchiha Clan had no shortage of subjects for human experimentation, since they managed the prison themselves.

Whenever they needed to experiment, they could simply go to the prison and pick a few inmates who wouldn't be missed. With the Sharingan to hypnotize them, they could make sure the prisoners wouldn't even know what had happened.

He had Itachi dissect their bodies to become more familiar with human anatomy.

The Ninjutsu Orochimaru had given them included several Medical Ninjutsu: the Mystical Palm Technique, the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique, and the Chakra Scalpel.

These three techniques were essential basics for medical ninja, and they were quite difficult to master. But Itachi didn't seem to have much trouble with them and picked them up quickly.

The Delicate Illness Extraction Technique was especially precise when enhanced by the Sharingan.

He used all three on the prisoners.

"Isn't Konoha forbidden from letting the Uchiha learn Medical Ninjutsu? Could this put us at risk?"

Itachi wasn't a little kid without a mind of his own. While learning the three techniques, he made a point of asking Uchiha Gin about it.

"Huh?"

"What did we learn? We accidentally copied them with our Sharingan, and then accidentally learned how to use them. Remember to say it that way from now on."

Uchiha Gin replied with a bewildered look.

"..."

Itachi nodded silently.

Before long, the monthly Konoha meeting was held.

It was really just a gathering of the Konoha High Command, mainly to deal with the village's recent problems.

At past meetings, Danzo would always make snide remarks about the Uchiha and humiliate them in front of everyone.

But this time, four members of the Uchiha Clan attended, three of them with Mangekyō Sharingan.

Fugaku, Gin, Shisui, and Tekka.

Most clans had only one representative. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio attended together, while Anbu had a single squad.

The Uchiha were a special case because of their authority over the Military Police Force. That was why four of them attended, just like the Anbu squad.

Inside the meeting hall.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at the front with the three Hokage Assistants.

Everyone else stood below in columns of four, arranged in strict order of rank.

The meeting began. They mainly discussed the border situation, as well as the A-rank and higher missions assigned to those present and reports on surveillance of the other villages.

"Next, Anbu will report on the attack by Uchiha Madara twenty days ago. The one who appeared was likely a Shadow Clone. His exact target is still unknown."

"But we've narrowed down the general location where he's hiding. It's a mercenary group in Amegakure called the Akatsuki. We're arranging for people to investigate them covertly."

The Anbu member wearing a cat mask gave his report.

Everyone present knew who he was. There weren't many white-haired people in Konoha, apart from the elderly.

The best known were the Second Hokage, then Hatake Sakumo, then the prodigy ninja Kakashi Hatake, and finally Uchiha Gin. Since Uchiha Gin was here, the Anbu member could only be Kakashi.

"Besides staying alert for harassment from the other five great villages, we need to be on strict guard against attacks by Uchiha Madara. Notify me immediately if you hear anything."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke sternly.

"Third Hokage, wasn't Uchiha Madara killed by the First Hokage? Is that really Uchiha Madara?"

Nara Shikaku asked.

"There's solid evidence. During the Nine-Tails Incident, he was able to control the Nine-Tails. It was the Fourth Hokage's Contract Seal that broke his control."

"The Nine-Tails used to be Uchiha Madara's Summoning Beast. Later, it was sealed by the First Hokage's wife and became the first Jinchuriki. So the one who attacked Konoha must have been Uchiha Madara."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stated plainly.

He was showing the Uchiha goodwill. But if he got the chance again, he would strike without hesitation!

Uchiha Gin wore a mocking expression. It was obvious that the Konoha High Command had known the truth all along, yet they'd spent years secretly framing the Uchiha by blaming them for the fact that the Sharingan could control Tailed Beasts.

They'd wanted to pin the blame on them.

Now that the Uchiha really had someone with the Mangekyō Sharingan, the village was finally trying to clear their name.

His answer also made everyone present realize that they couldn't target the Uchiha Clan right now. They'd have to warn their own clansmen to be careful and stop provoking the Uchiha like before, lest they get dragged into a dark room and beaten.

"Third Hokage, I have information about Uchiha Madara."

Suddenly, someone spoke up.

Everyone's eyes instantly turned toward him.

"Uchiha Gin!"