Because It Could Get the Third Hokage

Get back at them by making things difficult?

Uchiha Fugaku looked up in surprise, his face full of confusion.

"If Konoha is using a department like the Police Force to make things difficult for you, why not give up the Police Force and make things difficult for them in return? Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

At that, Uchiha Fugaku immediately relaxed.

He'd thought Ye Ning would have some clever solution. He hadn't expected it to be something so simple.

Giving up the Police Force... It was easy to say, but putting it into practice would be incredibly difficult.

The clan would strongly oppose it.

And the Third Hokage wouldn't agree to it either.

Uchiha Fugaku gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "To be honest, some of the clan elders can't see how much harm the Police Force is doing to the Uchiha Clan. Getting them to give it up would be difficult. And even if I convinced them, the Third Hokage wouldn't agree."

"You can look at it from another angle."

Ye Ning paused, then patiently explained, "Giving up the entire Police Force outright would certainly be difficult. But getting shinobi from other clans into the Police Force would be easy."

"The Police Force would still be managed by the Uchiha Clan, but whenever something happened, you could pin the blame on shinobi from other clans! If they were the ones doing the things that offended people, the conflict wouldn't fall on you, would it?"

"Sometimes, letting go a little can get you more in return."

This kind of little trick had been commonplace in Ye Ning's previous life.

Whenever a problem came up, you just blamed it all on the temporary workers. What did the Uchiha Clan have to do with it?

Someone else had done it, someone else had offended people. The Uchiha Clan could simply shift all the blame elsewhere.

Uchiha Fugaku's eyes lit up at first, but then he furrowed his brow and thought it over.

Bringing a certain number of shinobi from other clans into the Police Force seemed to reduce the Uchiha Clan's authority, but in practice, it would hand the thankless work to others. It was indeed a good idea.

But the question was, how could he get shinobi from other clans into the Police Force?

Noticing the confusion in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, Ye Ning smiled.

"My father and I have been targeted in two assassination attempts. One was carried out by a Konoha traitor, and the other by a Konoha shinobi. After those two attempts, my father became very worried about his safety. He's desperate to have shinobi protect him."

"As everyone knows, the Uchiha Clan's shinobi are synonymous with strength, right?"

Ye Ning's words weren't hints anymore. They were plain as day.

Uchiha Fugaku naturally understood what Ye Ning meant, but he was even more surprised by the assassination attempts Ye Ning had mentioned.

Danzo's removal from office had happened just within the last couple of days.

At first, Uchiha Fugaku had struggled to imagine what Danzo could have done to be dismissed outright. Now he finally understood.

Either he had tried to assassinate the Daimyo, or he had tried to assassinate the Daimyo's Son!

Since Ye Ning was in Konoha, the answer was obvious.

He'd tried to assassinate the Daimyo's Son!

Tsk...

Danzo had some nerve.

"My father will put pressure on the Third Hokage and demand that shinobi from the Uchiha Clan be assigned to guard him. Then you can claim that the Police Force is short-staffed and ask the Third Hokage to assign shinobi from other clans to it!"

"Even if the Third Hokage refuses, you can simply drag your feet. After all, your Uchiha Clan is short on manpower, isn't it?"

Ye Ning coaxed him along, drawing Uchiha Fugaku step by step onto his side.

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath. He had to admit that he was tempted!

For the Uchiha Clan, the Police Force was now nothing but a hot potato. Holding on to it only meant burning their hands, without bringing the clan any benefit.

On the contrary, giving up some authority could redirect the villagers' resentment and ease their fear and hatred of the Uchiha Clan.

But Uchiha Fugaku also knew that nothing in life came for free.

If Ye Ning had proposed this plan, he must want something in return. Otherwise, why would he help them for nothing?

Uchiha Fugaku straightened up, his expression serious. "Lord Ye Ning, why are you helping the Uchiha Clan? What do you want from us?"

Though he asked the question, Uchiha Fugaku had already made up his mind.

As long as Ye Ning didn't make an outrageous demand, he would do his best to meet it!

At that, a trace of disdain appeared in Ye Ning's eyes.

What did he want from them? As if the Uchiha Clan had anything worth coveting.

The Mangekyo Sharingan?

Leaving aside the fact that the Uchiha Clan didn't have one right now, even if they did, they'd never hand it over!

Besides, he didn't need a burden like the Sharingan in the first place.

He wasn't a member of the Uchiha Clan. If he transplanted a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, he wouldn't be able to switch them on and off at will. They'd constantly consume his chakra. How could that be anything but a burden?

He'd be better off finding a way to get to the moon and bring back the Tenseigan.

Wasn't the Tenseigan much more impressive than the Mangekyo Sharingan, which could leave you blind?

"Captain Fugaku, are you joking with me?"

Ye Ning looked at Uchiha Fugaku with amusement and pointed to himself. "I'm the only son of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. I don't lack money. I don't lack power or status either. With my position, I can have as many women as I want. Even when it comes to ninjutsu, I can freely browse the Senju Clan's collection. What could your Uchiha Clan possibly offer me?"

Uchiha Fugaku scratched his head awkwardly.

Now that he thought about it, the Uchiha Clan really didn't seem to have anything Ye Ning would want.

"Then why would Lord Ye Ning...?"

"Because this will make things difficult for the Third Hokage. How's that for a reason?"

"Make things difficult... for the Third Hokage?"

"His friend tried to assassinate me, so I'm upset and want to make trouble for him. How's that for a reason? Pretty good, right?"

Ye Ning smiled gently, his smile bright, but to Uchiha Fugaku, it looked demonic.

But when he thought it over, Uchiha Fugaku felt relieved.

He was relieved that Ye Ning's plan was aimed at the Third Hokage, not at the Uchiha Clan. Otherwise, his clan might have been wiped out without even knowing how it happened.

At the same time, he made up his mind.

He had to cling tightly to Ye Ning's coattails!

With Ye Ning's support, life for the Uchiha Clan would definitely get better!

Still, the Third Hokage had it rough...

Uchiha Fugaku didn't particularly dislike the Third Hokage, but in this matter, all he could do was silently mourn for him.

With Ye Ning around, the Third Hokage's days ahead were probably going to be anything but easy...