The Factions!

"This is the little genius who's been all the rage in the clan lately? He sure has guts, picking a fight with Uchiha Lin. I'm impressed!"

"Tch, he's a genius, so of course he's arrogant. Look at Uchiha Lin's face!"

The clan members who'd been chatting nearby saw Li and Uchiha Lin in a standoff. One by one, they wore expressions of anticipation, eager to watch the show. The Uchiha might have been united when it came to outsiders, but there was plenty of infighting within the clan. No family could get along perfectly.

"Kid, mind your tone. Don't think that earning the title of genius means you can look down on everyone else. I could crush a brat like you with one finger!" Uchiha Lin's face darkened. His black eyes turned blood red, and two tomoe appeared in each pupil. He had awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

Uchiha Lin was furious. He'd been seething ever since he heard the Great Elder's instructions last night. Before Li earned the title of genius, Lin had been the Great Elder's star pupil. At the age of ten, he'd awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and the Great Elder had called him a genius. Four years had passed, and he still had only two tomoe, but the Great Elder had never stopped investing in him. Then, just last night, the Great Elder had told him that a six-year-old brat would be joining the Military Police Force today. Lin was to look after him and win him over. The Great Elder's intentions were obvious: he wanted to bring Li into his faction and groom him to take on the other faction. Lin felt as if something that belonged to him had been stolen. That was why he hated Li so much.

"The Two-Tomoe Sharingan?" Li was slightly surprised. There were fewer than twenty Uchiha Lin's age who had awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. The Uchiha Clan had several hundred members, so the odds were strikingly low. No wonder the guy was so conceited.

But that level was nothing compared to Li. His black eyes turned blood red in an instant, and two tomoe appeared in each pupil as well. He stared coldly at Uchiha Lin and said, "You didn't awaken the Two-Tomoe Sharingan until you were this age. What gives you the right to yell at me?"

"You..." Uchiha Lin trembled with rage, but the Great Elder's instructions kept echoing in his mind. He shook for a long moment without managing to say a word. After taking two deep breaths, he glared at Li and said coldly, "You're too arrogant, kid. One day, you'll regret this!"

After delivering that not-so-threatening threat, Uchiha Lin stormed off. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he'd lose control and attack Li.

"Wow, Uchiha Lin actually backed down. That's a rare sight!"

"Tch, I knew this would happen. Uchiha Li is the clan's newest genius, and the Great Elder must want to win him over. No matter how bold Uchiha Lin is, he wouldn't dare go against the Great Elder!"

Li wasn't far away. The two clan members were speaking quietly, but he still caught some of what they said. His brow furrowed slightly. It seemed he still had a lot to learn about the Uchiha Clan.

"Shh, stop talking. That kid probably heard us!"

When the two clan members saw Li's frown, they exchanged a few furtive words, then left together. The Military Police Force's job was to patrol the streets and keep the peace. The only reason they'd been able to stand around chatting for so long was that their shift had just begun.

"Interesting. From what I can tell, there seem to be two factions in the clan. If I'm not mistaken, one is led by Uchiha Hao, while the other is probably led by this so-called Great Elder." Li rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He'd stumbled onto something interesting. He hadn't noticed it before, but after thinking it over, he was beginning to understand the two factions. If he had it right, although Uchiha Madara had been betrayed by his clan members back then, there were still many who deeply admired him and wanted the Uchiha Clan to become the strongest in the Shinobi World. Even after Konoha was founded, they hadn't changed their minds. They were known as the Hardline Faction.

The other faction was tired of war and longed for a peaceful, comfortable life. They'd betrayed Uchiha Madara and willingly submitted to Hashirama Senju. They were known as the Moderate Faction.

The leaders of the two factions were probably Uchiha Hao and the Great Elder, whom Li had never met. He just didn't know which faction each of them represented.

Of course, the Moderate Faction wasn't faring well these days, either. The Hokage administration in Konoha was deeply prejudiced against the Uchiha Clan and was constantly suppressing them. After the Second Hokage took office, he'd even pushed the Uchiha out of the political center. That had left many members of the Moderate Faction dissatisfied. By now, they weren't necessarily all that moderate.

"But none of that matters to me right now. My priority is to get stronger!" Li shook his head and put the factional disputes out of his mind. With the Life Potion, he was sure he could rapidly increase his chakra reserves. Once he did, it wouldn't matter whether they were Hardliners or Moderates—who'd be able to push him around then?

After fastening the Military Police Force armband around his left arm, Li left the headquarters. The job was easy; all he had to do was wander around. They were supposed to keep the peace, but nobody dared cause trouble in the village. The only people they had to worry about were drunks.

He wandered the streets all day and had nothing to do, even by nightfall. Konoha did an excellent job of maintaining order, thanks to the Third Hokage. Nobody dared cause trouble in broad daylight.

Night fell, and Konoha's streets grew even livelier. The shinobi who'd been out on missions returned and called their comrades to snack shops and barbecue restaurants for drinks. Laughter and conversation rang out everywhere.

"You bastard! I just got back from a mission out there, and all I wanted was a couple drinks to unwind. Then I ran into you, you jerk! Don't think I'm scared of you just because you're a Chunin!"

From the sound of it, someone was drunk and mouthing off. Shinobi often had grudges against one another. They might be able to keep them in check normally, but once they were drunk, they couldn't hold back. Every night, the Military Police Force picked up several drunks.

Li heard the drunken rant from a distance and knew someone was causing trouble. A crowd had gathered not far ahead, so he walked over. When he reached them, Li used both hands to push through the group. The onlookers immediately grumbled in protest, but when they saw the Uchiha crest on his uniform, they fell silent and parted to let him through.