Third Hokage

Early the next morning.

Konoha appeared much as it always did.

On the streets, vendors began setting up their stalls, shinobi hurried past the street corners, and Ninja Academy students ran toward school with their backpacks.

Kage Rock looked solemn and peaceful in the morning light.

It was as if the undercurrents in the Uchiha Clan Grounds last night had never existed.

But everyone standing at the center of Konoha's power knew this day would not be peaceful.

Outside the Hokage Building.

The Uchiha Police Force had arrived.

At their head was Uchiha Fugaku.

Behind him were Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Inabi, and other Police Force officers.

They had not drawn their blades.

They had not activated their Sharingan.

There weren't even that many of them.

But the moment they appeared in front of the Hokage Building, quite a few shinobi nearby changed their expressions.

The Uchiha Clan had come to the Hokage Building as a group.

That alone was a signal.

At the building entrance, the two guards exchanged a glance, and one of them immediately went inside to report their arrival.

Fugaku stood where he was, his expression calm.

Uchiha Tekka, however, had no such patience.

He looked at the Hokage Building and gave a cold laugh.

"I hope Lord Hokage can give us an explanation today."

Uchiha Yashiro beside him said quietly, "Tekka, watch your tone."

Tekka lowered his voice.

"I'm already watching it."

"If I were acting on instinct, I'd have gone straight to Root last night to demand they hand someone over."

Uchiha Yashiro frowned.

"The clan head already said not to accuse anyone directly without evidence."

Tekka snorted.

"No evidence?"

"Isn't the evidence just hidden away by Root?"

"Those two corpses had no markings at all, yet their information was disturbingly thorough."

"They knew Shingetsu had no family, knew how much chakra he had, and knew he hadn't awakened his eyes."

"Do you think that kind of intel was picked up off the street?"

Yashiro fell silent.

Of course he knew Root was almost certainly involved.

But knowing something was one thing.

Being able to prove it publicly was another.

That was the Uchiha's biggest problem right now.

They were suspected.

They were watched.

They were pushed aside.

But as long as there was no hard evidence, the Konoha High Command could keep using "the greater good" to pressure them.

The Uchiha had suffered too many losses that way in the past.

This time, the child named Shingetsu had reminded them of something.

Don't accuse anyone directly.

Demand a public investigation.

Put the issue out in the open.

Make it impossible for the Hokage Building to brush it aside.

At the thought, Yashiro couldn't help feeling conflicted.

A nine-year-old child saw things more clearly than many adults in the clan.

Soon.

An Anbu appeared in front of them.

"Clan Head Fugaku, Lord Hokage requests your presence."

Fugaku nodded.

"Let's go."

They entered the Hokage Building.

As they made their way through, the staff inside couldn't help glancing at them.

The Uchiha Police Force often came to the Hokage Building on official business, but today was different. With the clan head leading them in person, the atmosphere was unmistakably tense.

Before long, they reached the Hokage's office.

Inside the office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, wearing the Hokage Haori, with his pipe set beside him.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu sat nearby.

Danzo was absent.

At least, he was absent in public.

Fugaku swept his gaze around the office and sneered inwardly.

It was only natural that Danzo wouldn't show up on an occasion like this.

As long as he stayed away, he could keep his distance from the matter.

All the darkness was hidden in Root's shadow.

The Hokage Building only had to present itself as an impartial mediator.

The Third Hokage looked up, his face weary.

"Fugaku, you're here."

Fugaku dipped his head slightly.

"Lord Hokage."

The courtesy was there.

But that was all.

The Third Hokage glanced at the Police Force members behind Fugaku and spoke slowly. "I've heard what happened in the Uchiha Clan Grounds last night."

"For something like this to happen in the village is a failure on my part as Hokage."

At those words, Uchiha Tekka's brow twitched.

He'd thought the Third Hokage would start by beating around the bush.

He hadn't expected him to admit to "failure" right off the bat.

But Fugaku's expression didn't change at all.

The Third Hokage was no ordinary man.

A statement like that was only meant to ease the tension.

What really mattered was how he handled things afterward.

Fugaku said solemnly, "Lord Hokage, two unidentified shinobi broke into the Uchiha Clan Grounds last night and tried to abduct a nine-year-old child from our clan."

"This is no ordinary security incident."

The Third Hokage nodded.

"I understand."

Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses.

"Clan Head Fugaku, this is indeed a serious matter, but I hope the Uchiha Clan will remain restrained."

"The village has only just stabilized. If a misunderstanding leads to an even greater conflict, it would be bad for everyone."

Tekka's gaze turned cold.

A misunderstanding?

Uchiha Yashiro immediately cleared his throat, signaling him not to act rashly.

Fugaku looked at Mitokado Homura, his tone calm.

"Do you think this was a misunderstanding, Councilor?"

Mitokado Homura said evenly, "That's not what I meant."

"It's just that there's no evidence yet proving the intruders came from within the village."

"Until the investigation is complete, we shouldn't let the situation escalate."

Fugaku didn't answer at once.

He simply took a scroll from his sleeve and placed it on the desk.

"This is the record of last night's investigation."

"First, the intruders knew the gaps in the patrols around the Uchiha Clan Grounds."

"Second, they knew Uchiha Shingetsu's home and personal details."

"Third, they knew Shingetsu's parents were dead and that he had no immediate family."

"Fourth, they knew Shingetsu hadn't awakened his Sharingan and had an ordinary amount of chakra."

"Fifth, they mentioned 'samples' and 'recovery value.'"

Fugaku raised his head and looked at the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, I'd like to ask you something."

"How could ordinary outsiders have obtained this information?"

The office fell silent for a moment.

Utatane Koharu frowned. "It's also possible that enemy-village spies had been hiding in the village for a long time."

Tekka nearly laughed aloud.

Enemy-village spies?

That was certainly convenient.

They could pin any dirty business on spies.

Fugaku remained calm.

"If they were enemy-village spies, then the problem is even more serious."

"Enemy-village spies were able to hide inside Konoha long enough to learn detailed information about Uchiha clan members, then sneak into the clan grounds at night to abduct someone."

"That means Konoha's defenses have a massive breach."

"As the village's internal security force, the Uchiha Police Force has a duty to help investigate this thoroughly."

Mitokado Homura's expression changed slightly.

Those words had boxed in the argument they'd just made.

If the intruders weren't from inside the village, then there was a breach in its defenses.

If they were enemy-village spies, then the Police Force had even more reason to join the investigation.

But the last thing the High Command wanted was for the Uchiha Police Force to use this as an excuse to expand the scope of its investigation.

Because if the Uchiha started digging, they might uncover traces of Root's operations.

The Third Hokage looked at Fugaku, a complicated look flashing deep in his eyes.

The argument was far too airtight.

It wasn't the style of the Uchiha Radicals.

Fugaku was a steady man, but he was more accustomed to containing conflicts within the clan. He wouldn't normally frame the issue this sharply.

That meant someone had probably advised him.

A name came to the Third Hokage's mind.

Uchiha Shingetsu.

That nine-year-old child.

The Third Hokage picked up the scroll and read through it. Then he spoke slowly. "Fugaku, what would you like the village to do?"

Fugaku said solemnly, "The Uchiha have three requests."

"First, the Hokage Building must publicly acknowledge that the Uchiha Clan Grounds were infiltrated last night and establish an investigation team."

"Second, members of the Uchiha Police Force must be included on the investigation team."

"Third, the village must strengthen security around the Uchiha Clan Grounds and notify all the clans about the recent security risks."

At the third request, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's expressions changed.

Notify all the clans?

That would only make the matter bigger.

Utatane Koharu immediately said, "No!"

"That would cause panic throughout the village."

Uchiha Tekka finally couldn't hold back.

"Councilor, a nine-year-old child nearly got abducted to be used as a sample, and your first reaction isn't to find the culprit. You're worried about panic?"

Utatane Koharu's face darkened.

"What kind of attitude is that?"

Tekka sneered.

"The victim's attitude."

"Or is it that, in the Councilor's eyes, the Uchiha don't even have the right to be angry when they're attacked?"

"Tekka."

Fugaku spoke calmly.

Tekka took a deep breath, forcing down his anger.

But the atmosphere in the office had already grown tense.