The Third

The next morning.

Konoha appeared as usual on the surface.

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

The Hokage Rock appeared solemn and tranquil in the morning light.

It was as if the undercurrents that had surged through the Uchiha compound last night had never occurred.

Yet, those who truly stood at the center of power in Konoha knew that this day would not be peaceful.

Outside the Hokage Building.

The men from the Uchiha Police Force had arrived.

Leading them was Uchiha Fugaku.

Behind him were the core members of the Police Force, including Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Yashiro, and Uchiha Inabi.

They had not drawn their blades.

They had not activated their Sharingan.

There were not even that many of them.

Yet, the moment this group appeared in front of the Hokage Building, the expressions of many nearby ninjas shifted.

The Uchiha clan had come to the Hokage Building in a group.

This in itself was a signal.

At the building's entrance, two guard ninjas exchanged glances, and one immediately went inside to report.

Fugaku stood where he was, his expression calm.

Uchiha Tekka, however, did not have such patience.

He glared at the Hokage Building and let out a cold sneer.

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

Beside him, Uchiha Yashiro whispered, "Tekka, watch your tone."

Tekka lowered his voice.

"I am already watching it."

"If it were up to my temper, I would have gone straight to Root to demand the people last night."

Uchiha Yashiro frowned.

"The clan head has already said, without evidence, do not make direct accusations."

Tekka snorted.

"No evidence?"

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

"Those two dead men had no markings on them, yet the information on them was absurdly detailed."

"They knew Shin-getsu had no relatives, knew his chakra levels, and knew he hadn't awakened his eyes."

"Could such intelligence have just been picked up off the side of the road?"

Yashiro fell silent.

Of course, he also knew that this matter was almost certainly related to Root.

But knowing was one thing.

Bringing it out into the open was another.

This was the most troublesome aspect of the Uchiha's current situation.

They were suspected.

They were monitored.

They were ostracized.

Yet, as long as there was no ironclad proof, the Konoha high command could continue to suppress them in the name of the "greater good."

The Uchiha had suffered too many losses like this in the past.

But this time, the child named Shin-getsu had reminded them.

Do not make direct accusations.

Demand a public investigation.

Bring the issue out into the light.

Make it impossible for the Hokage Building to brush it off so easily.

Thinking of this, Yashiro could not help but feel a sense of complexity in his heart.

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

Very quickly.

An Anbu appeared before them.

"Clan Leader Fugaku, the Third Hokage requests your presence inside."

Fugaku nodded.

"Let's go."

The group entered the Hokage Building.

Along the way, the staff in the building instinctively looked toward them.

The Uchiha Police Force often came to the Hokage Building to handle official business, but with the clan leader personally leading the team like today, the atmosphere was clearly different.

Soon, they arrived at the Hokage's office.

Inside the office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, wearing the Hokage Haori, his pipe resting at his side.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu sat to one side.

Danzo was not there.

At least, not on the surface.

Fugaku swept a glance across the office, sneering inwardly.

In an occasion like this, it was only normal for Danzo not to appear.

As long as he did not show himself, they could continue to maintain a clean separation.

All the darkness remained hidden within the shadows of Root.

And the Hokage Building only needed to project an image of impartial mediation.

The Third Hokage looked up, his face weary.

"Fugaku, you've come."

Fugaku bowed his head slightly.

"Your Majesty."

The etiquette was observed.

But that was all.

The Third Hokage glanced at the members of the Police Force behind Fugaku and said slowly, "I am already aware of what happened in the Uchiha compound last night."

"That such a thing occurred in the village is a dereliction of duty on my part as Hokage."

As soon as these words were spoken, Uchiha Tekka's brow twitched.

He had expected the Third Hokage to play for time first.

He had not expected the other party to admit to a "dereliction of duty" right from the start.

But Fugaku's expression did not change in the slightest.

The Third Hokage was the Hokage, not an ordinary man.

This level of posturing was merely to ease the tension.

What truly mattered was how they would handle it moving forward.

Fugaku said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, last night, two unidentified ninjas infiltrated the Uchiha compound, attempting to abduct a nine-year-old child of my clan."

"This is no longer a simple matter of public security."

The Third Hokage nodded.

"I understand."

Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses.

"Clan Leader Fugaku, the matter is indeed serious, but I also hope the Uchiha clan will exercise restraint."

"The village has only just stabilized; if a larger conflict were to break out due to a misunderstanding, it would be bad for everyone."

Tekka's eyes turned cold.

A misunderstanding?

Uchiha Yashiro immediately gave a light cough, signaling him not to act impulsively.

Fugaku looked at Mitokado Homura, his tone calm.

"Does the Advisor believe this is a misunderstanding?"

Mitokado Homura said indifferently, "That is not what I meant."

"It is just that there is currently no evidence to prove that the intruders came from within the village."

"Before the investigation is clear, it is not advisable to escalate the situation."

Fugaku did not immediately retort.

He simply withdrew a scroll from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

"This is the record of the on-site investigation from last night."

"First, the intruder was familiar with the patrol gaps on the perimeter of the Uchiha compound."

"Second, the intruder possessed accurate knowledge of Uchiha Shingetsu's residence and personal information."

"Third, the intruder knew that Shingetsu's parents were both deceased and that he had no direct relatives."

"Fourth, the intruder knew that Shingetsu had not yet awakened his Sharingan and possessed only average chakra levels."

"Fifth, they mentioned 'specimen' and 'recovery value' during the incident."

Fugaku looked up and met the gaze of the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, I would like to ask."

"How could an ordinary foreign enemy obtain such intelligence?"

The office fell silent for a moment.

Utatane Koharu frowned and said, "It is also possible that a spy from an enemy village has been lurking for a long time."

Tekka nearly laughed out loud.

A spy from an enemy village?

That excuse was certainly convenient.

They could dump any dirty water onto the heads of spies.

Fugaku remained calm.

"If it were a spy from an enemy village, the problem would be even more severe."

"If an enemy spy can lurk within Konoha long enough to master detailed intelligence on an Uchiha clansman, and even infiltrate the compound at night to abduct someone, it means that Konoha's defenses have developed a massive loophole."

"As the village's security agency, the Uchiha Police Force has a responsibility to assist in a thorough investigation."

Mitokado Homura's expression shifted slightly.

These words effectively blocked the path they had just tried to take.

If it wasn't someone from within the village, then it was a failure of defense.

If it was a spy from an enemy village, then the Police Force had even more reason to intervene in the investigation.

However, the last thing the higher-ups wanted was to let the Uchiha Police Force use this opportunity to expand their scope of investigation.

Because once the Uchiha started digging, they would likely uncover traces of Root's activities.

The Third Hokage watched Fugaku, a flicker of complexity passing deep within his eyes.

This line of reasoning was too steady.

It didn't fit the style of the Uchiha's radical faction.

Although Fugaku was composed, he was more accustomed to suppressing conflicts internally and would not typically frame an issue so sharply.

In other words, someone had likely prompted him behind the scenes.

A name surfaced in the Third Hokage's mind.

Uchiha Shingetsu.

That nine-year-old child.

The Third Hokage picked up the scroll, read through it once, and said slowly, "Fugaku, what would you like the village to do?"

Fugaku said in a deep voice, "The Uchiha have three demands."

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

"Second, the investigation team must include members of the Uchiha Police Force."

"Third, the village must strengthen the perimeter defenses of the Uchiha compound and notify all clans of the recent security risks."

Upon hearing the third point, the expressions of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu changed.

Notify all clans?

Wouldn't that just blow the matter out of proportion?

Utatane Koharu immediately said, "Absolutely not!"

"That would incite panic within the village."

Uchiha Tekka could no longer hold back.

"Advisor, a nine-year-old child was nearly abducted as a specimen, and your first reaction isn't to hunt down the culprit, but to worry about panic?"

Utatane Koharu's face darkened.

"What kind of attitude is that?"

Tekka sneered.

"The victim's attitude."

"Or perhaps, in the eyes of the honorable advisors, the Uchiha do not even have the right to be angry after being attacked?"

"Tekka."

Fugaku spoke calmly.

Tekka took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his rage.

But the atmosphere inside the office had already become taut.