The Ministry of Magic's Silence and Undercurrents

The front-page headline of the Daily Prophet landed like a resounding slap across the face of the British Ministry of Magic:

<Official Confirmation: Former Magic Institute Envoy Yagyu Sogen Dead, "Blood Lord" Suspected of Having Taken Control of His Family's Power>.

The belated official statement was cautiously and vaguely worded, doing everything possible to downplay the severity of the incident. It merely mentioned "an unidentified individual of great power" and "a possible internal shift in family power," while remaining evasive about the new name "Uchiha," as well as the true identity and abilities of its leader, the "Blood Lord."

The very process by which this statement had been issued was steeped in the hesitation and concealment typical of Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister of Magic.

In the ministerial office piled high with candy boxes, arguments over how to handle the "Yagyu-Uchiha" incident had dragged on for weeks.

In the end, pressured by the international magical community—especially the increasingly unfriendly inquiries from the Japanese wizarding school—and by several informed members of parliament, Fudge reluctantly approved the statement.

But he insisted on removing all specific descriptions that might cause panic, such as "Sharingan" and "bloody massacre."

"We can't create panic ourselves, Rufus!"

Fudge waved the more detailed internal report at Scrimgeour, head of the Auror Office, his fat face filled with anxiety.

"Look at this! 'Suspected of possessing terrifying abilities to manipulate minds and space'? 'A cruel and efficient style of action'? If this gets published, what will happen to the entire Wizarding World?"

"We only need to tell the public that a dangerous Dark wizard from the East who attempted to infiltrate the United Kingdom is dead,"

He picked up a handkerchief from the desk and frantically wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Another... er... perhaps even more dangerous fellow has taken over his territory. That's all. Maintain... er... stability!"

And so, this neutered statement, carrying the illusion of "stability" Fudge wished to preserve, was presented to the public.

Yet this belated, thinly veiled official confirmation stirred entirely different waves within the circles concerned.

For those forces that had once depended on the Yagyu Family, and were still watching from the sidelines or trying to conceal their connections, this official news was no different from a death warrant.

Before this, they could still comfort themselves by believing that Yagyu Sogen had merely gone missing and that the upheaval within the Yagyu Family was only an internal power struggle.

The black words on white paper in the Daily Prophet shattered every illusion.

Panic spread among them like a plague.

The heads of several small wizarding families destroyed all correspondence with the Yagyu Family overnight;

Several black-market merchants in Knockturn Alley who had worked closely with the Yagyu Family began selling off their businesses at low prices, preparing to flee the United Kingdom;

Even several Ministry of Magic officials who had accepted "political donations" from the Yagyu Family began to grow restless, terrified of being implicated.

At the same time—

Those who had long since chosen loyalty beneath Uchiha Madara's might, such as Moriyama, who controlled the Laborers' Mutual Aid Society, and Fujita, the acting leader who had taken over Ghost Bear's forces, felt a surge of wild joy.

To them, confirmation from the official media was not a warning, but an "official endorsement" of their new master's power and status.

The Ministry of Magic's weakness and sluggishness only made them more certain that they had made the right choice.

In the Mutual Aid Society's office, Morita bowed deeply toward the blurred word "Uchiha" in the newspaper. He then drove his laborers even harder, having them compile more detailed intelligence on the movements of every wizarding force in the surrounding area, as Uchiha Madara had demanded.

He could practically see himself occupying a more important position in the new power structure.

And the order Fudge had issued, steeped in a tone of "appeasement," directly affected those on the front lines.

A few days later.

In a dark London alley, a squad of Aurors witnessed Kentaro Uchiha in action.

The target was a smuggler of Dark Magic items who had escaped Ministry of Magic pursuit several times and possessed considerable skill.

Yet before Kentaro, he was like a toddler still learning to walk.

When the smuggler roared and fired a deadly green beam, Kentaro did not even move his feet. He merely raised his head slightly, and the strange One-Tomoe Sharingan in his eye flashed red in the alley's shadows.

The next instant, the previously menacing smuggler suddenly froze, the viciousness on his face instantly replaced by utter terror!

He dropped his wand and clutched his own throat with both hands. His eyes bulged as he let out a shrill scream at an empty wall, as though invisible demons were gnawing him alive!

Before long, foam spilled from his mouth as he collapsed, and the magical fluctuations around him vanished.

The veteran Auror leading the squad instinctively tightened his grip on his wand. Every muscle in his body tensed as he nearly rushed out to stop it—

This was completely beyond the scope of normal magical combat. It carried an unsettling, sinister quality.

"Boss?" the young Auror beside him asked anxiously in a low voice.

The veteran Auror took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to act. He reported the situation through his communication badge in a low voice and requested instructions.

Soon, cold and explicit orders came back through the badge from the Ministry's upper ranks:

"Observe, record, and do not permit intervention of any kind."

"I repeat, no intervention."

"Maintain a safe distance and ensure your own safety."

"But... he's right in front of us..."

"Execute the order!" The voice on the other end was stern beyond dispute.

The veteran Auror clenched his back teeth, veins standing out on his forehead.

He watched the black-haired, red-eyed youth glance at the corpse on the ground, then calmly pick up the storage pouch the man had dropped before slowly melting into the deeper shadows of the alley.

From beginning to end, he did not spare even a glance for the official law enforcers standing nearby.

It was absolute, undisguised contempt.

The young Auror angrily punched the wall beside him, producing a dull thud. "We're just going to watch? Watch him... kill someone as if he were crushing a bug?"

The veteran Auror slowly loosened his grip on the wand. His palm had gone somewhat pale from exertion. His face was filled with humiliation and helplessness, and in the end, he merely let out a weary sigh, his voice hoarse:

"Execute the order... We are merely 'observers.'"

This order, along with the humiliation the Aurors had felt at the scene, quickly spread through a small circle within the Ministry of Magic.

A deeper unease began to spread:

The minister and his confidants seemed determined to turn a blind eye to this newly risen threat called "Uchiha."

And that cowardice was being seen clearly by their opponent, as well as everyone watching the situation unfold.

With the British Ministry of Magic's public stance—

The terror of Uchiha's "Blood Lord" was revealed for the first time in the cruelest possible manner!

Forces that had previously been reluctant began declaring their allegiance one after another, terrified of being purged.

Gold Master of the Triad sent over a golden abacus as a symbol of submission.

Mafia godfather Tonio Rossi presented the contract granting control of the docks.

After Sean O'Malley of the Irish Gang received news from the first two old rivals, he did not even let the Uchiha father and son enter his warehouse—he and his deputy respectfully handed over the control keys to their transport routes outside the warehouse, his posture humble to the extreme...

The entire London underworld lowered its proud head before Uchiha Madara's absolute force and the soul-freezing terror of his Eye Technique.

At that moment, in a side hall of the family compound, Madara rested on a reclining chair, his gaze sweeping over the documents and account books piled on the other side of the desk.

These were no ordinary business reports. They detailed the results of the underground industrial network integrated by New Uchiha, its infiltration and control over London and even the Wizarding World of the United Kingdom—especially the magic shops of Knockturn Alley.

"Diagon Alley's Glory Potion Shop saw monthly profits rise by 37%. As instructed, seventy percent of the profits have been converted into Galleons and reserves of specific potion ingredients. The list is here."

A financial report prepared by a Muggle accounting firm, yet placed under a secrecy charm, floated before Madara. It clearly marked the flow of funds and the list of materials—including large quantities of rare herbs used to stabilize the soul and strengthen the mind.

"Knockturn Alley's Borgin-Burke Dark Magic Shop. The former owner, Mr. Borgin... unfortunately died after 'accidentally' touching a cursed item."

Another piece of parchment, carrying a faint scent of blood and personally delivered by Fujita, the new leader of the Black Dragon Group, bore crooked writing:

"His cousin, Mr. Burke, sensibly signed a magical contract with us. From now on, eighty percent of the shop's profits belong to Uchiha. Copies of all transaction records involving ancient Dark Magic items will be submitted regularly."

"The Irish Gang-controlled magical logistics company Thestral's Wing has opened three secret smuggling routes to the European Continent, capable of safely transporting 'sensitive' cargo. The first shipment of 'special ore'—containing magic-conducting metal—has successfully arrived at our dock warehouse in London."

Piece by piece, the information coldly and efficiently outlined a dark network spanning the lifeblood of the magical economy.

Money, supplies, intelligence, transportation routes...

The blood that sustained the Wizarding World was flowing ceaselessly into Uchiha Madara's control through the hands of Muggle gangs and the shells of Knockturn Alley shops.

He did not need to appear in person.

He only needed the fear of the "Blood Demon Family" and the deterrence of the "Demon Eye" to become a sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads—then countless Ghost Bears, Gold Masters, O'Malleys, and controlled or bribed wizards would naturally run about in his service.

Even though the Ministry of Magic had dispatched additional Aurors to patrol the outskirts of Chinatown...

The Uchiha Family kept as low a profile as the shadows themselves.

Every expansion and every act of profiteering wore the disguise of Muggle business activity or an "unfortunate accident."

Looking at the vague, speculation-filled report in the latest issue of the Daily Prophet, Madara's lips curved into a cold smile:

"The fear of the ignorant is the best cover."

[Would all you genius wizards be willing to leave a five-star review? Otherwise, little mouse will ask Lord Madara to give you Sharingan!]