Hyuga and Uchiha

There were few people left on Konoha's streets. Lights had grown sparse even in the bustling districts, while the rest of the village lay in darkness. Most people had already fallen asleep.

Figures moved through Konoha's neighborhoods, their crimson Sharingan seeming to rule the village at night.

The Uchiha had stepped up their nighttime patrols. Not only did this make spies lurking in the shadows wary, it also forced some of Konoha's own unsavory schemes to be carried out more cautiously.

Otherwise, a patrolling Uchiha might catch someone carrying out a secret mission and drag a hidden plot into the open, leaving those behind it on the defensive.

"Noki, where's the nearest bathroom?" Fugaku asked. "I need to go."

They were already very close to the target's home. Fugaku used the excuse to slip out of Noki's sight for a while and carry out his plan.

At the same time, he activated his Sharingan and scanned the area. He could not let his clansmen see what he was doing. He alone needed to know about this.

No one was nearby. It was the perfect chance to act. If he ran into an Uchiha patrol, he would have to abandon tonight's plan.

Noki saw Fugaku's Sharingan and thought nothing of it. The Security Force's duty was to maintain order; using the Sharingan to survey the surroundings was only natural.

"There's a corner just ahead," Noki said, pointing forward. "If you don't want to go that far, any wall will do. Plenty of Security Force members just found a secluded spot when we were on patrol."

Fugaku paused, then said with a stern expression, "We shouldn't encourage people to relieve themselves wherever they please. Wait here. I'll be right back."

Body Flicker Technique!

He sprang forward at full speed, vanishing from where he stood and reappearing at a distant street corner, out of Noki's sight. In less than a minute, Fugaku returned. An inconspicuous stray cat had appeared at the corner.

The cat crouched by the wall, drawing no attention. Once Fugaku and Noki had gone, it darted out and entered the target's home.

Listening closely, it heard breathing from several bedrooms. It passed their windows, checking each one until it found the target's room.

A puff of white smoke flashed, and the cat took Fugaku's form. It was a Shadow Clone he had left behind.

He walked quietly to the bedroom door. With a simple trick, he opened the lock without a sound.

Approaching the sleeping target, Fugaku used two fingers to lift the man's eyelids. The Genjutsu he had prepared through his Sharingan took hold.

Fragments of hazy images passed through the Sharingan into the man's mind. They would not surface right away.

Only when the man looked at the First Hokage's carved likeness would he suddenly recall the First Hokage's glory when he pacified the Shinobi World, along with the power of Wood Release.

No image of the Sharingan would appear in his mind. Every memory concerning Wood Release would seem to come from his own childhood.

Fugaku let out a quiet breath. Using this kind of hypnotic Genjutsu on a civilian was not difficult. The hard part was leaving no trace.

Fugaku never underestimated anyone. If rumors of Wood Release reached the Senior Officials, Root and ANBU would certainly investigate their source. Eventually, they would find the target.

He locked the bedroom door again, and the Shadow Clone vanished in a puff of white smoke. Fugaku, still traveling with Noki, faltered for an instant as the clone disappeared, then returned to normal.

Beyond Districts Three and Four lay Districts One and Two. District One was the first area designated by the Security Force. It was not quite on the Konoha outskirts, but there were far fewer homes here. In the distance, stretches of forest and open ground appeared to be Konoha's training grounds.

The moment the two landed, dark figures marked by red points of light appeared nearby. Fugaku could tell they were Uchiha clansmen on patrol. Those red points were their Sharingan.

The Two-Tomoe Sharingan appeared in Noki's eyes. He made several gestures in succession, and the surrounding Uchiha quickly vanished.

Only one squad of ninja continued toward them, stopping a short distance away.

"Noki, weren't you standing by at headquarters? Why are you out on patrol?" A clansman with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan stepped forward and glanced at Fugaku beside Noki. "Fugaku, I didn't expect you to join the Security Force so soon. I thought the Clan Head would wait at least until the war in the Land of Rain was over."

"Ao, it's been a while," Fugaku said with a nod.

The newcomer was Ao Uchiha, the man in charge of District One tonight. Fugaku did not know him well, but they were both Uchiha, so they were acquainted.

"Captain Ao, Fugaku will be with the Security Force for a few days," Noki said. "Captain Saki asked me to explain how it operates."

Ao nodded. "Every Uchiha should know how the Security Force works, whether they join it or not. I know this area much better than Noki. Want me to show you around?"

This was the second time Fugaku had heard someone say that Uchiha clansmen should understand the Security Force. Its importance rose another notch in his mind.

People naturally sought safety and avoided danger. As the organization responsible for security within Konoha, the Security Force was indeed safer and more stable than the regular Ninja Corps. No wonder the Uchiha had come to rely on it. After all, no one wanted to spend every day amid war and killing.

Fugaku looked at Ao. "Sorry for the trouble. I'm not very familiar with how Konoha is laid out, so this is a good chance to learn more."

"No trouble." Ao turned to the Uchiha beside him. "Keep patrolling. I'll show Fugaku around District One."

The three of them leaped onto a taller building. Ao said, "District One is fairly peaceful by Konoha's standards. There's a training ground ahead. The area to the left is the Hyuga clan's district. They're another of Konoha's great clans, and their grounds are every bit as large as the Uchiha District."

Fugaku nodded. Ever since the Senju had withdrawn and Madara Uchiha had left, the two clans had competed from their Clan Heads down to their ordinary members, each wanting to be Konoha's foremost clan.

Fugaku could understand why. Once awakened, both the Sharingan and the Byakugan gave their wielders a considerable advantage from Genin rank through the early stages of Jonin rank.

Those ninja formed the backbone of Konoha's strength.

Both clans were born with ocular Kekkei Genkai. Naturally, they wanted to prove which was superior.

Between the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and the Rinnegan lay the Mangekyo Sharingan and the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. The Byakugan, on the other hand, went straight from its ordinary form to the Tenseigan, with no intermediate stage at all.

Under normal circumstances, the Uchiha should have held a clear advantage over the Hyuga. But no ninja in the clan had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan since Madara Uchiha, so the rivalry between the two clans remained fierce.

As for the four pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan that awakened later, Fugaku never revealed his before he died. Shisui died too young, and Itachi wiped out the Uchiha outright. By the time Sasuke returned to Konoha, the Uchiha were no more, and the Hyuga had naturally become Konoha's foremost clan.

Fugaku could only lament the Uchiha's turbulent fate. This time, though, things would be different. He would change the clan's destiny.

End of chapter.