The Third Hokage was surprised, but he gave nothing away. The smile on his face faded into calm.
"You have a point. Neither of them has earned any merit in battle, and it's hardly right for them to skip their Security Force duties every day just to train.
"I'll transfer them from the Security Force to ANBU. ANBU's ranks still haven't fully recovered after all these years, and they're short-handed.
"With Wood Release, the two of them will have more chances to fight in ANBU. Their abilities will get a proper workout, too."
A faint smile appeared on Fugaku's face. "It's their good fortune to join ANBU. The Uchiha have grown rapidly over the past two years.
"The Security Force will soon be back at full strength. If you need ninja, Hokage, you can draw them from the Uchiha at any time.
"Supporting Konoha's development is a duty every clan should fulfill."
A smile returned to the Hokage's previously stern face. "Good. Clan Head Fugaku, you truly understand the bigger picture."
Transferring them directly into ANBU would make things much easier than before. He believed that, under his guidance, the two would eventually change and come to understand the difference between the clan and the village.
At the same time, a question arose in the Third Hokage's mind.
"Don't you want to keep these two Wood Release users with the Uchiha, Clan Head Fugaku? Even if their Wood Release doesn't compare to the First Hokage's, it's still a powerful Kekkei Genkai.
"With a little training, they'll both be Elite Jonin in a few years. Fighters like that are invaluable to any Ninja Village."
That was what puzzled the Third Hokage. In the Shinobi World, no clan would readily give up two future Elite Jonin.
Fugaku smiled. "Joining ANBU is also