Olive Branch from the Hawk Faction

Uchiha Yao's stunning performance in the Police Force's elite assessment had made the entire Uchiha Clan take notice.

Independently developed an A-rank Ninjutsu!

Overwhelmingly defeated three seasoned Chunin working together!

Those achievements were enough to shut up most of the proud and arrogant Uchiha!

Even the Third Hokage had personally summoned Uchiha Yao, offering him praise and encouragement.

He also made a point of extolling his Will of Fire, attempting to indoctrinate Uchiha Yao.

Uchiha Yao felt nothing in response. He was not Shisui or Itachi.

After finishing his conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Uchiha Yao received another invitation from Tekka.

Police Force, Deputy Captain's Office.

"Yao, your performance in this elite assessment truly brought great honor to our Uchiha Clan!"

Uchiha Tekka looked at Yao with undisguised admiration.

Uchiha Yao dipped his head slightly. "Deputy Captain Tekka, you flatter me. I only did what I should have done."

"No, what you did far exceeded all of our expectations."

Uchiha Tekka's smile faded. "Yao, you should understand that our Uchiha Clan's situation in the village is far from good."

Here it comes.

Uchiha Yao understood inwardly. He knew the real topic had begun.

Tekka continued, "After the Nine-Tails' attack, the village higher-ups have grown increasingly suspicious and wary of us. The Police Force's authority has been repeatedly weakened, and our clan grounds were moved to the village's outskirts. That is no different from imprisonment in disguise!"

Uchiha Tekka's tone carried intense dissatisfaction and fury.

"And Brother Fugaku... sigh, he always has too many concerns, hesitating and looking before he leaps. He keeps retreating and compromising, hoping to earn the village's trust. But what was the result? They only intensified their suppression!"

"We Uchiha are one of Konoha's founding clans! We possess the most powerful Kekkei Genkai in the Shinobi World! Why should we suffer such unfair treatment?!"

The more Tekka spoke, the more agitated he became, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.

Uchiha Yao remained silent throughout.

He knew the Hawk Faction was testing his stance.

At a time like this, maintaining neutrality was enough.

Leaning toward either faction too early would not benefit Uchiha Yao's development.

To Uchiha Yao, whether it was the Hawk Faction or the Dove Faction, they were Uchiha in essence. Their only difference lay in their ideals.

Uchiha Yao's future goal was to unite the two factions, consolidate the strength of the entire Uchiha Clan, rather than let the two factions wear each other down as Uchiha Fugaku had.

Only a united Uchiha Clan was the strongest Uchiha Clan.

After a long while, Tekka's emotions finally calmed somewhat.

"Yao, you're still young, but your strength and talent have already proven that you are extraordinary. I want to hear your views on the clan's future."

Uchiha Yao pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Deputy Captain Tekka, I believe the clan's glory and interests stand above all else."

"Whether the Hawk Faction or the Dove Faction, their ultimate goal should be the prosperity and strength of the Uchiha Clan."

"As for how to achieve that goal... I believe history has proven countless times that dignity and status are never earned through compromise and retreat. They are fought for and defended with iron and blood, with absolute strength!"

"I will only make choices most beneficial to the clan. Any force that obstructs the Uchiha Clan's rise, whether from within or outside the village, will be an enemy of mine, Uchiha Yao!"

Uchiha Yao's words expressed a firm stance without explicitly taking sides, leaving himself ample room to maneuver.

Uchiha Tekka was stunned for a moment before delight burst from his eyes!

"The clan's glory and interests stand above all else..." Tekka murmured.

Unlike Brother Fugaku's indecisiveness and his single-minded pursuit of peace—the "Dove Faction"—Uchiha Yao's ideals were precisely what the Hawk Faction needed!

"Yao, with those words, I can rest easy!" Tekka sat down again, his tone becoming more cordial. "From now on, if you need anything in the Police Force, just say the word! I, Uchiha Tekka, will support you with all my strength!"

Uchiha Yao smiled faintly. "Thank you, Deputy Captain Tekka."

He knew that his words had successfully earned Uchiha Tekka's trust.

Ding! Detected Uchiha Tekka's loyalty toward the host has increased!

Uchiha Tekka: Loyalty 70% → 80% (Trust and Expectations)

The system notification confirmed Uchiha Yao's judgment.

Good. I've made contact with the Hawk Faction.

If he wanted to take control of the Uchiha Clan in a short period of time, his strength alone was far from enough.

He needed allies. He needed supporters.

Uchiha Tekka and the Hawk Faction behind him were undoubtedly the best targets to win over at this stage.

I can't completely give up on Clan Head Fugaku's side either, Uchiha Yao calculated inwardly. But his conservative mindset is deeply ingrained. Changing him would be far too difficult. Better to first accumulate strength, gradually dismantle his influence within the clan, and ultimately replace him!

Within the Uchiha Clan, although the Hawk Faction acted aggressively, they lacked a leader who could truly command respect and possessed sufficient wisdom and skill.

Uchiha Tekka had courage to spare, but lacked strategy.

As for the Hawkish Elders, they were all remnants of the old era. They could wave flags and rally the crowd, but they lacked the necessary boldness to lead the Hawk Faction.

But he, Uchiha Yao, possessed knowledge far beyond this era, along with the heaven-defying cheat known as the "Clan Growth System." He had absolute confidence that he could become the one to lead the Hawk Faction—and even the entire Uchiha Clan—toward a more glorious future!

Just as Uchiha Yao was gradually building prestige within the clan and establishing initial ties with the Hawk Faction, an urgent mission from Konoha's Intelligence Department was delivered to the Police Force.

The mission specifically named the newly promoted Elite Chunin Uchiha Yao to lead his squad in carrying it out.

"An A-rank mission from the Intelligence Department? And it specifically requests Yao?"

"Are you kidding? Yao was only just promoted to Elite Chunin, wasn't he? He may be strong, but an A-rank mission is no joke!"

"And it's an Intelligence Department mission. Those usually involve secrets and special methods, making them more difficult than ordinary A-rank missions."

Inside the Police Force office, quite a few veteran members discussed it among themselves, their words carrying a trace of doubt and confusion.

Uchiha Yao accepted the mission scroll and read it carefully.

Mission Rank: A-rank

Mission Objective: Pursue the defected Medical Ninja—Saburo Yano—and recover the Konoha S-rank Medical Forbidden Jutsu materials he carried.

Mission Details: Saburo Yano's secret identity is a senior spy of Root. He possesses a large amount of Konoha's core medical technology and Root intelligence. He defected three days ago, and his whereabouts are unknown. This individual possesses exceptional Anti-Reconnaissance abilities and may have special combat methods. He must be captured alive. If he puts up fierce resistance, lethal force is authorized, but the forbidden jutsu materials must not be leaked or destroyed.

Assigned Squad: Uchiha Yao's squad

Mission Issuer: Konoha Intelligence Department (Specially Approved by Hiruzen Sarutobi)

"Saburo Yano..." Uchiha Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Specially approved by Hiruzen Sarutobi..."

"It seems Hokage-sama can no longer sit still!"

It was an obvious test—one of Uchiha Yao's strength and his attitude.