Fugaku pushed the door open and entered.
Seeing the smile still on Xuandou's face, he could tell he was in a good mood today. He hurried forward and said:
"Clan Head, our clansmen have almost finished those two hundred missions from last time. But now... a lot of the clan's ninja have nothing to do, with no missions available."
"I went to the Third Hokage to ask for missions, but he refused outright."
Xuandou frowned slightly at this and sat up straight.
"He refused?"
He understood.
That old man Hiruzen looked kindly enough, but behind the scenes, he was definitely putting obstacles in the Uchiha's way again.
After all, ever since he had taken over as Clan Head, the Uchiha Clan's development had visibly improved.
The clan's ninja had grown stronger, and their mission completion rate was high. Hiruzen saw it all, and he certainly couldn't be happy about it.
The problem was that the clan's Mission Hall had only just gotten started. It hadn't made a name for itself yet and couldn't get any outside commissions at all.
If the Hokage's Office wouldn't give them missions, the Mission Hall would probably struggle to develop.
He glanced out the window. It was already getting dark.
"This can't go on."
Xuandou considered for a moment.
"First thing tomorrow morning, I'll take you to the Hokage's Office myself and ask the Third what's going on."
Fugaku nodded and answered, his expression grave.
Early the next morning, Xuandou took Fugaku to the Hokage Office Building.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was sitting behind his desk, a pipe between his lips as he leafed through an intelligence report.
Hearing them, he looked up, exhaled a puff of smoke, and put on a kindly smile.
"Ah, Xuandou. What brings you to see this old