Ever since the Fourth Hokage took office, Fugaku had rarely shown a sorrowful expression.
He thought this kind of peaceful, happy life would last a long, long time—long enough for him to see his two sons marry, have children, and enjoy three generations under one roof. But...
Casting a complicated look at the Internal Affairs Division ninja leading the way ahead, Fugaku let out a sigh in his heart.
Unknown Uchiha were still active outside. Not only had they grievously wounded the Fourth, but now they even attempted to assassinate the Fifth. And on top of that, some Uchiha had even defected from the village.
Fugaku felt that sooner or later, he would be ruined by this group of people.
Just as Fugaku was imagining various ways he might die, the Internal Affairs Division ninja ahead of him came to a halt.
"We're here."
The cold voice cut off Fugaku's thoughts. Forcing out an ugly smile, Fugaku took a deep breath, steeled himself, and pushed open the door.
"Yo, Captain Fugaku, come and see which one of your clansmen tried to assassinate me."
Takeshi's words were warm and enthusiastic, his face cheerful—he looked nothing like someone who had just been the target of an assassination attempt.
But what he said made Fugaku's stomach cramp violently.
Stomach medicine. I need stomach medicine.
Rubbing his abdomen, Fugaku forced a bitter smile.
"Please don't tease me, Fifth-sama."
At the same time, his gaze fell on the corpse lying on the dissection table.
Hiss... that face looks familiar.
Fugaku blinked. Maybe it was psychological, but ever since he used Susanoo last time, he felt his vision had become blurry.
Leaning closer to the corpse, Fugaku asked with some uncertainty,
"Uchiha Setsuna?"
...
"That's right, this is Uchiha Setsuna."
Arriving soon after, Hiruzen confirmed the identity of the body.
A rebel who had attempted an uprising during the Second Hokage's era but failed.
According to the records, this man should have died of illness during the Third Great Ninja War.
"Looks like Konoha has been deeply infiltrated."
Hiruzen looked at Setsuna's corpse with some unease.
Thanks to Orochimaru's invention of the detector, otherwise information about Konoha would still be leaking endlessly.
"If identification is done, I'll begin the dissection."
Shizune had already donned gloves early on. Standing beside Rin, she was ready. With Takeshi's signal, they could begin "heart-to-heart" talks with Setsuna.
"Go ahead."
Seeing that Fugaku and Hiruzen had nothing more to add, Takeshi nodded, giving them permission to start.
Leaving the space to Shizune and Rin, Takeshi and the others stepped outside to wait for the results.
"Never thought the troublemaker Uchiha would be him. He was even older than me."
Hiruzen sighed with some emotion.
You're being modest, sensei. At his age, you could still take both of Orochimaru's arms.
Takeshi mocked inwardly.
"But we still don't know who the other Uchiha is."
Now that one of them was identified, Fugaku felt a little less tense.
"And we don't know where they're hiding."
Hiruzen added in agreement.
Takeshi remained silent, hesitating whether to share his suspicion.
After thinking a while, he decided to say it out loud and hear the others' opinions.
"I suspect Amegakure."
"Amegakure, huh? Ever since Hanzo of the Salamander died, that place has been shrouded in uncertainty."
Hiruzen recalled the village.
After the Second Great Ninja War, the warring sides had promised never to expand their power into the Land of Rain.
Aside from Hanzo's personal influence, the country's complicated situation was also an important factor in ensuring that promise.
"Even the Daimyō of the Land of Rain has vanished who-knows-where..."
Hiruzen nodded. Indeed, its chaotic state made it a fitting place for rebels to hide.
Inuzuka Gaku's squad had gone missing there as well.
"The Land of Rice Fields is also suspicious. There's no ninja village there, but intel shows many unidentified shinobi gathering in that region."
Nara Shikaku, silent until now, also voiced his perspective.
"I'll have Internal Affairs focus surveillance on those two areas."
Takeshi thought about it and felt that was reasonable.
In the original timeline, Akatsuki was based in Amegakure, but that didn't necessarily mean these unknown Uchiha were there too.
Still, the suspicion was high.
"You're already the Fifth Hokage. You can form an Anbu unit loyal only to you. If you lack suitable candidates, I can recommend a few."
When Takeshi mentioned Internal Affairs, Hiruzen couldn't help but frown.
He'd heard those guys could easily capture even Jiraiya, leaving him too spooked to approach the women's bathhouse anymore.
"Anbu? No rush."
Takeshi waved his hand. He wasn't planning to form his own Anbu for now.
Internal Affairs already had assassins skilled enough, and using them gave him more peace of mind.
"Better to put manpower toward expanding Konoha first."
Turning to the window, through the glass Takeshi could clearly see one building after another rising on the outskirts of the village.
The others followed his gaze.
"That building there, isn't it meant to be a hotel?"
Fugaku suddenly pointed toward a structure near the main gate.
From its frame, once completed, it would surely look majestic—perhaps even surpassing the Hokage building.
Using it as a hotel seemed like a waste.
If only it could serve as headquarters for the Police Force instead.
Even knowing it was impossible, Fugaku still entertained a shred of fantasy.
"Yes, the Grand Hotel—specifically for entertaining foreign nobles."
Takeshi nodded, barely holding back his laughter as he spoke the name.
"Why build a hotel just for nobles?"
Hiruzen knew exactly how tense his student's relations with the nobility were. Forget being nice—if they weren't killing each other on sight, it was already fortunate. So why would he go out of his way to build them a hotel?
"Sensei, in two years Konoha will host the Chūnin Exams. At that time, many nobles will come to observe. Naturally, we must let them see Konoha's grandeur."
Takeshi explained smoothly, leaving no room for doubt.
Really?
Everyone wore disbelieving expressions.
Who didn't know him? He might look loyal and proper, but when it came to killing nobles, he was ruthless—sometimes wiping out entire families without hesitation.
Ignoring their faces, Takeshi turned his head and began introducing the other buildings.
With Konoha's expansion, the once-remote Police Force suddenly found itself relocated to the inner ring.
The Uchiha clansmen, who had long felt isolated, now looked at the new map and discovered with delight that their neighborhood had, without them realizing, become the very center of Konoha.
Their morale skyrocketed.
Now, the Uchiha finally had the confidence to puff out their chests and, together with other major clans, look down on outsiders as filthy beggars from the provinces.