It was bitterly cold. Even inside the Uchiha clan head's study, the room remained chilly.
On the table, the steam rising from three cups of hot tea had finally begun to fade, and the tea had grown cool, but none of the three seated there seemed to notice or care.
Aozora picked up his teacup and drained it in one go.
"We have many strong warriors within the Uchiha, yet police positions are limited. Before, it was absurd—jonin leading patrols on the streets and genin posted as guards in the main halls."
After reorganizing responsibilities, most of our elite were absorbed into the Flying Tigers, but still many special jonin and elite chunin remain within regular patrol units. It's wasteful—we're using sharp blades to slaughter cattle."
Pausing briefly, Aozora continued, "My suggestion is replacing some of those special jonin and elite chunin in patrol forces with gentler-tempered genin from within the clan, then relocating that group outside Konoha to develop in Kyoto. There we can build a second safe haven for the Uchiha."
Kyudai considered this briefly before dismissing Aozora's idea as fantasy.
"Aozora, I admit your thinking is good, but implementation would be too difficult."
Aozora didn't get angry—he simply smiled gently. "What concerns do you have? Speak freely."
Kyudai said directly, "First, every ninja is registered by the village. Anyone leaving or entering Konoha gets checked. One or two people wouldn't raise suspicion, but large numbers inevitably draw attention."
"Kyudai," Aozora countered calmly, "don't forget our Police Force now holds authority over patrols and defenses. Getting clan members in and out of Konoha isn't hard."
Having answered one question, Aozora hesitated momentarily before continuing, "As for larger groups drawing attention—forge death records as accidents."
"Aozora, you underestimate our clan's temper," Kyudai shook his head. "We're proud to bear the Uchiha name. Ask us to hide our identities? Impossible!"
He was willing to sacrifice himself for the Uchiha, but absolutely refused missions that required hiding his identity.
Aozora snorted contemptuously, "That's the clan's pride? Our elites possess only such narrow-mindedness?"
Frowning, Kyudai confronted him, "Explain yourself."
Aozora huffed coldly, "Real pride should mean the Uchiha take pride in me—not me taking pride in being Uchiha!"
The moment those words were spoken, a heavy silence fell over the study.
Contrasting this silence were the rich expressions flashing across Fugaku's and Kyudai's faces.
Aozora's words once again changed their perception of his vision.
Facing the Uchiha's long, glorious history, practically every clan member took pride in their lineage—including Kyudai, including Fugaku.
But Aozora claimed he deserved the Uchiha's pride instead.
What audacity! What pride!
Before they could finish reflecting, Aozora grinned, asking, "This is what you've been planning to say?"
At Aozora's words, the two who'd been deeply moved moments ago suddenly felt like struck by invisible clubs—dazed and stunned.
"This is your prepared argument?"
Kyudai's mood turned complex. After thinking for a moment, he admitted, "I might actually agree."
Thinking it through, and caught up in the moment, he realized he might actually agree.
Fugaku looked deeply at Aozora and said, "If you were trying to recruit me, I'd probably end up being convinced to become a spy for you."
"What? Haha—, Clan Head is making a joke," Aozora replied with an awkward chuckle as he scratched his head. There was something off about that praise.
Aozora picked up the teacup intending to take a sip and ease his slight discomfort, only to find it empty—he took a sip, only to realize the cup was empty—a bitter disappointment.
Even so, he quickly composed himself and said seriously, "The real reason clan members are willing to leave Konoha has existed long before this. The Police Force limits growth opportunities for many Uchiha elites. Compared to street patrols and hall guard duties, there are definitely those who would rather go out and seek their fortune elsewhere.
My words just act as the perfect excuse for them—and the best parting gift."
After speaking, Aozora calmly placed the teacup back down, acting as if nothing had happened just now.
Fugaku glanced at the empty cup and inwardly chuckled. He poured tea into it for Aozora personally.
"Aozora, your suggestion is excellent!"
He praised him, then continued, "However, shifting focus to Kyoto will inevitably spread out the Uchiha's forces."
Aozora looked puzzled. "So what? Even if we divert some forces away, it won't affect our control over the Police Force. The Uchiha will still remain one of Konoha's most powerful factions."
Fugaku nodded slightly and said, "In peacetime, I would certainly adopt your plan. But right now, circumstances have changed."
Aozora lowered his head in thought briefly and quickly realized the oversight in his own reasoning.
Looking up, he asked, "Clan Head, are you saying that Konoha now depends on us?"
"Exactly!"
Fugaku gave Aozora an appreciative glance before continuing, "Although Jiraiya managed to stop Hidden Cloud, Iwagakure is eyeing us carefully nearby. Under threats from these two ninja villages, the Uchiha's strength will attract others seeking protection—and provide more opportunities to earn merit."
Aozora had to admit Fugaku's understanding of the current situation was indeed superior to his own.
Danzo's defection carries significant consequences—not only affecting internal stability but also influencing the broader Ninja World.
When a high-ranking village leader defects, it will certainly damage the village's reputation and invite contempt from other villages.
Even if Iwagakure was originally planning to stay neutral, they may now try to exploit Konoha's weakened state.
Despite this, Aozora stood by his original plan.
"Clan Head, your strategic vision truly impresses me, but I still insist on transferring our surplus strength to Kyoto and establishing a second safe haven for the Uchiha clan."
Upon hearing this, Fugaku first shot Aozora a surprised look, then fell silent, wondering whether he might have misjudged the bigger picture.
However, after prolonged consideration, he felt confident in his assessment and frowned as he asked, "Why? We Uchiha are practically within reach of the Hokage title—it's only a matter of earning enough merits and reputation. War provides the perfect opportunity for that."
Aozora nodded knowingly and asked, "Clan Head, do you really wish to become Hokage?"
Fugaku paused briefly, then nodded firmly.
There was no shame in admitting it—after all, who among Konoha's ninja doesn't dream of becoming Hokage?
Ever since Danzo defected, he'd begun considering the possibility. At that time, however, Aozora's words had made him give up on it temporarily.
The timing hadn't been right back then, and the Uchiha truly had no chance of winning. So he followed Aozora's advice, reformed the Police Force, and improved how the Uchiha communicated with the village. Now the Uchiha were stronger than ever, with a well-organized force behind them. As long as they achieved remarkable feats moving forward, even if Jiraiya entered the race, he felt confident enough to compete.
Once he became Hokage, he believed he could lead the Uchiha to heights never seen before. Seeing this, Aozora couldn't help but smile bitterly and muttered, "It's just a village head position after all. Is it really worth dragging the whole clan into this?" He wasn't nearly as optimistic as Fugaku about the Uchiha's future, nor did he place much value on the title of Hokage itself.
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