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Chapter 6 - The Sword Hanging Over Our Heads

"No matter the opponent, an Uchiha can't become Hokage?"

Tarou and Fugaku's expressions changed once again.

Tarou fixed his gaze on Yuzuru and said gravely, "Give us your reasoning."

Feeling their eyes on him, Yuzuru thought for a moment and decided to explain.

After all, unlike him, Tarou and Fugaku knew nothing of what lay ahead. If he wanted them to face reality, he needed evidence strong enough to convince.

After a short pause, Yuzuru said, "Clan Head Tarō, Fugaku! To understand my conclusion, we have to start with the late Second Hokage—Senju Tobirama—who was deeply hostile to the Uchiha."

At the name, Tarou and Fugaku traded a baffled look.

"The Second Hokage was hostile to us?"

"Yuzuru, while our relations with the Senju were rocky before the village was founded, calling the Second Hokage hostile to us feels… off, doesn't it?"

"Our position in the village today was built on the Second's policies."

"He created the Police Force and granted us full authority over public order."

"Why would you say he was hostile to the Uchiha?"

Yuzuru couldn't help finding it almost funny.

No wonder a great clan like the Uchiha marched step by step toward destruction. With this kind of political mind, they'd help someone count their money even after being sold out.

Only having fighting and killing in their heads—it was truly Ridiculous.

Seeing Yuzuru remain silent, Fugaku couldn't help but urge him, "Yuzuru, why don't you speak?"

Yuzuru sighed, a trace of helplessness in his tone. "It's precisely because of the Police Force that our reputation in the village is so poor."

"Huh? How so?"

Yuzuru explained, "Maintaining the village's order sounds like holding real power, but anything truly important is handled directly by the Hokage's Anbu."

"The majority of what our Police Force deals with are merely conflicts between villagers."

"Everyday quarrels are hard to judge cleanly. Even when you can, the punished side will resent us as enforcers."

"And those we help eventually chalk it up as nothing more than us doing our job."

"No one thanks us; what builds up instead is hostility."

"Rumor repeated becomes truth. Even villagers we've never punished begin to avoid us out of fear."

"Add to that our clan's straightforward, uncompromising nature, and of course our handling will often displease people. A worsening relationship with the populace was inevitable."

"The Second Hokage saw this clearly. That's why he ensured only Uchiha could serve in the Police Force."

"Ask yourselves: aside from the Police Force, is there any other power center in the village restricted to a single clan?"

What Yuzuru said is common sense to later generations, but to Tarou and Fugaku—living inside the system—his words struck like thunder.

Thoughts they'd never considered flashed through their minds; a creeping dread took hold.

They'd long wondered why, after so many years, the Uchiha still felt out of step with the village.

So that's where the problem lay.

The Uchiha had been maneuvered into a trap years ago—and if not for Yuzuru, they might have stayed in the dark forever.

A different policy sparked in Tarou's mind. Licking his dry lips, he asked, voice unsteady, "Yuzuru, what about the Second allowing our shinobi to stay in the village permanently, without having to take outside missions…"

"It's exactly what you think," Yuzuru said, shattering his last illusion.

"At the right moment, all it would take is spreading something like: 'Why must the rest of us risk our lives on missions while the Uchiha sit safely in the village doing risk-free work?' Our clan's reputation would collapse overnight."

"That was a bomb Senju Tobirama planted on purpose."

"A bomb big enough to blow the Uchiha to pieces."

Cold sweat beaded on Tarou and Fugaku's brows.

They weren't fools.

They simply hadn't examined it closely. Now that the window paper was pierced, everything snapped into focus.

Yuzuru's words weren't mere alarmism—a blade was indeed hanging over the Uchiha clan's head, ready to fall at any moment!

They had been treating this matter as an honor all along, but they never expected so much scheming to be hidden behind it.

Senju Tobirama was truly evil!

After giving them a moment to think, Yuzuru continued, "And those who inherited Tobirama's mindset—Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, and the rest—will never give the Uchiha a chance to turn things around."

"So regardless of who else is in the running, the Hokage faction will never choose an Uchiha."

Tarou and Fugaku exchanged uneasy looks. Fugaku pushed back: "Yuzuru, since the Third took office, he hasn't enacted measures specifically targeting the Uchiha, has he?"

"Maybe he's different from the Second?"

Hearing this, Yuzuru glanced at Fugaku, and his right hand couldn't help but move toward the long sword at his waist.

He seriously wanted to cut down this fool with a single stroke.

In the original path, Fugaku clung to wishful thinking about the Hokage faction. He named his son Sasuke after the Third's mentor, vacillated between coup and compromise, sent both Itachi and Shisui into Anbu to be brainwashed… 

Count him in and that's three pairs of Mangekyō.

Do nothing and even Sarutobi and Danzō wouldn't dare make a rash move against the Uchiha, right?

And the result?

They managed to get the Uchiha erased anyway.

Yuzuru drew a long breath, steadying himself.

Fugaku wasn't the only clansman still harboring illusions about Sarutobi. To win them over completely, he'd need to strip the masks from Sarutobi and the rest.

With that, Yuzuru said evenly, "Clan Head Tarou, try proposing this to Sarutobi Hiruzen: reform the Police Force to allow in shinobi from other clans—or even civilian shinobi."

"Of course, you should also mention allowing Uchiha Shinobi to form teams freely and go out on missions like other Shinobi…"

"That's enough for today. Thanks for the tea."

He'd said what needed saying. Some truths needed time to sink in.

With him here, the clansmen would see Sarutobi and company for what they were.

Let the bullets fly for a while first.

Watching Yuzuru's back recede, Tarou couldn't help murmuring, moved, "Sharp eyes and overwhelming strength—seems our clan has birthed a remarkable one."

Fugaku, on the other hand, was troubled. "Father, if the Third is truly as Yuzuru says, what do we do?"

After a moment's silence, Tarou sighed. "We'll see. Perhaps Yuzuru already has a plan."

"Fugaku, if things really go south, Yuzuru might be the key to breaking the deadlock. Don't butt heads with him."

"Don't worry, Father." Remembering Yuzuru's terrifying Dōjutsu Power and the insight he had just displayed, Fugaku muttered, "I'm not that petty."

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