"I am who I am. I don't belong to any faction."
"Everything I've done has been for the Uchiha for the clansmen serving in the Police Force."
The ANBU had already been monitoring Lance Shen for half a year. Tightening surveillance a little more wouldn't change anything. As long as Lance didn't provoke the higher-ups directly, even if Danzo wanted to deal with him, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never allow it. The Third Hokage knew that any sudden move against Lance could easily ignite the already fragile tension between the village and the Uchiha clan.
Besides, assassinating a jonin inside the Uchiha compound was no simple task. Lance's life followed a disciplined rhythm either at home within the clan district or patrolling with his subordinates in the Police Department. Even a man as ruthless as Danzo wouldn't find a good opportunity to strike.
If Danzo truly had the power to kill anyone he wanted, he wouldn't need to plot in the shadows. He'd simply overthrow the Hokage and take the seat himself.
"If what I do for my clan and my people puts me in danger," Lance said quietly, "then so be it."
He opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him, leaving Shisui Uchiha standing alone in the darkness.
"Sigh…"
Shisui stood there for a long time under the pale moonlight, his eyes filled with quiet conflict. At last, he turned and disappeared into the night.
He didn't return home to rest. Instead, he headed straight for the Hokage's office.
What had happened at the clan meeting earlier that day had to be reported to the Third Hokage. That was the burden of a double agent one who stood between loyalty and betrayal.
How much information Shisui shared with the Uchiha leader, Fugaku, and how much he concealed only he knew. But to Lance Shen, it was clear: Shisui wasn't truly a double agent at all. He was a loyal spy for the village, not the clan. His heart had already shifted away from the Uchiha, just like his predecessor, Kagami Uchiha, who had chosen the Will of Fire over bloodline pride.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi learned what had transpired, he gave up his plan to return home for the night. Instead, he stayed in his office, frowning, thinking about how he would face Fugaku the next day.
By morning, news of the confrontation at the clan meeting had spread throughout the Uchiha district like wildfire.
Many members of the clan were thrilled. It was a release a long-suppressed roar finally escaping their chests.
For years, the Uchiha had endured countless humiliations, watched, distrusted, and pushed to the margins of the village they helped build. Yet their leader and elders had chosen silence, afraid to resist, too busy playing politics and consolidating their small spheres of influence to fight for real change.
"Lance!"
"Morning, brother! You really nailed it last night!"
"Haha, took some guts to say all that in front of everyone. I like your spirit!"
The clan members greeted him warmly as he walked through the streets. Their voices carried pride, approval, and a sense of long-lost unity.
It was a good sign.
The louder his name spread among the Uchiha, the safer Lance became.
The stronger his influence, the less likely the village's leadership or Danzo would dare to move against him.
To change the Uchiha's fate, he needed more than words. He needed results and reputation achievements that commanded respect and a name that inspired others to follow.
No one would listen to an unknown man shouting about reform. To them, he would only seem like another delusional fool.
Today, the ninja academy was closed, which meant Lance didn't need to check on his two favorite students Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki.
Whenever he had spare time, he used the mysterious "copy" ability granted by his system on other skilled individuals sometimes Shisui, sometimes even Fugaku himself.
The results varied. While copying such powerful shinobi rarely triggered a full "critical success," even a partial transfer from them yielded valuable insights and strength.
As the day went on, more and more people greeted him with admiration.
Yes, his plan was working. Fame was a shield and he intended to make it impenetrable.
On his way to the Police Department, Lance unexpectedly ran into Sasuke.
The boy was following closely behind his older brother, Itachi, who was clearly planning to use the day off for training.
Seeing them together, Lance smiled. Fate was handing him another opportunity.
Without hesitation, he activated his system's ability.
"Copy successful. Partial Sharingan ocular power obtained. Would you like to fuse?"
"Fuse," Lance replied immediately.
A surge of energy rippled through his body. The world seemed to shimmer for a brief second before stabilizing again.
As his vision cleared, he contemplated what this meant.
If one's spirit and emotions remained stable, would that prevent the Sharingan from evolving further?
Could the Mangekyo Sharingan only awaken through trauma and emotional extremes?
He didn't know yet.
But what he did know was this: over the past six months, he had absorbed enormous amounts of mental energy and ocular power through his fusions.
Even the lingering essences of Indra and Asura the ancient progenitors of chakra had partially merged into him.
Perhaps his chakra, ocular power, and spiritual energy hadn't yet reached their breaking point, the critical threshold that triggered true evolution.
But Lance believed that day would come.
All he needed was time.
Eventually, quantity would become quality and when it did, it would bring about something extraordinary.
Meanwhile, Fugaku Uchiha had decided to pay a visit to the Hokage's office.
Whether or not the meeting resolved anything wasn't the point. What mattered was that he showed up.
If he ignored the situation, after publicly agreeing to address it, the clan would see him as weak a leader who spoke brave words but took no action.
That would be fatal to his authority.
Inside the Hokage's office, Fugaku wasted no time with pleasantries.
He laid the issue bare.
He was certain Hiruzen had already been briefed by Shisui and had prepared his political response.
Indeed, the Third Hokage had spent much of the night pondering how to handle it. He knew all too well the depth of resentment festering among the Uchiha.
For years, they had swallowed their anger, but now someone had flipped the table and that meant the matter could no longer be ignored.
Hiruzen sighed. "Fugaku… I understand your concerns. Truly, I do. But you know the situation since that incident. The village is still recovering. We've lost many capable shinobi, and our manpower is stretched thin."
He paused, adopting his usual tone of weary benevolence. "I want to address the complaints against the Police Force, but the truth is, we simply lack the resources. I hope you and your people can be patient for a while longer."
The same excuse.
Lance could have predicted it word for word.
Hiruzen wasn't refusing outright but neither was he agreeing.
He was passing the burden back, as always.
And when Fugaku heard him mention "that incident," his expression darkened.
The Nine-Tails' Night Konoha's darkest chapter.
It had left an indelible stain on the Uchiha name, one they could never seem to wash away.
The masked man who had unleashed the Nine-Tails had used the Sharingan to control it, killing Kushina Uzumaki and indirectly causing the death of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
The village's grief needed a scapegoat, and the Uchiha were the perfect target.
Even if they weren't truly responsible, suspicion alone was enough to condemn them.
And so the burden remained generation after generation until now.
But this time, things were changing.
Because Lance Shen had decided to stand up.
And when he did, the world would never be the same again.