"Can you tell me why you refused to join ANBU?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked steadily at Uchiha Yuan as he asked, his voice calm and even.
Without the slightest hesitation, Yuan replied bluntly,
"I don't like it. I'm not interested."
Fugaku frowned, then quickly relaxed his expression. With a hint of regret, he said,
"Yuan… that was a rash decision. If I had returned to the village earlier, I might have been able to stop you."
"Does the clan head hope that I would join ANBU?" Yuan asked.
Fugaku let out a long sigh.
"Yes."
After a brief pause, a trace of hesitation crossed his face before he continued,
"After the Nine-Tails incident, the village became deeply distrustful of the Uchiha clan.
"That night, a three-tomoe Sharingan pattern appeared in the Nine-Tails' eyes. That means the rampage was caused by Sharingan manipulation."
Yuan put on a shocked expression and spoke up,
"There was such a thing? Clan Head—then who was the one controlling the Nine-Tails?"
Fugaku said gravely,
"The clan has already conducted a covert investigation. It wasn't any of our people.
"We suspect that a Sharingan may have fallen into outside hands and been mastered by someone else. Whoever that person is, they are a threat—to Konoha, and to the Uchiha clan."
A fierce look flashed across Yuan's face. He clenched his fist and struck it lightly into his palm.
"Clan Head, I will definitely find the bastard who framed our Uchiha clan."
Fugaku gave a soft acknowledgment and nodded.
"That person must be found. A Sharingan capable of controlling the Nine-Tails must be recovered by the clan."
He then continued,
"Because of the Nine-Tails incident, the village has grown suspicious of us. Although Shisui has already joined ANBU, he alone isn't enough.
"That's why I hoped more clan members would enter ANBU—to help us grasp the village's attitude toward the Uchiha in a timely manner."
Yuan's brows knitted tightly. After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly,
"Clan Head, your considerations for the clan are correct. But I don't regret my decision.
"I don't like being ANBU. In my eyes, ANBU are nothing more than rats hiding their heads and skulking through the sewers."
His gaze hardened.
"I want to join the Uchiha Police Force. I want those ANBU to see—to the point where they'll never dare show the Police Force any disrespect again."
Looking at Yuan's resolute expression, Fugaku let out a quiet sigh.
With his keen perception, he could tell that Yuan was speaking from the heart.
So he still hasn't forgotten the humiliation of that ANBU squad forcing the clan to back down on the night of the Nine-Tails…
Based on the intelligence from the battlefield, Yuan wasn't reckless—but his actions were domineering and unyielding.
The Police Force was made up entirely of awakened clan elites. Yuan had demonstrated overwhelming strength, but without having awakened the Sharingan, it would be difficult for him to truly convince them.
Putting aside his thoughts, Fugaku spoke slowly,
"The clan is pleased to see yet another genius powerhouse emerge among us."
After a brief pause, he continued,
"Welcome to the Police Force. From today onward, you will serve as the captain of the Third Squad."
"Thank you for the clan head's trust."
Yuan was genuinely surprised by this appointment, though a wild, arrogant smile appeared on his face.
My public image has to stay consistent.
He had expected, at most, a standard squad leader position. He hadn't anticipated that Fugaku would directly appoint him as a squad captain.
The Police Force was divided into three companies, further split into nine squads by number. The Third Squad belonged to the First Company.
Seeing the joy on Yuan's face, Fugaku's expression turned solemn as he warned him,
"The former captain of the Third Squad died on the battlefield, taking three Kirigakure shinobi with him.
"At present, Uchiha Copper Tiger is acting as the Third Squad's temporary captain. In terms of seniority and strength, he was the sole candidate originally planned to succeed to that position."
Fugaku's gaze sharpened.
"So although I am appointing you as Third Squad Captain now—if you cannot win their respect, I will revoke this position.
"This is your trial, Yuan. I hope you won't disappoint me."
The smile on Yuan's face slowly faded, replaced by a firm, resolute expression.
He met Fugaku's gaze head-on, his entire body radiating an indomitable fighting spirit.
"Clan Head, rest assured. I understand—might makes right.
"I will suppress all who refuse to submit."
Fugaku nodded, then said,
"Official matters are finished. Now, for a private matter."
Yuan looked puzzled.
"Clan Head, may I ask what it is?"
Fugaku didn't answer. Instead, he brought his hands together in a single clap.
Moments later, the sliding door to the side of the reception hall opened, revealing two kneeling figures.
They were Uchiha Mikoto—and a young girl who bore a faint resemblance to her.
Both carried trays with freshly brewed hot tea.
Mikoto served the tea to Fugaku, while the girl stepped forward and placed the cup before Yuan.
"Yuan-kun, please have some tea."
With graceful movements, the girl lifted the cup and offered it to him, her gentle eyes resting on his face.
A faint, elegant fragrance drifted over. Yuan glanced at her, accepted the cup, and took a sip.
"Good tea. Thank you."
He set the cup down, his gaze lingering on the girl for a few seconds.
She appeared to be one or two years older than him—quiet and refined, with an elegant bearing. Her skin was smooth as jade, brows curved like crescent moons, and her bright eyes held traces of shyness and curiosity.
Looking at her, Yuan couldn't help but think of Senju Snow. Both were strikingly beautiful, difficult to rank above the other.
Mikoto sat beside Fugaku with a gentle smile. As she looked at Yuan, she lightly bit her lip, a trace of grievance and irritation flickering in her eyes.
Brat… my Itachi is so outstanding, yet here I am introducing my own little sister to you. How unfair.
Mikoto still harbored a bit of annoyance toward Yuan.
As for Mikoto's knife-edged gaze, Yuan pretended not to notice. He thought to himself,
The clan head's "private matter" couldn't possibly be related to Lady Mikoto, could it…?
At that moment, Fugaku spoke.
"Yuan, you're already growing up. In a few more years, it will be time for you to start a family."
After a pause, he turned to the girl and smiled.
"Tsukine is my wife Mikoto's youngest sister. She's close to you in age. You two can get to know each other."
The girl's cheeks flushed crimson with shyness. As Fugaku finished speaking, she looked at Yuan and softly opened her lips.
"Yuan-kun, hello. This is our first meeting. I'm Uchiha Tsukine. I hope we'll get along from now on."
At that very moment, Yuan's mind went completely blank.
He was genuinely stunned.
His eyes widened, and a look of shock and panic spread across his face.
He had not expected Fugaku's "private matter" to be this.
This is matchmaking. This is definitely matchmaking.
How old was he? And he was already being set up on a blind date?
It was utterly unexpected.
Seeing Yuan's dumbfounded expression, Mikoto couldn't help but let out a light laugh, the last of her irritation finally dissipating.
She hadn't expected the usually calm and composed Yuan to show such a flustered, at-a-loss expression.
With a bright smile, Mikoto teased,
"Little Yuan, Tsukine is still waiting for your response."
At her words, the panic on Yuan's face vanished almost instantly.
He straightened, looked seriously at Uchiha Tsukine, and said,
"Hello. I'm Uchiha Yuan. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please forgive me if I was rude just now."
Some people die… but they don't die completely.
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