Uchiha Inabi didn't hide a thing.
He laid everything out—start to finish—even admitting, casually, that he'd once considered moving against the radicals in secret.
That was the Uchiha in a nutshell.
They didn't bother masking their emotions. Whatever they thought, they said.
Once Inabi acknowledged Jhin's path, he was willing to offer absolute loyalty—without caring whether it offended Jhin, even if it cost him his life.
Call the Uchiha extreme, arrogant, defiant—fine.
But if someone truly had the strength and means to make them submit, they would follow that person for life.
"So that's how it is."
"Then congratulations—you made the right choice. Fugaku truly can't handle how complicated the village has become."
"I'll show you that under my leadership, the Uchiha can reverse this decline."
Uchiha Jhin narrowed his eyes slightly.
Staring at Inabi, Jhin felt even more certain his plan had been correct.
By his original estimate, a large number of Uchiha would have to die before the rest truly "woke up."
Instead, only a few deaths had been enough to drive most of the clan to him—so many that even Inabi, the Clan Head's confidant, had turned.
As expected—
Uchiha were all the same: they wouldn't turn back until their heads hit the wall.
Only blood, only pain, made them listen.
And right now, the harvest was rich.
At minimum, aside from the handful of elders still clinging to power—and their personal loyalists—almost everyone else had already come over.
As for whether there were infiltrators among them?
Jhin wasn't worried.
Uchiha didn't have that kind of brain.
Even in the original story, so-called 'Hokage-aligned' prodigies, Shisui and Itachi struggled to hide their emotions in everyday life.
The clan knew exactly where they stood.
Their "undercover work" was a joke.
That was the upside of dealing with Uchiha: infiltration was nearly impossible because their nature made them terrible at it.
Even if someone tried, they'd want to carve "SPY" across their forehead.
"Elder Jhin—ANBU is here!"
An Uchiha stepped in and dropped to one knee, respectful to the point of devotion.
His eyes burned with admiration—no attempt at restraint at all.
Jhin chuckled. "Ryūgan, get up."
"We used to be teammates. No need to be so formal."
"You know I don't keep that many pointless rules."
"Don't kneel every time you speak to me."
"I get it—you're showing respect. But respect is here." He tapped his chest lightly.
"Unless it's an official occasion, don't do this routine."
Uchiha Ryūgan's admiration only deepened.
After all—
A leader with power, methods, and nerve… who still treated his subordinates gently?
That kind of leader was worlds better than Fugaku.
It wasn't just Ryūgan.
Even Inabi looked stunned.
He'd only known Jhin as the domineering figure in clan meetings—this was the first time he'd seen Jhin in private.
"Elder Jhin, be careful."
"Our people in the village saw that Fugaku is at the Hokage Tower too. I think this visit won't be friendly."
Ryūgan's voice dropped, serious.
With Jhin in control, the radicals were nothing like the original timeline.
Their territory was tightly protected—and they'd planted plenty of eyes inside the village.
Hokage Tower. Root. Other major clans.
If something felt off, Jhin could hear about it quickly.
That was why ANBU had barely arrived before Ryūgan already had the Hokage Tower situation.
Jhin only smiled, unconcerned.
"Relax. Small matter."
"I can guess what Hiruzen Sarutobi is trying to do."
"No need to worry about my safety."
"While I'm gone, lock down the territory."
Jhin's expression stayed as calm as ever.
To him, Hiruzen's political tricks were crude.
The ninja world's village system was only decades old—so Hiruzen's methods looked impressive here.
But for someone who'd lived a past life in a far more complex world?
The moment Hiruzen moved, Jhin already knew what he was aiming for.
…
Fifteen minutes later—Hokage Office.
Jhin knocked and then stepped inside.
A warm smile sat on his face. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Hiruzen, but his tone stayed politely humble.
"Hokage-sama, you called for me?"
His words were respectful.
His posture wasn't.
He didn't drop to one knee. His eyes showed no reverence at all.
Which was only natural.
They'd already torn the mask off last time. If either side could kill the other cleanly, the table would've been flipped into open war already.
So a thin layer of politeness was enough. No one should expect real respect.
Fugaku's face was dark.
Looking at Jhin's lack of deference, he wanted nothing more than to slap the brat to death.
But considering Jhin's terrifying influence, Fugaku could only swallow it with a helpless sigh and pretend not to see.
He had no choice.
A Clan Head with no followers couldn't do anything to Jhin.
Even though Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō as well, his cautious nature meant he didn't dare reveal it—afraid Konoha's upper ranks would grow even more wary.
Now he'd even lost his authority inside the clan.
He had even less confidence to move against Jhin.
So he chose the only thing he'd always chosen:
Endure.
He'd endured this long. One more humiliation changed nothing.
Hiruzen's mouth twitched.
He disliked Jhin, too. So when he caught the anger in Fugaku's eyes, something lit up inside him.
Was Fugaku finally going to stand up for once?
That would be good.
Uchiha Jhin needed a lesson.
Even if Fugaku couldn't beat him, making Jhin lose face would still be satisfying.
But—
Hiruzen sat ready to enjoy the show, and Fugaku went soft again.
Damn it.
A complete waste.
What could be expected from you?
In the end, the old man would have to do it himself.