Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.
Staring at Uchiha Jhin, he felt like a dog trying to bite a turtle—no place to put his teeth in.
After a long stretch, he finally said, "Let's stop dancing around it. What will it take for you to restore the police force?"
"That kind of thing," Uchiha Jhin said, tossing the problem away without a blink, "you should ask our clan head."
Fugaku's eyes flashed with irritation. He tried to speak—more than once—like he wanted to scold him.
I want to handle it too, damn it, but nobody listens to me!
But.
Knowing he was a clan head in name only, with no real intimidation left to wield against Uchiha Jhin, Fugaku sighed and chose surrender.
"There's nothing I can do," he said flatly. "No one listens to me."
Hiruzen's expression soured.
So it came right back around.
Fugaku wanted it solved, but he didn't have the ability. The Uchiha below him ignored every word he said. Uchiha Jhin could solve it, but didn't want to—and more importantly, he held no official post, so even the Hokage couldn't punish him through proper channels.
The problem jammed in place—stuck.
And yet Konoha's security had to be stabilized.
After a moment's thought, Hiruzen let a thin smile show. "Jhin-kun, your rank truly should be raised. A man with your strength can't remain a Chūnin forever."
"I'll grant you a special promotion to Jōnin," he continued, tone smooth, "and I'll have Fugaku transfer the position of police chief to you."
"How does that sound?"
Hiruzen's thinking was crystal clear.
He couldn't deal with Uchiha Jhin because the boy's official standing was too low. He also couldn't crack down on the entire Uchiha Clan—not without pushing them into open rebellion.
But if he raised Uchiha Jhin's rank, then the next time Jhin refused to act, the Hokage would finally have the authority to punish him.
Unfortunately for Hiruzen…
Uchiha Jhin wasn't stupid.
He didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat before shaking his head. "Hokage-sama is joking. My ability isn't that great—I don't think I could pass the Jōnin assessment."
"And a special promotion… let's not. It wouldn't be fair to the other shinobi."
"Konoha values the Will of Fire. Everything should be fair and just. Hokage-sama should lead by example."
Uchiha Jhin's voice was quiet—almost gentle.
But Hiruzen nearly felt his lungs burst.
Will of Fire?
Was an Uchiha really the one lecturing him about that?
He wanted to let his temper loose, to strike once and make sure the boy never stood up again.
But he couldn't.
He couldn't even properly strike back—because that last sentence had backed him into checkmate.
As Hokage, he had to uphold the Will of Fire. That was the foundation his entire rule rested on. And with Uchiha Jhin's words hanging in the air, Hiruzen lost any real possibility of forcing him into power.
By Konoha's rules, the first step to becoming Jōnin was that the candidate applied voluntarily.
And there it was—the choke point.
Sure, there was also forced promotion.
But that required undeniable merit—great deeds. And Uchiha Jhin didn't have that on record.
If it were one of his own people, it would be easy to maneuver.
But Uchiha Jhin wasn't.
Hiruzen was genuinely afraid that if he pushed through a promotion anyway, Uchiha Jhin would turn around and tell the whole village that the Hokage had no Will of Fire at all.
So… he sighed.
He understood it now.
If he wanted Uchiha Jhin dead, the only reliable way was brute force—killing him outright. Trying to strangle him through the rules was far too difficult.
He didn't understand it.
This man was an Uchiha—so why was he more seasoned at political warfare than Hiruzen himself?
In the end, Hiruzen shook his head and set down his pipe.
"Name your terms. Say them plainly."
"Konoha's security must be restored immediately. That point isn't negotiable. If the village truly rots into chaos, the other clans and the civilians won't let the Uchiha off the hook either."
"Of course—if you're ready to tear everything open and start a civil war right now… then I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, will meet you head-on."
The words rang with iron.
And as Uchiha Jhin watched him, his eyes flickered—like, for an instant, he could see the legendary 'Professor' from the old days, the shinobi hero who once stood at the top of Konoha.
But.
Just as he was about to speak, Fugaku suddenly blurted out, panicked.
"Jhin-kun, stop it!"
"Konoha's security isn't a bargaining chip. It's the Uchiha's responsibility. You have to shoulder that responsibility."
Uchiha Jhin's mouth twitched.
Looking at Fugaku, he genuinely wanted to slap him.
Can't you see I'm negotiating with Hiruzen Sarutobi?
He drew in a slow breath anyway, then shrugged—helpless, almost amused.
"Sure. If you're so capable, you do it."
"You're the clan head. Your word goes. I won't interfere—happy now?"
Fugaku froze—completely stunned.
If I had real authority, would I be letting you stir up chaos and talk nonsense here?
And on the other side—
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Fugaku jump in, and although he couldn't deny Fugaku's foolish sentiment matched what he wanted…
He also knew Fugaku didn't actually have a word inside the clan anymore.
So—
Bang.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his palm on the desk. "Fugaku. Shut up."
Fugaku: "…"
He stared at Hiruzen's furious face, and in that instant, a deep, stinging grievance welled up in his chest.
I'm on your side!
Hiruzen didn't even spare him a glance. He looked straight past Fugaku and addressed Uchiha Jhin instead. "Jhin. Continue."
"Name your terms," Hiruzen said. "If it's within my power, then for Konoha's security… I'll agree to it."
Uchiha Jhin nodded.
Now this is how negotiations are supposed to work.
Fugaku was an idiot—he didn't understand a damn thing, only how to barge in and ruin the rhythm.
Jhin's mind began to turn, fast and sharp. A moment later, something clicked, and his eyes brightened.
He cleared his throat and spoke slowly.
"Hokage-sama."
"Normally, a matter like this isn't something a Chūnin should be involved in."
"But since Hokage-sama thinks highly of me, then for Konoha's Will of Fire… I'm willing to do what I can to resolve it."
"But right now, inside the Uchiha Clan, the resentment runs deep."
"If you don't give them something in return, then there's nothing I can do—no matter how willing I am." He held Hiruzen's gaze. "So yes, Hokage-sama. I'll need your support."
Hiruzen's eyes turned darker, unreadable.
He reassessed Uchiha Jhin yet again. The boy wanted something Hiruzen needed to give—and still wrapped it neatly in a layer of "for the Will of Fire," as if it were a selfless duty.
The tactic was good. Too good.
But then Hiruzen caught Fugaku about to open his mouth again, and a headache stabbed through him.
How can he be this stupid?
"Fugaku," Hiruzen snapped, cutting him off, "shut up. From this moment on, you have no right to speak."
Fugaku—who'd been seconds from scolding Uchiha Jhin—froze in disbelief.
Hiruzen didn't care. His voice turned severe again, stripped down to the point.
"What do you want?"
"It's not what I want," Uchiha Jhin shot back. "It's what the clan needs."
Hiruzen rubbed at the pressure behind his eyes. "Fine. What do the Uchiha need?"
"Our original clan district," Uchiha Jhin said, without wasting a word. "The area on the left side of the Hokage Tower."
"The Uchiha district from before the Nine-Tails incident. If Hokage-sama is willing to return it, then I'm confident I can put an end to this—completely."