"..."
The Hokage Tower office went so quiet it felt like even a pin dropping would be too loud.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes turned murky. He drew hard on his pipe—one deep pull after another—while his mind spun at full speed.
Uchiha Jhin, by contrast, didn't even blink.
He stood where he was, steady and unhurried, looking like none of this concerned him in the slightest.
Fugaku Uchiha's expression twisted into something complicated—fear layered over disbelief.
He stared at Uchiha Jhin as if he were watching someone walk up to the edge of a cliff and step forward without hesitation. Fugaku had dreamed of reclaiming the Uchiha Clan's ancestral district, but it was hard for him to achieve that dream.
Meat that had already made it into Konoha's leadership's mouth—who would ever spit it back out?
The Uchiha weren't strong enough. Their standing inside Konoha was too poor. In this lifetime, it would never happen.
But now—
Uchiha Jhin had dragged it into the open.
And Fugaku's first feeling wasn't joy.
It was fear, bone-deep and immediate.
What if Konoha's upper ranks flipped the table?
The situation between the Uchiha and the village was already delicate, balanced on the edge of a blade. If this pushed them into open hostility, it would be the end.
So he didn't think. He just spoke.
"Hokage-sama, absolutely not!"
"The Uchiha have no intention of asking for the ancestral district—this is all Uchiha Jhin speaking recklessly!"
"Please, don't take it seriously!"
Fugaku's voice was firm—almost desperate.
To him, preserving the relationship between the Uchiha and the village mattered more than anything. If anything, they should be looking for a way to ease tensions, not ignite them.
Uchiha Jhin was too radical.
Fugaku wouldn't accept it.
Across from him, Uchiha Jhin's face stayed calm.
He looked at Fugaku's panic with open disdain—and a faint, cutting amusement.
But he didn't argue.
Instead, he smiled, warm as sunlight and just as false.
"Clan Head Fugaku is right," he said cheerfully. "I'm only a small-time Chūnin. Maybe I really can't see the bigger picture of the village."
"In that case, persuading the Uchiha… you'll have to forgive me. I'm incapable of it."
"No way around it. I'm just a Chūnin."
The logic was simple.
If it isn't your seat, it isn't your burden.
If there were no benefits for him—if he held no official position—then there was no reason to force his hand.
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "…"
He let out a quiet sigh.
Fugaku's surrender pleased him. If every Uchiha were that soft, how easy life would be.
But unfortunately—
Fugaku might have been the clan head, yet he barely had any voice inside the Uchiha Clan at all.
As for the Uchiha Clan's ancestral district…
Truthfully, it was prime land—prosperous, valuable—and it had long since fallen into Sarutobi's hands.
Even so, Hiruzen didn't particularly covet it.
After decades as Hokage, the Sarutobi were already wealthy enough.
Back then, forcing the Uchiha to relocate had served one purpose: to restrain them.
That land had been too close to Konoha's bustling center—and too close to other clans, especially the Sarutobi. Hiruzen had feared that if the Uchiha were pushed into a corner, their first act of violence would be to wipe out the Sarutobi.
But now?
Now was different.
The Uchiha were harder to deal with than ever, but Hiruzen could see it clearly—Uchiha Jhin had a mind.
A man like that…
Unless driven into absolute desperation, he wouldn't erupt blindly.
In that case, returning the ancestral area was barely acceptable.
Because compared to a stretch of land, Hiruzen cared far more about Konoha's security.
Recently, with the village's order unraveling, complaints had started pointing straight at the Hokage.
So…
Let the Uchiha wade back into that cesspit.
Let them take the filth, draw the anger, and sink into the blame.
With the decision made, Hiruzen nodded once.
"Fine. I agree."
"Within three days, the area will be cleared. The Uchiha will restore the village's security immediately."
"Uchiha Jhin—any objections?"
He spoke plainly.
He couldn't be bothered to haggle over details. Restoring basic order, throwing the Uchiha into that mess, and letting them continue to absorb the village's resentment—that was what mattered.
Uchiha Jhin nodded. "Since Hokage-sama is being so generous, then I can act with confidence."
"In three days, Konoha's security will be restored. Guaranteed."
"Three days?" Hiruzen's gaze darkened. "One day."
"I'll have the area vacated within a day."
Uchiha Jhin shrugged. "Then I'll take one day as well."
With that, he turned and walked out.
Respect?
There was no need for it.
They'd already torn away the pretense between them. The only reason the last shred of decorum remained was that neither side had a clean way to eliminate the other without paying a price.
And for all of Uchiha Jhin's rudeness, Hiruzen acted as if he hadn't noticed.
Compared to the countless times he'd imagined killing Danzo Shimura right in front of him, this was nothing—childish, almost.
Instead, his eyes shifted to Fugaku, who looked terrified… and yet couldn't quite hide the flicker of joy under it.
And then he left quickly.
"Fugaku," he said lightly, "if there's nothing else, you can go back as well."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Fugaku bowed quickly.
He left the Hokage Tower office with exaggerated respect—and even by the time he stumbled back into the clan district, he still hadn't fully processed what had just happened.
Just like that… that easily?!
Fugaku Uchiha still couldn't understand it.
In his eyes, Uchiha Jhin had been far too arrogant. How could the village possibly allow him to act so unrestrained?
And yet the outcome left Fugaku adrift.
Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't even tried to bargain. He'd agreed quickly. Even now, Fugaku felt like he was walking through a dream.
Was he really that inadequate? Was Uchiha Jhin simply that exceptional?
No. Absolutely not.
Uchiha Jhin might have forced the ancestral district back into the Uchiha's hands, but he'd also thoroughly disgusted Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Such behavior was wrong.
Right now, the Uchiha should be keeping their heads down—softening their relationship with the village wherever they could. What Uchiha Jhin was doing looked less like "fighting for the clan" and more like walking straight into destruction.
When Fugaku returned home, Mikoto was already waiting for him at the door.
"Fugaku, how did it go?"
"Was Hokage-sama angry? Is it resolved?"
Fugaku's face darkened, irritation grinding under his teeth.
He didn't want to deal with Mikoto right now. Instead, he cut straight to the point.
"Where's Inabi?"
"I haven't seen him," Mikoto said, shaking her head.
Fugaku's expression worsened.
Inabi was his most trusted confidant. Normally, he stayed close, always at Fugaku's side. But thinking back… he really hadn't seen him since earlier today.
After a brief pause, Fugaku spoke again.
"I'm going out."
Mikoto opened her mouth as if to say something more, but Fugaku was already gone. All she could do was sigh and turn back inside.
Elsewhere, Fugaku searched the clan district for a long time.
At last, from the mouth of an elder from the moderate faction, he learned the truth:
Inabi had already taken his younger sister and defected to Uchiha Jhin.
The news landed like a blow.
Anger. Humiliation. Confusion. A sharp, wordless sense of grievance.
Emotions churned in Fugaku's eyes, one after another, until at last he looked at the elder and spoke, voice low.
"Go notify our people. Tell them to come to my house soon—quick meeting."
"We've got trouble."