Chapter 16: Faced with Fugaku's Defeatism, Hiruzen Sarutobi is Truly Helpless!
Uchiha Compound, Radical Faction District.
Compared to half a month ago, the district had doubled in size.
There was no other way around it. With the recent flood of clansmen defecting to the Radicals, they were forced to expand their territory. This expansion naturally necessitated a redesign of the defensive barriers and a complete reorganization of the patrol squads and sentry posts.
As for the Konoha Military Police Force?
Heh.
From the moment Uchiha Jin seized true power, he had ordered all members of the Radical Faction to resign. Now, with the influx of former Moderates and Neutrals, Jin issued a fresh directive: every new defector was to withdraw from the Police Force immediately.
Currently, the Police Force had become a hollow shell.
While the organization technically still existed, with Fugaku remaining as the Chief and a skeleton crew occasionally manning the Police Station, no real work was getting done.
After all, what was Fugaku supposed to do? Was the grand Chief of the Police Force supposed to take his remaining elders and elite Jonin onto the streets to perform the duties of common beat cops?
Fugaku and the others couldn't bear that level of humiliation.
The Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was incredibly grim. He glared at Fugaku, who was standing before him, and couldn't help but slam his hand onto the desk.
"Clan Head Fugaku, this has gone too far!"
"Can you still perform your duties as the Chief of the Police Force? Look at the state the village is in! It's descending into chaos!"
"Where are your officers? Why is there no law enforcement on the streets?"
He was close to losing his mind.
Hiruzen knew the Uchiha were unstable. He knew their internal factions were at each other's throats. He even knew that Danzo was assassinating Uchiha members every few days, treating the compound like a harvesting ground for eyes.
However, that was no excuse for the Police Force to stop functioning!
In Hiruzen's ideal scenario, the Uchiha were meant to keep working the Police Force until the very last one of them died. If the Uchiha stopped "enforcing the law" and antagonizing the civilians, how was Hiruzen supposed to maintain the moral high ground necessary to keep targeting them?
But unfortunately for Hiruzen, Fugaku remained perfectly calm.
Fugaku spared the Hokage a flat glance before speaking with a tone of utter helplessness. "Hokage-sama, the vast majority of the Uchiha have sided with the Radicals. Currently, the only people I can command are Shisui, two or three elders, and six or seven elite Jonin."
"Shisui belongs to the Anbu. My remaining elite Jonin are required to protect the elders and remain on guard against the 'enemy spies' who keep appearing at night."
"You can't expect the Clan Head to personally lead the elders on street patrols, can you?"
Fugaku spread his hands, fully embracing a state of defeatism.
Yes, he was done. He was helpless and desperate.
Hiruzen felt like he was choking on his own words. He couldn't find a single rebuttal.
Damn it!
Thinking it over, what Fugaku said was the truth. This so-called Uchiha Clan Head had truly become a "General without an Army."
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe in a heavy silence before speaking hesitantly. "Have you no plan for a counter-attack?"
"None. I can't think of anything," Fugaku replied without even looking up. He shook his head. "Uchiha Jin is playing an Open Scheme. I've lost, and I accept it."
He truly had no way out, so he chose to accept his fate with a stoic, hollow calm. This was his character—just as in the original story, he would eventually accept death at the hands of his own son without a fight.
Hiruzen: "..."
The corners of his mouth twitched violently. He wanted nothing more than to slap some sense into Fugaku.
I have never seen such a useless man! I knew you were no match for Uchiha Jin, but can't you at least put up a fight before surrendering?
This was a problem. If Fugaku didn't compete with Jin, then once Jin consolidated his power over the entire clan, he would inevitably turn his attention back to the village leadership.
No. I can't let that happen!
Fugaku was clearly a lost cause, but Hiruzen couldn't afford to let him fail. Even if it went against his own instincts, he would have to fight Fugaku's battles for him. At the very least, he had to help Fugaku reclaim enough followers to keep the internal Uchiha conflict alive.
Hiruzen let out a long, weary sigh. He never imagined he would one day be actively helping Fugaku. But the man's level of incompetence was staggering. He decided he would have to find more ways to support Fugaku—starting with having Shisui spend more time by the Clan Head's side.
Knock, knock, knock!
Hiruzen tapped the desk, and an Anbu operative immediately appeared, kneeling on one knee.
"Hokage-sama."
"Find Uchiha Jin. Tell him I require his presence in the Hokage's office immediately."
The Anbu nodded and vanished.
Once the operative was gone, silence returned to the office. Hiruzen had no interest in looking at Fugaku; he simply smoked his pipe and began to calculate. He needed to find the right words—the right leverage—to force Uchiha Jin to back down.
Radical Faction District, Central Estate.
Uchiha Jin stood before a young Uchiha Jonin. He was intrigued, mostly because of the man's identity.
Uchiha Inabi. Fugaku's absolute confidant.
He was one of the few people Fugaku trusted most, and arguably one of the strongest fighters left in the non-Radical factions.
"You... want to join me?"
"To be honest, I find it hard to believe. You are Fugaku's right-hand man. Why would you want to defect?"
"As his personal elite, surely Fugaku could protect you and your own, couldn't he?"
Jin's eyes flickered with suspicion. He didn't trust this man yet; the situation was too awkward. Why would the Clan Head's loyal shadow suddenly come to him?
Inabi's expression didn't waver. His voice remained steady.
"I have a younger sister. The main compound is no longer safe."
"I have to guard the Clan Head every day, which leaves me no time to look after her. But that is only the surface reason."
"In truth, I have lost all hope in the Clan Head. On the day you became the leader of the Radicals and established this district, I believed the Clan Head should have done whatever it took to stop you—even if it meant an internal skirmish. But because of his indecision, he missed the only opportunity he had."
"Now, whether it's the village's smear campaign or the nightly disappearances of our kin, Fugaku stands as Clan Head and finds no way to stop any of it."
"Even when your methods have been proven effective, he lacks the resolve to even attempt to emulate them."
"I finally see him for what he is. Fugaku has no spirit. Whether we choose war or peace, a leader must choose. His hesitation, coupled with the village's hostility, is a recipe for our annihilation."
"Therefore, my defection is sincere."
"Fugaku is unfit to be Clan Head. I want to support Jin-kun for the position!"
"I don't know if our situation will change once you lead us, but at the very least, you are stronger than he is. That... is enough for me."