Chapter 23: Jin's Silent Burden; Enemies on All Sides!
Uchiha Jin was genuinely curious.
He rarely walked the streets of Konoha. Only during his days at the Ninja Academy did he occasionally pass through the village proper, and even then, he almost never entered any shops.
After graduation, he went straight to the front lines. Later, after his teammates were killed in action and the village ordered him back, he had stayed almost exclusively within the Uchiha compound.
There was no helping it.
The Uchiha were hated too much. Jin couldn't stand those judgmental, fearful stares. Perhaps only a thick-headed fool like pre-darkness Obito could ignore such hostility.
Even now, when he occasionally visited the Hokage Building, he didn't pay much attention to the changes on the streets.
So, hearing that the absence of the Police Force had plunged the entire village into chaos actually piqued his interest.
"Elder Jin, I can explain that," spoke up a middle-aged Uchiha.
"The root cause is that everyone has been extremely busy these past few days. To relocate our entire families into the Radical District, we had to pack not just valuables, but furniture, bedding, and supplies."
"It's a massive undertaking."
"To get it done quickly, everyone used excuses like 'feeling unwell' or 'family emergencies' to take leave from the Police Force. The station was already short-staffed."
"I was one of the last to join the Radicals—my family nagged me into it—so I saw the changes firsthand."
"The streets have descended into total anarchy. Because the police are gone, all the thugs and hooligans have crawled out of the woodwork. Theft and robbery have skyrocketed."
"Especially since these scumbags know the police aren't on duty, they've become far more brazen than usual."
"Add to that the disputes between merchants and neighbors—without the Police Force to mediate, tempers are flaring, and fights are breaking out everywhere."
"Furthermore, some of the scum from the other ninja clans are taking advantage of the chaos to bully civilians and seize assets through intimidation."
"In short, the streets can be described with one word: Chaos!"
The man paused, then bowed respectfully. "By the way, Elder Jin, I am Uchiha Takashi. I was formerly a member of the Moderate Faction."
"Although I haven't been with the Radicals for long, I fully approve of your governance. Living here is... comfortable."
"Not only do we sleep soundly without fearing assassination by Danzo, but under your command, we have repeatedly won concessions from the village."
"Compared to that unreliable Fugaku, your actions have given me real hope."
"From this day forward, I offer you my loyalty!"
Takashi's tone was solemn. following his lead, the others in the courtyard began to pledge their loyalty one by one.
Jin's eyes crinkled with a smile. To say he wasn't happy would be a lie.
His judgment had been spot on!
If he had tried to convince these people with logic or debate back then, he never would have united the clan. Under the deliberate sabotage of the High Command, the internal factionalism was too entrenched.
But now?
He just had to let them bleed a little. After a few deaths, they woke up.
Of course, he had two people to thank for this.
First, Danzo. Without his relentless assassinations, these people would never have sought Jin's protection.
Second, Fugaku. If not for that fool's strategy of "non-resistance" and "non-defense," the Moderates and Neutrals never would have despaired enough to defect.
"Everyone..."
"Ideally, I should be humble here. But the Uchiha are facing threats from both inside and out. We must be twisted into a single, unbreakable rope. So, I will shamelessly accept your loyalty."
"However, I must warn you: our situation remains critical."
"Externally, we have the High Command targeting us—especially that old dog, Danzo. Internally, we still have Fugaku and Shisui dragging us down. Therefore, our future actions must still be cautious."
Jin's tone was serious.
Yes, while his recent moves had been effective—tearing a chunk of flesh from Hiruzen each time—the danger was real. Hiruzen Sarutobi was a ruthless character. Having suffered such a loss, the old man would definitely seek retaliation.
Fugaku and Shisui were also wild cards.
This was a world where might made right. Both of them possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan. Looming in the future was the traitor Itachi, and hiding in the shadows was that bastard Obito.
To say he faced "internal trouble and foreign aggression" was an understatement!
Jin was genuinely worried.
Although he had the Mangekyo, it wasn't the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. While his right eye could slowly regenerate ocular power, he still couldn't sustain a prolonged, large-scale battle.
He was walking on thin ice.
His actions seemed radical, but internally, he was calculating every step, careful not to push his enemies into a corner where they had nothing to lose.
If he pushed too hard...
Shisui might use Kotoamatsukami on him.
Fugaku, who was hiding his Mangekyo to avoid village scrutiny, might be forced to reveal it if Jin went too far.
As for Itachi? Jin wasn't too worried yet. As long as Shisui was alive, Itachi likely wouldn't awaken his Mangekyo. Once he did, it would mean Shisui was no longer a threat.
Obito was the same. He didn't want to expose himself yet. Unless the Leaf moved to exterminate the Uchiha or the clan fell into total civil war, Obito would stick to pushing things from the shadows.
So, Jin couldn't be too aggressive. It was a slow game of chess.
As for his parents being held by Root... honestly, that was the one thing Jin worried about the least. They were Danzo's leverage against him. Danzo wouldn't waste such valuable bargaining chips as mere consumables.
It wasn't time to tear Danzo apart just yet. Even though his heart felt like it was being carved by a knife, reason told him to be cold.
Thinking of this, Jin felt a surge of resentment.
Other transmigrators got a "System" the moment they landed. At worst, they got a decent "Cheat."
And him?
He had a Seven-Tiered Pagoda Pendant that had traveled with him. But over the years, he had tried everything—dripping blood on it, infusing it with chakra—and nothing happened. It was just a piece of jewelry.
Damn it.
Is it going to wait until I conquer the ninja world before it finally activates?
If he had a System, he would have started a war with the High Command years ago instead of playing this cautious game of shadows.
"By the way, Elder Jin!"
Setsuna spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. "There is one thing I still don't understand. Why did Hiruzen Sarutobi back down so easily?"
"Couldn't the Anbu have temporarily taken over police duties?"
"With so many ninja and clans in Konoha, surely he could have pulled together a temporary squad to calm the chaos?"
"Why was he willing to pay such a high price—returning our Ancestral Land—rather than just mobilizing the Anbu or appointing a temporary force?"