Chapter 27: The Uchiha Unite; The Problem with the Police Force!
Jin spoke calmly and methodically.
He broke down Hiruzen Sarutobi's rise to power in excruciating detail, dismantling the "God of Shinobi" myth piece by piece for everyone to see.
His reason was simple.
The Uchiha Clan was his foundation for seizing power and protecting himself. He had to make these people realize, deep in their bones, that there was absolutely no possibility of reconciliation with the High Command.
He had no other choice.
Whether it was Hiruzen and his entrenched administration, the two Mangekyo users Shisui and Fugaku, the lurking Obito in the shadows, or even the prodigious Itachi who could awaken his Mangekyo at any moment...
The potential enemies were simply too strong.
Relying solely on his own Mangekyo to fight them head-on would be suicide.
The Uchiha gathered before him were his only lifeline.
"That is terrifying... but thinking about it carefully, Elder Jin's logic is flawless."
"I could never figure out why every time a powerhouse appeared in Konoha, they would inexplicably meet with an 'accident'..."
"One or two accidents I can believe. But this many coincidences? Only a fool would believe that!"
"I was possessed... to think I actually wanted to reconcile with such people!"
The crowd buzzed with realization and anger.
The Moderates and Neutrals were especially affected. Re-examining Hiruzen's history through this new lens made them regret their past naivety deeply.
This man cannot be trusted!
The elders at the front sighed heavily. Unlike the common clansmen, they sat in high positions and knew more secrets. Their vision had been clouded by illusions of peace, but now that Jin had swept away the fog, they realized just how stupid they had been.
"Jin... I have learned much today!"
Uchiha Yashiro took a deep breath. "From today on, I fully support you!"
With his declaration, the other elders quickly followed suit. Having realized that integration was a dead end, supporting Jin was the only logical choice.
Setsuna smiled, genuinely delighted.
I chose the right successor.
Jin hadn't just stabilized the Radicals; he had conquered the hearts of the Moderates and Neutrals as well.
However, Setsuna took a breath and asked a lingering question.
"Jin, I have one concern."
"Since we know the Police Force is a trap, why were you willing to make that deal with Hiruzen?"
"Is it really just to get the Ancestral Land back? That doesn't seem like your style to take such a poisoned chalice."
His face was full of doubt.
The others looked at Jin as well. They hadn't thought about it before, but now that they understood the Police Force was a tool for isolation, they realized returning to it was dangerous. Many began to voice their opinion that they should reject the Police Force entirely, even if it meant giving up the land.
Jin raised a hand to quiet them.
"Everyone, do not panic. I have a counter-strategy."
"In the past, the clan was divided, and my influence was limited, so I had to ignore the Police Force issue. But now that everyone is willing to listen to me, solving this problem isn't difficult."
"One word: Stall."
"The Uchiha have always been too honest and efficient. From now on, when handling Police Force duties, do not be too diligent. For any case, drag it out as long as possible."
"If you don't know how to handle the balance, then use a Shadow Clone to find me when a case pops up. I will teach you on the spot."
"The core principle is this: a case that takes one day to solve should now take ten to fifteen days."
"Even if the village falls into chaos because of our inefficiency, the ones who will suffer the political blowback are the High Command. Since the villagers don't like us anyway, why should we rush to deliver justice for them?"
Jin's tone was calm.
Handling the Police Force was easy. If any other clan—like the Nara or Hyuga—had been given this job, they would have navigated the politics effortlessly. It was only because the Uchiha were so painfully straightforward that they ended up being hated.
Hearing this, the crowd looked a bit blank. Malicious compliance wasn't in their nature. But they didn't argue. If they got stuck, they would just ask Jin.
Elder Amano asked, confused, "Jin, why go through all that trouble?"
"We've nearly torn off our masks with the village anyway. Why not just abandon the Police Force completely?"
Jin sighed lightly.
He looked at the crowd with a helpless expression. "The Uchiha aren't strong enough yet. We cannot completely break with the village right now. It does no one any good."
"Our struggle with the High Command must be contained within a specific range. Conflict without Rupture is best for everyone."
"If we start a civil war, even if we win, we won't be able to stop the other villages from invading while we're weak."
"This is also why the High Command keeps squeezing our living space, trying to force us to rebel first, rather than just wiping us out directly."
"Because only if the Uchiha rebel first can the High Command justify mobilizing the other clans and civilians against us!"
"Everyone, remember this point clearly: Our main enemy is that small group of High Command officials."
"Specifically, the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans, along with Root and the Anbu. The other ninja clans and the civilians are Centrists. They will help whoever is winning!"
"Do not treat Konoha as a monolith. The village has its own internal factions."
"Take Hiruzen's reinstatement as Hokage, for example. Didn't you notice that all the people who supported the Fourth Hokage have been transferred away from key positions?"
"Especially the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. They suffered heavy losses!"
"They lost the Jonin Commander, the Head of Intelligence, and the Anbu Vice-Commander positions. Do you really think Ino-Shika-Cho has no grievances against the High Command?"
"The other clans are the same!"
"They are only dormant because Hiruzen's faction is too strong right now, and they fear the Uchiha's unstable temperament. They are waiting for an opportunity."
"These people are not our enemies!"
"Therefore, engrave this in your minds: our enemy is solely the High Command."
The crowd looked enlightened.
So... that's how it is!
They had never considered this perspective before. Hearing Jin analyze the village's internal politics made them realize how narrow their vision had been.
"We really were thinking about it all wrong," Yashiro admitted.
"Listening to Jin, I finally understand," Amano muttered. "Hiruzen is the Hokage, but he doesn't represent the entire Leaf."
"We used to treat the entire village as our enemy!"
The crowd sighed with emotion. But with Jin's analysis, they suddenly felt that the future wasn't so bleak after all.
Seeing the discussion winding down, Jin spoke again.
"That is all for the general discussion today. Everything we've talked about so far can be leaked. I don't mind if the other clans or the village hear about these theories regarding the Hokage's rise to power."
"However, the next topic involves the Uchiha's future strategic layout. It is not suitable for most people to know."
"Except for the Elders, everyone else is dismissed!"