Chapter 8: The Master of the Leaf
"First, I don't want to hear another word about rebellion from this clan ever again," Touhuan announced, his voice heavy with authority.
"Huh?" The young Uchiha, who were ready for war, were stunned. Shisui and Itachi, on the other hand, breathed a collective sigh of relief. Finally, it seemed Touhuan had some sanity left; he knew a civil war would be suicide.
But their relief was short-lived.
"This village was founded by Madara and the First Hokage," Touhuan continued, his eyes glowing in the firelight. "By right, the Uchiha are the masters of this village. We don't need to rebel. We simply need to reclaim what is rightfully ours."
"That's right! The Leaf belongs to the Uchiha!" Inahime cheered, her fervor reignited.
"Second," Touhuan dropped another bombshell, "the Security Department is understaffed. Starting tomorrow, we will recruit civilian ninjas. Within a week, I want our numbers doubled. Their salaries will match D-Rank mission pay at the very least. Furthermore, every non-Sharingan jutsu in our archives, including the spoils of war we've gathered for decades, will be opened as rewards for those who show outstanding loyalty and skill."
The room erupted. Even Shisui and Itachi were lost. This wasn't just a change in policy; it was cutting into the clan's very flesh.
"Quiet!" Touhuan's voice sliced through the noise. "Most of you work in the police force. You know the villagers hate us, even when we are just. The Security Department was meant to be our pride, but the Senju-no-Kami—that 'God of Shinobi'—turned it into a cage to alienate us! It's a wall between us and the people."
"To reclaim power, we must bridge that gap. The First Hokage was right about one thing: you don't become Hokage to get approval; you get approval to become Hokage. We have been strangers in our own home for too long. It is time to embrace the village!"
Touhuan's charisma was infectious. Shisui actually paused, wondering if he had judged the man too harshly. Wasn't this exactly what he had always dreamed of?
"Recruiting is fine, but our secret jutsu? Are they not too precious?" an elder asked hesitantly.
"Our foundation is our bloodline. These scrolls are just paper if they gather dust. Use them as a bridge to the people," Touhuan replied.
"But Touhuan," Fugaku interjected, "doubling the staff and paying them D-Rank wages... the clan's treasury won't last. We were moved to the outskirts six years ago; our funds are limited."
"Don't worry about the gold, Elder Fugaku," Touhuan smiled calmly. "I'll handle the money."
"If you have a plan, then so be it. Traditionally, the Clan Head serves as the Chief of the Security Department—"
"No, no," Touhuan interrupted Fugaku. "Elder Fugaku, you will remain the Chief. I have far more important things to do."
"More important?" Fugaku was puzzled.
"Of course. I have to complete the task assigned to me by the Third Hokage." Touhuan's smile widened.
"If you mean the investigation into Danzo and Root," an elder noted, "shouldn't we start immediately before they destroy the evidence?"
"How can we start now?" Touhuan's grin was meaningful. "We need to give them some time."
Time to destroy the evidence. Time to make themselves look even more guilty.
"Inahime, Zaito. Starting tomorrow, you're with me. We are going to 'investigate' Root."
...
While the Uchiha met, the Root base was a hive of frantic activity. Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Ryoma were overseeing the destruction of every incriminating document.
Ryoma was sweating. He remembered Touhuan from the Third War. Danzo had sent him to assassinate the 'Blue Lightning' back then, and he had barely escaped with his life. His insects were useless against the electromagnetic fields Touhuan generated.
Under Danzo's machine-like conditioning, the Root ninjas worked through the night, burning secrets in Fire Style furnaces. Just as the last scrolls were being fed to the flames, news arrived: Uchiha Touhuan was at the gates.
The two commanders locked eyes, nodded, and stepped out to face the inevitable.
...
Touhuan walked toward the Root HQ with a relaxed pace, Inahime and Zaito at his heels.
"This old bastard's den is certainly out of the way," Inahime complained.
Touhuan stopped, his eyes narrowing. "The rats are here."
In an instant, blue lightning flickered around Touhuan. Swarms of parasitic insects tried to cloud around them, but the moment they hit his aura, they crackled and fell to the ground, dead. The grass beneath his feet withered from the poison.
Inahime and Zaito drew their kunai, shifting into fighting stances.
"You Aburame dogs never learn," Touhuan declared loudly. "These bugs have no effect on me."
A barrage of shuriken was the only response.
However, the steel blades mysteriously froze in mid-air, hovering a foot away from Touhuan's skin. Suddenly, one of the shuriken exploded in a cloud of smoke—a Body Flicker! Aburame Ryoma appeared from the haze, his kunai aimed directly at Touhuan's throat.
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(End of Chapter)